UW in the News

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:

USA Today interviewed Jonathan Naughton, director of UW’s Wind Energy Research Center, for an article on critics who blamed the renewable energy industry for blackouts caused by last week’s cold snap in Texas. Iced-over wind turbines in Texas are to be expected because they are not built to withstand freezing temperatures in that state, according to experts, including Naughton.

The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) reported that the UW Board of Trustees voted to eliminate 11 academic programs amid a statewide budget crisis brought on by declining fossil fuel production and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forbes, The Associated Press and The College Post published similar articles.

Law enforcement officials are investigating a racist interruption of a UW Black Studies Center virtual event last week. The CS-T reported that the offensive content came from computer servers in other countries and an East Coast state, and not from UW users. The Hill published a similar article, and The Laramie Boomerang had a follow-up article with Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for communications and marketing, who noted that both UW and the FBI are investigating the incident.

UW issued a statement from the university’s administration condemning the racist incident during the Black Studies Center program that was part of Black History Month events. K2 Radio, Oil City News and Laramie Live published the statement. The CS-T and Wyoming News Now also noted that Gov. Mark Gordon condemned the racist incident.

The Boomerang reported on a Black History Month virtual event that focused on medical mistrust, vaccines and the Black community. UW’s African American and Diaspora Studies and the Black Studies Center sponsored the event.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on UW’s plans for the fall semester in an article that noted a number of universities are announcing their intent to return to traditional in-person experiences as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to subside. The CS-T reported on the same subject.

UW students in the outdoor recreation and tourism management degree program will help decipher data collected for the Laramie County Tourism Master Plan, according to The Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Wyoming Public Media interviewed UW Associate Professor Christine Porter on health protocols being put in place for the 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships in Aspen, Colo., next month. Porter said these competitions are on the safer side during the pandemic because they do not require much physical contact with others. Porter also spoke with Aspen Public Radio on another pandemic-related subject.

Rob Godby, UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources acting associate dean and an economics associate professor, has been named interim dean of the College of Business. The CS-T reported that David Sprott, the outgoing dean, has accepted a similar position at Claremont Graduate University in California.

Bloomberg Law quoted UW law Professor Michael Duff in an article focusing on the legal battle between Amazon and New York Attorney General Letitia James over COVID-19 workplace safety and health. The lawsuit shines a legal spotlight on whether and just how far states can go to regulate workplace conditions. Payday Report had a related article. Law 360 also quoted Duff on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that may be a boon for benefits access for workers.

Former UW Police Department Sgt. and UW graduate Aaron Appelhans continues to be in the news as Albany County’s new sheriff. CBS Denver spotlighted Appelhans in a Black History Month feature, noting that he is Wyoming’s first Black sheriff.

Wyoming Public Radio spoke with UW doctoral candidate Ioana Stefanescu about her team’s research method of studying bacteria to measure past climate in the state.

A report from UW’s Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) indicates that Indigenous people are killed or go missing at much higher rates than white people. The CS-T reported that WYSAC reviewed 20 years of data from the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

The Boomerang reported on a $2.4 million CARES Act Recovery assistance grant that will broaden UW’s IMPACT 307 business incubator program to serve statewide clients.

UW social work Assistant Professor Sandra Leotti received the 2021 Frank R. Breul Memorial Prize for a research paper. Buckrail published UW’s release noting that the University of Chicago Press Journals sponsors the award.

K2 Radio published UW’s release noting that Kim DeVore, president of Jonah Bank of Wyoming, spoke with the university’s Master of Business Administration students last week.

UW student Samantha Power, of Mandan, N.D., received the 2020 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Students Preparing for Academic and Research Careers Award. The Bismarck Tribune noted that Power is an undergraduate speech, language and hearing science major.

The Gillette News Record published UW’s release noting that, starting this week, residents can watch a series of short videos about financial issues Wyomingites face. UW Extension’s Michelle Vigil is hosting “Michelle’s Monday Minute.”