Campus will be coming to town

Weston County will be getting a taste of University of Wyoming life, and a reminder of the school’s presence in the county, next week when UW President Ed Seidel, Department of Economics faculty member Anne Alexander and two students visit Upton and Newcastle to speak with members of those communities. According to a Feb. 28 press release, the visit is a “UW in Your Community” event to be held at the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center on March 14. 

Headlining the event will be Seidel, who plans to speak during a brief program at the Lodge. He will also be speaking to students at both Newcastle High School and Upton HIgh School earlier in the day.

According to the release, Seidel will be highlighting the state’s collaborative efforts with the community colleges across Wyoming to prepare students for the modern economy and to boost entrepreneurism and the state’s economy, among other topics. 

During his visit to NHS, Seidel will present a lesson on black holes in the science class taught by 2022 Wyoming Teacher of the Year Zach Beam. Two local graduates, NHS graduate Dylan Drost and UHS graduate Ethan Mills, will join Seidel as he visits both schools and speaks with the public. 

“UW Department of Economics faculty member Anne Alexander will discuss UW’s work with the city of Newcastle to perform an economic impact analysis of the community’s planned Heritage Park,” the release also noted. 

The university’s associate vice president for marketing and communications, Chad Baldwin, later reported that both Mayor Pam Gualtieri and Heritage Park Steering Committee member Dave Ehlers will also be present to update the community on the project. 

“This will be a great opportunity for community members to interact with President Seidel and others from UW, learn about exciting initiatives for students and the state, and see some of the collaborative work UW is doing with local partners,” Baldwin said in the release. “UW alumni and everyone across Weston County are invited for what will be a fun evening.” 

The event begins at 5 p.m. at the convention center and continues until 7. Free appetizers will be provided, and a cash bar will be available. 

This gathering is the fifth in the series of “UW in Your Community” events planned across the state.