UW WORTH Initiative Awards Faculty Research Grants

The Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative at the University of Wyoming has awarded grants for seven UW and community college faculty-led research projects that will benefit Wyoming’s economy.

WORTH, an integral part of UW and its strategic partnership with Wyoming community colleges, is designed to foster, expand and diversify Wyoming’s economy through outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality industries.

Faculty research grant funding was made possible through the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, a collaboration to align education and workforce development and support innovation, entrepreneurship and research to help drive Wyoming's economy.

WORTH received 10 proposals with $779,000 in requests. Initially, $250,000 was budgeted for the grants.

“We received such impactful proposals that we decided to relocate additional funds to support seven projects total,” says Dan McCoy, WORTH’s interim director. “Tourism is the state’s second-largest industry and the largest private employment sector. We have outstanding faculty at UW and at our community colleges; these grants and their research will help support this important industry.”

The research will take place over the next year and a half, McCoy adds. Final presentations will be given at the conclusion of the recipients’ completed research projects, with the findings made public through WORTH.

The funded research project titles, descriptions and collaborators are:

-- “Advancing Outdoor Recreation Tourism and Educational Programs: Leveraging Digital Tools in the Wind River Mountain Foothills.” The research focuses on using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and drone imagery to digitize outdoor recreation locations in Wyoming, specifically in the Wind River Mountain foothills. The project will help to promote e-tourism and to support educational programs in trail-building and outdoor recreation management through the creation of immersive 3D models and virtual exploration tools.

Award recipients are Ahmed Abdelaty, a UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences assistant professor; and Brian Linton, a geographic information system specialist and adjunct professor, and Darran Wells, a professor of outdoor education and leadership, both from Central Wyoming College.

-- “Assessment of Recreation Access and Fees on State Trust Land in the Western United States: A Comprehensive Analysis for Informed Policy Decisions.” The research focuses on assessing recreation access and associated fees on state trust lands in the western U.S. The project is to provide insights on policy decisions regarding land management, economic impacts of recreation fees and implications for outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality in Wyoming and beyond.

Grant recipients are Temple Stoellinger, a UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources/College of Law associate professor; and Bryan Leonard, who will join the Haub School and School of Energy Resources this fall. He currently is at Arizona State University. Also on the project is Eric Atkinson, a Northwest College associate professor and biological sciences coordinator.

-- “Building Eco‐Tourism in Wind River Reservation with the Buffalo: Feasibility, Planning, and Pilot Research.” The project focuses on developing ecotourism around buffalo herds on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The project involves feasibility studies, planning and pilot projects to create a visitor center and campground while promoting economic development and employment opportunities for Native American youth in outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality.

Grant recipients are Tarissa Spoonhunter, a Haub School associate professor and UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute director; Melanie Armstrong, a Haub School associate professor and Ruckelshaus Institute director; and Jason Baldes, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative director, from Fort Washakie.

-- “Good Governance of the Big Game Hunt: A Participatory, Interdisciplinary Project to Enhance Public Input in Wyoming’s Most Iconic Outdoor Recreational Pursuit.” The research project focuses on improving public engagement and participation in big-game hunting management in Wyoming and effectively transmitting public input to high-level decision-makers. The aim is to enhance governance and sustainability of big-game hunting as a key element of outdoor recreation and tourism.

Grant recipients are Kelly Dunning, an associate professor, and Joe Holbrook, an assistant professor, both from the Haub School; and Embere Hall, of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and UW Department of Zoology and Physiology.

-- “Utilizing AI and Digital Twin Technology to Support Wyoming’s Tourism Economy.” The research aims to support Wyoming’s tourism economy by leveraging artificial intelligence and digital twin technology. Large language models and predictive models will be used to provide actionable insights into tourist behavior and spending patterns and to facilitate data-driven decision-making in tourism management and planning.

Grant recipients are Yun Liang, a Haub School postdoctoral research associate; Jian Gong, an assistant research scientist, and Dane Taylor, an assistant professor, both in the UW School of Computing; and Chen Xu, a Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center associate professor.

-- “Winter Wonderland: Can Place-based Festivals During Low-Season Promote Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality in Rural Communities?” The proposed research will explore the potential of place-based festivals in Laramie during the low season to boost recreation, tourism and hospitality. Projects include a pop-up festival combining public arts and recreation. An economic impact report and a toolkit for similar rural communities will be provided.

Grant recipients are Kayla Clark, a Haub School and UW Department of Communication and Journalism assistant lecturer; Curt Davidson, a Haub School assistant professor; and Laura Zorch McDermit, from Laramie’s Public Art Coalition.

-- “Wyoming State of Origin Labeling.” The research project will evaluate the impact of Wyoming state-of-origin labeling on consumer preferences, using self-report studies and physiological response measurements to enhance marketing of local goods to tourists and residents.

Grant recipients are Elizabeth Minton, a UW College of Business marketing and management associate professor; and Cynthia Harrison, a Casper College visual arts instructor.

“These projects embody the essence of WORTH’s mission. Each project uniquely contributes to this mission, leveraging interdisciplinary research and collaborations across UW and various Wyoming community colleges,” McCoy says. “We extend our congratulations to all of the recipients and look forward to the positive impacts their research will bring to the state of Wyoming.”

Faculty members who participate in the research grants become WORTH-affiliated faculty, he adds.

For more information about WORTH, visit www.uwyo.edu/worth or email McCoy at dan.mccoy@uwyo.edu.