Members of the public will find out more about the University of Wyoming’s presence in Washakie County, and UW alumni will connect with their alma mater during a “UW in Your Community” gathering Monday, Oct. 21, in Worland.

The public is invited to the event from 5-7 p.m. at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center. Free appetizers will be served, and a cash bar will be available.

UW President Ed Seidel will be in attendance and speak during a brief program, highlighting the university’s collaborative efforts with the state’s community colleges to prepare students for the modern economy and boost entrepreneurism and the state’s economy, among other topics.

Also on the agenda:

• UW Department of Botany Professor Ellen Currano will discuss her extensive research in the Worland area and Big Horn Basin, where she has collected fossil leaves and plants from over 50 million years ago. During this time, a series of greenhouse warming events caused by the release of carbon into the atmosphere increased temperatures and decreased precipitation, and the Big Horn Basin looked much like modern-day Florida, including palm trees and alligators.
• Dan VanderPloeg, a UW Extension agriculture and natural resources educator based in Worland, will discuss the local office’s activities.
• Devan Costa-Cargill, regional director of UW’s Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network, will discuss efforts to help small businesses in Washakie County.

Also scheduled to speak are current UW students from Washakie County—Worland High School graduates Annalise Gade and Stuart Trombley, and Ten Sleep High School graduate Kinley Anderson.

The Washakie County gathering is the 19th in a series of “UW in Your Community” gatherings taking place around the state.

“This will be a great opportunity for community members to interact with President Seidel and others from UW, learn about exciting initiatives for students and the state, and see some of the collaborative work UW is doing with local partners,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “UW alumni and everyone across Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin are invited for what will be a fun evening.”