Two UW Employees Nominated as Wyoming Women of Influence

Two University of Wyoming employees have been nominated for this year’s Wyoming Women of Influence award through the Wyoming Business Report.

Merav Ben-David, a professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, and Laura Capasso, a behavioral scientist at the Family Medicine Residency Program in Cheyenne, are nominees in the education category.

“It is a great honor to be recognized as a Wyoming woman of influence,” Ben-David says. “Mentoring our students has been the focus of my career as I strive to be a role model of professionalism and dedication. I find myself in the company of great Wyomingites and am thankful for the nomination.”

Ben-David has taught more than 1,300 undergraduate students and mentored numerous graduate students since arriving at UW 20 years ago. She served as the director of the Program in Ecology from 2016-17 and was head of the Department of Zoology and Physiology from 2017-2020. Additionally, Ben-David has earned many local and national teaching and research awards.

Capasso provides psychotherapy as an integrated treatment option for patients, with an increased focus on providing services to underserved populations. She also leads physician residents and faculty in the exploration of individual and organizational implicit biases and potential barriers to providing highest quality care to all patients, most notably those from oppressed populations.

“In my experience, the women and girls of Wyoming are among the most profoundly resilient, hard-working, dedicated and thoughtful people I’ve encountered,” Capasso says. “To be considered among such a noteworthy group is an incredible honor and gives me even more hope and determination to continue my work.”

The Wyoming Business Report has been honoring influential women across the state since 2013. This year’s honorees will be announced in mid-September.

To learn more about the Wyoming Women of Influence award, visit www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/womenofinfluence.