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:

National Public Radio featured a segment on UW’s Black 14 for a piece titled “How Black college footballers led the fight against racism in 1969.” The BBC first carried the 32-minute broadcast for its BBC World Service’s “Amazing Sport Stories: The Black 14” special segment.

In another report, Deseret News noted that UW’s Black 14 recently were honored by the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga., as part of a Black History Month event. The players were honored for their philanthropy work with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in securing food donations for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. 11 Alive television, in Atlanta, reported that the Black 14 also were honored with a new College Football Hall of Fame exhibition that highlights them as civil rights trailblazers.

Cowboy State Daily, The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, The Laramie Boomerang and Wyo4News published UW President Ed Seidel’s op-ed piece titled “UW Is Doubling Down to Support Economic Growth in Wyoming.”

The Casper Star-Tribune reported that the U.S. Department of Energy will fund a select set of carbon capture projects at the forefront of climate solutions, such as those at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) near Gillette. Before grants can be awarded, recipients must submit a Community Benefits Plan (CBP) to enhance project transparency and broaden community involvement. UW’s Christine Reed, the School of Energy Resources’ (SER) outreach director, detailed the “CBP Toolbox,” a resource guide and webpage to help Wyoming stakeholders craft CBPs in Wyoming. SER manages the ITC.

The FBI announced last week on the Wind River Indian Reservation that it will launch the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons data collection project that will gather data involving missing or unsolved homicides among Wyoming Native citizens. UW researchers, Wyoming law enforcement agencies, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Wyoming will assist the FBI. Wyoming Public Radio, Wyo4News and WyoToday Media published the report.

Science Magazine reported that a University of South Australia-led research team published a study indicating that males born to obese women are more likely to be overweight at birth and develop metabolic complications in later life, including liver disease and diabetes. Peter Nathanielsz, a UW adjunct professor, was among researchers on the project.

UW’s research on how invasive ants change lion predation in Kenya continues to make news. Jacob Goheen, a UW zoology and physiology professor, was interviewed by a Forbes contributor on the research in which his team linked theory with data to better understand community dynamics and structure, animal-plant interactions and conservation biology.

St. Louis Public Radio carried comments from Tara Righetti, UW’s Occidental Chair in Energy and Environmental Policies, for a segment focusing on how the U.S. wants to construct more pipelines for carbon capture in the Midwest, but local farmers are against the proposal. Righetti detailed how CO₂ is captured.

Jordan Glass, a UW zoology and physiology postdoctoral research associate, had his Arizona State University research -- on how honeybees can adjust how they fly when it is hotter outside -- published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Glass is continuing his research at UW focusing on how various species of bees adjust their behaviors in different environments.

Sheridan Media and The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UW’s release noting that the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Initiative at UW -- in collaboration with Wyoming’s Outdoor Recreation Office -- released a report indicating that, in 2022, the state’s outdoor recreation industry contributed more to the state’s gross domestic product than all but three states nationwide.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published a Buffalo Bulletin article on how Johnson County oil fields are the subject of extensive research by UW researchers who are hoping to boost future energy production on the Mowry Shale formation in the Powder River Basin. The article included quotes from Scott Quillinan, UW SER’s senior director of research. SER leads the early stages of the project.

UW botany Professor Camellia Okpodu will be featured in a virtual Women in Genomics program Feb. 29 to discuss her experience as a woman in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; the challenges she faced through her career; and her goal to establish inclusive, accessible and affordable environments in higher education to build a hopeful future for all.

Wyoming Public Radio reported that Albany County has launched a partnership between Volunteers of America and local law enforcement to connect people calling during a mental health crisis with the right resources in the community. The UW and Laramie police departments and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office are participating in the program.

UW Extension educator Barton Stam discussed the university’s current research on improving elk habitat through targeted livestock grazing -- a goal to keep elk on specified wildlife management areas and off Wyoming ranches. The Wyoming Livestock Roundup published Stam’s presentation and also featured UW student Meredith Halweg, of Thornton, Colo., who is active in various ag-related organizations.

The Wyoming Livestock Roundup also reported that Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest organization for farmers and ranchers with more than 2,500 members, recently hosted its annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Laramie and on the UW campus. The conference featured ag tours, research conversations and networking.

Recent UW graduate Maeve Knepper, of Cheyenne, is among 30 students nationwide, from 1,000 applicants, selected to receive the prestigious USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UW’s release noting that the fellowship is for students pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Beginning this fall, UW will offer online bachelor’s degrees in accounting; criminal justice; human resources, with a concentration in management; management; marketing; organizational leadership; sociology; and wider access to the general studies degree. Sheridan Media published UW’s release.

UW’s release touting “Biking Around,” a new exhibition at the American Heritage Center, was published by The Laramie Boomerang. The exhibition offers a unique exploration of the role bicycles played in shaping the cultural and social landscape of Wyoming and the American West.

A total of 95 UW Cowboy and Cowgirl student-athletes were named to the 2023 Fall Academic All-Mountain West team. 7220 Sports published UW Athletics’ release.