The World Needs More Cowboys Celebration Feb. 20 in Cheyenne

Students will learn more about the University of Wyoming, UW alumni will connect with their alma mater, and members of the public will find out more about UW’s presence in their community during a “The World Needs More Cowboys” celebration Thursday, Feb. 20, in Cheyenne.

The public is invited to the event from 5-7 p.m. at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center. Free appetizers and beverages will be served.

UW College of Business Dean David Sprott will be in attendance and speak during a brief program at the celebration, highlighting the university’s efforts to boost entrepreneurism and the state’s economy.

He’ll be joined by current UW students from Cheyenne, who will discuss their experiences at the state’s university. The students are Cheyenne Central graduate Jordan Johnson, Cheyenne East graduate Eric Zastoupil and Cheyenne South graduate Luchia Zuver.

Chad Callihan, head coach of UW’s successful women’s volleyball team, will provide an update on UW athletics.

UW faculty members and admissions representatives will be on hand to answer questions and interact with attendees on topics including Cowboy Commitment, UW’s new merit- and need-based financial aid offerings for Wyoming high school graduates. Free UW-branded giveaway items will be available, including T-shirts to the first 50 high school students.

Additionally, UW alumnus Tighe Fagan, software engineer and co-founding partner with Gannett Peak Technical Services, will talk about how UW prepared him for his career and role in the community -- and what it means to him to be a UW Cowboy. Fagan is one of 12 UW alumni featured in advertising in Wyoming newspapers and other media over the next year under the banner of “The World Needs More Cowboys -- and So Does Wyoming.” Gannett Peak is one of the leaders in Cheyenne’s emerging technology sector.

The Laramie County event is the sixth of 12 monthly events planned around the state in counties where UW alumni featured in the advertising live and work.

“It’s clear that our marketing tagline, ‘The World Needs More Cowboys,’ has connected virtually with people across Wyoming. Now, we’d like to make that connection even stronger through face-to-face interaction,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “These events are a great opportunity for local students to learn more about their state’s university, for alumni to connect with their alma mater and one another, and for members of the community to meet UW administrators, faculty and students.”

Before the evening event, Acting President Neil Theobald, UW faculty members and the current UW students from Cheyenne are scheduled to speak to students during assemblies at Cheyenne’s Central, East and South high schools.

Sprott has been dean of UW’s College of Business since August 2018, after serving on the faculty of the Carson College of Business at Washington State University for over 20 years, including more than a decade on its leadership team. He holds a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of South Carolina, and he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kent State University.

At UW, he has been instrumental in advancing programs in entrepreneurship, including revamping the cross-campus entrepreneurship minor, open to all majors, and the entrepreneurship major for College of Business students. He also led the launch of an online bachelor’s degree in accounting.