Throughout the spring, members of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources have been celebrated for their exceptional efforts and accomplishments.
Read more about UW’s outstanding awardees below.
Research!America’s civic engagement microgrant program
The lab of an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences received a grant from Research!America, a non-profit research advocacy alliance which promotes science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all.
Grace Shearrer’s Maternal to Adolescent Eating, Nutrition, and Development lab earned the 2025-2026 Civic Engagement Microgrant.
Since 2018, the Civic Engagement Microgrant Program has supported groups of early-career scientists with resources and funding of up to $4,000 to facilitate innovative science outreach initiatives. These initiatives build dialogue with public officials and community leaders while fostering skills important to becoming effective ambassadors of science, such as communications and media training, program planning, and a working knowledge of public policy and government. This year’s 17 microgrant groups, led by students in master’s, Ph.D., postdoctoral, and professional programs, were selected from a highly competitive pool of 132 applicants.
UW’s “Top Profs” Mortar Board awards
Members of the University of Wyoming’s Mortar Board senior honor society recently presented their “Top Profs” at the 46th annual Top Prof Night.
Listed are UW Mortar Board students and their hometowns, along with Top Profs from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources:
- Laramie—Michaela Eddy, Grace Shearrer, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
- Riverton—Abrielle Santer, Brenda Alexander, Department of Animal Science.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/top-profs-honored-by-uw-mortar-board.html
Experiential Education Showcase awards
The University of Wyoming’s first-ever Experiential Education Showcase and Celebration featured interactive displays, opportunities for meaningful conversations, and a look at the important role hands-on education plays at UW.
Leticia Henderson and Hannah Bacon, both assistant lecturers in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, received the Presidential Award of Excellence in Experiential Education. Henderson and Bacon’s leadership of the Agriculture and Applied Economics Industry and Alumni Engagement Network “has transformed experiential learning and student career development within our undergraduate program, building a culture of hands-on professional engagement and meaningful student-industry interaction,” according to their nominators’ submitted remarks.
Following the awards, students, staff, and faculty gave a variety of poster presentations showcasing their work in experiential education, both as individuals and in groups. These presentations included several members of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/inaugural-uw-experiential-education-showcase-honors-faculty-students-staff-partners.html
Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) awards
Twenty-eight University of Wyoming instructors who inspire students intellectually in first-year courses are this year’s Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award recipients, including three members of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
PIE Award recipients from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, listed by their programs, departments, schools, or colleges, are:
- Jonathan Prather, Life Sciences Program.
- Brian Sebade, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.
- Kassandra Willingham, Department of Molecular Biology.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/uw-selects-top-first-year-course-instructors.html
gBETA Wyoming Startup Accelerator
Two startups that originated at the University of Wyoming are among five companies that have been chosen for the 11th cohort of the gBETA Wyoming startup accelerator, including Innocorelix, a startup that has its roots in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
Innocorelix created a chemical compound that mitigates fungus on crops, and its screening platform helps develop products that control fungus and pests. Farmers and drug discovery companies will use Innocorelix’s compounds to develop and improve antifungal products. Future markets will include human health solutions. Innocorelix incorporated as a UW spinout in January 2026 with a team of four scientists and a combined 100-plus years of experience in this field.
Eunsook Park, a UW associate professor of molecular biology; Seungmee Jung, a UW post-doctoral research associate in the UW Department of Molecular Biology; Jongchan Woo, a senior research scientist in the Park Lab; and Jason Gigley, a professor of molecular biology; are co-founders of Innocorelix.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/five-wyoming-startups-chosen-for-gbeta-wyoming-startup-accelerator.html
Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society presentations
Amy Storey, a University of Wyoming third-year master’s student in zoology and physiology, shed light on her research when she took center stage at the recent Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society meeting in Sheridan.
Her presentation, titled “Parasites and Bumble Bee Decline in Wyoming,” was named the winning entry for a master’s student at the event April 8.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/uws-storey-makes-winning-presentation-at-wyoming-chapter-of-wildlife-society-meeting.html
Graduate student and mentor awards for outstanding teaching and research
The University of Wyoming School of Graduate Education and Graduate Council have selected the 2026 winners of graduate student and mentor awards for outstanding teaching and research.
Lauren Shoemaker, an assistant professor in the Department of Botany, is the winner of the Mid-Career Graduate Faculty Mentor Award. This award is given to a faculty member with six to 10 years of academic career experience at UW.
The faculty mentor awards are presented to faculty members for their commitment to mentoring graduate students.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/04/uw-school-of-graduate-education-graduate-council-name-2026-graduate-award-recipients.html
2026 Presidential Scholarly Achievement Awards
University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel has recognized faculty members who demonstrate high achievement in scholarship through the 2026 Presidential Scholarly Achievement Awards.
Recipients of Presidential Scholarly Achievement Awards for early-career faculty, which include an award of $5,000 toward scholarship activities, include Li Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/uw-faculty-members-receive-presidential-scholarly-achievement-awards.html
George Duke Humphrey Award
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Scott Shaw has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award, the university’s top faculty honor.
Named for UW’s 13th president, who served from 1945-1964, the Humphrey Award honors teaching effectiveness, distinction in scholarly work, and distinguished service to the university and state.
To read more, visit https://uwagnews.com/2026/05/21/shaw-receives-uws-george-duke-humphrey-award/
Accelerating Research Translation Award
The University of Wyoming recently hosted its annual Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Across the Disciplines (URID) event, showcasing the breadth and depth of undergraduate research projects and creative works.
The Accelerating Research Translation Award honored student projects with strong potential for translational impact. Award recipients included Hannah Gott, a UW microbiology major from Colorado Springs, Colo., with her project “Use of Specialized Organic Nodes for the Selective Separation of Rare Earth Elements.”
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/uw-community-college-students-present-research-win-awards.html
UW ART Symposium
The NSF ART program is designed to strengthen the United States’ leadership in science and economic development by supporting universities in moving research beyond the lab and into practical use. While commercialization is one pathway, the program also prioritizes innovations that provide broad societal benefit, whether through public health advancements or accessible technologies that improve daily life.
The symposium featured eight projects currently funded through the ART program, including two in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources:
- “Improved Hydrogel-Based Plant Growth Substrates for Controlled Environment Agriculture,” Cynthia Weinig, a professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair in the Department of Botany, and John Oakey, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. This project aims to develop a superior alternative to traditional rockwool substrates, improving efficiency and sustainability in plant growth systems.
- “Stabilization of RNA-Based Therapeutics Outside of the Cold Chain,” Thomas Boothby, an associate professor of molecular biology, and Tyler Gonzalez, a graduate student studying molecular biology. Researchers are developing methods to store RNA-based medicines without refrigeration, increasing accessibility and reducing cost—especially in resource-limited settings.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/uw-art-symposium-highlighted-research-with-real-world-impact.html
NIH Pathway to Independence Grant
Owen Funk, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Molecular Biology, was recently awarded a highly competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Grant.
Funk is the first person at UW to receive a NIH Pathway to Independence grant, which is designed to help promising postdoctoral scientists become tenure-track faculty by supporting career development and independent scientific research.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/uw-advances-community-engaged-education-through-third-annual-faculty-institute.html
UW Foundation Stewardship Award
A University of Wyoming academic professional has been named one of two recipients of the prestigious UW Foundation Stewardship Award for 2026. The UW Foundation Stewardship Awards recognize the pivotal role faculty and staff members play in donor philanthropy.
Alison Doherty, an associate research scientist in the Department of Veterinary Sciences, was recognized for her exceptional leadership in fostering strong relationships with donors.
Doherty has been instrumental in growing donor support of canine dysautonomia (CD) research within the Department of Veterinary Sciences since joining UW in February 2024. CD is a rare and usually fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting a dog’s autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions. UW is the only institution in the U.S. that is actively studying CD.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/two-receive-uw-foundation-stewardship-awards.html
UW Leadership Academy members
The University of Wyoming Leadership Academy has selected its fall 2026 cohort, marking the program’s third class and its most competitive selection process to date.
The fall 2026 student cohort members from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, listed by hometowns, are:
- Bend, Ore.: Cannon Lockrem, agricultural business, with a concentration in livestock management.
- Brookings, S.D.: Cassie Fenske, agricultural business, with a minor in public law.
- Burlington: Jordan Broederlow, physiology, with minors in chemistry and honors.
- Laramie: Kamrie Bingham, management, with a minor in interior design.
- Powell: Abby Wambeke, agricultural business.
To read more, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/05/uw-leadership-academy-announces-fall-2026-cohort.html
John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award
For more than a decade, Jennifer “Jenny” Ingwerson-Niemann, a senior lecturer in the University of Wyoming’s Department of Animal Science, has served as UW’s only equine science instructor.
For her dedication to hands-on education and the UW community, Ingwerson-Niemann is among 10 recipients of the 2026 John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award, established in 1977 by businessman John P. “Jack” Ellbogen to “foster, encourage and reward excellence in classroom teaching at UW.”
To read more, visit https://uwagnews.com/2026/05/28/uws-ingwerson-niemann-receives-ellbogen-meritorious-classroom-teaching-award/
