Fall Issue of UWyo Magazine Celebrates UW MVPs

In 2015, the University of Wyoming took a chance on a young football player named Josh Allen when no other Division 1 schools were interested. This past February, Allen was named the NFL's MVP, exemplifying the opportunities UW provides for its students.

Those opportunities extend well beyond athletics. The fall issue of UWyo Magazine celebrates Allen and dozens of other alumni who are most valuable players in their industries and organizations.

"Wyoming has always been a place where raw potential is recognized -- where those willing to put in the work are rewarded," says UW President Ed Seidel. "UW is a university that doesn't cater to just privileged or the predetermined stars -- it lifts up those with ambition and gives them the tools to thrive. Here, success is not about where you come from, but about what you're willing to do to achieve it. The state's only four-year university is small enough to know its students by name and bold enough to make an impact on the world stage."

Featured MVP alumni who grew up in Wyoming include: King Ranch owners Mark Eisele and Kendall Roberts (Cheyenne), NASA engineer Aaron Vigil (Worland), Merrick & Co. President and CEO Tammy Johnson (Sheridan), Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent Stephen Newton (Guernsey), Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments Director Stacia Berry (Cheyenne), pathologist and educator Brian Menkhaus (Laramie), Smithsonian Curator of Biological Anthropology Douglas Owsley (Lusk), Climb Wyoming CEO Katie Hogarty (Sheridan), Coinbase VP of U.S. Policy Kara Calvert (Riverton), UPS CEO Carol Tomé (Jackson), Judge M. Margaret McKeown (Casper), nurse executive Gaurdia Banister (Casper), Wyoming Association of School Administrators Executive Director Boyd Brown (Midwest), attorney Lynda Limón (Cheyenne), and entrepreneur and philanthropist Gene Humphrey (Burns).

MVP alumni who came to UW from out of state (hometowns listed) include biologist Nina Zitani (Moorestown, N.J.), agricultural counselor David Leishman (Italy), successful author Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Denver), American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear (Auburn, Neb.), basketball statistics guru Ken Pomeroy (Alexandria, Va.), University of Tennessee Associate Dean and Gazelle Impact Kenya founder Mary Gitau (Kinangop, Kenya), Judge Herman Walker (Glendale, Ariz.), photojournalist Joe Riis (Pierre, S.D.) and economist John List (Sun Prairie, Wis.).

In addition, a feature on UW former student-athletes currently leading, coaching or playing at the highest levels spotlights Allen, of the Buffalo Bills (Firebaugh, Calif.); Logan Wilson, of the Cincinnati Bengals (Casper); coach Chuck Pagano, of the Baltimore Ravens (Boulder, Colo.); Amanda Vandervort, of the Gainbridge Super League (Tucson, Ariz.); Larry Nance Jr., of the Cleveland Cavaliers (Akron, Ohio); and international player and consultant Josh Adams (Parker, Colo).

Readers of the fall issue also will enjoy profiles of University of Wyoming Alumni Association awardees Maggie Scarlett (Cody), Lynne Simpson (Cody), Greg Dyekman (Cheyenne) and Don Snyder (Aberdeen, S.D.).

"The alumni featured in this publication constitute what I consider best in class," says Jane France, president of the UW Alumni Association Board of Directors. "UW provided them with a strong foundation to work hard, think outside the box, lend a hand and use common sense. They have a deep sense of commitment to their chosen fields and excel under pressure. Their time at UW has paid dividends, and they regularly lead the way and outshine their competition. We are well represented on a global scale with Cowboy and Cowgirl engineers, scientists, teachers, nurses, lawyers, musicians, accountants, professional athletes and others."

Additional articles highlight UW's new residence and dining halls, a new exhibition at the UW Art Museum, updates from the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the new Farm Credit Services of America College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources Deanship.

Read and share the fall issue of UWyo Magazine at www.uwyo.edu/uwyo-mag.