Mijal Altmann will serve as the new statewide youth development specialist for the University of Wyoming Extension.Mijal Altmann. In this role, Altmann will mentor 4-H youth development educators, advise the state 4-H Youth Leadership Team, and lead the Extension Roots Internship Program. This new internship program provides career development opportunities for Wyoming youth by giving them firsthand experience working with Extension offices across the state. Altmann will also build community partnerships, support traditional 4-H educational programs and events, and research the latest findings in positive youth development. Altmann earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024. Her graduate research focused on youth empowerment and civic engagement. Most recently, she served as a graduate assistant at Stanford University, focusing on educational trends, youth development, and social-emotional learning. Altmann also worked as the head instructor at an outdoor leadership camp for five years. Originally from Maryland, Altmann looks forward to expanding her horizons in Wyoming and working with youth across the state. “I believe in the power of planting seeds early in kids to help them become competent, independent, and confident members of their communities over time, and this is the perfect role to accomplish that,” says Altmann. Altmann started her new role with UW Extension on Monday, June 16. She can be reached at (307) 766-5125 or maltmann@uwyo.edu.
At the edge of the University of Wyoming’s Prexy’s Pasture Thursday, July 30, people gathered around a rare sight in Wyoming for this time of year—a broad-winged hawk.
The uncommon bird of prey was found on campus in June with a fractured beak and a significant parasite load. A month later, the young hawk, healed and ready to resume its journey, flew from UW’s lawn to the trees between the S.H. Knight Geology Building and the Engineering Building before heading southeast.
Nina Zitani has discovered and named 15 insect species previously unknown to science. Fellow entomologists have named another nine newly discovered species in her honor.
A renowned scientist and educator, Zitani has led or co-led more than 30 expeditions to remote areas of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. She’s collected and scrutinized thousands of entomological research specimens, led field courses in the Amazon rainforest, and served as a biodiversity expert for 18 Smithsonian Journeys, including an “Around the World by Private Jet” program.
