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:

Smithsonian Magazine featured Mary De Aquino, a UW second-year doctoral student in the Program in Ecology and Evolution. A Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute documentary film team recently tracked -- with the help of De Aquino -- swarms of carnivorous army ants in Panama and the birds that follow them. As part of her doctoral program, De Aquino leads a team of UW technicians and undergraduates studying Eciton burchellii, an army ant species in Panama.

Before the next legislative session, Wyoming lawmakers will discuss maternity and child care services that are in a significant decline across the state, according to The Wyoming Tribune Eagle. UW’s Maternal Health Innovation Program was mentioned in the article as being one program to help seek answers.

Cowboy State Daily reported that bat populations in Wyoming and Colorado could be in danger of white-nose syndrome, a disease that has wiped out millions of bats in the Eastern U.S. and is gaining a foothold in the region. Ian Abernethy, vertebrate zoology program manager with UW’s Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, discussed the ordeal in the article.

UW research was cited in a WyoFile piece titled “Hunting bighorn sheep ewes to save the herd” that focused on the survival of the animals in various locations across the state. According to the article, wildlife managers say the best way to protect bighorn sheep from disease is to hunt the reproductive members of the herd.

Cowboy State Daily interviewed Max Gilbraith, UW’s Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium coordinator, on how viewers of the partial solar eclipse in Wyoming today (Monday) will have the opportunity to see the green “Devil Comet” on the same day. The chance of seeing a celestial event like this is rare, Gilbraith said.

Fred McLaughlin, Center for Economic Geology Research director in the UW School of Energy Resources (SER), was quoted in an S&P Global article that focused on the Biden administration’s carbon capture plans that are becoming closer to reality amid an uptick in well permits in several states, including Wyoming.

UW ROTC cadets finished at or near the top of more than 5,000 participants nationwide in the grueling 35th Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico last month, according to Cowboy State Daily.

The 3D Visualization Center at UW’s SER developed a powerful outreach and communication application to help the public understand the mechanics of underground carbon storage as part of the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project in the Powder River Basin in Campbell County. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UW’s release on the interactive tool.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle also published UW’s release noting that, beginning this fall, undergraduates will be able to access their required course materials for a flat fee of $275 per semester through a new university program, StartRight+. The program aims to break down financial inequities while enhancing student experiences through academic preparedness.

Five finalists will compete for startup funds during the Fremont County Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night this week, reported County 10. The competition is a collaborative effort among UW’s IMPACT 307, the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Central Wyoming College.

UW and the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network will host “Small Business Pitch Night: Laramie County” April 17 in Cheyenne. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UW’s release noting that participating small-business owners will explain how their businesses provide value to the Laramie County community.

The Powell Tribune published UW’s release noting that first-year WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Medical Education Program students recently met in Cheyenne for the program’s annual luncheon with state and national legislative leaders as well as the program’s alumni, preceptors and faculty.

Wyoming higher education personnel from UW and the state’s community colleges have an opportunity to apply for the UW Center for Principle-Based Leadership and Ethics’ Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellowship Program for the 2024-25 academic year. The program promotes entrepreneurial thinking in higher education across the state and creates a testing ground for identifying best practices in entrepreneurship education, according to a UW media release published by WyoToday Media.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UW’s release noting that 285 students and 30 teachers representing 14 junior high and high schools from across Wyoming recently participated in UW’s annual World Languages Day competition on campus.