Data-Science Internship Program by WEST: Seeking the Next Generation of Interns

"Throughout my internship, I worked with several teams on different projects.  It was great in that it allowed me to develop experience relevant to my interests and gave me insight into working as a professional.  I am coming away with renewed motivation, and a stronger sense of direction, regarding where I want to go and what I want to do next." 

Reid Olson, 2020 Intern

Reid Olson, a non-traditional undergraduate student, had the opportunity to hold an internship with Western EcoSystems Technology Inc. (WEST) this past summer and fall.  Reid was able to work as an
intern while working to double major in Zoology and Computer Science with a minor in Statistics.  While he is not originally from Wyoming, Reid shared that he has "grown to appreciate its low population density and natural beauty".  These appreciations may have led to an interest in an internship with WEST.

WEST is an environmental and statistical consulting firm, based in Wyoming.  While Wyoming is home base, the company hosts offices in 10 states, and remote employees in 14.  Having such a diverse range of locations, the WEST Data Science Internship program is wide-reaching.  This has allowed the company to host 11 interns in the last two years, 4 of which were involved during the summer and fall of 2020.  Each intern has benefitted from WEST's goal to increase trainee competitiveness for computational and data-science careers in academic, government, and commercial settings.  This is seen in Reid's internship experience.  He shares:

"For my internship at WEST this summer and fall, I focused primarily on testing applications.  I developed unit tests for R packages and worked with their setup in multiple, continuous integration pipelines.  I did a lot of research into various tools and principles related to automated testing."

While this is just one testimony, Reid worked alongside three other interns (Elliot Hunt, Will McDonald, and Steven Lan) who seem to have shared similar, positive internship experiences.  Elliott pursued an interest in virtual reality applications and helped to build a program that detected wildlife in drone photographs using Machine Learning.  Steven had previous experience as an accounting intern and data analyst which he used to design unit tests and implement new enhanced features which aided in solving errors for WEST users.  Will holds an interest in learning analytical tools which can be applied to wildlife research.  He spent his time as a WEST intern collecting and analyzing data to describe white-tailed prairie dog distribution in western Wyoming.  

A huge part of the interns' success came from the mentors who guided them through the program.  This year's mentors included Trent McDonald, Jason Carlisle, Fawn Hornsby, Andrew Telander, Sara Decker, Zach Parsons, Matt Bair, and Joe Zientek.  These mentors aided in promoting successful ventures for this year's interns, and are an integral part of ensuring future interns have similar experiences.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming an intern for 2021, WEST is currently accepting applications to the Data-Science Internship Program.  The internships are paid positions, and are available to undergraduate and graduate students in Wyoming.  The program, funded in partnership with Wyoming EPSCoR, is suitable for both part-time and full-time schedules.  For interns hoping to begin in spring or summer of 2021, applications are due by December 27th.  

Potential applicants can find position details on WEST's website, and can contact Jason Carlisle with questions.  They can also seek further information, including a brief presentation by past interns, on WEST's Atlassian page or YouTube account.

Wyoming EPSCoR's Alex Buerkle to Head $6 Million Project

Wyoming EPSCoR's, Alex Buerkle, has been awarded a 4-year, $6 million NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 grant.  The award comes in support of a proposal entitled Creating Explanatory, Process-Based Models to Harness the Data Revolution in the Life Sciences.  

The volume and availability of data have increased enormously over the last decade in life sciences.  Such expansion is occurring rapidly, changing the standard scale of analyses and is leveling and extending access to a broader population of both scientists and general audiences via open-access data.

With such rapid expansion in mind, this project aims to "establish a consortium that will fundamentally advance our capacity to analyze challenging, highly dimensional data in the life sciences".  Their plan to reach this goal falls within 3 primary objectives.  Each objective has been reviewed to ensure they are complementary to each other while remaining integrated into the specificity of the project.  Those objectives include:

1. Assessing, developing, and disseminating innovative and computational methods for predictive and explanatory models of high dimensional data.

2. Formalizing life science knowledge in models for three cross-scale domains.

3. Training and fostering the development of scientists for the workforce, through education and inclusion in data science.

To aid in completing these carefully established goals, the interdisciplinary data science team is looking to hire 12 postdoctoral researchers.  Incoming researchers will, ideally, span multiple research areas in ecology and evolutionary biology.  They will also span three universities, uniting the University of Wyoming, University of Nevada-Reno, and the University of Montana, Flathead Lake Bio Station.  

In the words of the interdisciplinary data science team,

"We initiated this consortium to address cross-cutting challenges in the analysis and representation of knowledge in the life sciences."

We look forward to providing updates on the project as research begins to unfold.  But, for now, we would like to congratulate Alex Buerkle, once again, on his 4-year, $6 million NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 grant!

Science Loves Art Hosts Fermentation Festival

 "Learning about fermentation and the importance of the microbes on our gut health is [something] we are excited to share.  It is a culinary art..."

 

Rene Williams, owner of Science Loves Art is clearly passionate about the event she hosted a couple of weeks ago.  The Fermentation Festival serves as one of SLA's biggest fundraisers and, due to COVID-19, it was feared that the show would not go on.  However, with the help of SLA's Marketing Manager, Cullen, Rene and the team were able to modify the event to fully comply to COVID safe measures.  The team committed to closing off the street, limiting the number of guests, complying with social distancing, and requiring masks to be worn.  With all safety measures in place, the event opened its doors a couple of weeks ago.  

The event ran from 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., and hosted live music, tasty food, and locally brewed drinks.  The music was important for setting the mood and giving the event a final taste of summer.  Hunter Hicks, Cousin Flamingo, and Mantisgrove played the entire time, and paired well with the beautiful weather and sunset.  

The wafting of live music may have been a big part of drawing a crowd to the festival, but the fermented brews, donated by local brewers, got them in the door.  Beer tokens were sold for $2.50, and were used to purchase brews from SLA's microbe collaborator, Shannon Albeke, Bonds Brewery, Coal Creek Tap, and Altitude Chophouse and Brewery.  One of the most popular brews of the night came from Bonds Brewery as they supplied a special blend using fresh basil and strawberry rhubarb.  Yum! 

In addition to the breweries, local fermenter favorite, Mama Boos debuted some new fermented water, kefir drinks, and kefir grain kits alongside their traditional fermented favorites.  Keeping with the theme, Rene explored and created fermented salsa.  Alibi was able to provide sour dough starters and bread samples as well.  With great diversity in fermented products at this year's festival, it's no surprise that guests were able to learn about how microbes work to ferment.  In fact, they learned so much that there is rumor of starting an official fermentation club!

250 tickets were available for purchase on a donation basis, but sold out quickly due to the promise of good music and great food.  While there were a lot fewer guests than originally anticipated, there were no lines for food or drink, and there was plenty of space for relaxing.  Attendance may be limited in the future simply for the positive impact it had on the event.  Despite the lower attendance, Science Loves Art was able to pull together a great festival that raised enough money to fund art kits for nearly 1,000 kids this school year!

While Rene, and the entire SLA team, hope to host the event next year without masks, it was a very successful evening and all who were able to attend had a great time.  Local businesses were supported, and a great conversation about microbes and the fermentation was started.  Rene hopes to continue this conversation as her business grows and the planning for a 2021 Fermentation Festival begins.  In her own words, Rene concludes,

"The Fermentation Festival may have been a singular event, but is beginning to have an effect on our community and state."

Congratulations Lauren Shoemaker!

"To recognize an outstanding contribution to research by an early career researcher, we are delighted to announce the launch of the Ecology Letters Early Career Researcher Award."

In 2019, the Ecology Letters invited researchers ranging from Master's students to Postdoctoral researchers to self-nominate their submitted papers and be considered for an annual prize.  The winner was selected by the Senior Editors of Ecology Letters and was announced just a few weeks ago on July 3, 2020.  So, who won?

We are thrilled to announce that our very own Lauren Glenny Shoemaker was names the inaugural winner of the Early Career Researcher Award!

Lauren was chosen for the award after submitting her paper, Pathogens Manipulate the Preference of Vectors, Slowing Disease Spread in a Multi-Host System.  Upon receiving news of her selection, Lauren was scheduled for a webinar where she was able to present her work and officially receive the award.  She presented on July 7th in a virtual session alongside Tim Coulson, the Editor-in-Chief of Ecology Letters.  In addition to hosting a live audience, the presentation was posted to the Ecology Letters website and Twitter page.

In addition to hosting a webinar, Lauren's award included:

• $1,000 prize money
• Video Byte Service to present the impact of her paper which can be used to promote her work through social media, lab websites, and YouTube
• An invitation to join the Ecology Letters Associate Editor Board

Wyoming EPSCoR is beyond proud of Lauren for her hard work and dedication to her chosen STEM field.  She is a wonderful role model for upcoming female scientists and researchers who may also want to explore the world of pathogens.  This is surely just the first step in a broader impact.  We look forward to seeing how this award broadens Lauren's opportunities for future research!

Lauren Shoemaker paved the way for the Ecology Letters newest award.  If you, or someone you know, are interested in being the second winner of the Early Career Researcher Award, submit a nomination!  Ecology Letters are currently accepting paper submissions for their 2020 award.  For more details on how to submit, check out their website.

EPSCoR Summer Science Journalism Internship Expansion

In an effort to better support science journalism in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPSCoR science journalism initiative was expanded to give more support to newspaper journalists and this year’s University of Wyoming summer science journalism interns.

EPSCoR stands for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. Wyoming EPSCoR received a 5-year grant in 2017 from NSF, and a significant amount of the grant has been dedicated to science journalism initiatives intended to help the Wyoming journalism community through internships, awards for best science reporting, and workshops at the Wyoming Press Association (WPA) conventions.

The University of Wyoming COJO (communication and journalism department) Associate Professor Kristen Landreville, director of the summer science journalism internships along with Emily Stewart Verco, Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator reached out to the WPA in early April regarding ideas on how to expand the program and grant funding to support Wyoming journalists.  The main goal was to stay within the scope of the NSF grant to resource Wyoming newspaper journalists. This collaboration process resulted in the new mentorship program.

The WPA sought out partnerships with journalists to offer the science communication interns additional expertise and support during their summer placement at newspapers across the state. By making recourses available to any news outlet with science-minded reporters willing to mentor, the objective of expanding the student learning experience would combine with the goal of supporting Wyoming's journalists.  

The three Wyoming newspapers that have journalists participating in the EPSCoR mentorship program include The Sundance Times, The Sheridan Press and Casper Star-Tribune. The Sundance Times has been paired with the intern at the Jackson Hole News&Guide, Jillian Bissell. The Sheridan Press will be mentoring Logan Stefanich interning with the Laramie Boomerang, and journalists with the Casper Star-Tribune will mentor the Rock Springs Rocket-Miner intern Chase Galley. Mentors will work to improve the interns’ understanding of the profession and facilitate professional development in science journalism.

Sarah Pridgeon is a reporter at the Sundance Times and had this to say about her experience mentoring, “The program has been as much of a positive experience for me as I hope it has been for the student I am mentoring. Brainstorming is always a great way to expand one's horizons and helping her talk through ideas and work through potential sticking points has so far been both rewarding and a learning opportunity for both of us.”

Last year The Sheridan Press worked with an EPSCoR science journalist intern and the paper was extremely excited to be a part of the new mentorship program. Ashleigh Snoozy, managing editor of The Sheridan Press commented about their experience participating in both EPSCoR summer science journalism programs.

The Sheridan Press has found great success with the EPSCoR internship and mentorship programs for the past two years. In our first year, Sheridan native Kiley Carroll came back [after] the summer to work full time for us. To say the internship was a success is surely an understatement — we offered a job to Carroll following the internship because of her incredible work throughout the summer. She opted to finish her education, which we fully support.

In this year’s mentor program, our collective relationship with Logan as news staff has been mutually rewarding. As an editor, I’ve been able to coach Logan along with his internship, answering questions I know I couldn’t have had as much time to answer as an intern mentor last summer. Logan has been able to speak with our crime reporter and photojournalist so far, and we anticipate sharing our knowledge with the aspiring journalist throughout the rest of the summer. We all enjoy our interactions with Logan over Zoom. I personally find his approach to stories refreshing and appreciate being able to answer questions that many students don’t have the experience to ask without time in a real-world newsroom.

As Logan told me yesterday in our weekly meeting, he’s grateful to learn through his internship that he actually likes journalism and being a journalist. As an employer, it’s really nice to have a group of students coming from the University of Wyoming that can get a taste for the job on a daily basis, closing the gap between college newspaper experience and a daily newsroom.

Overall, The Sheridan Press staff has found great success in both programs and hopes to continue the positive partnership with the University of Wyoming.

 

At the Casper Star-Tribune health/education reporter Seth Klamann, energy and natural
resources reporter Caille Erickson, photojournalist Cayla Nimmo and Brandon Foster managing editor have been working remotely with EPSCoR mentee Chase Galley. Foster had this to say about working with Chase.

Each week, the four of us hold a Zoom call with Chase where we’ve discussed a variety of journalism-related topics — from writing techniques to tips on working from home.

While Chase obviously has his home paper at the Rocket Miner, we hope to provide any help and context we can from Casper. In between our weekly Zoom calls, we’ve rotated in taking the lead on communicating with Chase on subjects more specific to our individual roles at the Star-Tribune. For instance, last week Camille reviewed a story he wrote that touched on energy, which is her beat. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Chase over the course of the summer and are excited to see where his journalism career takes him.

What began as a collaboration to offer support to local Wyoming journalists has developed into a full-fledged mentorship program.  Both Wyoming EPSCoR and the WPA look forward to making this a more permanent program to continue supporting local journalists as well as the summer science journalism interns.  

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as we highlight the 2020 summer science journalism interns and the stories they are sharing with the guidance of their mentors.

Welcome Dulcinea!

"This position supports my long-term career goals in academic research in paleoclimatology and paleoecology, to use past environmental change in sensitive ecosystems to place ongoing rapid climate and ecosystem change in context. I am especially excited to integrate the tools developed in this project with my past experience in high latitude prehistoric global change, to address knowledge gaps about past climate and ecosystem change of coastal grasslands of the Falklands and coastal moss peat banks of the West Antarctic Peninsula." 

Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Lehigh University, Dulcinea is ready to take on a new postdoc adventure at the University of Wyoming.  She plans to use prior research experience to promote the development of a new proxy using microbes.  Dulcinea completed her Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Science in 2018 from the University of Maine.  It was there that she began exploring multi-proxy ecosystem reconstructions.  Dulcinea also looks forward to bringing her past experience working in alpine lakes throughout Maine, Sierra Nevada, and Cordillera Blanca (Peru) to UW's laboratories.  

It is clear that Dulcinea has a passion for her work and area of expertise.  She explores a very specific aspect of the science field and is proud to demonstrate her knowledge on the topic.  When asked to describe herself, she explains,

"I am a broadly trained, interdisciplinary paleoecologist with expertise in abrupt climate change impacts, paleoclimate proxy development, and ecosystem ecology in extreme environments."  

Being well trained in her field, Dulcinea plans to utilize her time in the university's labs to conduct a modern calibration study of branched GDGTs in microbes from lake waters, riparian soils, and lake sediment cores to support paleoclimate reconstructions from alpine lakes in Wyoming.  She plans to utilize a multiproxy approach to build on this proposed project by combining paleoclimate reconstructions with additional paleoclimate proxies.  All in all, her project seems to be a phenomenal addition to the work of UW's postdoctoral candidates for this upcoming year.

Dulcinea is wildly passionate about her work and we are thrilled to have her enthusiasm in the lab at UW!  We look forward to seeing her project develop during her time at the university.  

Welcome Lorelei!

Lorelei Curtin comes to us from Columbia University in New York where she studies Earth and Environmental Science.  Clearly passionate about her work, Lorelei introduces us to her work explaining, "I provide critical context for potential future climate change scenarios by examining past periods in Earth’s recent history, particularly the Holocene and Last Interglacial periods. I reconstruct past changes in hydrology and temperature, which are poorly understood during these important intervals."  

Lorelei's passion for the Earth seems to stem from her undergraduate career.  She achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Geology with a minor in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College in Claremont, CA.  She continued her scientific journey by branching out and attending the University of Otago in

 

Dunedin, New Zealand.  It was there that she completed her M.Sc. with Distinction in Geology before returning to the states.  Once back in New York, she completed her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science.  

If that isn't enough to demonstrate a strong passion for her field, Lorelei has continually held teaching assistantships and pedagogical training positions to broaden and enhance her science experiences.  Her teaching experiences range from tectonics in 2012 to paleoceanography in 2018.  Being active in the classroom as both a student and teacher has afforded Lorelei the opportunity to experience earth sciences on varying levels.  This is sure to broaden her knowledge base and open her mind to new opportunities as she seeks to join the Post-Doctoral team at the University of Wyoming.  She clearly demonstrates these prospects noting,

"I am excited to build an ecosystem-scale understanding of Holocene climate and ecological changes in Wyoming through the use of additional lipid biomarkers, including leaf wax isotopes, alkenones, and mammalian and algal sterols. Furthermore, I am enthusiastic about participating in the Shuman lab as a mentor for graduate and undergraduate student researchers. This research and mentoring experience will help me attain my professional goal of becoming a professor at a small liberal arts college."

With 7 publications (3 published, 1 in review, 3 in preparation) under her belt, numerous honors, awards, and fellowships, and just over $28,000 in grants it is clear that Lorelei is a smart choice for the university's Post-Doctoral program.  Aside from her practical experience, Lorelei is passionate about her work and field of study.  She is not afraid to branch out for new experiences and is willing to tackle any challenges to pursue new opportunities.  We are thrilled to welcome Lorelei to our Post-Doctoral Team at the University of Wyoming!  We cannot wait to see all that she accomplishes during her time on campus.

Science Loves Art: Beating the Quarantine Blues

Quarantine got you down?  Struggling to keep your kiddos entertained while working from home?  Wishing there were more educational activities available for your family?  You are not alone.  And, luckily for you, Science Loves Art (SLA) has the perfect solution!

Based out of 4th Street Studios in Laramie, Science Loves Art is a 501(c)3 non-profit with a goal to merge art and science.  They tackle this goal through experience and discovery using their Science Loves Art Kits.  There are a variety of kits that master the perfect combo of science and art.  You can

choose from a bookmaking kit, paint pour kit, beeswax wrap kit, or the Suminagashi - Japanese

marbling kit.  With several options to choose from, you and your family can spend hours creating art projects for the refrigerator while learning a little something along the way!

While the SLA Kits are a great way to beat the quarantine blues, this family-owned business is taking extra precautions when it comes to saving summer.  If you drove by the shop last Thursday or Friday, you may have noticed the bright sidewalk chalk art, big white tent, and flourishing greenery. To help welcome the summer season, SLA decided to host a socially-distant Pollinator Week Celebration where they took their traditional shop outdoors.  Laramie community members trickled into the outdoor shop throughout the afternoons, seeking their own form of a creative outlet during these unprecedented times.  Some

 

purchased tomato and basil plants for their gardens.  Others sought out the beeswax kits and fabric squares to create their own plant sleeves.  I walked away with a bright pink succulent and some decorative stickers to add pops of color to my home office space.  It was a wonderful way to spread the word about Pollinator Week and bring the community together despite everything going on in our world today.

Bummed that you missed this awesome event?  No need to fret, there are plans in the works for a block party later this year!  To stay up-to-date on that plan or just to keep in touch, you can subscribe to their newsletter here.  If you are looking to get your hands on some SLA kits or other creative projects in the meantime, check out the Science Loves Art website.  Here you can browse a plethora of products, downloadable projects for your kiddos, and upcoming events.  

Welcome Nathan!

"Microbial communities are some of the most taxonomically, phylogenetically, and functionally diverse biological systems on the planet...My research uses fieldwork and simulation modeling to understand the relative importance of these ecological processes for maintaining biodiversity in dynamic ecosystems."

Nathan Wisnoski is one of the newest Post-Doctoral candidates at the University of Wyoming.  He holds a historic passion for biology having received his B.S. in Biology - Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin as well as his Ph.D. in Biology - Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior from the Indiana University in Bloomington.  His most recent position at Indiana University afforded Nathan the experience of studying microbial ecology in the Lennon Lab, making him the perfect addition to our community.  

Nathan's past research endeavors included topics such as Dormancy in Metacommunities, Metacommunities in Stream Networks, Dispersal and Dormancy in Bacterioplankton Communities, LTER Metacommunities, and Dormancy, and Host-Phage Dynamics.  With such a broad spectrum of research interests, it's no wonder he holds authorship recognition in 10 publications, four of which are currently being reviewed, and is preparing drafts for 3 more.  To help fund this research, Nathan has 7 fellowships and awards under his belt alongside 2 substantial grants which, in total, add up to just over $81,000.

If that wasn't enough to impress you, Nathan has demonstrated his professionalism and dedication to his projects through numerous talks, posters, workshops, and teaching positions.  Mentorship and service have been a part of his life since the summer of 2015 as well.  These opportunities have continued to be a part of Nathan's life as he climbed the ladder of academic success.

With his higher education journey beginning in 2009, Nathan has been in the field for just over a decade.  He is highly respected in the academic community but boasts a plethora of hobbies outside of academia.  Nathan explains on his website that he enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, reading, hiking, and nature photography when he isn't in the lab, classroom, or writing a paper.  

Nathan is an all-around wonderful person.  He is bright, creative, and genuine.  We are thrilled to welcome him to the University of Wyoming!  

Change STEMs From Within

“Recent events remind us of the need for acceptance, equity, and diversity in our communities.  We cannot challenge our racial filters if we do not see them for what they are.  We are aware that what we do is insufficient in itself in the face of violence against Black and Brown bodies and oppression of Black and 

Brown opportunities.”

You may have seen Wyoming EPSCoR’s solidarity statement upon its release a few weeks ago.  You may have seen similar statements released by campus and community partners.  These statements of support are great, but what happens when the dust settles?  What happens when your Facebook newsfeed returns to videos of tasty recipes, your best friend's wedding, and 5-minute crafts? 

The first steps toward a real change begin happening.

Wyoming EPSCoR seeks to demonstrate a sincere commitment to increasing equity, acceptance, and diversity in our community.  We may not fully understand the depth of the social justice movement happening across the U.S., but we are dedicated to standing as an ally with those who have been affected and walk in those shoes daily.  We wish to stand as a resource for those looking to become an ally themselves.  

If you read our solidarity statement, you know that “Wyoming NSF EPSCoR stands with our students, faculty, staff, and colleagues to bear witness to the legacies of historical injustices and inequities of racism…”

Science goes far beyond the stereotypical lab coat.  Wyoming EPSCoR plans to illustrate this by highlighting our researchers, faculty, staff, and students of color.  They are an integral part of our STEM programs on and off-campus, and we want to share their stories, experiences, and research with our community.  

While this is only the first step toward the finish line of true equity in STEM, we stand strong with our science family and look forward to recognizing their accomplishments in the field.  They have risen to the occasion to create a strong foundation for the future of STEM in Wyoming.  We support them and we will always stand with them.  

Stay tuned here, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, for more highlights and details on how Wyoming EPSCoR is taking a stand against racial inequity in STEM.

Wyoming NSF EPSCoR Solidarity Statement

Wyoming NSF EPSCoR stands with our students, faculty, staff, and colleagues to bear witness to the legacies of historical injustices and inequities of racism that have led to violence and death toward Black and Brown members of the human race. 

Recent events remind us of the need for acceptance, equity, and diversity in our communities. We cannot challenge our racial filters if we do not see them for what they are. We are aware that what we do is insufficient in itself in the face of violence against Black and Brown bodies and oppression of Black and Brown opportunities.

Wyoming NSF EPSCoR is committed to seeing our filters and dismantling them. We acknowledge that science has been used to perpetuate racism throughout history and it has wrongfully mistreated Black and Brown bodies ​and minds in the name of research. We will work to increase equitable access to STEM education and careers for all individuals especially Black and Native American​ ​and Hispanic, through research and science outreach, service and economic programs, and STEM economic enfranchisement.

Researchers Persevere Despite COVID-19 Changes

"UW researchers shall pause field research starting now and extending at least until July 30, 2020.  Approaching that time, a reassessment will be made based on the evolution of our understanding of the COVID-19 situation."

Research never truly stops.  New findings are published each day, scientists are working in the field and running samples in the lab, and discoveries are being made.  The University of Wyoming released an email several weeks ago announcing their postponement of field research through the end of July.  But how can any scientist truly just stop?

The answer?  They can't.

Field research may be on hold, but students, faculty, and community scientists alike are continuing to press forward with their research in any manner possible.  Showing true grit, and a passion for their diverse STEM fields, individuals are beginning to crunch data and work on samples that were collected prior to the pandemic.  According to the email received from UW,

"Evaluation of a detailed plan that addresses how the CDC guidelines on social distancing and disinfection will be applied to ensure the safety of students 

and faculty."

The community is working together to ensure proper safety guidelines are in place as students and faculty alike continue to muddle through the re-writes of their original research proposals.  All the while, they are continuing to fight for time in the lab to work on their samples and run their data.  

Wyoming EPSCoR is doing their part to come up with a plan to move much of their summer research ventures online to maintain connection with their community.  Working together with the university, a plan will come together to ensure scientists, researchers, students, and community members are supported during this crazy time.  Summer research plans may be put on hold, but no one is giving up.

The future is wildly uncertain, but one thing is unchanging.  

Research doesn't stop.  Neither will we.      

Own It Winners Announced!

After a week long effort to view, judge, and scrutinize over the nominees, this year's Own It winners have been announced!

Own It helps to increase the visibility of an often overlooked group in STEM.  Recognizing women for their role and participation in STEM fields encourages us all to rise to the occasion.

It quickly became evident that there are numerous women in Laramie and at the University of Wyoming making an impact in various STEM fields.  Whether it be in the lab, out in the field, through community service, during a lecture in a classroom, or by mentoring others, each nominee demonstrated immense passion for, and dedication to, STEM.

While the judging committee would have liked to see each nominee receive and Own It Award, they are proud to announce this year's winners!

Drum roll please.

• Undergraduate Student - Aisha Balogun Mohammed

• Graduate Student - Rhiannon Jakopak

• STEM Professional - Jane Crayton

• Pre Tenured Faculty - Karen Mruk

• Tenured Faculty - Jennifer Eisenhauer Tanner

• Antell Diversity Award - Bethann Garramon Merkle

• Committee Choice - Jessica Sutter and Rachel Watson

The judging committee could not be more proud of the hard work and dedication shown to the STEM fields by this year's winners.  Each are strong researchers, mentors, leaders, and active members of the STEM community.  We are so proud to share these individuals with you!

Congratulations to the 2020 Own It winners!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's....a Foldscope!

With 140x magnification and 2 micron resolution, amazing things are about to be discovered through the Foldscope!

Students competing in this year's Wyoming State Science Fair were invited to the University of Wyoming Ecology and Biogeochemistry Core Lab to explore their facilities, share research ideas, and most importantly receive their very own Foldscope!

Known as the 2020 Wyoming State Science Fair Foldscope Party, nearly 100 students celebrated their success at the fair by touring labs and the UW Geology Museum while testing out their new Foldscopes.  The scopes were distributed instead of t-shirts at this year's event and, based on the pictures, was an exciting way to conclude this year's fair!

The Foldscope, invented by Mantu Paresh, is a high tech paper microscope that allows scientists of all ages to further explore the world around them.  Students had the opportunity to build, and learn how to use their scopes, at this year's Foldscope Party.  Between the Ecology BGC Lab and the UW Geology Museum, there were plenty of opportunities to test them out.

Check out the gallery below for a look into the night's activities and excitement!

Who's That Girl?

Wondering who's been posting stories on the blog?  Enjoying the Facebook posts and curious as to who's been writing them?  Wishing you had a face and a name to send questions and story ideas to?  Look no further, it's time to meet this year's EPSCoR Communication Intern, Morgan Patton.

Morgan is a first-year Graduate student in the Communication and Journalism Department at the University of Wyoming.  She is pursuing a Master's in Communication while teaching public speaking courses as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.  Morgan previously attended the University of Northern Colorado where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in two different areas.  She double majored in Communication Studies as well as Journalism and Media Studies with an emphasis in Strategic Communication.  


In addition to being a full time student, Morgan worked with UNC Admissions where she was a Student Ambassador, Tour Guide, Admissions Assistant, Outreach Caller, Student Event Organizer, and Social Media Coordinator.  She also volunteered as a State Rifle Instructor, Weld County Shooting Sports Council Vice-President, and Orion Team Member for Colorado 4-H Shooting Sports.  What can we say?  She has a passion for working with people.  Her work experience, coupled with her schooling, has made her a promising candidate for this year's Communication Internship.  

As organizations look to move completely online, Morgan plans to step into a Public Relations Coordinator position.  She will be working with the EPSCoR team to create an entirely virtual platform where audiences can continue gathering and sharing research.  

While she keeps busy with work, school, and her professional life, Morgan also enjoys volunteering with Colorado 4-H Shooting Sports, spending time with family, taking her dog (Mando) on walks, reading, meeting up with friends for Bible study, taking photos, singing, filling out her planner, working on her boyfriend's family ranch, and finding new ways to get involved in her local community.  

We are so excited to introduce you to this year's EPSCoR Communication Intern!  If you do have any story ideas or questions about the program, Morgan would love to hear from you!  Feel free to contact her at mpatton8@uwyo.edu.

And Then There Were Four...

Four Wyoming startups pitched their businesses to a panel of expert judges on March 26^th, 2020.  All hoped to go home with a piece of the $25,000 prize. 

“All four teams have significant potential to shape business in Wyoming and all contribute to protecting or commercializing microbial ecology in some way,” says Eric Schlidt, Director of the Casper WTBC.

The Microbial Ecology Collaborative Startup Launchpad (MECSL) awards new Wyoming startups with business capital to further their ventures. This state-wide entrepreneurship platform plans to disperse $25K in startup capital funded by the National Science Foundation and Wyoming’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

The Startup Launchpad is one of many initiatives of Wyoming EPSCoR’s five-year Micro Program. The Micro Program supports microbiome research in the state.  Research utilizes techniques such as the application of modern genomic sequencing and data science methodology to answer questions about how microbes affect our ecosystem. As part of the broader impacts of the Micro Program, MECSL promotes the commercialization of research and development activities state-wide.

Wyoming EPSCoR partnered with the Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC) to administer MECSL, the first state-wide WTBC program that focuses on microbial ecology and data science startups. The WTBC supports innovative startups in Wyoming through regional startup challenges, business counseling, and business incubator space in Laramie, Casper, and Sheridan.

“Startup funding makes an incredible impact in our communities,” Fred Schmechel of the WTBC in Laramie explains. “Giving these emerging businesses a debt-free way to build capital is a game changer for startup growth in Wyoming.”

The finalist businesses are as follows:

Livestock Wx, Casper, founded by Chad McNutt, provides timely and authoritative weather information for beef, pork, poultry, and sheep producers with a focus on impacts to livestock health and well-being. 

www.livestockwx.com

Theraneutrics, Laramie, founded by Christoph Geisler, is an innovative biomedical startup working to solve gout through engineered probiotics. 

www.theraneutrics.com

Enviro Cast, Pinedale, founded by Loren Wilcox, is focused on reducing micro plastic pollution one cast at a time with their completely natural and biodegradable fishing line. 

www.enviro-cast.com 

Asimica, Laramie, founded by Nikolai Mushnikov and Grant Bowman, co-inventors of Microbial Stem Cell (MiSt) technology. Asimica seeks to improve biomolecule production efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry using their microbial stem cell technology. 

www.asimica.com

Three out of four of the teams have presented their businesses in similar startup challenges in the past. The Southeast Wyoming Innovation Launchpad saw Theraneutrics as one of the top contenders, in February 2020, taking home $5,000 in startup capital. Livestock Wx competed in the 2018 Casper Start-Up Challenge, which boasted a $50K seed fund. Asimica was also a contender for the 2018 Fisher Innovation Launchpad, which gives UW student entrepreneurs the opportunity to receive capital from a $125K seed fund.

“We are really excited to see how high these companies reach,” says David Bohling, Director of the WTBC in Laramie. All four MECSL companies are established in Wyoming and will continue to serve as great examples of entrepreneurship in the equality state.