Dean highlights CALSNR’s connection to the Cowboy State

During the Wyoming Stock Growers Association’s (WSGA) 2025 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, held at the University of Wyoming (UW) Conference Center in Laramie on June 2-4, UW College of Agriculture, Life Science and Natural Resources (CALSNR) Dean Kelly Crane took to the stage to provide an update on the college. 

His talk emphasized CALSNR’s deep connection to the Cowboy State, highlighting some “bright spots” in the college and its obligation to remain “relevant, responsive and accountable” to the people of Wyoming. 

Land grant mission

Crane began his address with an enthusiastic welcome to an audience composed of cattlemen and cattlewomen and other industry representatives from across the state of Wyoming.

“We love it when WSGA comes to Laramie and to UW,” said Crane. “It is an honor to be here.”

He continued with a brief history lesson emphasizing CALSNR’s role within the university system and the state of Wyoming. 

“We’re the college that really embodies the land grant mission,” Crane said of CALSNR. “You’ll hear about the land grant mission a lot in Wyoming, in our legislature, in our communities and on campus, so I think it’s important to know what happened in the original land grant.”

As Crane explained, the land grant mission is rooted in the Morrill Act of 1862, which provided federal land grants to states to establish colleges specializing in agriculture and the mechanic arts. UW was established in 1886 under the Morrill Act of 1862.

The goal of the Morrill Act and land grant mission was to make higher education available to a broader demographic than just the wealthy elite. According to Crane, Morrill argued for a system which educates the working class “sons of toil,” highlighting Morrill’s belief in agriculture as “the foundation of current and future prosperity.”

“Something we’re very proud of in our college and the university is many of us come from the sons of toil,” Crane expressed. “If it was for the elite, I would’ve never been in college. Most of you wouldn’t. Most of our faculty wouldn’t. It’s a real source of pride.”

Bright spots 

Crane highlighted multiple “bright spots” within the college, including CALSNR’s new Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership program and the rapidly growing fisheries and wildlife and agribusiness programs. 

He also made note of the 14 named professorships within the university which allow professors funds and resources to “really focus” on research that will matter to the coinciding area of study.

Relevant, responsive and accountable

Crane emphasized the state of Wyoming is CALSNR’s “biggest donor” and as such should be taken into the utmost consideration when thinking about how to delegate funding. 

“In our college, it’s our aspiration to be nationally and even internationally recognized,” said Crane. “But we also want to ensure we are relevant, responsive and accountable to Wyoming.”

He ventured UW is “not a state-supported university” but rather a “state-funded university,” noting around 50 percent of the college and university’s budgets are funded by the state legislature. 

He went on to outline a strategic action plan which would involve “real opportunities to lean into exceptional areas” and use the uniqueness of Wyoming to the college’s advantage.

“The overriding theme of strategic planning is to look for opportunities where we can be excellent at a national scale through focusing on what Wyoming needs and what we can do better than anyone else,” Crane continued.

Crane also discussed CALSNR’s agreement with the board of trustees to secure faculty funding for positions which directly serve the state of Wyoming, including individuals with diagnostic responsibilities in the State Veterinary Lab and field-based Extension coordinators.

“We have very few faculty positions, and it’s a tough decision of where they will go,” Crane said. “But positions that serve this state are going to automatically be filled.”

Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.