UW Foundation Names Stewardship Award Recipients

A University of Wyoming faculty member and a college program director have been named recipients of the prestigious UW Foundation Stewardship Awards for 2025.

Shane Epping, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism, and Li Teng, director of student success in the Honors College, were recognized for their exceptional leadership in fostering strong relationships with alumni and donors.

The UW Foundation Stewardship Awards honor faculty and staff who go above and beyond in nurturing connections that support the university, their colleagues and -- most importantly -- UW students. This year marks the first year that the UW Foundation has opened this award for staff members.

Shane Epping

“When asking myself why I’m at UW doing what I’m doing, I know the answer,” Epping says. “I am here to inspire and to nurture a community of passionate storytellers who recognize the power of photography to make us feel something powerful.”

Epping serves as the first-ever Bobby Model Photojournalism Professor. The professorship is named in honor of the late Bobby Model, a UW graduate and a former National Geographic photographer from Cody. In 2019, Robert “Bob” Model, Bobby’s father, created the Bobby Model Professorship in Photojournalism and the Bobby Model Excellence Fund in Photojournalism to honor the legacy of his son, who died in 2009 at the age of 36.

“As the first holder of the Bobby Model Professorship in Photojournalism, Shane has transformed our department and the lives of his students,” says Justin Stewart, head of the Department of Communication and Journalism and a nominator. “The generous donation by Bob Model has had a tremendous impact, and Shane deserves immense credit for the way he has maximized the impact of that philanthropic effort.”

Epping uses Model funds to advance photojournalism at UW and to enrich the student experience. Among his efforts, he has purchased cameras and lenses, computers for a Mac lab, and a professional printer; covered students’ submission fees for photography competitions that have resulted in several international awards; and created the Bobby Model Photojournalism Award that funds a student to attend the Missouri Photo Workshop, one of the most competitive photography workshops in the country.

Additionally, he has leveraged funds to secure matching donations for students to travel to Perú, Rwanda and Namibia; twice subsidized the Visual Communication Conference for more than 60 visual scholars and creators, including UW students, to present research from around the globe in Wyoming and Colorado; and financed several student photography exhibitions. He also initiated the first UW Giving Day campaign for photojournalism in 2024.

“Shane has notified Bob of everything the fund has been a part of, including photography students’ work that is showcased in Coe Library and the national Visual Communication conferences that Epping has organized in Saratoga and in Estes Park, Colo.,” says Cindy Price Schultz, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism and a nominator.

Model praises Epping for his efforts.

“I believe Shane has captured the essence of what my dream was when this was just an idea yet to be brought to fruition,” Model says. “Now that it is a reality, Bobby’s legacy is in great hands.”

“Whether it is the act of making a photo or the experience of looking at one, photography allows us to stop time and to honor the fragility of life,” Epping says. “Because of this focus on the human condition, I consider stewardship the connective tissue that holds relationships between students, myself and Bob Model together.”

Epping also helps administer the Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship, an annual award for UW students to showcase strong visual storytelling projects. It is named in honor of Larsh Bristol, a UW journalism alumnus who died in 2006. Epping regularly communicates with the Bristol family about the work students are doing and the impact of the fellowship’s funding on their academic and professional development.

Another way that Epping has helped steward gifts is through his department’s newsletter. Seven articles have been published about how the Bobby Model Professorship in Photojournalism and the excellence fund have been used, and every Bristol Fellow has been featured.

Faryn Babbitt, a UW Foundation director of development, says she has visited donors with Epping, and he takes the time to answer all of their questions.

“I have never seen a faculty member go above and beyond to steward donors the way Shane does,” says Babbitt, who nominated Epping for the award. “He truly cares about his work, this university and the folks who have entrusted him in ensuring these funds leave a lasting legacy in memory of the men for which they are named.”

“Shane Epping and Li Teng exemplify the very best of what it means to serve the University of Wyoming,” says Scott Turpen, UW’s interim provost. “Their dedication to building lasting relationships with donors and alumni has strengthened not only our academic community, but also the enduring legacy of those whose generosity supports it.”

Li Teng

“Being the first staff recipient of the UW Foundation Stewardship Award is a humbling honor,” Teng says. “This award not only recognizes behind-the-scenes stewardship work, but it also reflects the collaborative spirit of the Honors College and celebrates the shared commitment to meaningful alumni and donor engagement.”

As part of her role with the Honors College, Teng directs the Summer High School Institute (HSI), a three-week program that offers rising Wyoming high school juniors the opportunity to experience college life at UW.

The program is funded, in part, by the Wyoming Legislature. Other sources of funding are needed to cover program expenses and to allow more students to participate. To keep the program thriving, Teng created an HSI stewardship initiative in 2021 to engage with HSI alumni.

Teng recognized that, for many of the program participants, their three-week experience at HSI had been life-changing, and it was their first exposure to what UW could offer. Teng figured that many HSI alumni would want to give back to the program, even if they did not attend UW as undergraduates.

Her first task was to set up a database. Although the HSI program has existed since 1985, a database of HSI alumni did not exist. Teng worked with the UW Foundation to build a database that now contains about 1,400 names and continues to grow.

Teng then developed campaigns for UW Giving Day. She included testimonials from current UW students who are HSI alumni. She also asked HSI alumni Pete Simpson Jr., an actor and Blue Man Group performer, and Chris Rothfuss, a Wyoming state senator, to participate in the campaigns.

The first campaign took place in 2022 and raised approximately $4,000 for the HSI program. The 2023 campaign raised $7,000. The 2024 campaign raised $22,000, which included a $10,000 gift from HSI alumnus Storm Duncan, founder and managing partner of Ignatious, and a $5,000 gift from an anonymous donor. Neither donor was a UW alumnus, and neither had given to UW previously.

“Part of the success of Li’s campaigns is no doubt due to Li’s grace in thanking donors and connecting with them,” says Peter Parolin, dean of the Honors College and a nominator. “She personally reaches out to them, she sends them videos from HSI students and alumni, she writes them letters, and, this year, she will produce and send out the first-ever HSI magazine.”

In addition to her stewardship efforts with HSI, Teng has made valuable contributions to the Honors College’s Giving Day campaigns in the past three years. In 2022, 33 donors gave $7,000; in 2023, 133 donors gave $15,000; and in 2024, 169 donors gave $43,000.

“In each campaign that she contributed to over the past three years, the number of donors and total amounts increased exponentially for both the Honors College and HIS, in large part to Li’s vision, energy and enthusiasm,” says Breezy Taggart, assistant dean of the Honors College and a nominator.

Teng also is working with the UW Foundation to transfer the Honors College’s alumni database to a different system so that staff members can better track interactions with alumni and donors. Additionally, she attends meetings with the dean and the Honors College development officer. Last year, she attended a development conference in California with the development officer.

“Li is building a new foundation for UW stewardship that will outlast us all,” Parolin says.

Teng says stewardship is an act of gratitude and storytelling.

“It’s about showing donors the real impact of their support and uplifting the voices of the students and programs they champion,” Teng says. “Thoughtful stewardship turns gifts into lasting relationships and helps people feel seen, valued and connected to a greater purpose. That’s why I approach every interaction with authenticity and care. How we communicate impact matters just as much as the impact itself.”

The UW Foundation Stewardship Awards recognize the pivotal role faculty and staff members play in donor philanthropy. Stewardship is critical for the university, as it connects donors with the mission of campus and inspires private funding for areas that need it most. It also builds lasting relationships that promote loyalty and generosity.

“These awards are made possible by the generosity of the UW Foundation Board, whose commitment to donor stewardship is reflected in the outstanding work of this year’s recipients,” says John Stark, UW Foundation president and CEO. “Shane and Li embody the spirit of gratitude and relationship-building that strengthens the connection between UW and its supporters. We’re proud to recognize their efforts in demonstrating to our generous donors the impact that their philanthropy has on our students, faculty and programs.”

Epping and Teng each will receive $5,000, and their college or department will receive $2,500. Each recipient can direct another $2,500 toward a separate university unit or club. The UW Foundation funds the award.