Laramie Physician to Receive UW Honorary Degree

The University of Wyoming will confer its highest award, the honorary doctoral degree, upon Dr. Kenneth Robertson, a dedicated physician and educator in Laramie for nearly five decades.

He will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree -- for service to humanity and society or public service -- and will be recognized during UW commencement weekend next month.

UW alumni, current or former trustees, and faculty members are eligible to nominate individuals for honorary degrees who embody the university’s high ideals; exemplify the values of excellence, service and integrity; and possess distinguished accomplishments in their professions, public service or service to humanity. Submissions are referred to a joint committee of trustees and faculty members, which forwards recommendations to the full Board of Trustees for approval.

"It’s not just Ken’s decades-long dedication to his profession and this community that make him deserving of this honor, but also his unwavering commitment to helping others achieve their aspirations,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “He embodies what it means to be a mentor, a friend and a UW Cowboy."

A board-certified internist, Robertson has devoted his career to patient care, medical education and mentorship. His passion for medicine was fostered by a family background in health care and strengthened through the guidance of a mentor who encouraged him to specialize in internal medicine.

“Throughout his almost 50-year career in Wyoming, Dr. Robertson has positively impacted the lives of the people of Wyoming and made invaluable contributions to the faculty and students of the University of Wyoming,” say co-nominators Anne Marie Hart and Derek Smith. “In addition to his full-time work as an internal medicine physician, Dr. Robertson pursued his passions of teaching and research. The outcomes of this largely volunteer work have impacted countless individuals across the state and the nation through advancement of health and biomedical research and training of future health care and allied health care professionals, many of whom are leaders in their disciplines.”

While not a Wyoming native, Robertson has been enamored with the Mountain West since a childhood Boy Scout trip took him through the Rocky Mountains on the way to a New Mexico Scout camp. He graduated from medical school at the University of Maryland in 1972 and fulfilled his dream of heading back west when he moved to Denver, Colo., to complete his internship and residency at Presbyterian Medical Center.

Following his postgraduate medical training in 1975, Robertson served in the U.S. Air Force as the chief of internal medicine at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, attaining the rank of major. After completing his military service, he moved to Laramie in 1977, establishing himself as a trusted physician and hospitalist, practicing full time until 2021.

Beyond clinical practice, Robertson has been a passionate advocate for medical education for more than 40 years. He has taught courses for the UW College of Health Sciences, mentored master’s and Ph.D. students, and contributed to research through his service on the UW Institutional Review Board. Additionally, he played an instrumental role in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) Medical Education Program, shaping the future of medical professionals in the region.

“Although I did not have the privilege of having Dr. Robertson as a classroom teacher, I too have learned from and owe much to him,” says Hart, a UW Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing professor. “Dr. Robertson was one of the first physicians in Laramie to hire and support nurse practitioners, the first one being me, and I cannot imagine where I would be today without Dr. Robertson’s mentoring and support, which continue to this day.”

Robertson’s love for the West has only grown since his Boy Scout days. When he moved to Laramie, he established the Broken R Ranch, where he grew award-winning hay crops and continues to produce top-quality hay today. Until recently, he also guided elk hunters in the northern Wind River Range every fall. Robertson also loves cowboy history and, when he is not teaching, practicing or ranching, he can be found trading antique collectibles at Western shows.

“I am certain that it is evident that I am not an impartial reference for Dr. Robertson. I am completely biased, because Dr. Robertson has proven and then reinforced for the past four-plus decades that he rides for UW and Wyoming brands,” says Smith, a UW Division of Kinesiology and Health associate professor. “He rides for faculty, staff and students at UW; he rides for his patients and those globally that benefit from the research and educated workforce emanating from UW; he rides for our community and Wyoming’s first responders who he has voluntarily served. In short, he rides for all of Wyoming.”