Posts from June, 2022

Eastern Wyoming College Douglas campus will be closed on Monday, July 4^th in observance of Independence Day. Offices will reopen on Tuesday, July 5^th.

Eastern Wyoming College will be closed on Monday, July 4^th in observance of Independence Day. The Fitness Center will be closed July 2-4^th. Offices and Fitness Center will reopen on Tuesday, July 5^th.

Raised on a farm north of Henry, Nebraska, agriculture has always played a major role in Matt Scott’s life.

Today, he is an assistant professor of agriculture at Eastern Wyoming College, heading up the new precision agriculture program on the Torrington campus. He also teaches electrical and hydraulic classes, and a UAV license preparation class at EWC, but his main focus is precision agriculture.

Precision agriculture is “more than just pretty straight rows,” Scott said. “It’s about saving money. Margins are so thin, if you can make an extra five dollars an acre you want it.”

The savings and increase in profit can justify buying the expensive new equipment. It can be the difference between profit and loss. However, with any management tool, it must be used properly.

Precision agriculture is an approach to farm management using information technology to make sure crops and soil receive what they need for the best health and productivity. This includes using drones, GPS, yield maps, soil sampling, and more to create a management system of crops down to a square yard precision or even individual plants. Variable rate application technologies allow farmers to change the seed rate, depth, amount of fertilizer, and soil firming pressure during a single pass over a field.

“You are looking at inputs and decision making for all your crops and your land to that (square yard) level,” Scott said. “Looking at one specific spot in a field you can tell how much it costs to grow the crop on that square yard.”

With that knowledge adjustments can be made to save money and improve profitability, he said.

“I am currently going after the precision ag certification and will be finishing it up in the upcoming fall semester,” EWC student Parker Yost, a student from Scottsbluff, Nebraska said. “I like the more technical side of agriculture like GPS that is used to run our tractors now and mapping out of our fields. And I think that the EWC precision ag program does a great job showing students how it all works together.”

Besides the classroom work, Yost said he liked getting out of the classroom and into local businesses, like Simplot. “They showed how they incorporate precision ag into their everyday business to help farmers grow a better crop with less inputs.”

The program at EWC is not just for farm kids, Scott said. It is for the gamers, the high tech students, and the students who enjoy computer programming.

“You don’t have to have an interest in ag to make a good living in ag,” he said.

Working farmers and ranchers can also benefit from the program, Scott added.

“New tractors (and other ag equipment) are designed for precision ag,” he said. “You need to understand all these systems to make everything work together.”

Another aspect of precision ag is in animal science, Scott said. “It is not just for farmers, it’s also for ranchers.”

Using GPS systems in a feedlot, the feed trucks will not put the wrong feed ration into the feed bunks. At the SAREC complex by Lingle, each cow that eats from the bunk has an ear tag which is sensed when it puts its head through to eat and it weights how much each animal eats to determine the feed efficiency of each individual as opposed to making an assessment based on the whole pen of animals.

Ranchers can use GPS collars on cattle to remotely control where each animal is allowed to graze, just like a dog collar can keep a dog in a yard. The collars can be used to herd the cattle.

“The bottom line is getting the best return on investment,” Scott added. “Using precision ag you can increase your rate of return. You can make more money with less inputs. It’s management.”

Students graduating with a precision agriculture degree can find good paying jobs with implement dealerships, machinery manufacturers, agronomy suppliers, seed companies, and extension, to name a few of the possibilities.

The precision agriculture program at EWC will enable students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to incorporate precision agriculture into a business operation. With the completion of the program students will be able to obtain a FAA 107 SUAV pilot’s license.

There is no other program similar to EWC’s precision agriculture program in the region, Scott said.

“I think precision ag is a very important part to agriculture because the world’s population grows each year and we keep losing farmland each year,” Yost said. “Precision ag comes into play when we have to make more food with less land and is very important to feeding the world.”

Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science in two years. They can stack the AAS onto a Precision agriculture one-year certificate.

“Precision agriculture is a rapidly growing and quickly changing area of agriculture with great job potential,” Scott said. “you can make $45,000 right out of school with a certificate and you can build up to over $100K.”

To charge into a career in precision agriculture students can register by calling Michelle at 307-532-8230. For more information on the program contact Matt Scott at mscott@ewc.wy.edu.

Eastern Wyoming College is pleased to announce the honor rolls for the Spring 2022 semester. There were 126 students receiving recognition for achieving high scholastic grades.

The President’s Honor Roll recognizes students that are full time (12 or more credit hours) and achieve a 4.0 grade point average. To qualify for the Dean’s Honor Roll, students must also be full time and achieve a grade point average of 3.5, but less than 4.0.

President’s Honor Roll

Torrington, WY:  Morgan Bates, Gage Correa, Daniel Mackey, Alyssa Matthews, Daniel Murphy, Jaycee Myrtle, Bailey Powell, Payten Sorensen, Brody Staman

Casper, WY:  Catherine Glaza, Ryan Swan

Cheyenne, WY: Beau Murphy, Reece Robertson

Douglas, WY:  Grace Muncy, Ashley O’Neal

Encampment, WY:  Kamry Knotwell

Farson, WY: Jesse Madsen

Ft. Bridger, WY:  Rhyan Thomas

LaGrange, WY: Troy Snow

Lingle, WY:  Callie Fritzler,

Lyman, WY: McKinzie Rasmussen

Lusk, WY: Hannah Kerkes

Shoshoni, WY: Tara Maddock

Wheatland, WY: Rylie Heggie, Kami Henthorn, Heidi Kennedy, Curtis Nickle, Lawnett Stevenson

Yoder, WY: John Lessard

Sacramento, CA: Quincy Taylor

Dinosaur, CO: Tiffany Holmes

Littleton, CO: Matthew Veen

Thornton, CO: Makenna Reinert

Alliance, NE: Brionna Schafer

Bayard, NE: Lorren Henkel

Chadron, NE: Alexys Fernandez

Gering, NE: McKeigh Blanco

Mitchell, NE: Jonathan Pieper

Scottsbluff, NE: Allis Barraza

Farmington, UT: Brendan Thomas

Vernal, UT: Hadlee Owens

Hasselt, Belgium: Tim Van Stiphout

Oulu, Finland: Janette Hanni

Indjija, Serbia: Marko Krtinic

Novi Sad, Serbia: Jelena Jablanov

Dean’s Honor Roll

Torrington, WY: Jordan Barth, Tyler Juma, Jenna Kaufman, Kyla Odermann, Karissa Rayhill, Myah Regier, Meranda Richards, Rave Rising, Emma Short, Eleanna Verbeek

Baggs, WY: Anniston Jeannerett

Casper, WY: Frederick Mellema

Cheyenne, WY:  Donovan Johnson, Justine Woerner

Douglas, WY:  Makayla Haptonstall, Lesli Hilbird, Karly Hoffer, Samuel Jones, Ruth Muncy, Justus Wilkinson, Truc Vu

Elk Mountain, WY: Freddie Wagner

Evanston, WY: Colter Camphouse

Ft. Laramie, WY: Karen Schardt

Guernsey, WY: Jasmine Castellaw, Allison Lockman

Lingle, WY: Kaylie Rafferty, Ashley Riley

Newcastle, WY: Christina Hadlock

Riverton, WY: Izabelle Leyva

Thermopolis, WY: Jesse Scyphers

Wheatland, WY: Joseph Clamp, Seth Dewitt, Colton Jensen, Patrick Kernan, Breanna Miller

Yoder, WY: Timothy Love

Akron, CO: Mariah Demers

Aurora, CO: Alyssa George

Gill, CO: Cheyanne Nielsen

Holyoke, CO: Lauren Bergner

Littleton, CO: David Andrew

Limon, CO: Kaysen Schmidt

Rosebud, MT: Cassandra Schiffer

Lees Summit, MO: Christopher Tsamas

Alliance, NE: Shelby Carr, Philip Halstead, Evan Schoeneman

Broken Bow, NE: Colby Harris

Cozad, NE: Katelyn Calhoun

Gering, NE: Cailin Demeranville, Kyle Marsh, Alexia Ramirez

Hemingford, NE: Hayden Blumanthal

Powers Lake, ND: Maddisen Heiling

Minatare, NE: Jaqueline Sanchez

Mitchell, NE: Alexis Aragon, Justin Chasek, Tristyn McKiney

Morrill, NE: Jackson Margheim

Scottsbluff, NE: Lindsey Steyer

Valentine, NE: Michaela Keller

Joseph, OR: Celilo Brun

Brandon, SD: Garret Stellinga

Custer, SD: Jayme Cass

Hot Springs, SD: Morgan Madsen

Martin, SD: Karissa Rayhill

Belmopan, Belize, Fatima Camara-Ramirez

Tuzia, Bosnia: Monika Brcina

Sofia, Bulgaria: Vanesa Marinova

Helsinki, Finland: Nikolas Gustavson

Temerin, Serbia: Vanja Tomic

Stranice, Slovenia: Neza Pec

Barcelona, Spain: Anna Soler-Marques

Galicia, Spain: Mara Neira Conde

Madrid, Spain: Conrado Chozas

Santander, Spain: Angela Lucio-Martinez

Falkoping, Sweden: Simon Carlgren

Hjarup, Sweden: Oscar Behle

Students at Eastern Wyoming College will have a new means of transportation around town this fall thanks to a recent bicycle drive.

EWC Foundation Directors with bikes – Left to right: Mike McNamee, Todd Peterson, John Hansen, Ryan Yung, Kim Evezich, Cactus Covello, Brayden Connour, Robert Baumgartner, Dr. Richard Patterson, Kurt Sittner, Rick Vonburg, and Scott Prusia.

“The bicycles are for any EWC student,” EWC Director of Institutional Development John Hansen said. “They can be checked out at the front desk of our dorms.”

Kim Evezich with bikes for EWC international students

The pilot project was started by EWC Foundation Director Kim Evezich.

“We had some international students (at EWC),” Evezich said. “One called me and asked me to pick them up and take them downtown, they didn’t have any transportation.”

Evezich asked herself, “How can international students get around?” There is no mass transit, so if they didn’t call someone, how do students who don’t have a vehicle get around Torrington?

Bicycles were the solution.

“She (Evezich) saw a need and it caught-on and the philanthropic spark has breathed life into connecting our students with our community,” Hansen said.

She approached the Foundation board and the EWC Board of Trustees with the idea. She also asked members of the Torrington Rotary Club to go through their garages and if there were bicycles not being used, donate them.

The EWC Foundation purchased four new bicycles and the Torrington Rotary Club donated seven used bicycles. The used bikes were taken to DG’s Bicycle Repair in Torrington.

“I put in thorn resistant tubes, cleaned the bicycles up and made any adjustments needed,” Dennis Grubbs of DG’s Bicycle Repair said. “Those tires will not go flat from a goat head, I guarantee it.”

The project was launched 10-days before EWC’s graduation in May. It will be expanded this fall, he added.

“The program is excellent,” Hansen said. “I wasn’t certain how en vogue riding bicycles would be with the college students, but from the first day it surpassed my expectations. Students were checking-out bicycles and getting out into the community. They were having dinner at our local restaurants and were using social media to catalog their experiences.”

This fall semester the bikes will be available for students needing transportation from the college campus to other areas in Torrington.

“The bicycle project illustrates the impact that our Foundation Directors have on our students and community,” Hansen said. “I look forward to where the project goes in the following years.”

Mike Varney with his Albert C. Conger Distinguished Service Award.

Mike Varney has been named Eastern Wyoming College’s Albert C. Conger Distinguished Service Award winner for 2022.

Varney started at EWC in 1968, the same year the school moved from the old vacated grade school building in downtown Torrington into a new building at its current location on West C Street. He was instrumental during that period of growth in facilities and programs.

As an instructor he started the geography program, taught world history, American history, and political science.

Varney was one of former EWC Trustee Angie Chavez’s “all-time favorite instructors,” she said.

During his time at EWC, Varney served as athletic director, student activities director, financial aid officer, as well as director of housing and food services. He saw the start of men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, track and field, golf, and rodeo programs at EWC. He also helped start the first student senate and the livestock judging team.

He also was involved in the approval for the construction of the first student dormitory on the EWC Torrington campus.

Varney was also charged with the development of a mascot and new colors for EWC during his tenure. With the help of colleagues and the student senate, they settled on black and gold and EWC became known as the Lancers.

Varney served on the EWC Board of Trustees for 13 years retiring in March 2022. He also represented EWC on the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees.

In 2020 Varney was honored with the Trustee Leadership-of-the-Year award for the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees. He bested nominees from each of the Wyoming community colleges.

He played an important role in the construction of a multi-million-dollar classroom facility at EWC’s Torrington campus and the opening of a branch campus in Douglas, Wyoming. Varney was also involved in numerous decisions regarding the planning, funding, design, and construction of the Career and Technical Education Center and the planning for the Agricultural Technology Education Center on the Torrington campus.

Besides being a strong advocate for the college Varney served the city of Torrington as a council representative and mayor for more than 40 years. As mayor, and as a councilman, Varney was known as an effective leader with a strong vision and purpose. He was credited with solving many difficult economic issues for the city over his years in office.

“When you meet Mike and take a few minutes to get to know him, you will walk away a friend,” Torrington CPA Marilyn Fisher said. “He is a dedicated and tireless public servant . . . Above all, he is a one of a kind, genuine good guy.”

Varney was honored with the EWC Albert C. Conger Distinguished Service Award at the 2022 EWC graduation ceremony held May 14, in Torrington, Wyoming.