UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

Wyoming Public Radio interviewed Abdalrahim Abuwarda, a Palestinian UW student who is in the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship. Abuwarda discussed what conditions are like in war-torn Gaza, where his wife, three children and other family members live.

UW President Ed Seidel and Gabrielle Allen, director of the UW School of Computing, discussed the vision of the School of Computing and how the school can help shape the future of Wyoming’s economy in a Wyoming Business Report feature article.

UW is among regional universities taking part in the Upper Missouri River Basin Plains Snow and Soil Moisture Monitoring Network that has constructed Mesonet weather stations that provide valuable weather forecasts for farmers, various agencies and members of the public. Midwest Messenger noted that some funding for the regional projects has been acquired from the Army Corps.

UW Associate Professor Temple Stoellinger, a Wyoming Excellence Chair, recently was featured on an episode of “Resources Radio,” a weekly podcast from Resources for the Future. She discussed how state trust lands historically have been used; the existing and potential uses of the lands for conservation; the legal and policy barriers to conservation efforts; and additional uses of the lands, including energy development and livestock grazing.

Wyoming Public Radio featured Carlos Costa, director of piano and conducting at Universidade Federal de Goiás, who traveled from his home country of Brazil to perform recently with UW’s Symphony Orchestra. Costa’s performance was part of a unique music exchange program between UW and Universidade Federal de Goiás.

UW’s School of Energy Resources will receive up to $11.2 million in federal support to test deep geologic layers in the south-central portion of the state to determine if they are suitable for carbon dioxide storage. WyoFile noted that the project’s funding from the U.S. Department of Energy is for two years.

EnergyPortal published UW’s release announcing that UW’s Nuclear Energy Research Center has selected faculty members Xiang Zhang and Wes Eaton to receive funding under the Faculty Scholars Program. The program, supported by a grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s University Nuclear Leadership Program and funds from the Wyoming Legislature, focuses on developing new areas of nuclear-focused research and supporting the professional growth of junior faculty.

A WyoFile opinion piece focused on how low pay for the state’s snowplow drivers has led to a shortage of drivers. The piece noted that UW economist Anne Alexander has said that I-80’s closure near Elk Mountain is a considerable problem to commerce during the winter. She previously has said keeping it open could have more than a billion-dollar impact.

Wyoming Public Radio reported that business leaders from Wyoming recently gathered to discuss the future of the state’s economy and how to improve their own businesses at the 40th annual Wyoming Governor’s Business Forum at UW. Seidel was among the speakers. The Wyoming Livestock Roundup also published an article on the forum.

KUNC carried a Mountain West News Bureau-produced story that featured Donna Hoffman, a UW Extension educator who serves as Wyoming’s Master Gardener program coordinator. She discussed how climate change is shifting gardening in the Mountain West region.

Max Gilbraith, UW’s Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium coordinator, was interviewed by Cowboy State Daily on Lander’s Sinks Canyon being designated as Wyoming’s first Dark Sky Park for its excellent stargazing.

Laramie Live reported that Matthew Greenberg, an assistant professor in the UW Department of Theatre and Dance, has been invited to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

UW and the University of Utah will host a virtual town-hall meeting on critical minerals research Dec. 1, according to County 17.

Soheil Saraji, an associate professor in the UW Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, was a panelist at Benzinga’s recent Future of Digital Assets conference. He detailed his work at the intersection of blockchain, energy and sustainability. Investing.com published Benzinga’s news release.

The Laramie Boomerang reported that nearly 10 new areas of study soon could be offered at UW. The UW Board of Trustees will further discuss the proposed degree programs, minors and certificates during a future meeting.