Published May 28, 2024
Dear Alumni and Friends of the College of Arts & Sciences,
Please enjoy the May 2024 edition of the College of Arts & Sciences Monthly Newsletter.
Commencement was a joyous occasion a couple weeks ago. I was honored to shake the hands of hundreds of new College of Arts and Sciences alumni. We look forward to keeping in touch with them as they launch their new lives and careers.
Although campus feels a bit different these days without the hustle and bustle of students, there are still many great things happening across our college. In this issue of the newsletter, you'll learn about a new fund honoring former College of A&S Dean, the launch of a new Ph.D. program in Public Humanities, faculty achievements, recent events and more.
As always, thank you for your support. It was a wonderful academic year, and we couldn't have done it without you.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Turpen
College of A&S Announces the Oliver Walter Dean's Excellence Fund
The College of Arts & Sciences has launched the "Oliver Walter Dean's Excellence Fund," which celebrates Dr. B. Oliver Walter’s tenure and legacy as former dean of the college.
For four decades, Ollie served the students, staff and faculty of the College of A&S as an academic and administrator. As dean, he strengthened existing academic programs, created new ones, fostered international partnerships and programs, encouraged excellence in the classroom, enhanced student scholarships and championed the contributions and achievements of faculty.
The college is recognizing Ollie’s significant contributions to UW by establishing the Oliver Walter Dean’s Excellence Fund, which provide a flexible pool of dollars for the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and will enable the college to respond quickly to emerging opportunities, to pursue strategic initiatives, and to invest in areas where the need is greatest and the potential for success is high. To make a gift, click here!
UW English Department Launches PhD in Public Humanities
The UW Department of English is launching a Ph.D. in Public Humanities program beginning in the fall 2024 semester. Public humanities work seeks to engage the public in conversations that inform contemporary debates, magnify community perspectives, preserve local cultures and expand educational access. This doctoral degree will bridge skills in research, rhetorical analysis, critical reading, and document design traditional to English studies, plus add a deep investment in public advocacy and community engagement. To learn more or apply, visit https://uwyo.edu/english/phd.html.
College of Arts & Sciences Top Graduates Recognized at Luncheon
The College of Arts and Sciences recently recognized 10 graduates at its annual awards luncheon.
Each year, top graduates are nominated by faculty members in their respective areas of study. Students are selected based on GPA and the strength of the nomination letter. The names of the recipients are placed on a plaque by the A&S auditorium.
Students include Carson Almand of Midlothian, Texas; Cord M. Anderson of Windsor, Colo.; Grant Lloyd Dillivan of Powell; Karter Dunham of Worland; Kassandra Faye Dutro of Casper; Joseph "Jojo" Edwards, N. Mex.; Riley L. Frankel of Plainfield, Ill.; Gisele Ines Girones of Miami, Flor.; Jocelyn E. Petersen of Greeley, Colo.; and Bryce E. Schlachter of Cheyenne.
UW College of Arts & Sciences Celebrates Award Recipients
The College of Arts and Sciences recently held its annual awards banquet, honoring current and former faculty members, as well as alumni.
The event is held each May to honor the tradition and history of excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences and to celebrate current individuals within the college.
Dean Scott Turpen handed out awards that recognized outstanding alumni; outstanding former faculty; extraordinary merit in teaching and research; and the Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award. To learn more and see a list of all recipients, click here.
UW English Professor Gives Lecture in Scotland
Caroline McCracken-Flesher, Department of English, gave the annual “John Galt Society” lecture in Irvine, Scotland, May 3rd. She spoke about The Provost, an 1822 novel by the Scottish author John Galt. The event took place a t the Robert Burns club (founded 1826). And the real provost of the real borough of Inverclyde attended.
Pictured: authors Matthew Fitt and Gerry Cambridge (left and right), also Craig Lamont and Gerry Carruthers (University of Glasgow), Caroline McCracken-Flesher and Petra Poroncova (Charles University, Prague).
UW Faculty Awarded with Department of Energy Grant
Three UW faculty members were recently awarded with a Department of Energy Grant for their project, which will combine sociological, economic and engineering approaches to generate policy-relevant insights about the the energy justice implications of alternative clean energy transition pathways, and to develop new CO2 conversion technologies that may help ease the transition to a low-carbon future.
The principal investigator on this project is Stephen Newbold (associate professor in the Department of Economics), and the co-principal investigators are Maohong Fan (School of Energy Resources professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Energy and Petroleum Engineering) and Daniel Auerbach (assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology). This is an interdisciplinary grant with members from the UW and New Mexico State University.
Pictured is Daniel Auerbach, Stephen Newbold and Maohong Fan.
UW American Studies Faculty Receive Preserve Wyoming Awards
American Studies Professor Emeritus Eric Sandeen and retired American Studies lecturer Mary Humstone received Preserve Wyoming awards from the State Historic Preservation Office for "outstanding contributions and accomplishments to the field of historic preservation." The UW American Studies program is offering a class on historic preservation for the first time in a long time in the Fall of 2024. Learn more at https://uwyo.edu/ams/course-offerings/index.html.
"Gretchen E. Henderson, Dear Body of Water" at the Neltje Center
Intermedia artist Gretchen Ernster Henderson writes across environmental arts, cultural histories and integrative sciences. At the Neltje Center, she will lead a series of place-based, literary ecoarts workshops to communally replenish WaterWays:
Participants are invited for "Dear Body of Water": a poetic water-harvesting project writing postcard-sized love letters to bodies of water to grow a chorus of care connecting watersheds, locally and globally.
This event will take place July 1-7 at the Neltje Center, just south of Sheridan.
Interested in More A&S Events?
Visit the College of Arts & Sciences calendar for more concerts, lectures and art exhibitions at https://uwyo.edu/as/calendar.html.
