Award recipients at the annual UW College of Arts and Sciences Awards Banquet are, from left: Daniel Auerbach, Shelby Hutson, Ryan Williamson, Cecily Zander, Paul Bergstraesser, Cheryl Burnett, Shane Epping, Susan Bupp, Scott Turpen, Conxita Domènech and Stephen Watt. (Matthew Idler Photo)
The University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences recently held its annual awards
banquet, honoring current and former faculty members, as well as outstanding alumni.
The event is held each May to honor the history and tradition of excellence in the
College of Arts and Sciences and to celebrate individuals within the college. UW Jazz
Band members Trisha Cates, of Torrington, and Meade Stubson, Bryce Hebert and Kai
Wolz, all of Casper, performed throughout the ceremony, along with College of Arts
and Sciences Dean and saxophonist Scott Turpen.
Turpen handed out awards that recognized two outstanding alumni, an outstanding former
faculty member, extraordinary merit in teaching, extraordinary merit in research and
the Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award.
“These individuals represent the high caliber of scholarship, instruction and exploration
that we strive for in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Turpen says. “I am humbled
to celebrate today with such an accomplished group of individuals. They all are leaving
a legacy at UW and exemplify some of the best attributes of our college.”
The 2026 College of Arts and Sciences award recipients are:
Outstanding Alumni Awards
Susan Bupp
After earning her master’s degree in anthropology from UW, Bupp worked nationwide
in 48 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and the Mariana Islands as a field archaeologist
and later as a cultural resource specialist providing regulatory guidance to federal
and state agencies.
She provided oversight for field investigations, archaeological monitoring of construction
projects, application of historic military contexts and preparation of technical documentation
involving prehistoric and historic archaeology, historic buildings and structures,
and Native American traditional cultural resources and treaty rights.
She facilitated consultation with state historic preservation officers, the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation, Native American tribes and nations, and Alaska Natives.
She joined the Board of Friends of UW’s George C. Frison Institute in 1998 and continues
to serve on the board. She continues to collaborate with UW professors and graduate
students, reanalyzing past archaeological investigations.
Stephan Watt
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1973, Watt enrolled
in the master’s program in English at UW. After receiving his degree in 1975, he taught
for one year as an instructor before returning to Illinois to earn a Ph.D. in 1982.
He was appointed assistant professor of English at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville
before moving to Indiana University-Bloomington in 1985, where he retired as provost
professor in 2019.
During this time, he held a variety of administrative positions, including chair of
the English department, associate dean for strategic planning in the College of Arts
and Sciences, and associate dean in the School of Art, Architecture and Design. His
research focuses on three areas: Irish studies, drama and film, and higher education.
He has published over 100 articles, essays in collected volumes and book reviews.
As an author, co-author or editor, he has published 15 books, some with the support
of the George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation at Brown University; the Dorot
Foundation for a residency at the Ransom Humanities Center at the University of Texas-Austin;
and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Outstanding Former Faculty Award
Cheryl Burnett is a Wyoming native and alumna of the UW College of Arts and Sciences,
whose faculty she credits with inspiring her career in law and later in teaching.
She began her career at UW in 1988 and retired from the Department of Criminal Justice
with emeritus status in 2015. She developed and taught the department’s law-related
curriculum, served as an academic adviser and mentored students pursuing admission
to law school.
During her career, she earned recognition from students for the quality of her teaching,
including several Mortar Board “Top Prof” Awards and A&S Graduating Class Top 10 Teacher
Awards. She also received numerous college and university honors for excellence in
student advising.
In recognition of her dedication to teaching, she received the Ellbogen Meritorious
Classroom Teaching Award. Upon her retirement, the department honored her service
to pre-law students by establishing the Excellence in Pre-Law Studies Award in her
name.
Extraordinary Merit in Teaching Awards
-- Daniel Auerbach, Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology.
-- Paul Bergstraesser, Department of English.
-- Bree Doering, Department of Anthropology.
-- Shane Epping, Department of Communications and Journalism.
Extraordinary Merit in Research Awards
-- Conxita Domènech, Department of Modern and Classical Languages.
-- Randy Haas, Department of Anthropology.
-- Ryan Williamson, School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies.
-- Cecily Zander, Department of History.
Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award
Shelby Hutson, Department of English and LeaRN Programs.
For more information about this event, email the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office at asdean1@uwyo.edu.
