Q&A with UW President Shane Reeves

 

By Micaela Myers
 
Can you share with us some of your memories from growing up in Wyoming?
Growing up in Rock Springs was like Shangri-La; it was nirvana. We would just go out and ride our bikes. We’d fish a lot. We’d go into the mountains. I really value that because it developed intellectual independence, resiliency and self-reliance.
 
Had you always hoped to return to Wyoming, or what interested you in the presidency?
Being in the military, I’d move around and do various things, but I always felt that I would return to Wyoming. I’ve always maintained my state of residency. My mom, my sister, my wife and my kids are all Wyoming residents. I returned quite often to visit family and friends. I never really thought of anywhere else as home. 

It’s a dream to be a part of something as important as UW, and it’s hard to even describe how exciting this opportunity is. 
 
So far, what are you enjoying most about being back?
I’ve had a chance to travel around the state a lot. I’m meeting people and hearing what they think about the university. 
UW is right on the precipice of accelerating national and international prominence in lots of different ways. It is already an incredible place with very impressive academic programs, world-class faculty and Division I athletics. The UW Foundation has done amazing things to raise money on behalf of students and faculty. 

I was just speaking to a student on Prexy’s. She’d never been here before but just liked the vibe of the university. And that’s pretty much how I feel; I like the vibe. When you find a place where the culture is accessibility and presence — and a true interest in your development — that’s special. And that’s UW right there. 
 
Aside from connecting with constituents, what are your other initial goals? 
I want to pursue growth and a relentless pursuit of excellence in all things. Some of my priorities include having a dynamic, interesting and exciting campus culture; having our research unleash innovation that improves the lives of Wyomingites; having our athletic programs not just compete but win, while supporting our student-athletes; and increasing philanthropy toward student success and faculty excellence. Artificial intelligence makes some people nervous, but you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. AI is not a fad. You have to learn to embrace it and teach the young people how to use it in a way that’s responsible, ethical and enables their critical thinking. All of this is really meant to help the university move into the future while producing graduates who are highly sought after.
 
What is your approach to addressing nationwide issues like declining enrollment?
The number of high school graduates in the U.S. peaked in 2025, and we’re already seeing pressures on higher education across the nation. A lot of smaller schools are closing or consolidating. Other schools are cutting programs. However, not every school is shrinking. There are haves and have-nots in higher education, and I want to make sure UW is on the have side of the ledger.

We have to be able to adjust. Stasis today means you’re sliding backwards. UW has lost thousands of students since 2015, so we have to turn that around. We have to compete for kids around the state, and we also have to make ourselves nationally recognized in certain areas. 
 
What aspects of your military career and your West Point leadership do you think you’ll draw on most in leading UW? 
I’ve had the great opportunity to work with incredible, world-class leaders. In that environment, you learn how to navigate really difficult situations, while still having a sense of humor.

You have to lead by example, set the standard, hold people accountable and have a vision. You have to facilitate talent, find those who are doing incredible work, resource them, support them and underwrite risk. At the end of the day, everything is about the team. When you talk about team, you’re talking about selflessness, collegiality, helping each other, and doing the right thing when no one’s watching. 
 
In your opinion, what are UW’s greatest strengths?
You can tell the people of Wyoming love this place. There has been significant investment in the infrastructure, and the university’s footprint is amazing. Being a Carnegie R1 research institution, we are one of only 187 in the country — less than 5 percent of all universities. That’s a great credit to former President Seidel and the team. It unleashes a lot of opportunity. 

 

We have impressive faculty who are well known and do great work. I also think we have one of the nation’s best athletic directors, Tom Burman. As I mentioned, we have an amazing foundation. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people: the students, the faculty, the parents and the great state of Wyoming. That is its greatest strength. And that’s why UW will elevate its national brand in the very near future.
 
In 10 years, looking back, what do you hope will be some of the legacy that you’ve built here?
I would like to see UW grow. I don’t see why we couldn’t have a 50 percent increase in terms of enrollment over the next 10 years.

I would like to see us continue to invest in infrastructure. If you build it, they will come. We have two beautiful new residence halls, and they are full, with a waitlist.

We’re launching a campaign with our foundation that’s very ambitious, and I have no doubt we’ll be successful.

I would like to continue to double down on the research enterprise and find more of those Wyoming-centric aspects of our research that will drive economic development in the state. It can help us address some of the broader issues, like why so many of our young people leave the state. 

I’d like to see us win some championships. But at the end of the day, what I really want is to see unity in the state behind UW — recognizing that it’s truly the university for the entire state.

 

Listen to President Reeves’ Podcast