Published June 18, 2024
By Christine Reed
Two major gifts to the School of Energy Resources (SER) will kickstart private support for nuclear energy education and student engagement.
The Christine A. Barry Nuclear Energy Student Enrichment Fund was recently established as an endowment to support students in the long-term with opportunities such as covering travel costs, conference attendance, special camps, summer programs, field tours, and other experiential learning opportunities.
Similarly, the Rita Meyer Nuclear Energy Excellence Fund was established as an expendable fund to provide students with immediate resources in support of educational opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.
Both funds are intended to encourage UW students to grow their expertise in nuclear energy through programs SER is developing with other units, especially the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
“We have a growing body of research, outreach and academic offerings at SER in the nuclear space to accompany a renewed interest statewide,” says SER Executive Director Holly Krutka. “We are so grateful to both Christi Barry and Rita Meyer for their exceptional support of our students so they can take advantage of new opportunities and be better prepared to compete in this emerging sector.”
Both Barry and Meyer have had distinguished careers with strong ties to both the state of Wyoming and the nuclear energy industry. Their experiences served as the inspiration to launch their respective funds.
A 1988 Geology graduate of the University of Wyoming, Barry went on to attend graduate school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she studied the volcanic and tectonic activity of the region, and more specifically the geochemical aspects of volcaniclastic deposits. Her research drew the attention of scientists at Yucca Mountain.
While completing her Master’s degree, she was hired as an intern for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) subcontractor, SAIC, to study the location and feasibility of the site of the nation’s High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository. Through the early 1990’s, she provided project management to the DOE on the Yucca Mountain Project, made presentations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and volunteered for public outreach to educate the residents of Nevada on the safety and importance of geologic storage of high-level nuclear waste.
“Today, the issue of storing spent fuel is a challenge facing the expansion of nuclear energy,” says Barry. “It is my hope to see nuclear power become a significant source of energy in the United States, and I am proud of the steps UW is taking in leading the academic charge to get us there.”
Meyer is a native of the Nebraska sandhills, moving to Centennial, Wyo. in 1976. She obtained undergraduate degrees in both education and finance from UW. She holds an MBA from Regis University and a Master’s in National Resource Strategy from National Defense University in Washington, D.C. She has been honored as Outstanding Alumna from both the University of Wyoming College of Business and the College of Education as well as receiving the UW Distinguished Alumni Award. Additionally, Meyer has served as member of the UW Board of Trustees and the UW Foundation Board of Directors.
Meyer served for more than twenty-three years in the United States Air Force/Wyoming Air National Guard attaining the rank of full colonel in 2004. She is a combat veteran of both Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. Her final overseas military assignment was Commander, 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Bagram AF, Afghanistan. Meyer holds numerous military awards and decorations.
In her civilian life, Meyer has served in elected office as Wyoming State Auditor, Chief of Staff to Governor Jim Geringer and Vice President of Wyoming for Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp. Upon retiring from the utility sector, Meyer started an energy consulting business and is CEO of Wyoming Energy Futures, LLC. Her business focuses on energy fuels transition, and she consults primarily on the TerraPower NatriumTM Demonstration Project in Kemmerer, Wyo.
“I am so proud to have another opportunity to give back to the University of Wyoming — I owe so much of what I have been able to accomplish to my UW education and to the staff and faculty who made that education possible,” says Meyer. “The School of Energy Resources is proving to be a powerful force in educating students to lead energy transition not only in the United States but also around the world. In some small way I hope that the Nuclear Energy Excellence Fund can provide students with the resources needed to gain broader experiences far beyond the classroom.”
