UW Alumni Association Honors Consolo-Murphy with Building a Better Wyoming Award

The University of Wyoming Alumni Association has honored Sue Consolo-Murphy with the 2026 Building a Better Wyoming Award, recognizing her lifelong dedication to conservation, scientific stewardship and the preservation of Wyoming’s natural landscapes.

As part of the honor, which comes with a $10,000 donation to a Wyoming nonprofit of the recipient’s choice, a check was presented to the UW-National Park Service Research Station at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The funding, provided by the McMurry Foundation, will support the continued partnership between UW and the National Park Service and help advance research, education and conservation efforts within the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

As chief of science and resource management at Grand Teton National Park from 2003-2019, Consolo-Murphy led restoration efforts for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, supported wildlife conservation initiatives and helped strengthen partnerships among UW, the National Park Service and conservation organizations throughout the region, including the cooperative agreement to operate the UW-NPS Research Station at the AMK Ranch on Jackson Lake.

“It flies under the radar, but the research done there benefits every agency and community that depends on the greater Yellowstone ecosystem” Consolo-Murphy says, “This is the longest operating research station in any national park across the United States. It’s something to be proud of.”

Consolo-Murphy’s career reflects the spirit of the Building a Better Wyoming Award through her commitment to stewardship, collaboration and education.

“Building a better Wyoming happens when people just live here, love this place and put their heart into their work,” Consolo-Murphy says. “That’s what makes this state special.”