Our People
The Innovation Wyrkshop in Laramie is staffed by ten students from across the University of Wyoming, as well as three full-time professional staff. Our staff come from different majors and together cover a broad scope of knowledge across many areas such as engineering, communications, science, and the arts. We're a friendly bunch, so please don't hesitate to reach out!
Phone: (307) 399-9384
Mailing address:
1000 E University Avenue
Dept. 3295 (EERB)
Laramie, WY 82071
Rebecca Austin (she/her)
Makerspace Coordinator
Rebecca was number five in a family of seven, although that played out in her favor as she got all the hand-me-down legos from her older brothers. As she grew up watching Bill Nye, Mythbusters, and Nat Geo, her love for science grew, and her passion for STEM never faltered (except for Math just a little bit in high school). She has always had a love for learning which drives her to create and make new things, as well as experiment with what she has. With her art background and love for the STEM fields, she’s currently working on creating outreach activities and games that involve the younger community in hopes of getting them excited about STEAM!
Austin received a B.F.A in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design at the University of Wyoming in 2019. During her time as an art student, she focused on digital creation including using mixed realities, 3D modeling, 3D printing, and laser cutting. Today, Austin runs the Innovation Wyrkshop as the Makerspace Coordinator and manages the day-to-day as well as coordinating outreach efforts and collaborations in the surrounding area. In addition to managing the Wyrkshop, she has piloted the first InnovateHer afterschool club in September 2022, geared toward 11-17-year-old female and female-identifying youth.
When not working, Rebecca enjoys doing anything and everything she can including 3D modeling, gaming, cooking, and the occasional outdoor activity with her family and dog.
Mailing address:
1000 E University Avenue
Dept. 3295 (EERB)
Laramie, WY 82071
Emily Leinen (she/her)
Mobile Makerspace Coordinator
Emily’s making career started as a young child in typical 90’s fashion with Legos and Lincoln logs. She would constantly find ways to make new products and reinvent the everyday items. As a young child, her most notable invention was a chipmunk catcher, which caught approximately seven chipmunks over the span of one summer. She has over nine years teaching experience in different fields from water safety to STEAM education. Her favorite way of making includes creating educational tools and lesson plans to reinvent the way we educate.
Leinen received a B.S in Agroecology with a minor in Horticulture from the University of Wyoming in 2019, and an M.S. in Education (learning, design and technology) from the University of Wyoming in 2022. With her background in plant science, she wanted to become a secondary education science teacher. While pursuing her Master's, she received a graduate assistantship in a makerspace creating pre-K, K-12 and adult STEAM education courses. She fell head-over-heels for makerspaces and creating anything you can imagine. Today, Leinen manages a fleet of seven mobile makerspaces throughout the state of Wyoming. The mobile makerspaces provide free STEAM educational tools to rural and remote communities, bringing equitable access to educational resources to some of Wyoming's smallest towns.
When not at work, she enjoys trying to become the world's next Iron Chef, hiking, playing board games, reading and competing with her husband to see who can lift the most weights (she is currently losing this battle, but tells him that she is miles ahead of him).
Email: tkerr1@uwyo.edu
Office: (307) 766-6460
Mailing address:
1000 E University Avenue
Dept. 3295 (EERB)
Laramie, WY 82071
Tyler Kerr (he/him)
Makerspace Manager
Much to his parents' chagrin, Tyler started his maker career early in life by dissecting the family CRT TV -- though notably never figured out how to put it back together. Since then, his love of gadgets and tech has never waned. With over nine years of experience as an outreach coordinator and academic STEAM educator, he has maintained a passion for and fascination with makerspace education, as well as developing creative, gamified, out-of-the-box nerdy ways to engage communities and teach complex topics in meaningful ways.
Kerr received a B.A. in Geoscience from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania in 2011, and an M.S. in Geology (Paleontology) from the University of Wyoming in 2017. His background in paleontology and interest in emergent technology led him to a career in 3D printing, 3D scanning, digital rendering, and digitizing museum collections. Today, Kerr serves as director of the Innovation Wyrkshop makerspace, one of the largest academic makerspaces in the Mountain West. In addition to the Innovation Wyrkshop, Kerr and team designed and currently oversee 12 successfully operating makerspaces across Wyoming. Today, Kerr serves as a state-recognized authority on makerspace development and programming and one of the leading voices of the Wyoming maker movement. For his work, Kerr was a recipient of the 2018 Laramie Young Professionals 20 under 40 award, the University of Wyoming's 2020 Employee of the Quarter award, and the 2021 Employee of the Year award. For their impact on campus and community, in both 2021 and 2022 the Wyrkshop team were humbled to have Make: Magazine and Newsweek rank the University of Wyoming as one of the top 200 ‘Maker Schools’ in the world.
When he's not at work, he enjoys gaming, adventuring, and spending time outside with his partner Kate trying to stop their two dogs from rolling in stuff and eating weird trash they find in the forest.
Student Team Leaders
Vick Evans (they/them)
Senior Makerspace Educator
Evans is a third-year pharmacy student at UW, skilled with all forms of 3D printing within the Wyrkshop, along with vinyl cutting, laser cutting, modeling, and graphic design. Evans also serves as the president of the Association of Wyoming Student Makers (AWSM) on campus. Their passions include baking, 3D printing, and crafting. Drop them a line if you need anything! They'd love to help make your project come together.
Cole Thomas (he/him)
Woodshop Supervisor
Thomas has been working with makerspaces since high school, where he designed and printed parts for his robotics team. Now he serves as the woodshop supervisor for the space, overseeing safety and machine operation in the Wyrkshop woodshop. Thomas is a senior majoring in Computer Engineering who enjoys making music, electronics, and biking.