UW in the News

March 9, 2020

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) and Laramie Boomerang were among media outlets announcing that Edward Seidel, the current vice president for economic development and innovation for the University of Illinois System, has been selected as UW’s 28th president. Wyoming Public Radio, Laramie Live, Gillette News Record, K2 Radio and The News-Gazette in Champaign, Ill., were among other media outlets reporting on the selection.

In a Wall Street Journal article, titled “Global Viral Outbreaks Like Coronavirus, Once Rare, Will Become More Common,” UW economics Professor David Finnoff says the U.S. needs to build a stronger health infrastructure to fight future pandemics. Other experts interviewed said various factors are driving a rise in worldwide epidemics.

Chad Baldwin, UW associate vice president for communications and marketing, was among Albany County officials discussing with The Boomerang preparedness measures for possible coronavirus outbreaks in the state. Christine Porter, the Wyoming Excellence Chair in Community and Public Health at UW, also was interviewed for the article.

The Montana Standard interviewed UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Assistant Professor Temple Stoellinger as part of an article that details how officials are debating increasing Yellowstone National Park fees to help pay for wildlife conservation.

UW Professor Jim Caldwell spoke with Cowboy State Daily, saying that, in terms of digital asset education, the university is poised to take advantage of the state’s lead in the blockchain world.

Laramie Live published UW’s release noting that Microsoft’s AI for Earth program awarded grants to UW scientists to examine biomedical imaging datasets to understand the molecular basis of human disease, and to evaluate migration congregation points and potential for chronic wasting disease transmission.

Zach Wallace, a research scientist with UW’s Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, discussed with Wyoming Public Radio his conservation efforts with golden eagles. The population is declining in Wyoming due to conventional and renewable energy development and other human-caused threats. The Cody Enterprise published UW’s release noting Wallace’s efforts.

The CS-T detailed the benefits of the Hathaway Scholarship for graduating Wyoming high school seniors. The scholarship can be applied to attend UW and the state’s community colleges.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will speak at UW’s College of Law in September as part of the school’s centennial celebration, reported Legal News.

U.S. News and World Report and The CS-T reported that both Wyoming’s House and Senate approved a state budget that will include $2.5 million in matching funds for the UW College of Law. Gov. Mark Gordon will consider the budget this week.

Sweetwater County students are among 101 recipients of the 2020 Trustees’ Scholars Award, the university’s top academic scholarship for Wyoming students. UW’s release announcing the honored students was published by SweetwaterNOW.

The CS-T interviewed UW law Professor Jason Robison, a water law expert, who discussed how regional state lawmakers are hoping their voices will be heard as Colorado River drought negotiations are about to begin.

UW scientists are assisting in a Montana wildlife study, according to The Billings Gazette. The study is part of an overall effort to capture and collar elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and pronghorns to learn more about their use of the land at different times of the year.

KGAB Radio published UW’s release announcing the annual GRO-Biz Conference later this month in Cheyenne. The event, for small-business owners to gain government contracts, is sponsored, in part, by UW.

UW history Professor Emeritus Phil Roberts discussed in a CS-T interview the life history of Mary Bellamy, who was the first female elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1910.

UW students Jarod Alles, Josh Farrell and Hayden Jensen have gone viral with their video series about a guy with a really tall cowboy hat, according to a feature story in The CS-T. Their series has been viewed nearly 30 million times on the video app TikTok.