Dr. Dan McCoyDirector, Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute
Beta House, Rm. 304
307.766.5009
Education and Certifications
Background and expertise
Dr. Dan McCoy has served as Director of the Jay Kemmerer Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Institute since 2022. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the University of Wyoming's College of Business and College of Education. Previously, he was the Degree Coordinator for the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management (ORTM) program in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, where he helped launch both the ORTM degree and the Outdoor Leadership Minor.
Dan brings more than two decades of experience in outdoor leadership, education, and recreation. He managed the UW Outdoor Program for nearly two decades, developing it into a premier resource for students, staff, and faculty, and later served as Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, leading a $30.5 million award-winning renovation of the Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center.
His leadership extends statewide through research, workforce, and engagement initiatives. Dan has been principal investigator on over $4 million in sponsored projects related to sustainable tourism, recreation economics, and resident sentiment analysis in Wyoming communities.
Dan has also served on 14 graduate committees (eight as chair), presented at over 20 professional conferences, and published scholarly work in PLOS ONE and the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. He is a founding board member of both the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Business Alliance and the Pilot Hill Project, and former president of the Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition Education Foundation.
Courses Taught
Selected Awards and Honors
Manasseh FranklinManasseh Franklin is a graduate student in the Haub School of Environment and Natural
Resources. Having spent much of her adult life working in and writing about tourism-oriented
communities in the Mountain West, including Jackson, Wyoming and Aspen, Colorado,
she’s thrilled to join the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute and participate in initiatives
to support tourism growth in Wyoming. She is particularly interested in the socio-cultural
impacts that stem from the transition of resource extraction economies to tourism
economies in rural communities. She also hopes to explore sustainable tourism development
in mountain towns that are seeing expansive growth in tourism, often at the expense
of the locals’ quality of life and cost of living.
Manasseh has been involved in the Haub School for the better part of a decade, initially
as a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and Environment and Natural
Resources where she wrote about receding glaciers in North America, and most recently
as an adjunct instructor for both ENR and ORTM courses. Her travel and environmental
articles have been published in mainstream publications including Adventure Journal,
Alpinist, Aspen Sojourner, Rock and Ice, High Country News, and Western Confluence
magazines, and she is the former Editor in Chief of the backcountry ski publication
WildSnow.com. Her wide-ranging experience in the outdoors include working as a hiking and climbing
guide in Aspen, and for a brief time, Nepal. She is excited to delve deeper into the
multifaceted world of tourism development, both in her role with WORTH and as a graduate
student in ENRS.
Morgan HollandSenior Research Economist
College of Business Building, Rm. 367
mhollan9@uwyo.edu
Morgan graduated with a PhD in economics from Florida State University in 2022 with research interests in the economics of automation, corporate finance, human capital, and the economics of disability. In addition, Morgan worked as an economic consultant for the FSU Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis, pursuing applied research projects in a wide variety of fields. Today, Morgan focuses on economic research in the tourism and hospitality sectors in Wyoming. He is especially interested in researching and promoting policies that will help Wyoming take full advantage of its outdoor recreation resources while preserving them for future generations. Morgan also provides support services to stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sector through economic research and analysis.
Jordan KobliskaInternship and Employment Coordinator
Bim Kendall House, Rm. 015
jkoblisk@uwyo.edu
Jordan Kobliska serves as the internship and employment coordinator for the Jay Kemmerer
WORTH Institute. As part of the student services team in the Haub School of ENR, she
works to connect students in the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management (ORTM)
degree, and the Hospitality minor in the College of Business, with employment opportunities
throughout Wyoming. As an alum of the ORTM program, she continues to create and sustain
outdoor recreation, tourism, and hospitality partnerships throughout the state to
help provide a sustainable and qualified workforce.
In her free time, she is involved in responsible recreation education efforts on Pilot
Hill where she frequently hikes with her dog Motley Chew. She is passionate about
exploring Wyoming's public lands and protecting them through science communication
efforts.
Taylor KrugerResearch Scientist, Assistant
Beta House, Rm. 302
tkruger@uwyo.edu
Taylor Kruger is an assistant research scientist with the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute. She received her master's degree in Environment, Natural Resources, and Society (ENRS) from the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources in 2023. While completing her thesis work, she served as a graduate teaching assistant for Dr. Dan McCoy in the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management (ORTM) degree program at UW.
Taylor grew up in Maine and graduated from Colby College in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. She brings her diverse background to each research and outreach project and credits her love of the outdoors to her experiences in varied landscapes.
Hailey SorgOutdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality Extension Educator
hsorg@uwyo.edu
Hailey Sorg joined the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute in January 2023 as the first WORTH Extension Educator serving the state of Wyoming. Originally from Douglas, Wyoming, Hailey has always been passionate about sharing the unique stories and experiences Wyoming has to offer. She attended the University of Wyoming and obtained her BS in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management. It was this degree program that sparked her love and passion for the Wyoming outdoor recreation, tourism, and hospitality industries. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, Hailey worked for Wyoming State Parks at the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum while finishing her MS in Arts Administration and Museum Leadership from Drexel University in December 2022.
Hailey recognizes the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute’s unique ability to connect industry, experience, and most importantly the people within the state of Wyoming. Her role as the WORTH Extension Educator is to provide support to rural Wyoming communities and businesses to maximize natural resource-based tourism opportunities in a responsible way. As many say, Wyoming is a small town with long streets, and Hailey is excited to be part of the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute as it continues to make these connections and provide support throughout the state.
