Dr. Dan McCoyDirector, Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute
Beta House, Rm. 304
Education and Certifications
Background and expertise
Dan McCoy has been the Director of the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute since March, 2022. Previously he was an Associate Lecturer and Degree Coordinator for the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Degree in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. He has extensive experience in the fields of outdoor leadership, education, and recreation. He ran the University of Wyoming Outdoor Program from 1999 to 2017, building it into a first-class resource for outdoor equipment rentals, outings, and trainings for UW students, staff, and faculty and overseeing the Half Acre Gymnasium climbing wall. As Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, starting in 2008, Dan oversaw aquatics, safety training, fitness programs, personal training, and facility operations. In addition, he was part of the planning team for an award winning $31.5 million renovation and addition to Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center.
Dan helped create the Outdoor Leadership Minor and the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Degree in the Haub School. In addition, Dan has been an instructor for the UW Department of Kinesiology and Health, a board member of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE), a member of the City of Laramie Parks, Trails, and Recreation Master Plan Advisory Committee, and the Wyoming State Advocate for the Center for Outdoor Ethics, Leave No Trace. Prior to his time at UW, Dan worked for the Wilderness Institute in Missoula as a Field Instructor, Longacre Expeditions as a Course Director, and Sweet Briar College as the Outdoor Program and Student Activities Coordinator.
Teaching
Selected accomplishments
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.
