UW Serves Sublette County through Education, Economy
by University of Wyoming
November 16, 2006
(Laramie) - Each year, the University of Wyoming takes a snapshot of the support that it provides to Wyoming counties and shares the results with Wyoming residents. Major categories of support are education, research, cultural outreach and economic impact.
Since 1886, the university's primary mission has been the educational development of UW graduates, many of whom have gone on to provide leadership in all sectors of the Wyoming economy. Currently, 470 UW alumni live in Sublette County.
During the fall 2005 semester, UW enrolled 85 students from Sublette County on the Laramie campus and contacted 235 high school students about educational opportunities at UW. Twenty-three students from the county participated in summer engineering programs, sports camps, and the Summer High School Institute.
Educational opportunities for both traditional and non-traditional students were made available through hundreds of individual courses and 17 degree programs administered by the Outreach School. Eight took courses through the UW/Casper College Center; 19 took courses through the Outreach School; and one took continuing education in pharmacy.
On the health care front, five county residents participated in speech pathology and audiology clinics.
Several UW business assistance programs, during the past year, contributed directly to the health of Sublette County's business community. Many are cooperative efforts of UW and the Wyoming Business Council. For example, the Small Business Development Center worked with county businesses on more than 10 occasions to deliver free and confidential services including management, marketing, accounting, and personnel assistance, and seven individuals took advantage of small business development center training.
UW also helped county employers advertise 2 job openings through the Career Services Center, and the Wyoming Career Information System was used nearly 5,900 times by Sublette County residents to look for jobs that matched their interests and abilities.
Two clients benefited from Manufacturing Works (formerly MAMTC) assistance, and 35 attended technology transfer workshops.
Research has always been one of the most important parts of UW's land-grant mission. Increasingly, UW has looked for ways in which it can use research strengths to address local and statewide economic development concerns. Broad areas of UW faculty research impacting the entire state include agriculture, energy development, health care, tobacco-use prevention, reporting within the justice system, and drought impacts.
Research of particular interest to residents of Sublette County includes helping the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation assess the suitability of using satellite data to map sagebrush; assessing the threat of introducing exotic plant species into the natural environment; studying agricultural plant disease-causing agents; assessing the childcare shortage; and providing primary health care to diverse individuals and their families in rural settings.
Agriculture remains a significant economic sector in Sublette County. Last year, UW educators served the agriculture industry through soil tests, State Vet Lab tests, research and extension projects, bull tests, and 4-H programs. During the year, the Cooperative Extension Service alone had more than 3,700 contacts with county residents.
Nearly 200 benefited from UW's Cultural Outreach program and a variety of cultural conferences and workshops.
In terms of direct contributions to the economy, UW disbursed more than $520,000 in salaries and student financial aid to some 89 Sublette County residents.
Related Links:
University of Wyoming, www.uwyo.edu
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