From Wyoming With Love – Part 6

Meet UW Trustees’ Scholars Award alumni living and working in Wyoming.

 

By Micaela Myers

 

The University of Wyoming Trustees’ Scholars Award is the premier scholarship for Wyoming’s top high school students. Hundreds of students have benefited from the award over the years, and in this issue, UWyo Magazine sat down with 20 former scholars living and working in Wyoming. These alumni are giving back to the state that supported them throughout their education. They represent a small sampling of alumni award winners living around the state and across the country. These scholars leveraged the support Wyoming gave them and turned it into big impacts in their industries, families, states and communities.

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 Wildlife Biologist Ashley Umphlett
Hometown: Cody
UW degrees: B.S. in biology and wildlife, and fisheries biology and management, 2020

As a student at the University of Wyoming, Ashley Umphlett not only gained a solid scientific foundation, time-management and analytical thinking skills, but she also gained important connections with professionals in the industry. 

“These skills and introductions helped me to get my foot in the door at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, where I was able to build upon and improve the skills I gained at UW to ultimately secure a solid career,” says Umphlett, who currently serves as the Rawlins wildlife biologist for the department. “My job aims to protect, enhance and conserve Wyoming’s wildlife resources for the general public. Part of my job includes designing, coordinating and conducting various wildlife surveys and then analyzing collected data to help make management decisions, such as formulating hunting season recommendations or implementing various wildlife conservation projects.”

A big part of her job is working with various stakeholders, a reflection of her time at UW, where Umphlett says the people made the biggest difference. 

“When I think about my most standout experiences at UW, I don’t necessarily think of events but rather the people,” she says. 

Umphlett loved UW athletics and the many opportunities — from studying abroad to participating in cutting-edge research — however, it was the people she met and the friends she made along the way who made those experiences that much better. 

“UW has a unique capacity to appeal to a wide variety of people across the country and the world, many of whom I would have never had the opportunity to interact and engage with if it hadn’t been for school,” Umphlett says. 

Earning the UW Trustees’ Scholars Award provided Umphlett with financial stability, allowing her to focus her time and energy on her academic studies and her future. Now, she gets to work with a wide variety of people in her job while preserving and enjoying Wyoming’s varied and beautiful terrain.

“A lot of times, unique perspectives from different groups of people help to accomplish common goals in creative and innovative ways, which is a really fun thing to be a part of,” Umphlett says. “I love that my career allows me to get out into the field and enjoy all of the different landscapes and wildlife that big beautiful Wyoming has to offer. I also get to play a part in trying to make those landscapes and the management of that wildlife the best they can possibly be.”

Staying in Wyoming after graduation kept Umphlett close to her family and her roots: “I get to enjoy Wyoming’s natural landscapes and wild animals, which include some of the most remote and beautiful places in the lower 48. Apart from the great outdoors, I also love Wyoming’s small-town feel, even across the state as a whole. Wyoming is one big community, and it never ceases to amaze me how the state will come together to support its people and places.”  

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Software Engineer Marcus Rieker
Hometown: Casper
UW degrees: B.S. in computer engineering with minors in computer science and honors, 2018

Marcus Rieker is living proof that those seeking a career in the tech sector don’t need to leave Wyoming.

“The technology sector is still relatively underrepresented here, which makes it even more exciting to be part of building something meaningful in Wyoming,” he says. “I want to help show that careers in advanced technology can thrive here, too.”

Rieker serves as the senior software engineer and team lead at AVB Inc., right from his hometown of Casper.

“I’ve been fortunate to work on emerging technologies and to collaborate closely with companies such as Amazon Web Services to help push the boundaries of machine learning, agentic tooling and software engineering,” Rieker says. “What makes the work especially meaningful to me is that AVB is a not-for-profit member-owned organization that supports independent appliance and furniture retailers across the country. Everything we build is designed to help small businesses compete and succeed against major big-box retailers. Seeing those businesses grow and reclaim market share over the past several years has been incredibly rewarding.”

He loves that every day is a new challenge and opportunity to make a meaningful impact, all with the support of his family and community. 

“Family has always been at the center of my decisions,” Rieker says. “I love the people of Wyoming, and I want to contribute to the continued growth of our state.”

After living in other states, he believes Wyoming is one of the best places in the country to raise a family. 

“There’s something special about the openness of this state, both in its landscapes and in its people,” Rieker says. “I love that I can drive a short distance and be surrounded by nature, camp under a sky full of stars with my sons and live in a place that still values community, stewardship and independence. Wyoming still feels like one of the last true frontiers, and I hope it never loses that spirit.”

The Trustees’ Scholars Award played a key role in his trajectory and that of hundreds of other Wyoming students. 

“We have a lot of bright minds in this state, and it’s important that students feel they can build a future here without needing to leave to find opportunity,” Rieker says. “Wyoming has incredible potential to be one of the best places in the country for young professionals to grow, learn and thrive, and the Trustees’ Scholars Award is one of the foundational investments that helps make that possible.”

With the scholarship, he was able to devote himself fully to his challenging computer engineering major, make lifelong connections and graduate debt-free. 

“My years at UW played a major role in shaping who I am today, both personally and professionally,” he says. “UW pride runs deep in my family. My father, uncle and both of my siblings are proud alumni, and my grandfather faithfully attended UW Cowboys home football games for more than 30 years. Brown and gold run through my veins, and I’m proud to carry forward the traditions and values of this school and state.”  

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Attorney Bryce Nichols
Hometown: Levan, Utah (graduated from Star Valley High School in Afton) 
UW degrees:  B.S. in petroleum engineering with a minor in Spanish and a concentration in international engineering, 2019; J.D. with a certificate in energy, environment and natural resources, 2022

For Bryce Nichols, earning the Trustees’ Scholars Award meant he could take advantage of each opportunity that came along at the University of Wyoming without worrying about finances. 

“I remember the day that I was informed that I was a recipient,” Nichols says. “The relief that I felt as I knew that I had my next level of education paid for was incalculable. Rewarding promising Wyoming talent is a massive boon for the state, since many of the students will likely keep their newly obtained knowledge within Wyoming by obtaining local employment.”

In school, he was a founding member of the Cowboy Country Swing Club and met his wife, Allie, there when they were both instructors. Nichols also took an amazing ecclesiastic mission trip to Colombia between his sophomore and junior years. 

“I recall meeting lifelong friends on Prexy’s Pasture during my freshman orientation while playing laser tag,” he says. “I also attended various sporting events, including watching Josh Allen bring Wyoming back into the football spotlight. I spent time hiking with friends at Vedauwoo and proposed to my wife there. On colder days, I recall getting together with enough friends to arrange our TVs on the table in our apartment to have a 16-player Halo game night. I also fondly remember having back-to-back wins for intramural eight-ball doubles.”

UW gave him a solid foundation to become a successful practicing attorney, Nichols says. In the petroleum engineering and law programs, he was taught by world-class professors, many of whom he’s still in touch with today. He also took part in the College of Law’s experiential learning opportunities, such as the Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources Clinic. 

After graduation, Nichols served as a deputy county attorney for Lincoln County in Kemmerer, where he often covered felony hearings, including murder cases, which exemplifies the early career experience offered to new attorneys here. From there, he worked in oil and gas law before taking his current role as an assistant city attorney in Casper.

“As such, I am the main attorney responsible for criminal prosecution under Casper’s municipal code,” Nichols says. “This position allows me to use my legal education and skills to serve the people of Casper, addressing lower-level misdemeanors and traffic infractions. While not as prominent as the high-profile felony cases, my interactions with members of the public are usually their first experience with the justice system.”

He uses his Spanish language minor from UW to discuss cases with Spanish-speaking defendants.

Nichols is glad to serve the state and appreciates the Wyoming way of life: “I like the small-town atmosphere of the entire state. I recently returned from the Wyoming Conference of Municipal Courts, where I associated with several of the clerks, judges and prosecutors from various municipalities. The Wyoming legal world is a tight-knit community, allowing your reputation and abilities to carry you far.”  

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Physician Assistant Kasandra Kister
Hometown: Riverton
UW degrees: B.S. in physiology with minors in Spanish and honors, 2019

How did the Trustees’ Scholars Award help you as a student at UW?
The Trustees’ Scholars Award made a huge impact on my experience at UW. It gave me the financial stability to focus on my classes and to take advantage of learning opportunities without the stress of tuition. It also played a role in my decision to stay in Wyoming for my undergraduate education, which ultimately shaped both my career path and my commitment to serving this community.
 
Why do you think the scholarship is an important offering for top Wyoming high school students?
The Trustees’ Scholars Award is important because it gives Wyoming students a strong reason to stay in state for their education. When students train here, they’re more likely to stay or return to work in their communities. It’s a great way to support both students and the future of Wyoming.
 
What were your standout experiences at UW?
One of my standout experiences at UW was studying abroad. I had the opportunity to spend a semester studying in Spain, which was a great way to experience a new culture while continuing my education. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me become more well-rounded.

I also appreciated the supportive environment at UW. As the only university in the state, there’s a strong sense of pride across Wyoming, and that really comes through in the student body and faculty. It made my experience feel both connected and meaningful.
 
How did UW help prepare you for your career?
UW gave me a strong foundation in the basic sciences and helped me develop effective study habits that I carried into my physician assistant training. That preparation made the transition to graduate-level coursework much smoother and set me up well for my career in medicine.
 
What made you want to stay in Wyoming after graduation?
I felt a strong pull to stay in Wyoming because there is a clear need for medical providers here, and I wanted to give back to the state that had given me so much. I also value being close to the mountains and having access to open spaces, so it made sense to build my career here.
 
What do you do, and what do you love about your career?
I am transitioning to a new role as a physician assistant working with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe on the Wind River Indian Reservation. I love helping people make informed choices that improve their health and quality of life. I enjoy practicing evidence-based medicine, but what I value most is building long-term relationships with my patients and seeing meaningful changes over time.
 
What do you like best about living and working in Wyoming?
What I like most about living and working in Wyoming is the people and the strong sense of community. I really value being close to my family, and I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking and fishing.