The story of Wyoming is inseparable from the story of agriculture — from the grit of early cattle ranchers who carved out livelihoods on the open range, to today’s farmers, ranchers, and natural resource stewards navigating drought, invasive species, and market uncertainties. Our state has always relied on our incomparable natural resources and the resilience of its people.
At the University of Wyoming’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, we are proud to continue this legacy through our land-grant mission areas of teaching, research, and extension. We aim to be relevant, responsive, and accountable to the people of Wyoming.
Our impact in educating Wyoming’s future workforce is broad and far-reaching. The “Ag College” includes nine academic departments, 16 majors, 28 minors, and 27 graduate degree programs. The college’s faculty also teach the life science courses that serve more than 85 majors across the university. These foundational life science courses are critical to preparing Wyoming’s future health care professionals, scientists, biologists, natural resource managers, and agricultural industry professionals.
Our graduates in wildlife and fisheries biology and management; rangeland ecology and management; botany; ecology; animal and veterinary sciences; and agricultural business step directly into private-sector careers or fill positions with state and federal agencies in Wyoming communities. In many cases, our graduates join family-owned businesses or pursue their own entrepreneurial ventures right here in Wyoming.
Most of our graduates in physiology, botany, biology, molecular biology, pre-vet, and microbiology continue their education to attain professional degrees, and many become Wyoming’s next generation of health care providers and veterinarians.
A hallmark of our college is working with Wyoming agricultural producers, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, natural resource managers, and community members to design, implement, and evaluate research projects to address real-world questions and challenges.
Our Research and Extension Centers in Powell, Sheridan, Lingle, and Laramie conduct producer-driven research to improve productivity, sustainability, and profitability for Wyoming agriculture. Whether it’s tackling invasive annual grasses through our nationally recognized IMAGINE initiative or supporting livestock health through collaborative work at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, we focus on real-world challenges that matter to Wyoming families, communities, and industries.
The UW Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, housed in our college’s Department of Zoology and Physiology, is another example of our unique statewide impact. This nationally recognized program provides critical science to guide the management of Wyoming’s wildlife and natural resources. From studying migration corridors and big game populations, to monitoring fisheries habitat and migratory birds, the Co-op Unit works together with the Game and Fish Department, the energy sector, and Wyoming ranchers who depend on sound science to develop management strategies that ensure livestock and wildlife can coexist.
Our college’s faculty are embedded in nearly every community in Wyoming. Thanks to the support of county commissioners, our college has UW Extension offices in all 23 counties and on the Wind River Reservation. UW Extension provides trusted information and educational programs to more than 80,000 Wyomingites every year. Our 4-H youth development educators and volunteers create hands-on learning and practical skill development for over 6,000 youth members throughout Wyoming.
Beef, sheep, and wool production are areas where UW’s land-grant mission comes to life. Through UW Extension, we equip ranchers with research-based practices to improve herd health, improve carcass and wool quality, enhance reproduction, navigate drought-related challenges, expand marketing, and objectively evaluate ag-business enterprises. Through research, we offer cutting-edge tools to ensure Wyoming ranchers can select livestock and grazing strategies best suited to our rugged landscapes. Through education, we prepare students to be the next generation of ranch managers, animal scientists, and agricultural economists.
New degree programs — including our Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program — integrate real-world internships and lessons taught by proven leaders to provide students with the tools to eventually step confidently into careers and leadership roles serving the livestock industry.
Everywhere we work, teach, and serve, UW’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources is helping Wyoming build a stronger, more resilient future. Our mission is not abstract — it is directly tied to the livelihoods of ranchers, the health of communities, the education of students, and the stewardship of natural resources.
During the Wyoming State Fair earlier this month, many of us gathered in Douglas to induct the newest members of the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. Gov. Mark Gordon used this occasion to not only highlight agriculture’s legacy, but to recommit the state’s focus and resources on agriculture to ensure our agricultural and natural resource heritage remains at the forefront of our future for generations to come. The University of Wyoming is doing just that and stands ready to contribute to that effort to develop and support the next generation of producers, leaders, and trailblazers.
About the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources
The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources (CALSNR) serves students and communities through innovative scholarship, research and outreach. Guided by the land-grant principles of discovery and experiential learning, CALSNR facilitates meaningful educational opportunities in the classroom, laboratory and community. The college offers degrees in the departments of agricultural and applied economics, animal science, botany, ecosystem science and management, family and consumer sciences, molecular biology, plant sciences, veterinary sciences, and zoology and physiology. CALSNR also offers degree programs in agricultural communications, microbiology, and ranch management and agricultural leadership. To learn more, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag or call (307) 766-4133.
Kelly Crane is the FCSAmerica Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
