Wyoming

Two faculty members and a graduate student in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture's Department of Renewable Resources "cleaned up" on competition at the recent American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR), said interim department head Rich Olson.

The awards were presented during the society's meeting June 19 to 24 in Breckenridge, Colo.

Abbey Wick, a Ph.D. graduate student working under Professor George Vance and Assistant Professor Pete Stahl, received two awards: The 2005 Memorial Scholarship for her master's of science accomplishments and the 2005 oral presentation award.

Stahl received the Reclamation Researcher of the Year award for his work on reclamation science. "This is an outstanding recognition, and Peter is a very deserving recipient," said Olson.

Gerald Schuman, an adjunct professor, was awarded the William T. Plass award, the most prestigious award of the ASMR, said Olson.

"This award is only given to outstanding nominees and not necessarily every year," said Olson. "Jerry has undeniably earned this recognition through his many years of research accomplishments in reclamation and restoration of disturbed lands."

Stahl said the awards reflect the strength of the reclamation research program at UW.

Stahl, who has conducted research on Wyoming coal mines for more than 20 years, said this was the first time he's received an award for this type of work.

"It was quite an honor. It's nice to have my research recognized in that way," said Stahl. "All the work has been on soils and soil organisms, how disturbance and reclamation influences soils and the organisms that live there."

He said many Wyoming residents used to question whether the disturbances caused by surface mining could be reclaimed.

"In the past 20 years, people at the mines have demonstrated they could do an excellent job reclaiming the land," he said.

"I think everybody who had questions 25 years ago when things were first getting started would be pleased. I think, for a lot of the reclaimed areas, the general public would not be able to tell the area was damaged because companies have done such a good job reclaiming those areas by revegetating and rebuilding the topography."

Date: 7/20/05