Big Opportunities

UW undergraduate and graduate students take part in groundbreaking research.

Introducing Rashmi Thapa, Ph.D.

Rashmi Thapa can see a future eradicated of Alzheimer’s disease. A recent neuroscience Ph.D. graduate of the University of Wyoming, her research focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind this devastating condition. Now, she’s pursuing a postdoctoral position at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Originally from Nepal, Thapa embraced the opportunities and community at UW, where she participated in the Friends of Nepal, International Student Association and university councils.

“This university and this town have given me so much,” Thapa says. “It gave me a new identity as Dr. Rashmi Thapa. I’ve been lucky to be part of such a strong, supportive network.”

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Ty Hults Tackles Bighorn Decline

While moose hunting just north of the Denali Range, Air Force veteran Ty Hults spotted what looked to be dots of snow traversing along the Alaskan mountainside. What he was seeing were migrating wild sheep. Captivated, he decided then and there to study them.

Now a senior at UW, Hults is majoring in wildlife and fisheries biology and management, and studying bighorn sheep in Wyoming’s Dubois area. His work focuses on nutrition and its link to habitat decline, disease and population loss.

“UW’s wildlife program is one of the best for undergrads in the nation,” Hults says. “The resources and opportunities here are unmatched, and it’s been incredible to be a part of it.”

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Exploring Fungi with Kate Good

Kate Good is making her mark at UW with a double major in molecular biology and microbiology, complemented by a minor in religious studies. Currently, she is researching fungi and plant recovery.

“I examine plant roots that have been collected post-Mullen Fire,” Good says. “Some plants have been treated with an herbicide to combat an invasive grass. I grow fungal endophytes from the roots and go through a DNA sequencing process to identify the fungi. The goal is to better understand microbial and plant communities post-fire and to see if the herbicide impacts growth or microbial communities.”

Additionally, Good is a member of UW’s Western Thunder Marching Band and holds a leadership role in her sorority, Phi Sigma Rho. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in infectious diseases and contribute to breakthroughs in antibiotic resistance and vaccine development.

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Freshwater Mussel Conservation with Samantha Poratti

Samantha Poratti, a master’s student in zoology and physiology, is conducting pivotal research on native freshwater mussels in Wyoming’s Bear River watershed. Hailing from Vermont, she is focused on two species: the California floater — a Wyoming “species of greatest conservation need” — and the Western pearlshell mussel. Through snorkeling and field surveys, she aims to gather essential data on their distribution and survival.

“Conservation of freshwater mussels in general has been overlooked and also underfunded,” says Poratti. “They’re hard to see in the bodies of water that they’re found in — like rivers, lakes and reservoirs. I believe they necessitate more attention since they’re so important to the ecosystem.”

With little prior research on these mussels in Western rivers, her work is not only groundbreaking but crucial for informing conservation efforts and managing native species.