EPSCoR Welcomes Liz Nysson, Education, Outreach, and Diversity Coordinator

Wyoming EPSCoR is happy to welcome Liz Nysson, the new Education, Outreach, and Diversity (EOD) Project Coordinator for the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure and Improvement Program Track One (RII Track-1).

Liz and her dog Shelby

Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Liz attended the University of Wyoming, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Humanities & Fine Arts and Women’s Studies, with a minor in Environmental Natural Resources in 2006. After graduating, Liz moved to Missoula, Montana where she worked as an AmeriCorps Team Leader in the Office for Civic Engagement. After finishing her AmeriCorps term, Liz went back to school to earn her Masters of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning at the University of Michigan. After grad school, Liz held a Wyss Fellowship at the Oregon Natural Desert Association in Bend, Oregon to work for a non-profit organization. For Liz, coming back to Laramie is an exciting opportunity and she is very happy to be working for EPSCoR.

 “I was familiar with EPSCoR, and I knew about the projects it had created in the past.  I knew EPSCoR was a program with a lot of success and support from not only the National Science Foundation, but also from the University and the state.”

Liz enjoys her work, and she also strongly believes in the program.

“EPSCoR does so much to support student research opportunities. It is so important to have a program on campus to facilitate and champion undergraduate research,” she says. “As an undergrad, it’s often difficult to find research opportunities. By enabling these opportunities, EPSCoR helps students build their knowledge and work skills, and also improves science education at the University of Wyoming."

As the EOD Coordinator, Liz is in charge of coordination efforts and facilitating different aspects of EPSCoR and its programs.

“You can think of my job as being broken down into three parts,” she says.  “This includes external engagement, workforce development, and diversity.”

Because her position is tied to the RII Track-1 grant, which created the new Wyoming Center for Hydrology and Geophysics (WyCEHG), Liz’s responsibilities are concurrently focused on supporting the establishment of a lasting center of excellence in environmental hydrology and geophysics to support and improve science and watershed management in Wyoming.

In the future, Liz hopes to expand the resources and networks available to students and educators across the state of Wyoming, and to encourage students from underrepresented groups to enter into and stay engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic s fields.

By: Robin Rasmussen
Photo Courtesy of Liz Nysson