UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

Bloomberg Law quoted UW College of Law Professor Michael Duff for an article on customers who do not wear masks. He said employees who are physically injured by anti-mask customers could be entitled to cash payments and medical expenses under workers’ compensation systems, but it is not guaranteed.

TMI reported that Senate Republicans are proposing to expand New York’s immunity law to all businesses across the country in order to shield them from COVID-related lawsuits by workers and customers who may get sick as the economy reopens. Duff was quoted in the article. Signs of price flattening emerging in the workers’ compensation market were the focus of an S&P Global article that quoted Duff.

The loss of sea ice due to climate change is predicted to threaten the survival of polar bear populations across the Arctic by the end of the century, according to Axios. Steven Amstrup, who is a co-author of the research paper on the subject, is chief scientist of Polar Bears International and an adjunct professor in UW’s Department of Zoology and Physiology. UW Professor Merav Ben-David was interviewed for the article.

WyoFile featured UW Black Student Alliance President Timberly Vogel on how protest marches in the wake of George Floyd’s death have become a movement in Laramie.

The UW Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center’s latest statewide survey on COVID-19 indicated a growing number of people are worried about the spread of coronavirus in Wyoming. Cowboy State Daily published UW’s release.

UW’s plan to open the campus for classes was detailed in an Education Dive article that reported some colleges are scrambling to provide private rooms for students, but it may not prevent coronavirus outbreaks and could dwindle revenue.

In UW’s “Return to Campus” plan, approved by the UW Board of Trustees, the university will move certain large lecture course sections to be delivered completely online. Students will be notified of the changes via their UW email accounts, according to UW’s release published by Laramie Live, Oil City News and Wyo4News.

Food Print published an article on community gardens that can produce a meaningful amount of foods, but many face budget cuts during the current pandemic. UW Associate Professor Christine Porter was interviewed, and her successful study on community and home garden outcomes in Laramie was cited.

UW’s compressed academic schedule for the fall semester has necessitated that Labor Day, Sept. 7, be used as an instructional day because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and it will not be a paid holiday for employees. Wind River Radio Network published UW’s announcement.

Oil City News and HCP Wire published UW’s release on Professor Bart Geerts’ $724,331 U.S. Department of Energy grant to understand the rapidly warming climate in the Arctic.

Jeff Brown, UW’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute energy economics director, spoke with Wyoming Public Radio about a new analysis on carbon capture and storage. UW and the Great Plains institute published the report that involves trapping carbon dioxide created during energy production rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.

WalletHub interviewed UW business Professor Emeritus Sherrill Shaffer on a piece about business credit cards with rewards.

Food traceability has become a priority in the food industry, with consumers demanding healthier products, according to Ledger Insights. BeefChain, a blockchain startup, uses technology to allow consumers to trace their beef products and is working with UW’s new Blockchain R&D Lab.

Food & Wine magazine named UW’s student-run ACRES Farm as among the top programs in its annual list of “The Best Farms in Every State.”

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso is urging the U.S. Department of Energy to set up a satellite office in Wyoming, reported The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T). The article noted the UW School of Energy Resources, along with Campbell County, has secured a $1.62 million grant that will support a three-year project to create a pilot-scale facility to commercialize the transformation of coal-related feedstocks, such as coal ash, into rare earth elements.

Hits 106 published UW’s release noting that UW President Ed Seidel has made changes among his administrative team.

A panel will discuss “U.S.-Trans-Atlantic Relations in the COVID-19 Era” via Zoom during the Centennial Summer Speaker Series Aug. 12. Oil City News published UW’s release that noted the university’s Center for Global Studies and the Centennial Branch Library sponsor the speaker series.

The CS-T published a column by UW economist Rob Godby and Ben Alexander on the current health pandemic and resulting fiscal emergency that have exposed the fragility of Wyoming’s narrow economy and revenue model. Alexander is a senior program adviser at Resource Legacy Fund, established in Western states.

The UW women’s golf team was named among the top 20 Division I academic teams in the country for the past academic year with a 3.8 grade-point average, according to 7220 Sports. It is the first time in the program’s history that it achieved the honor presented by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.

Sports Illustrated highlighted the Laramie area, including UW, in its annual swimsuit issue. Many of the model shoots were in the Snowy Range and the surrounding area.