WyCEHG Events Coming up in October!

The 2015 Water Interest Group (WIG) Meeting and the WyCEHG Round Up!

The Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and Geophysics (WyCEHG) and Wyoming’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) invites water resource professionals, faculty, students, and the public to attend the 2015 Water Interest Group (WIG) Meeting and WyCEHG Roundup.  The WIG Meeting will include presentations by WyCEHG researches and collaborators, break-out sessions to discuss research needs, and an adjacent poster presentation as a part of the combined WyCEHG Roundup research event.

The event will take place at the University of Wyoming’s Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

“This is the second of three planned meetings that are intended to bring together water interests in Wyoming as a part of the National Science Foundation award through Wyoming EPSCoR which created WyCEHG,” say Liz Nysson, Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator for Wyoming EPSCoR.

WyCEHG Water Interest Group Meeting in October 2013.

The first meeting was two years ago in October 2013.  According to Nysson, that meeting focused on gathering information from the state and partners so WyCEHG could develop meaningful research projects to benefit the state and public. At that meeting, Patrick T. Tyrell from the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office gave a presentation on data needs and priorities from a state water rights agency perspective.  Another presenter, Harry LaBonde from the Wyoming Water Development Office presented on hydrologic data needs. 

These meetings are an opportunity for those working in or concerned about Wyoming water issues to learn about WyCEHG research, provide direction for future studies, and partner with the WyCEHG research team. The upcoming meeting on October 14, 2015 will allow WyCEHG to share their research findings with the public and State of Wyoming.

To find out more information and register by September 14, 2015 go to: www.uwyo.edu/wycehg or register directly at https://goo.gl/HFT5Ey.

The Objectives of this event will be to:

·       Highlight WyCEHG collaborations, capacity building, and research results from the past 3 years;

·       Discuss and identify paths to maintain and potentially increase the capacity of WyCEHG to meet water data and research needs of the state moving forward.

Poster Presentation:

Students funded by WyCEHG are highly encouraged to present a poster for the WyCEHG Round Up. Poster presentations should be on current or completed research.

Travel Reimbursement:

Wyoming EPSCoR will have some funding available to help defray travel and lodging costs for Wyoming community college students and other partners traveling far distances. Apply for travel reimbursement at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZIiLOd7cEwfzUDPzJXdWQXo_zTBpwRO3NkubekwLdcM/viewform

Please Note:

Meals will be provided for registered participants—please register by 9/14/2015. Lodging accommodations are not covered, but can be arranged at the Hilton Garden Inn which is across from the Gateway Center or at another area hotel.

If you have any questions or need to withdrawal registration, please email lizn@uwyo.edu or cparson6@uwyo.edu.

By: Chelsea Parsons  

Welcome back students!

The University of Wyoming’s 2015 fall semester begins August 31! There are a number of events and opportunities for students to re-connect to university life after the summer, and get to know their campus community better. 

Here is a short list of activities, and more are available through the UW Events Calendar.

Volunteers are needed August 27 and August 28 for new and returning UW students in the residence life dorms.  Ways to volunteer include greeting students, answering questions, organizing cart and dolly use, along with other helpful tasks.  To sign up all you need to do is email tballar1@uwyo.edu or call 766-3125 and let them know what time you would be available.

Friday Night Fever is hosting its annual Casino Night on August 28 beginning at 9:00 p.m.   This well be held in the Union Lower Level and is open to all UW students.  If you do not want to play casino games, there are also opportunities to volunteer. 

Laramie Festival of Arts will be held August 28-August 29 at the Depot Park.  There will be over 30 regional artists exhibiting and selling as well as live music, children’s activities and local food trucks. 

If you’re looking to furnish your apartment or dorm room, the UW Nordic Ski Team is having a Trash 2 Treasure Fundraiser on August 29.  The sale will offer furniture and appliances for incoming or returning students who need to furnish their homes at an affordable cost.  The sale begins at 8:00 a.m. and it is recommended that you get there early as items sell quickly!

Wednesday, September 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the Recognized Student Organizations (RSO) Club and Organization Fair will take place on Prexy’s Pasture as well as in the Wyoming Union.  This is an opportunity to get involved with clubs and organizations on campus. 

Wyoming Women in Science and Engineering (WWISE) Program is accepting proposals for travel grants, due on September 4. For more information click here 

A fun event to attend is the Downtown Mash Up occurring on Friday, September 11 from 3:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.  This is a great event for socializing, listening to live music, eating local food, and a meet and greet with UW Athletics.  There’s also an opportunity to interact with local businesses and chances to win prizes.   

Another important aspect of returning to school (or attending UW for the first time) is remembering to take care of yourself!  Know when, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Keep in contact with your family, and broaden your social network by attending events UW has to offer.  If you do feel overwhelmed or are registered for a class you don’t particularly like, remember the last day to add, late register or drop a class is September 10.   

Welcome back to school and don’t forget there are no classes on September 7 for Labor Day! 

By: Chelsea Parsons 

The University of Wyoming is Making Connections with Community Colleges and Utilizing the State’s Resources

Dr. Andrew Parsekian, a professor at the University of Wyoming, researches groundwater processes using non-invasive geophysical methods.  Having taught at the University of Wyoming for a year and a half, Dr. Parsekian brings valuable knowledge to the Geology & Geophysics Department as well as the Department of Civil & Architectural Engineering. 

This summer, Dr. Parsekian teamed up with the Northern Wyoming Community College District at Spear-O-Wigwam near Sheridan, Wyoming for a one-week course. The course was entitled Field Based Environmental Science: Examining Global Problems through a Local Lens.  More specifically, the course was designed to engage students in the scientific inquiry of environmental problems while gaining experience in field techniques.  Dr. Parsekian, Dave Munsick of Sheridan College and Scott Hardon of Gillette High School taught the class, along with the aid of Trudy Munsick, the Dean of Outdoor Education at the Northern Wyoming Community College District.  The course contained eleven early career college bound students from across the state of Wyoming.  The students spent an average of 13-14 hours a day in the field camp and received three college credit hours.  At the end of the week, the students wrote a paper, presented the results of their research, and had a comprehensive exam.  

Spear-O-Wigwam is a fascinating part of Wyoming’s history; in 1923 Wyoming State Senator, Willis M. Spear, founded it as a dude ranch.  The acclaimed writer, Ernest Hemingway, used Spear-O-Wigwam as one of his writing workshops in the 1920’s.  Hemingway was quoted saying that Wyoming and Africa were his two favorite places to be.  As an ode to Mr. Hemingway, there is a cabin at Spear-O-Wigwam named after him.  The Northern Wyoming Community College District purchased Spear-O-Wigwam in 2011 in order to enhance their academic programs.  Located in the Bighorn National Forest, Spear-O-Wigwam offers many educational outdoor opportunities. 

Many high school students are not exposed to hypothesis driven science due to lack of time and resources.  Hypothesis driven science uses deductive reasoning wherein an idea or hypothesis is proposed and then tested.  Dr. Parsekian’s course introduced hypothesis driven science to the students who participated.  Wyoming’s resources are plentiful and this course took advantage of Spear-O-Wigwam to conduct their hypothesis driven science research.   

As the only University in the State of Wyoming, it is important to make connections with the community colleges and share each other’s resources since across the state; Wyoming has a lot to offer.  Dr. Parsekian will run a similar course next year with a different science question to be researched and answered by students at the Northern Wyoming Community College District.  For more information regarding registration or community events, visit www.spearowigwam.com     

By: Chelsea Parsons