Research & Economic Development


Carnegie R1 logo

In early 2025 the University of Wyoming achieved Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university in the rarefied air of the top research universities in the United States. This prestigious designation recognizes our commitment to groundbreaking research, academic excellence, and impactful discoveries that benefit Wyoming and the world. The Research and Economic Development Division (REDD) at UW serves as a catalyst to advance the university's knowledge enterprise through research, service, and innovation. Providing rich experiential learning opportunities, REDD enriches the experience of UW students and supports innovation and economic growth across Wyoming. Our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and innovation remains a foundation for progress and prosperity throughout the state.

 


 

 

 

K-12 Students Exploring the STEM Carnival

5,763

UW Students were trained by LAMP-trained educators in active learning classes in FY24

 

Graduate student studying a test tube

$167.3 Million

Total FY24 research expenditures

 

Professor presenting the Drilling and Completions simulation lab

No. 91 

On NAI's annual list of patent production by U.S. universities

 

 

rEDD News

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    UW Kicks Off Innovative Student-Run Venture Capital Program

    May 14, 2025

    A course on entrepreneurial finance at the University of Wyoming is enabling business students to have a hands-on role in the investment of funds from the UW Venture Capital Program.

    Students enrolled in UW’s College of Business evaluate proposals from real-world startups in Wyoming in need of seed-level funding to take their companies to the next level. The program is a cooperative effort among the College of Business, the UW Foundation and UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI).

    “There’s a funding gap between the startup phase of a company and when it becomes suitable for institutional capital from a large venture capital firm,” CEI Director Robert Macy says. “We aim to fill that gap.”

    The program is generously funded by the Fisher Incentive Funds in Entrepreneurship, an endowment established in 2017 by Donne and Sue Fisher. The Fisher funds are aimed at creating a lasting legacy by empowering students through real-world entrepreneurial experiences.

    For the full story, visit UW News.

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    UW Master Craftsman Program Expands Career Opportunities for UW Art Students

    May 12, 2025

    The University of Wyoming’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) is undertaking a program geared to give art students real-world experience in fabrication and restoration to help secure careers in manufacturing and design. The program will be offered as an extra-curricular course in the 2026 academic year.

    UW art sculpture professor Ashley Hope Carlisle oversees the Master Craftsman Program. Her approach to teaching creative problem-solving through art is the driving concept behind the initiative. The aim is to give learners direct exposure to business practices in industry, enabling them to pursue professions in production, development, and construction.

    “This is a uniquely innovative approach that enables budding professionals in art disciplines to participate in a variety of industries as well as start their own artisan businesses,” said Robert Macy, Director of UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). “Students gain hands-on experience they can apply across a wide range of industries and career opportunities.”

    For the full story, visit UW News.

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    Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub Project Completes First Deep Characterization Well

    May 5, 2025

    A significant carbon management project led by Frontier Carbon Solutions LLC (Frontier) -- in partnership with the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) -- has completed the drilling of a deep characterization well. Drilling on a second well will begin as part of an effort to explore potential permanent carbon storage in southwest Wyoming.

    Frontier’s project, the Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub (SCS Hub), is the beneficiary of a grant from the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s Carbon Storage Assurance Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

    Alongside grant support from DOE and the Wyoming Energy Authority, Frontier is developing the SCS Hub to be a permanent carbon management solution to serve Wyoming’s critical hydrocarbon and mining industries, including trona mining operations and natural gas processing.

    For the full story, visit UW News.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo collage of research labs at the University of Wyoming

 

 

 

Hands-on learning experiences through research for UW graduate and undergraduate students.

 

To learn more about the scope and impact of UW Research and Economic Development, click the button below to download the Division's latest annual report

Contact Us

VP for Research & Economic Development
1000 E. University Avenue
Dept. 3355
Old Main, Room 308
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-5353
Email: vpred@uwyo.edu