University of Wyoming Foundation

SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT

UW Establishes Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory to Support Education and Research

A gift from Ripple, a leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, will establish a Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory at the University of Wyoming, which will foster innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and cybersecurity to help transform the finance and technology industries.

“Given the caliber of its leadership and research programs, the University of Wyoming is in the perfect position to help promote and accelerate the development of blockchain technology and real-world use cases like central bank digital currencies, NFTs and carbon credit markets,” says Lauren Weymouth, director of university partnerships at Ripple. “We are thrilled to welcome the University of Wyoming to our University Blockchain Research Initiative and look forward to working alongside faculty and students to create a more robust and valuable global blockchain ecosystem for all.”

The Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory will be based in the UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation, the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Law. This funding will support UW undergraduate and graduate students interested in blockchain, cryptocurrency and cybersecurity as they pursue degrees and launch their careers, ensuring a skilled workforce for Wyoming’s technology future. Additionally, UW will operate an XRPL validator on campus, which performs the vital work of verifying transactions.

UW’s Maohong Fan Awarded Carell Family Energy and Petroleum Professorship

The University of Wyoming has awarded the Carrell Family Energy and Petroleum Professorship in the College of Engineering and Applied Science to Maohong Fan, whose research has helped chemical, environmental and energy companies overcome technical challenges.

“It is a great honor to hold the chaired professorship endowed by Mr. Larry Carrell in honor of his family,” says Fan, the School of Energy Resources (SER) professor of chemical and petroleum engineering. “I thank Mr. Carrell and his family members very much for their great support to the University of Wyoming. I highly appreciate it. Also, I would like to emphasize that the honor is the acknowledgement of all of us at UW in energy and petroleum engineering areas.”

The Carrell Family Energy and Petroleum Professorship supports UW faculty who are focused on research and education in energy and petroleum. Established in 2021 by Lawrence “Larry” Carrell, a UW alumnus with degrees in engineering, the professorship’s focus is to further UW’s goal in becoming a Tier-1 engineering institution.

Watt Foundation Gift to UW Supports Healthy Wyoming Landscapes

A $500,000 gift from the Joe and Arlene Watt Foundation will support a University of Wyoming program that provides collaborative applied and fundamental research, along with hands-on educational opportunities, to combat invasive grass species and restore healthy Wyoming landscapes.

“Wyoming’s grasslands and wildlife are some of our most important resources,” says Richard Hammer, of the Watt Foundation. “We’re excited for this opportunity for the Watt Foundation to continue to invest in the future of our great state through maintaining our wildlands while offering hands-on education, research and outreach. Our goal is to invest in the institutions that transform our communities and ensure our state’s future.”

The gift, which totals $1 million with state match funding, creates an excellence fund that supports the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE). It is an initiative of the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Sheridan Research and Extension Center, as well as other partners that may not normally sit at the table.