A generous investment from energy company HF Sinclair will enhance process control education and workforce development in Wyoming.

“HF Sinclair is proud to support the University of Wyoming’s efforts to develop the next generation of skilled professionals,” says Sam Cooper, vice president and refinery manager of the Casper refinery. “By investing in cutting-edge education and hands-on training, we are strengthening the workforce pipeline and helping students gain the expertise needed to drive innovation and operational excellence in refining and industrial processing.”

Process control plays a crucial role in optimizing production efficiency and ensuring process safety across numerous industries, including Wyoming’s trona and processing industries. HF Sinclair’s support will bolster UW’s Advanced Process Control Lab located in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Building. It will provide students with cutting-edge technology and hands-on learning experiences that mirror real-world industrial operations.

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The process control minor—launched in 2020 with private support and Tier-1 Engineering Initiative funds—already has provided students with interdisciplinary coursework spanning chemical, electrical, mechanical, and energy systems engineering as well as computer science.

The Advanced Process Control Lab has been instrumental in offering students hands-on training, allowing them to design, build, and test complex control systems.

HF Sinclair’s support will enable critical upgrades to the lab’s simulation capabilities, equipment, and curriculum, ensuring students are prepared to tackle modern industry challenges. The funding also will support recruitment initiatives, which will attract more students to this vital field and strengthen Wyoming’s pipeline of process control professionals.

“Their involvement gives us an edge in providing a modern control environment for teaching in both the core chemical engineering program and our process control minor,” says Randy Pfeiffer, associate professor of practice. “We look forward to building on our partnership to enhance what we can provide for our student community to prepare them as they move into professional engineering endeavors.”

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