Research Areas and Expertise

Twelve University of Wyoming projects have been selected for seed funding for the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to various areas of investigation. Read this news release to see which UW professors are involved in these newly-seeded projects.

Dr. Ellen Aikens is an assistant professor and wildlife ecologist at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as the Department of Zoology and Physiology. Her research focuses on applied data science, utilizing big data methods to tackle key conservation and management challenges.

Dr. Matt Kaufmann is a professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology and a Unit Leader in the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. His work studies elk, wolves, moose, deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep in Wyoming, addressing the influence of habitat condition, predation, human disturbance, and energy development on these species. His research combines work on animal physiology, behavior and demography to better understand population- and landscape-level processes, including a strong focus on ungulate migration.

Dr. Ben Koger is an assistant professor in the School of Computing and the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. His lab designs and uses AI-driven imaging systems to scalably monitor and understand the natural world in previously impossible ways. Specifically, combining imaging and computer vision techniques to efficiently monitor wildlife and investigate the social and environmental drivers of animal behavior. His current research focus is understanding pacific salmon migration in Alaska and automating pronghorn monitoring across Wyoming in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish.

Dr. Yaqoob Majeed is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Sciences. His research focuses on developing advanced artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensing, automation, and robotics-based solutions to promote sustainable agricultural production both in controlled environments and infield settings.

Dr. Jerod Merkle is an associate professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. He is also the Knobloch Professor in Migration Ecology and Conservation. His work studies how the movement of animals relates to environmental heterogeneity and change, and how these interactions scale to population and landscape-level ecological processes.

Dr. Minou Rabei is an associate professor in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering. Her research focuses on applying data analytics and machine learning tools across various disciplines within the energy industry. Specifically, her work centers on predictive analytics, risk management, process optimization, and decision-making, particularly in relation to regulatory compliance issues in the energy sector.

Dr. Soheil Saraji is an associate professor in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering. He has been a leader in the application of blockchain research within the oil and gas industry, having developed innovative courses and research initiatives on the subject at the University of Wyoming. He is also an accomplished author, with extensive publications, including a book that explores blockchain technology and its impact on the energy sector. Additionally, Dr. Saraji serves as co-director of the Hydrocarbons Research Laboratory and holds an adjunct professor position at the School of Energy Resources.

Dr. Shivanand Venkanna Sheshappanavar is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Sciences. His research focuses on the intersection of large language models and controlled environment agriculture. Using large vision language models to create virtual agronomist tools which assist farmers and agriculturists with various agricultural (indoors and outdoors) queries, his group aims to create tools that are helpful for insect pest detection/ classification and crop management.

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Centers and Programs

The Center for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) was established in February 2023. This new center aims to create technological innovations, develop transdisciplinary education and streamline the commercialization process in CEA. Engaged in this center are the College of Engineering and Physical Science, the School of Computing, the College of Agriculture, Life Science and Natural Resources, and the College of Business.

The Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation (CBDI) is an interdisciplinary center focused on emerging technologies such as AI to foster innovation, economic development, and education. Engaging multiple colleges in this work, the CBDI is formally partnered with the College of Business, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.

The Entrepreneurship and Business Law Practicum, created by UW's College of Law with the assistance of private support, is focused on the evolution and growing importance of artificial intelligence and its ever-increasing synergy with blockchain technologies. The Practicum and its director are expanding their involvement in this area, starting with inclusion of a unit dedicated to AI.

Subsurface Energy and Digital Innovation (SEDI) is dedicated to innovative research and finding solutions to energy development challenges in Wyoming. A Center of Excellence at the School of Energy Resources, areas of focus for this new center include blockchain for sustainable energy; big data analytics for energy; machine learning; novel fluids for energy applications using artificial intelligence for laboratory-generated data; and virtual and augmented reality and digital twins.

WyldTech Center for Wildlife, Technology and Computing has a vision to leverage new technologies, big data, and computational advances to understand and conserve Wyoming’s wildlife on working and changing landscapes. To achieve its vision, it builds inclusive spaces supporting productive interdisciplinary collaborations that advance the frontiers of knowledge, provide management guidance for human wildlife coexistence, and yield products useful to the state of Wyoming and beyond.

Wyoming Migration Initiative has a mission to advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming’s migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach. Created in 2012, the Wyoming Migration Initiative addresses threats facing migration corridors to improve understanding of migration ecology.