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:

Northwest Catholic and Catholic Extension Society published articles on the death of Pope Francis last week, featuring many of the pope’s achievements, including mentions of UW student Wyatt Olivas, of Cheyenne. Olivas was the youngest member in the world selected to attend the monthlong assembly for the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in Rome two years ago, where he personally interacted with Pope Francis. Read UW’s 2023 release here on Olivas’s encounter with the pope.

Matt Burgess, a UW environmental economist, was among experts quoted in a Grist article titled “How your showerhead and fridge got roped into the culture wars.” In the piece, Burgess said that efficiency rules are most likely to become a cultural flashpoint when people see them directly affecting their lives.

Cowboy State Daily published an article that focused on the Dave Johnston Power Plant near Glenrock and if new technology can achieve emissions-free coal burning. Some experts are optimistic, while others question the cost of achieving that goal. Holly Krutka, UW School of Energy Resources executive director, offered comments for the article.

A group of legal scholars, including UW Law Professor George Mocsary, filed an amicus brief urging the Delaware Supreme Court to reverse the Chancery Court’s ruling invalidating Elon Musk’s Tesla compensation. They argue the court erred by labeling Musk a “controller” based solely on his “Superstar CEO” status. The brief-- discussed on Harvard’s Corporate Governance Forum -- defends the shareholder-approved compensation and warns that overriding informed votes threatens Delaware’s corporate governance principles.

A recently released UW study, published in the journal Current Biology, that found pronghorn struggled to navigate miles of fence and road barriers along their migration corridor, was cited in a Mountain Journal article. The article, titled “Wyoming Looks to Designate Famed Path of the Pronghorn,” carried a quote from UW Assistant Professor Ellen Aikens, lead author of UW’s paper.

Wyoming Public Radio reported that UW’s School of Computing, beginning this fall, will be an independent unit on campus, similar to the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources or School of Energy Resources. The school aims to provide computational support for education and research in a wide range of disciplines across campus.

Xerces Society published a media release noting that UW’s Biodiversity Institute and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will host a Bumble Bee Atlas training workshop on campus Sunday, June 1. The workshop will focus on how people can join the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas community science project and how to take action for bumble bee conservation in Wyoming.

Manufacturing Works, a UW program, has received a reprieve from a loss of funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Sheridan Media published UW’s release that noted Manufacturing Works is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting Wyoming manufacturers, producers and entrepreneurs in growing their revenues, increasing productivity and strengthening global competitiveness.

Max Gilbraith, UW’s Harry S. Vaughn Planetarium coordinator, spoke with Cowboy State Daily about last week’s Northern Lights that lit up the night skies over the U.S. Gilbraith also discussed last Friday’s rare “smiley face” moon. That happens when the planets Venus and Saturn align with the crescent moon in a way that makes a smiling face.

The Riverton Ranger reported that the Popo Agie Conservation District Office and UW Extension in Fremont County recently hosted the annual Garden Expo that attracted more than 2,000 people.

UW’s Ram Test Field Day, held earlier this month at the Laramie Research and Extension Center, and UW Extension’s Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program’s four-part Ranching in the West Seminar Series, both concluded. Wyoming Livestock Roundup reported on both events.