UW CEAS Logo
Volume 30 | April 2022
Spring Into Action
Greetings, everyone!

This has certainly been an April Fool’s type of start to the spring season with the up-and-down weather changes we’ve experienced this past month. Hang in there; warmer weather is right around the corner… or is that another snowstorm?! Either way, hang tight!
 
With April coming to a close, we are now just a few short weeks from the end of the Spring 2022 semester and quickly approaching our convocation and commencement ceremonies. If you are able to attend these events, I hope to see you there! It means a lot to students, parents, spouses, and others to see faculty members attending these events.
 
I’d also like to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s students, faculty, and staff award winners who exemplify our College of Engineering and Applied Science mission. I encourage you to take a peek below at who received what award, and to extend to them a hearty congratulations on a job well done!
 
I hope you enjoy reading about all the great things our CEAS team has been up to in this month's newsletter. I encourage all of you to continue to submit items for the newsletter, both professional items and personal items that you're willing to share. It helps connect us, and further solidifies this great CEAS team.


Warm regards,
Cameron Wright's Signature
Cam Wright
Fast Facts Feature
Welcome to the April "Fast Facts Feature" a quick, fun and funny way for the college to learn a little bit more about each other.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT | Michele Foist
Department: Petroleum Engineering
Title: Office Administrator

How would you describe your job to a five year old?
I’m the person at school who does everything else for the students that your teacher doesn’t.

What is one thing you would like to do this year that you have never done before?
Travel overseas. I’ve always wanted to travel and was planning a trip that got cancelled at the last minute because of the worldwide lockdown due to COVID.

What is the best super power?
Speed. To be able to move super-fast would mean I could get more done in the same amount of time.

Is there a skill you stopped working on that you would like to revisit?
Learning languages. I loved learning foreign languages when I was young and would love to do so again.

What was your favorite school lunch as a kid?
I loved spaghetti days, but not for the spaghetti, which I hated as a kid. Our cafeteria had the best hard rolls and thick slices of cheddar cheese to make a cheese sandwich. I used to trade out my spaghetti and dessert for other kids’ rolls and cheese.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT | Lars Kotthoff
Department: Computer Science
Title: Assistant Professor

How would you describe your job to a five year old?
Teaching a computer things you don't want to do.

What is one thing you would like to do this year that you have never done before?
Get tenure!

What is the best super power?
Knowing the difference between the things you can and can't change.

Is there a skill you stopped working on that you would like to revisit?
In-person conferences.

What was your favorite school lunch as a kid?
I don't think I had one.
Quick Hit News
Teams Win Awards in UW’s John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition
Congratulations to the UW John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition grand prize winner, UplinkRobotics LLC, on being awarded $30,000 of endowed prize funds. Find out more about the winners here.
UW Center Breaks Ground for Char Demonstration House
The Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC) recently broke ground on a demonstration house made of coal-derived carbon building materials and char bricks. Read more about the Char Demonstration House here.
UW "I Am A Cowboy" Video Series is Now Open For Submissions
UW Institutional Marketing is looking for submissions for anyone interested in or looking to nominate someone to be potentially featured in the new "I Am A Cowboy" video series. Visit here to submit your name and/or someone you feel would be a great feature.
A Successful Discovery Day Event
UW's Discovery Day event was a success for the CEAS, who hosted 20 prospective students and their families, and made numerous other contacts. The CEAS hosted lab tours by Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Computer Science, and the Innovation Wyrkshop. View photos of the event here.
SWE Extends a Hearty Thank You
The UW CEAS Society of Women Engineers would like to extend their sincerest thanks to all of the 4th Annual WOMENgineering Conference attendees, speakers, volunteers, partners and sponsors! They could not have had such a successful event without all of you!
Annual Tau Beta Pi Award Ceremony Recognizes UW Students, Faculty
CEAS faculty and students recently received awards from the Wyoming Alpha chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society. Awards were presented at the annual Tau Beta Pi awards banquet held at UW’s Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center April 15. Discover more about this year's award winners here.
Zhai's Carbon Capture Research Cited in Latest International Climate Report
Four research papers by Haibo Zhai, the Roy and Caryl Cline Chair of Engineering, Environment and Natural Resources and an associate professor in UW’s Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, are referenced in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.
Richard "Dick" Agee Inducted into 2022 CEAS Hall of Fame
Congratulations to CEAS alumnus Richard "Dick" Agee on being inducted into the 2022 CEAS Hall of Fame. Dick has over fifty-five years of engineering, management, and entrepreneurial experience in domestic and international positions within the oil and natural gas industries. Read more about his exciting experiences here.
David Whitman Receives 2022 CEAS Distinguished Service Award
The CEAS is excited to share that CEAS alumnus David Whitman was awarded the 2022 CEAS Distinguished Service Award. Whitman has remained very active with UW and CEAS for many years after receiving his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Mineral Engineering from UW. Discover more about Whitman here.
Lee Larson Receives 2022 Tau Beta Pi Alumnus Eminent Engineer Award
Congratulations to Lee Larson on being awarded the 2022 Tau Beta Pi Alumnus Eminent Engineer Award. Larson was born and raised in Laramie and, naturally, attended UW graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, an M.S. and a Ph.D. Learn more about Larson's impressive background here.
UW Researchers Lead Development of Rapid Test for Detecting COVID-19
Two UW Department of Chemical Engineering researchers have developed a COVID-19 antigen test that is more sensitive than those currently on the market. The test can use a hand-held device to be read, making the test appropriate for diagnosis at the point of care within 30 minutes. Discover more about their research here.
Want to Honor Someone?
The CEAS Awards and Recognition Committee is looking for nominations for our Hall of Fame, Distinguished Engineer/Scientist and Distinguished Service Award. Complete details about award descriptions and nomination forms are available online here.
Catch Up On Past CEAS Dean's Newsletters
Missed any of the previous CEAS Dean's Newsletters? Discover all of the CEAS Dean's Newsletters here.
Who Do You Contact For Building Issues?
If you encounter or hear of any building issues please contact CEAS Facilities Manager Steve Salmans at (307) 766-6170 or by email.
Mark Your Calendar
CEAS End of Year Lunch
May 6
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM | EERB Atrium
Join the College of Engineering and Applied Science for an end of the semester luncheon! Please RSVP to Jeanne Moede by April 29. Invitation details can be found here.
CEAS Convocation Ceremony
May 13
5:30 PM | College of A&S Auditorium
The College of Engineering and Applied Science will host a Convocation ceremony with a reception following in the EERB Atrium. All graduates in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, along with their families, are invited to attend. Volunteers are needed. Please contact Jeanne Moede for more details.
UW Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony
May 14
8:30 AM | Arena Auditorium
You're invited to the UW Spring 2022 Commencement ceremony! Details on the event can be found here.
Professional Development Corner
Develop Interpersonal Skills for Inclusive Workplaces
Strong interpersonal skills are a workplace imperative, regardless of your role or level. In this course, professional development manager Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn shows you how to develop interpersonal skills such as self-awareness, dealing with disagreement, and deep listening, while engaging with colleagues one-on-one and in group settings. She goes over how you can strengthen relationships through routines and rituals, as well as how to identify and prioritize interpersonal relationships. This course helps you move toward inclusive actions and build the skills you need to support an inclusive work culture.
Featured News
CEAS K-12 Outreach Visits Urie, WY, Elementary
On April 11th, four College of Engineering and Applied Science Student Ambassadors traveled to Urie, Wyoming, to facilitate an all-day unit on building, designing, and powering tiny homes with the entire third grade class at Urie Elementary.

CEAS Student Ambassadors Allison Davis, Nate Miner, Beckham Carver, and Andrea Comer designed - with a little help from CEAS K-12 Outreach Program Manager Cindy Jones - the unit in stations, allowing the third graders to rotate through multiple engineering and design lessons.

CEAS Student Ambassador Beckham Carver, who has designed and uses his tiny home for travel, drove the home to Urie, WY, so the students could tour one that had been designed by an engineering student, using the engineering design process.

The K-12 Outreach Office would like to thank Urie Elementary for welcoming the College of Engineering and Applied Science into their learning environment and allowing them to learn with their young scholars. 

Photos from the event are featured on the right.
Spring Creek Elementary Fourth Graders Visit the College of Engineering and Applied Science
On April 14th, the fourth grade students from Spring Creek Elementary in Laramie visited the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

The group of 60 fourth graders rotated through three stations; (1) a hands-on engineering design activity to build anemometers; (2) a hands-on engineering design challenge in the Innovation Wyrkshop to build wind powered cars; and (3) lab visits in the EERB. 

CEAS Student Ambassadors Allison Davis, Nate Miner, Joana Olsen, Meghan Higgins, Brock LaBonde, Brennan Ruth, and Andrea Comer did a fantastic job inspiring these young scholars.

The K-12 Outreach Office extends many thanks to Dr. Jonathan Brant and Gareth Flowers for hosting the lab tours; Tyler Kerr in the Innovation Wyrkshop; Taylor LaForce, Juneau Paulsen, and Jon Katchmar for volunteering to facilitate this visit; and for all the faculty and staff in the EERB that allowed the K-12 Outreach student visitors to be loud and creative in the atrium all day. 

Photos from the event are featured on the right.
UW Solar Decathlon Team Advances to the Finals in the 2023 Solar Decathlon Build Challenge
Congratulations to the UW Solar Decathlon Team comprised of UW College of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management students, who have designed a Zero-Energy solar house that will be competing in the finals of the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2023 Build Challenge.

The UW Solar Decathlon Team has partnered with a builder in Lander, WY, who has purchased the land and will build the home outside of Lander.

The house is designed for the Wyoming marketplace and will be for sale after it’s complete. It is meant as a demonstration project so that Wyoming consumers can see that Zero-Energy homes can be feasible and attractive. The house will produce more energy than it uses. It is all-electric (no fossil-fuels).

To learn more about the competition, visit here.
Welcome to the University of Wyoming Luke Macy!
UW College of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Assistant Lecturer
Shelley Macy's son, Luke Macy, is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering from ASU in Tempe, AZ, this spring.

Luke has been accepted to the University of Wyoming to pursue his MBA this Fall of 2022.

The Macy family is excited to have a fourth generation Wyomingite returning to the state!
Playing A Simulation Game for Construction Management Education
Soft skills, such as teamwork, ethics, and scheduling are exceptionally difficult to teach.

Nevertheless, these skills are required to be taught, and students must show that learning of many of these soft skills have occurred.

In addition, employers are looking for students who are familiar with the concept of lean construction.

This is why UW College of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Assistant Professor Chengyi (Charlie) Zhang decided to try a simulation game with his Construction Management students, with the help of Ashleigh McManus, his undergraduate assistant.

The game is called Villego, and its focus is to teach Lean Construction (LC).

LC is a method to reduce waste; waste in time, waste in materials, and in effect, increase profit margins and construction site safety. LC does this by ensuring the minimum number of contractors are on the job site at a time and that they bring only what materials they need to complete the job while they are there.

The game relies heavily on teamwork and scheduling and shows students the difference between lean construction and traditional construction methods. Learn more about Villego here.
UW Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers Attends Regional Conference
The UW College of Engineering and Applied Science student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers was recently able to attend the regional conference in Golden, Colorado. Currently, the chapter is in a rebuilding phase and this year the students attended the regional conference meeting to learn and get a better idea of how they can compete next year.
April Phone Background
Click the button below to download and save this image to your phone!