Author: uweagnews

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Great Plains I-Corps Hub, of which the University of Wyoming is a partner, is recruiting teams for a special entrepreneurship training cohort focused on agriculture-related technologies. The cohort, dubbed Ag45, is open to individuals and teams developing agriculture-related technologies who want to better understand their path to market.

A University of Wyoming academic professional has been named a recipient of the prestigious UW Foundation Stewardship Award for 2026. Alison Doherty, an associate research scientist in the Department of Veterinary Sciences, was one of two UW employees recognized for exceptional leadership in fostering strong relationships with donors.

Housing development is expanding, pushing homes into wild landscapes at an unprecedented pace. Yet, as residential development moves into previously undeveloped areas, those same species face more than the direct loss of land under a building’s footprint—they also can lose access to the habitat surrounding those homes, multiplying the effective impact of each new structure.

When it comes to University of Wyoming faculty recognition, it’s hard to beat the past two years for Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Scott Shaw. After receiving the 2025 John P. Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award that recognizes the long, distinguished, and exemplary career of one senior faculty member who has excelled as a teacher at UW, Shaw has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award, the university’s top faculty honor.

A new perspective article in the journal Biological Conservation argues that virtual livestock fencing could reshape how ranchers and conservationists manage working lands. The article was led by Drew Bennett, the Whitney MacMillan Professor of Practice in the University of Wyoming’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, and co-written by Haub School colleagues Temple Stoellinger and Jacob Hochard, and UW Department of Zoology and Physiology faculty members Jerod Merkle and Kurt Smith.

This year, the weather has been very challenging across most of Wyoming. Despite some recent welcome precipitation, many of our communities are still dealing with drought and/or water use restrictions. The tips below can help you make the most of the water you have.

April marked the Month of the Military Child, a month where military youth are recognized for their courage, sacrifices, and service to their communities, country, and their world. While navigating childhood and pre-adolescence can be challenging for all youth, military youth face additional challenges as their families serve. must they be recognized for their resilience and service. The University of Wyoming Extension recognizes and appreciates how much these youth do for their communities.

The Wyoming State 4-H Foundation awarded more than $74,000 in scholarships to Wyoming 4-H’ers attending the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college in the 2026 – 2027 academic year. The scholarship committee awarded approximately $41,500 to first-time winners, says Steve Mack, Wyoming State 4-H Foundation director.

Wild bumble bees are in decline, and various parasites may be a major cause. But there hasn’t been any data on whether Wyoming bees have parasites and to what degree—until now. 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.

Four University of Wyoming graduate students have been awarded prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. Alex Kurtt, Collin Porter, and Lena Wigger, all graduate students in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology, and Josephine Walton, a UW master’s student in molecular biology, will each receive one of the nation’s most highly competitive awards for graduate studies. The fellowships are awarded to graduate students who are pursuing research-based degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station (WAES) commended faculty, staff, and students at an annual awards banquet in Laramie Thursday, April 9. WAES is the research arm of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.

The University of Wyoming welcomes Professor John Derek Scasta, director of the Laramie Research and Extension Center, as interim director of UW Extension. Prior to his current role as director of the Laramie R&E Center, Scasta served as UW Extension’s rangeland management specialist for more than a decade. He will assume his interim appointment with UW Extension Monday, April 27, following the departure of current director Mandy Marney.

The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources (CALSNR) recognized outstanding educators and staff members at an annual awards banquet in Laramie Thursday, April 9. “Each year, we celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of faculty and staff within the college of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources,” says CALSNR Farm Credit Services of America Dean Kelly Crane. “Our college excels because of their undeniable passion, innovation, and hard work.”

Palmer amaranth and other weedy species in the amaranth family pose a growing threat to agricultural operations across the West, with a new invader—waterhemp—first documented in Wyoming last summer. Seven amaranth species, including both native and non-native species, have been observed in Wyoming so far.

Beginning Thursday, April 30, the University of Wyoming Extension will host a free six-part webinar series focused on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from wildfire. The weekly series, delivered via Zoom, will discuss topics ranging from how to reduce household fire hazards to community preparedness and understanding how wildfire can impact livestock, wildlife habitat, and public health.