Monika Leininger
Mleinin1@uwyo.edu
Biodiversity and conservation winners announced
This week the UW Berry Biodiversity institute will be presenting lifetime achievement awards to Richard Baldes, of Fort Washakie, and Wayne Hubert, of Laramie. The two individuals have done extensive work to protect wildlife and the nation’s biodiversity. Baldes is acknowledged for his work to protect fisheries, wildlife and water resources around the state. Hubert is recognized for his commitment to public education and his contributions understanding of biodiversity science in the fields of aquatic ecology and fisheries biology. On November 18 the ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. followed by a presentation from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The awards will celebrate their commitment to improving knowledge and preservation of biological diversity in Wyoming.
Employee benefit fair
The University of Wyoming will kick-off an employee benefit fair from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Wyoming ballroom in the upper floor of the union November 5. All benefitted UW employees are encouraged to come and are authorized a maximum of one hour of release time from their respective places of employment to attend the event. The fair will offer representatives from UW’s benefit providers to answer questions about health insurance, retirement, employment assistance programs and more. Raffle prizes and giveaway items will be available as supplies last.
American Heritage Center students hope to restore UW Monument
Students from a UW American Heritage Center class seek to restore a long-forgotten monument on campus. A fountain on the west side of campus near the Williams Conservatory was erected in 1927 to commemorate the life and death of Lowell O’Bryan, an agriculture student who was killed when he was thrown from a horse at a prior UW president’s welcoming ceremony. A bronze plaque over the fountain states, “He gave himself to insure the safety of others.” However, despite this bold move on the behalf of O’Bryan, the fountain has ceased to function. The fountain no longer works, having long been disconnected from any water source, and the stonework has chipped and faded over time. The class also wants to raise money to add a plaque to the monument to explain O’Bryan’s story.
Union host’s Safe Treat
The University of Wyoming will sponsor a safe trick-or-treating outlet for families and children on Friday 4 to 6 p.m. All school-aged children are welcome to come and participate in games and activities. The Wyoming Union also will host a canned food drive to support the Laramie Soup Kitchen pantry. Safe Treat participants are encouraged to bring canned food items to donate.
Public engineering building meeting
Community members will have the opportunity to view plans and offer input on UW’s new Engineering, Education and Research Building. The meeting will take place on November 4 in the Berry Center atrium at 5:30 p.m. The building will provide new spaces for modern instruction and research, including a new shop and student project areas, teaching and computer labs in an active-learning configuration, reconfigurable research labs with associated office and collaborative spaces, meeting and conference rooms and an expanded drilling simulator facility. At a cost of more than $100 million it will be the largest construction project in the UW’s history.
River otter talk on campus
Merav Ben-David, University of Wyoming Department of Zoology and Physiology professor, will give the fall Faculty Senate Speaker Series talk Nov. 5. She will discuss social behavior of river otters in her talk, titled “When the planet warms up will social relationships cool down? A furry tail,” at 4:10 p.m. in Room 302 of the Classroom Building.
