The University of Wyoming has narrowed its presidential search to two candidates, and the public can meet them Monday and Tuesday during public appearances in Laramie.
Kelly Crane is dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources at UW. Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves is dean of the Academic Board at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. The men were selected from a pool of 103 candidates vying to succeed President Ed Seidel, who will step down when his contract expires in June.
Seidel has served as UW’s top administrator since July 2020. He was the fifth president hired in just over six years, and arrived as colleges nationwide were grappling with how to educate students during a global pandemic.
Seidel’s 2025 decision to step down came three months after the faculty senate overwhelmingly delivered a vote of no confidence in his leadership following the demotion of a popular dean and questions over Seidel’s role in shifting money to the School of Computing, which was then headed by the president’s romantic partner.
Whoever fills his position will helm Wyoming’s only four-year university, which was buoyed in March by the defeat of a legislative proposal to cut $61 million in state funding.
“We, I think, gained a lot of momentum as a university, because so many people across the state spoke out on our behalf,” Seidel, a vocal champion and defender of UW during budget negotiations, told WyoFile this week.
The university has also faced legislative scrutiny over curriculum and programming in recent years and fought to stabilize enrollment, which has been on a downward trend since the late 2010s.
Who are they
UW’s board of trustees selected the finalists following two rounds of interviews, including one conducted by a 17-member search committee.
Crane is a University of Wyoming alum; he earned a doctorate in rangeland ecology and management and a Master of Science in range management in Laramie, according to his LinkedIn account. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in science at the University of Idaho. He began his work with UW Extension in 1994 as a range specialist and educator and has moved up through a series of leadership roles in the College of Ag. He was named college dean in 2024.
His UW biography stressed Crane’s collaborative approach to building partnerships and encouraging innovation.
“His work is focused on integrating student success, workforce development, and community engagement across all aspects of the college’s teaching, research, and extension missions,” it says. “Dr. Crane aims for a college which is relevant, responsive, and accountable to Wyoming.”
Though most of Reeves’ career has taken place elsewhere, he is a native of Rock Springs. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1996 and was commissioned as an armor officer at Fort Irwin, California, where he served in several positions.
He transitioned to law and holds a master’s degree in military law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School and a Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary, along with a bachelor’s degree in science from the U.S. Military Academy, according to his U.S. Military Academy biography. He has worked in legal positions from Fort Riley, Kansas to Taji, Iraq. He has spoken, written and taught extensively on international law, and is a founding member and director of the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare at West Point.
President Joe Biden nominated Reeves to be dean of the Academic Board at the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2021, the Rock Springs Rocket Miner reported. Reeves and his wife have resided in West Point for more than 10 years and raised three children there.
Meet the candidates
Both candidates will make public appearances on campus next week.
On Monday, Crane is scheduled to appear at a public forum at 2 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom and again at 5:30 p.m. during a community reception at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.
On Tuesday, Reeves is scheduled to appear at a public forum at 2 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom and again at 5:30 p.m. during a community reception at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.
The board of trustees will seek public input before selecting the next president, according to the university. This will include online questionnaires open for each candidate for 24 hours following their respective visit.
It’s very clear that the search for the next UW President is entirely inadequate. It’s not surprising that UW cannot attract quality candidates given its history selecting past presidents. Dr. Crane is entirely unqualified for the position given his short tenure as the Dean of the College of Agriculture. The University is not a military academy and I hesitate to think how Mr. Reeves’ educational viewpoint and academic values will transition to a land grant institution. I’m sure the Freedom Caucus is pleased with the final candidates and maybe even had a hand in the process. I would like to see the Trustees start over; however, the outcome would be the same. Academic freedom will continue to be attacked by the Freedom Caucus. No qualified well-credentialed candidates will be interested in co-leading the University with the ultra-conservative arm of the state legislature, constantly looking over their shoulder. Either way, UW is screwed.
Wow. I guess the legislature attacks on UW scared off all the good candidates. If this is all they get, then it’s Reeves 150%. Crane isn’t ready. Extension Director to University President in 3 years can only happen in Wyoming, where who you know matters more than what you do. Maybe they should shut it down and try again.