UW WORTH Institute Names 2026-27 Kemmerer Faculty Fellows

Six University of Wyoming faculty members have been named 2026-27 Kemmerer Faculty Fellows by the university’s Jay Kemmerer Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Institute, recognizing applied research and engagement projects that strengthen Wyoming’s visitor economy.

The new Fellows and their projects are:

-- Elizabeth Minton, an associate professor of marketing in the College of Business, who will design a state of Wyoming origin label to help promote Wyoming-made products.

-- Jason Hawes, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, who will model wildfire adaptation in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

-- Chen Xu, an associate professor in the Wyoming Geographic Information Science and Technology Center and the School of Computing, who will lead a pilot study using artificial intelligence-assisted analysis of visitor mobility in Wyoming tourism hot spots.

-- Jaden Tatum, an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, whose “Fresh, Local, Safe” project will advance farm-to-table dining and agritourism across the state.

-- Todd Cherry, the John S. Bugas Distinguished Professor of Economics in the College of Business, who will study the effects of human-caused noise on recreation demand and visitor behavior.

The fellowship program is made possible through the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Faculty Excellence Fund, established through the generosity of Jay and Karen Kemmerer. The program is designed to foster faculty excellence and expand the impact of UW faculty members working in areas aligned with outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality.

This year’s applications were evaluated by a faculty review committee, which assessed each proposal for its alignment with the institute’s mission, scholarly quality, statewide impact and potential for lasting partnerships.

“This year’s Fellows reflect the breadth of expertise across our campus that can be brought to bear on Wyoming’s visitor economy,” says Dan McCoy, director of the WORTH Institute. “From wildfire and tourism data to nonprofit capacity, marketing and farm-to-table experiences, each of these projects connects rigorous scholarship to real challenges and opportunities facing our communities and industries.”

The fellowship provides faculty members with a stipend and access to the full resources of the WORTH Institute, including research expertise, stakeholder networks, extension support and communications capacity. Fellows are expected to produce a tangible outcome -- such as applied research reports, workforce training programs, community initiatives or externally funded projects -- that advances Wyoming’s visitor economy.

“The strength of this applicant pool speaks to how deeply UW faculty care about the state they serve,” McCoy says. “Our job now is to surround these Fellows with the resources, partnerships and statewide networks that turn good ideas into lasting impact for Wyoming.”

The 2026-27 Fellows join the program’s inaugural Fellows, Sara Ghezzi and Bonnie Johnson, who were named in the 2025-26 cycle.

For more information about the Kemmerer Faculty Fellowship Program, visit the WORTH Institute website at www.uwyo.edu/worth/about-us/faculty-fellowship.html.

For more information, call Zach Blair, Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute public relations coordinator, at (307) 766-5063 or email zblair@uwyo.edu.