• Shane Reeves addresses goals and challenges
New President of the University of Wyoming, Shane Reeves, is already getting attention for his passion about the state’s lone four-year school as he preps for the first school year in Laramie. Originally from Rock Springs, Reeves was selected to attend the U.S. Military Academy and then spent 30 years in the Army.
“I did a variety of jobs,” he told SVI. I was with armored cavalry and did several things there. The Army is great as providing educational opportunities so I was able to attend law school and I became a JAG officer. Then I taught law at the U.S. Military Academy and eventually became the department head.”
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Reeves retired from the Army as Brigadier General. Now his expertise and passions for UW are on display in his new position where he feels that the school is poised to continue to do great things.
“The university has great potential, it’s an incredible university,” said. “It’s one of the great land grant flagship institutions in this nation. Whether it’s educating our young people or generating economic development through some really Wyoming-centric research, I think it’s the crown jewel of the rocky mountain west. I think the school is on a trajectory where the sky is the limit.”
UW was recently in the crosshairs of budget discussions at the state level and while the harshest cuts did not happen in this past Wyoming Legislature, the school has been asked to examine itself. Something President Reeves seems to look forward to.
“It’s all about relationships, communication and priorities,” he explained. “Any good organization is willing to look at itself and be introspective. You need a growth strategy and where it can put resources. I look forward to working with the legislature. We need to be good stewards of our resources. I don’t have any concerns about working with the legislature or the support for the university. I think it just takes some proactive leadership to address those concerns.”
Some elected officials noted some educational directions where not in line with what what might be considered Wyoming values. Reeves credited the previous work of others in examining those concerns.
“A curriculum is always evolving,” he added. “The purpose of higher eduction is to provide an intellectual foundation so young people can navigate the modern world. The university is in a really good place because of the effort over the past several years.”
Reeve noted that there are growth opportunities not just for the university but for the state that claims and supports it.
“In February of 2025, Wyoming was designated as an R-1 research institution,” he continued. “Less than five percent of schools in the nation have that designation. There are a lot of really fascinating and exciting research being done here and what I think is so exciting is that it validates decades of work. The research thats happening is amazing. Things like energy, agriculture and minerals. But health and artificial intelligence and the structure that underlies AI. The research matters because it can solve real problems for Wyoming and in do so it can generate real economic opportunity for this state.”
Reeves, who has not shied away about being a sports fan, also commented on the state of UW athletics.
“We have great leadership with Tom Burman,” he continued. “We have a good strategy moving forward. Athletics unite Wyoming; it creates pride. Our athletes are exceptional young people. You start to see leadership and tenacity and grit and determination. What Douglas McArthur called the field of friendly strife. At the end of the day it’s an indicator of the health of an institution.”
Reeves invited everyone to be a part of the school’s future.
“Every single citizen of this great state belongs here,” he concluded. “We are excited to be the state’s university. My job and my goal is to help establish it as the premier public institution in the Rocky Mountain West.”
