Presentation on UW Science Initiative Jan. 23 in Jackson

Two University of Wyoming faculty members and an undergraduate student are scheduled to speak about UW’s Science Initiative at a Rotary Club meeting in Jackson Tuesday, Jan. 23.

David Williams, a professor and head of the Department of Botany; Chip Kobulnicky, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy; and Ella DeWolf, a senior double majoring in molecular biology and microbiology, will discuss the initiative that aims to revolutionize scientific education and discovery in Wyoming.

They will be at the Jackson Hole Rotary Club’s regular meeting at noon in the Grand Room at the Snow King Hotel.

DeWolf, of Laramie, is a participant in the Wyoming Research Scholars Program, a UW Science Initiative program that provides scholarships for undergraduates to study and conduct research with top UW researchers.

The Science Initiative, initiated by Gov. Matt Mead and the Legislature in 2014, is an effort to enable world-class research and education related to pillars of Wyoming’s present and future economy. Through life and data sciences research that impacts areas including mineral extraction, agriculture, tourism, resource management and high technology, the initiative will impact Wyoming’s economy and give UW students a leading-edge skill set.

Central to the Science Initiative is construction of a $100 million facility at the northwest end of the UW campus, featuring flexible laboratories for interdisciplinary science research; the Center for Advanced Scientific Imaging; state-of-the-art greenhouses for plant research; a 200-seat active-learning classroom; and student collaboration areas to foster science innovation.

Mead, who describes the facility as “a unique research and teaching environment that will transform interdisciplinary research and education,” has recommended that the 2018 Legislature release $100 million previously appropriated for the project.