Bringing Wyoming’s Computing Story to Capitol Hill

Raya Hegeman-Davis, the School of Computing’s Director of Engagement, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Computing Research Association’s Congressional Visit Day. She met with staff from Representative Harriet Hageman’s and Senator Cynthia Lummis’s offices and spoke directly with Senator John Barrasso.

In those meetings, Raya shared the work underway at the School of Computing and discussed why sustained funding for the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies matters. That support helps universities pursue research, prepare students and bring computing expertise to challenges that affect communities across the country.

 

For Wyoming’s only four-year land-grant university, these conversations are especially valuable. Computing and AI are shaping every field, and UW has an important perspective to bring to national discussions: students in every major need opportunities to build the skills to use these tools and apply them in their own disciplines.

Our partnership with CRA helps make those conversations possible. Raya’s visit strengthened relationships with Wyoming’s congressional offices and gave the School another opportunity to share its programs and priorities on the national stage. It was an exciting, productive day for UW computing.

 

 

Gabrielle Allen Helps Shape the Future of AI Software

 

As artificial intelligence changes how software is built, University of Wyoming School of Computing founding director and professor Gabrielle Allen is helping guide a national conversation about what comes next.

 

Allen helped organize Beyond Code: Engineering Trustworthy Software Systems with AI at Scale, a workshop convened by the Computing Community Consortium, a program of the Computing Research Association, and co-sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society. The gathering brought together experts from academia, industry and government to consider how AI can help build complex software systems that people can trust.

 

Allen also co-authored the resulting Beyond Code report with seven computing leaders from institutions across the United States and Germany. The report examines challenges that extend well beyond generating code: understanding what users need, protecting security, checking system quality and preparing future developers to work effectively with AI.

 

Allen’s role brings a Wyoming voice to decisions shaping computing research and education nationally. It also reflects the School of Computing’s commitment to giving students across disciplines the skills to use AI and computational thinking responsibly—and to contribute to the systems their communities will depend on.

 

 

UW Instructional Professor Provides Disaster Mapping Assistance After Nepal Flood

 

Computing in Action—expertise applied where it matters most. School of Computing and WyGISC Professor Ramesh Sivanpillai is putting geospatial science and computing to work in response to devastating flooding in Nepal. Through his work with the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, Sivanpillai is using satellite imagery to help map flood damage and provide critical information supporting response efforts and the search for survivors. His contribution demonstrates how specialized computing, remote sensing, and data expertise can extend far beyond the university—connecting UW knowledge and research capabilities with urgent challenges around the world and helping communities when timely, reliable information matters most. Read the full UW story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SoC's McMillan & Hamerlinck co-facilitate AI session for Leadership Wyoming

 

Beth McMillan and Jeff Hamerlinck, along with Sam Kiser and Ashlyn Elwood, brought Computing in Action to last week’s UW Education Infusion Sessions through “Artificial Intelligence: What It Means for Higher Education & Wyoming.”

 

During this session, participants explored how AI is reshaping education, research, workplaces, and economic development. A computational-thinking activity challenged them to classify technologies according to whether they clearly, possibly, or probably do not use AI. Participants then examined each system’s purpose, inputs, and outputs; considered who might benefit or be harmed; questioned their assumptions; and developed ethical questions for further discussion. By setting aside computers and AI tools, the exercise emphasized the importance of human observation, reasoning, collaboration, and judgment.

 

Beth and Jeff’s leadership reflects the School of Computing’s role as a university-wide hub for computing knowledge and collaboration. The School helps students, faculty, staff, industry partners, and communities understand and responsibly apply artificial intelligence, data analytics, and computational thinking. Efforts like this make emerging technologies more accessible while preparing people across disciplines to evaluate complex systems, ask better questions, and use computing to address Wyoming’s most consequential opportunities and challenges.

 

 

Gabrielle Allen attended NAIR Pilot Classroom Expansion Conference

by Gabriel Allen

 

June 2026 — We had an energizing two days last week at the NAIRR Pilot Classroom Expansion Conference for Research-Emerging Institutions with Small-to-Medium Computing Programs in Denver! Some fifty faculty, administrators, and educators from across the country came together to share ideas, challenges, and opportunities around AI education, workforce development, research, and community building.

The conversations were thoughtful, practical, and forward-looking, covering everything from AI literacy and curriculum design to assessment, accessibility, and building sustainable communities of practice. Most importantly, the workshop highlighted the tremendous innovation already happening at institutions of all sizes and the value of learning from one another.

Thank you to the Computing Research Association (CRA) for coordinating this effort as part of their NAIRR Education Hub, and to the outstanding team whose hard work made the conference so successful: Raya Hegeman-Davis, PhD, Renée McCauley, George K. Thiruvathukal, Dr. Stephanie T. "DJ" Jones. A special thank you to Shelley Knuth and David Hart for their talks and sessions on NAIRR and explaining NAIRR resources and the allocation proposal process.

I am particularly excited by the enthusiasm participants showed for continued collaboration and the growing community focused on expanding AI education opportunities across research-emerging and smaller computing programs. The ideas, partnerships, and momentum generated this week will continue beyond the workshop itself.

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared experiences, and helped make this such a successful event.

 

 

School of Computing Supports Native American Summer Institute

The University of Wyoming School of Computing was pleased to support UW’s Native American Summer Institute (NASI), a six-day residential pre-college program that introduces Native American high school students to the college experience while strengthening leadership, community, and cultural connections.

 

School of Computing faculty Dr. Raya Hegeman-Davis and Dr. Ramesh Sivanpillai, along with students Tyler Gallagher, Anais Canto Samudio, William Colin Maloy, and Korrin Sutherburg, hosted two interactive sessions featuring hands-on activities, including a giant interactive floor puzzle.

 

Through academic workshops and engagement with UW faculty, staff, and students, NASI helps participants explore higher education and future opportunities. The School of Computing is proud to contribute to this important UW initiative and help create welcoming pathways for Native American students to discover computing and its applications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computing Curiosity Starts Early

School of Computing faculty member Ramesh Sivanpillai recently visited third-grade students at Indian Paintbrush Elementary School for a hands-on lesson exploring how satellite images help us track changes on Earth. The students’ enthusiasm was unmistakable—and one student even sent Ramesh home with a memorable hand-drawn thank-you note.

 

These visits are a favorite way for Ramesh to close each academic year. Second- and third-graders bring tremendous curiosity, asking questions and eagerly exploring how technology helps us understand the world around us. Years later, when he encounters some of these students again in middle school, they have grown and changed remarkably.

 

For the School of Computing, outreach like this matters. Early experiences help students see that computing is fun, approachable, and already part of their everyday lives. Introducing computational thinking, data, satellite technology, and AI at a young age can demystify computing—and encourage students to keep asking, exploring, and discovering.

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing Computing Down to Earth

School of Computing faculty member Ramesh Sivanpillai recently introduced Wyoming middle and high school students to the power of satellite imagery and Earth observation. Students from nine schools learned about geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites—and how the data they collect help track hurricanes, floods, wildfires, crop growth, and forest health.

 

Ramesh brought the lesson down to Earth with an interactive activity allowing students to write their names using Landsat images through NASA’s website, connecting sophisticated technology with something personal, visual, and fun.

 

Middle school outreach is an important part of the School of Computing’s commitment to building curiosity early. Students may not yet describe what they are doing as computing, data science, or computational thinking, but they understand what captures their imagination. Age-appropriate, hands-on experiences help demystify computing and show young learners that it is already everywhere—helping us explore our planet, understand change, solve problems, and discover what’s possible. Ramesh keeps an comprehensive account of his outreach on his  Wyoming View blog.