Dean's Weekly Newsletter 9-12-2025

Published September 12, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

 

The semester is flying by, and the UW Cowboys have celebrated two victories so far this season! Go Pokes! 

 

Last weekend, I had the privilege to meet several important friends of the College of Education who traveled to Laramie for the game against the University of Northern Iowa. I had productive conversations with Phil and Paula Lantz, as well as Dave and Kelly Dunham. I also had the pleasure of connecting this week with UW Foundation members, including dear friends and supporters of the College of Education, Ann Pickard and Dan Smith, as well as several members of the Foundation Board during their meetings on campus. I am truly grateful for their generosity and advocacy, which make the work of the College of Education possible and directly benefit students and communities across Wyoming.

 

During my visit with donor Phil Lantz, who is deeply passionate about and invested in early childhood education in Wyoming, I was pleased to join a conversation between him and Nikki Baldwin, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education. Nikki shared an update on the Wyoming Early Childhood Outreach Network (WYECON), highlighting the important work underway to strengthen early childhood education across the state.

 

I was also able to join Associate Deans Pete Moran and Alan Buss and Colby Gull at the Wyoming Future of Learning Partnership Retreat held yesterday, September 11, at the Wyoming State Capitol. Governor Mark Gordon welcomed all partners at the event, and a highlight was a skit performed as a continuation of last year’s presentation, which featured Jake Orr.

 

The best way we can show gratitude to these and other champions and stakeholders of the College is through our hard work and service to the Wyoming public. With that, here are the topics I will cover in this week's newsletter:

 

  • Call for Proposals for the Fall College of Education Distinguished Speaker
  • Call for Self-Nominations for the new RIE Committee Chair
  • Faculty Workload Analysis Update
  • Faculty Insights: New Faculty Onboarding Program 
  • Open Forums with Leadership
  • College of Ed at the Advancing Comprehensive Early Childhood Intervention Symposia
  • Frequently Asked Processes Guide Reminder
  • Faculty Travel P-Cards
  • 2025–2026 Academic Writing Fellows
  • Dean's Fall Welcome Reminder
  • Upcoming Events Reminder:
  • District Connections Residency Fair
  • Writing Retreat
  • Research Ideation Event 2025

 

Call for Proposals for the Fall College of Education Distinguished Speaker: Last year, we welcomed Mandy Smoker Broaddus and Stephen Newton, Laramie County School District #1 Superintendent, to campus for thoughtful discussions on important issues in Wyoming education. We are excited to continue this initiative and invite proposals for the Fall Distinguished Speaker event in late November.

Faculty and staff, either individually or in groups, are encouraged to submit a one-page proposal that introduces the speaker and explains why their voice would be valuable to our campus community. The Dean’s Office will provide administrative support to the selected proposal. Please send proposals to Alex Rickert at arickert@uwyo.edu by Monday, September 22.

Call for Self-Nominations for the New RIE Committee Chair: It is time to select a new Chair for the Research, Innovation, and Engagement (RIE) Committee, which is responsible for overseeing and promoting activities related to research, innovation, and engagement. Thank you to Colby Gull, TEI Managing Director and WSUP Director, for his two years of service as the committee Chair. You can learn more about the committee on page 9 of our College

Bylaws: https://www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs/_files/docs/bylaws_education.pdf

Interested individuals should compose a one-page vision for the RIE Committee and submit it to Alex Rickert at arickert@uwyo.edu. The deadline is Monday, September 22. 

Faculty Workload Analysis Update: Our School Directors, Courtney and Todd, are currently developing a workload analysis framework. This framework is an important step toward providing clarity, equity, and consistency in how faculty workloads are assessed. More details will be shared as their work progresses.


Faculty Insights: New Faculty Onboarding Program: The Faculty Insights Program, the College’s structured onboarding initiative for new faculty, will continue this year under the leadership of our School Directors, Courtney McKim and Todd Reynolds. All new faculty members have been invited to participate in biweekly sessions that will cover a range of essential topics, including WyoFolio, budget processes, annual reviews, and key campus resources.

Last year’s program provided a strong foundation for our new colleagues, and we look forward to building on that success this year.

The first session was held this week, and future sessions will be held on the following dates:

  • September 17, September 24, October 1, October 15, October 22, November 19, and December 10.

Open Forums with Leadership: Throughout the semester, I, along with Associate Deans and School Directors, will be hosting Open Forums. These sessions are designed to create greater access to the leadership team, provide opportunities for dialogue, and invite open discussion about our shared priorities.

The forums are scheduled as follows:

  • September 15 – Jenna (12:00–1:00 PM, shaded plaza outside the Education Building)
  • October 9 – Alan & Pete (12:00–1:00 PM, ED 117)
  • October 20 – Jenna (12:00–1:00 PM, ED 117)
  • October 27 – Courtney & Todd (12:00–1:00 PM, ED 117)
  • November 12 – Pete & Alan (1:00–2:00 PM, ED 117)
  • December 1 – Todd & Courtney (12:00–1:00 PM, ED 117)

College of Ed at the Advancing Comprehensive Early Childhood Intervention Symposia: Marisa Macy, John P. Ellbogen Professor of Early Childhood Education, represented the University of Wyoming at the Advancing Comprehensive Early Childhood Intervention international conference in Portugal. She organized the symposium The Rights of Children: Reggio Emilia’s Influence in a Global Context, along with several other presentations and contributions. Learn more about the conference and view the program here: https://eci-conference.com/program/ 

 

Frequently Asked Processes Guide Reminder: I am re-sharing the attached reference guide outlining frequently asked processes at the College level. It is intended as a helpful resource and will be updated regularly as new questions arise and as University-level policies and guidelines evolve. For matters specific to your School, the School Directors will also provide guidance.

 

Faculty Travel P-Cards: In response to faculty concerns about the burden of using personal credit cards for travel expenses and waiting until trips conclude for reimbursement, faculty members may now apply for individual P-Cards for travel purposes. If you would like to request one, please contact Kimberly Montez, Director of Business Operations, at kmontez1@uwyo.edu.

 

2025-2026 Academic Writing Fellows: The Academic Writing Fellows (AWF) chairs have completed their selection process, and we are pleased to announce that 12 fellows have been chosen for 2025–2026. Please join me in congratulating our new and returning fellows, and in extending sincere thanks to Mia Williams and Jonathan Carrier for their leadership of this important program. I look forward to sharing future updates about the program.

 

Dean's Fall Welcome Reminder: Join us for the Dean’s Fall Welcome on Monday, September 15, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center Ballroom. The event will celebrate the power of teachers and feature remarks from Allyson Fertig, Allison Vandal, and a panel of College of Education students. A free barbecue dinner will be provided. Please register here: https://shorturl.at/qK08Q 

Upcoming Events Reminders: 

  • District Connections Residency Fair: The 4th Annual District Residency Connections Fair will be held Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. Students can connect with 13 public school districts, education organizations, and resource partners, as well as attend a free lunch and panel on building a meaningful career in public education. RSVPs are due by Monday, September 29 at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=rdfN-V2CAUaOnKMl4C1S2lJczMCwRExHunQ8UUBOnKpUQzJOQlRFV1NOQjY4SzBKQVNQWTNaRjZOWi4u.
  • Writing Retreat: UW faculty and staff who are research-active are invited to apply for a lightly facilitated proposal-writing retreat at the UW Neltje Center for Creativity, October 9–13, 2025. The retreat is free, with all expenses covered, and will be led by Alyson Hagy and Bethann Garramon Merkle. Application review begins today, September 12. Details and the application are available at https://tinyurl.com/NCpropRetreatF25. Please check with your supervisor before applying.
  • Research Ideation Event 2025: The UW Science Initiative will host the Research Ideation Event 2025 to support faculty in developing innovative research proposals with the potential for grant funding. The first session, Introduction & Call for Ideas, will be held Tuesday, September 30, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the UW Conference Center, with additional sessions in October and November leading to final proposal presentations. I encourage faculty to make use of this resource and sign up at https://tinyurl.com/UWideation.  

 

Thank you for reviewing these updates and for the energy and care you bring to your work daily, advocating for Wyoming teachers, educators, counselors, and leaders. The progress highlighted here reflects our shared effort to strengthen the College of Education and serve communities across the state. 

 

I wish you a wonderful weekend and look forward to continuing this important work together. As always, please feel free to send along any faculty, staff, or student updates and accomplishments for inclusion in my weekly newsletter.

 

Jenna