University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) student Rachel Reese Gaukel of Johnstown, Colo., will represent the class of 2025 as the student commencement speaker at the undergraduate ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and SER.
Gaukel will graduate with a B.S. in energy resource management and development, with a concentration in professional land management.
“We are ecstatic that Rachel will be representing the hundreds of UW graduates in varying colleges at the 2025 commencement ceremony,” says Kami Danaei, SER’s academic director and one of Gaukel’s nominators. “Rachel has consistently demonstrated excellence throughout her academic career as well as tenacity, strong leadership skills, and grit – embodying the best qualities of Wyoming students. I am confident her message will resonate deeply with her fellow graduates and all in attendance.”
Consistently achieving top marks in her coursework, Gaukel was a perennial name on the President’s Honor Roll and a standout student. Recently, she obtained her certification as a Registered Landman (RL) through the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) – the accrediting body for the land management concentration.
In addition to her superior academic performance, she has continued to display a passion for service and staying involved within her academic unit and among the wider campus. At UW, she maintained membership with the Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen (WAPL) and AAPL, regularly participating in opportunities to get out of the classroom and network. She also participated in the SER Mentorship Program and the Student Chapter for Energy Resources, where she served a year as Chief Operating Officer.
Gaukel was equally driven outside the degree to expand the scope of her experience.
Following her freshman year, she worked as a Land Negotiator Intern with ConocoPhillips for ten weeks in Midland, Texas. Through the program, she had the opportunity to attend the Young Professional and Intern Field Trip hosted by the Permian Basin Section of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (PBS-SEPM) near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
She also gained valuable governmental experience through the Wyoming Legislative Internship Program, where she was assigned tasks and worked with legislators on specific committees relative to her field of study during the 2024 session. She rounded out her professional experience as a land intern for PureWest Resources.
After graduation, Gaukel plans to continue working with PureWest and running cattle with her husband in Keeline, Wyoming.
“I am truly humbled to have been selected for this incredible honor,” says Gaukel. “Time spent at the University of Wyoming has been some of the best years of my life, and I could not be more grateful for the education and opportunities I received.”
The ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. It will be live-streamed on YouTube and WyoCast, and links will be posted on the UW Commencement webpage at https://www.uwyo.edu/commencement/index.html.
