February 2024 Monthly Newsletter

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A Message from the Dean

Dear Friends of the College of Arts & Sciences,

Please enjoy the February 2024 edition of the College of Arts & Sciences Monthly Newsletter.  

It's been a busy start to the spring semester for all students, staff, and faculty, with many wonderful things taking place across our college. In this issue of our newsletter, you will learn about research happening in our very own state of Wyoming, upcoming events, and major student achievements. 

Thank you for supporting of the College of Arts & Sciences. 

Most Sincerely,

J. Scott Turpen

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Acclaim for Arts & Sciences

UW Student from Cheyenne Receives Prestigious Fellowship

University of Wyoming graduate Maeve Knepper, of Cheyenne, is among 30 students nationwide to receive the prestigious USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship. The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $100,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships and professional development activities, is a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service. It has a 2.3 percent acceptance rate. Currently, Knepper is taking a gap year to study Arabic intensively on a Boren Scholarship in Oman, a country situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. 

UW Archaeology Professor Discovers Oldest Known Bead in the Americas

University of Wyoming archaeology Professor Todd Surovell and his team of collaborators have discovered a tube-shaped bead made of bone that is about 12,940 years old. The bead, found at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County, is the oldest known bead in the Americas. The La Prele Mammoth site preserves the remains of a killed or scavenged sub-adult Columbian mammoth and an associated camp occupied during the time the animal was butchered. Read the full press release to learn more. 

UW Professor Publishes Best-Selling Book on Philosophy of Bitcoin
 
UW Associate Professor of Philosophy Bradley Rettler’s new book “Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin” became available on Amazon Feb. 15 and is now a top best-seller among philosophy books. Co-authored by Andrew Bailey, associate professor and a founding faculty member at Yale-NUS College, and Craig Warmke, associate professor of philosophy at Northern Illinois University, the book begins by explaining why bitcoin was invented, how it works and where it fits among other kinds of money. For more information about the book, contact Rettler at brettler@uwyo.edu.  

Anthropological Conference in Senegal
 
Scholars from across Senegal and the U.S. recently gathered at the West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal for an anthropological conference on the region of Kédougou. Funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Center for Global Studies at UW, the conference was co-organized by Nikolas Sweet (anthropology, UW) and Robyn d’Avignon (history, NYU). Invited scholars brought a four-field anthropological lens to archaeology of the deep past, hydrological analyses of livelihoods along polluted waterways, conservation perspectives on human-wildlife interactions, as well changing social contexts around the mines. Participants are now leveraging this conference to create a trans-Atlantic research group and to publish collaborative scholarship. 

UW Music Professor Returns from New York
 
Michael Griffith, UW’s Director of Orchestra Activities and Professor of Music, recently returned from New York City, where he was a guest conductor of the New York Repertory Orchestra. His concert, performed a half block from Times Square, included music by Bach, César Franck, and Radamés Gnattali. The orchestra’s unique mission is that they never repeat works. As such, the players and the audience had never experienced Gnattali’s Sinfonia Popular, a Brazilian work, or even the Bach Fugue and the Franck Symphony that completed his program. 

UW Professors’ Research Unveils Early Megalithic Architecture in the Americas
 
Two University of Wyoming anthropology professors have discovered one of the earliest circular plazas in Andean South America, showcasing monumental megalithic architecture. Located at the Callacpuma archaeological site in the Cajamarca Basin of northern Peru, the plaza is built with large, vertically placed megalithic stones—a construction method previously unseen in the Andes. Associate Professor Jason Toohey, project lead, and Professor Melissa Murphy have been researching this topic since the project’s inception in 2015. To learn more about this discovery, read the press release. 

UW Photojournalism Professor Receives Accolades
 
UW Photojournalism Professor Shane Epping recently had his paper and photo essay on Highway 287 accepted into Visual Communication Quarterly, an international, peer-reviewed journal of theory, research, practical criticism, and creative work in all areas of visual communication. Additionally, Epping was honored by Mortar Board, an honorary on campus, and was asked to speak at their new “Last Lecture” series event on March 6 in the Senate Chambers in the Union. He’ll speak on the prompt: "If you only had one lecture left, what would you tell your students?" Lastly, he also earned third place at the Northwest College Photo Contest and exhibition in the Professional Category. 

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Upcoming Events

UW Theatre & Dance Presents: Radical Humanity – March 1-3

Join the UW Department of Theatre & Dance for a full-length evening of original contemporary dance works, created by University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance faculty as well as special guest artists David Dorfman and Rob Kleinendorst, that reflect on the relationships, emotions, and movements that make us human. Performances will take place March 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arts & Sciences Auditorium. Visit the UW Music website to purchase tickets. 

Derli Romero Artist Talk - April 2
 
In this presentation, Mexican artist Derli Romero will describe his motivation and the process that resulted in his artistic work Rostros migrantes (2019). His project encompasses the testimonies of migrants from different countries passing through Mexico. Using a lithographic technique, he printed their stories on silhouettes made from the immigrants’ clothing after exchanging these for new clothing. This free event will take place Tuesday, April 2, from 6:30 - 7:30pm in Visual Arts Building, Room 111. 

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Change Your Contact Info

Our contact lists are kept with the University of Wyoming Foundation and can be updated. This allows us to keep in contact with you the way you prefer. 

If you need to update your information, please click here. Additionally, you can contact the foundation directly by calling toll free (888) 831-7795 or (307) 766-6300 or emailing the foundation at foundation@uwyo.edu.

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Give to the College of Arts & Sciences

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