Renee Laegreid, a University of Wyoming professor of history, was recently named the Andrew Allen Excellence Fellow in Western History.

Laegreid received the honor recently from John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation, and UW President Ed Seidel.

“On a personal level, the fellowship represents recognition of the work I have done in the field of Western history so far in my career, and I truly appreciate that recognition,” Laegreid says. “The benefits of the fellowship will provide not only financial support for my research projects, but that precious commodity, time, as well. On a broader level, I also appreciate that the Excellence Fellowship, the first in our department, recognizes the importance of Western history — to our state, region, country and globally.” 

“The position is an internal position of the history department, using the Andrew Allen Excellence Fund, our UW Foundation endowment,” says Jeffrey Means, an associate professor and head of the UW Department of History. 

At UW, Laegreid specializes in the history of the American West, with a focus on gender and culture in the late 19th to mid-20th century. Her current research projects involve cultural and social analysis of Western iconography, examining how symbols of the West have been created and shaped over time and across international boundaries.

Her publications include “Women on the North American Plains” and “Riding Pretty: Rodeo Royalty in the West.”

She is a UW faculty representative on the Governor’s Council for the Women’s Suffrage Celebration.

Laegreid received her Ph.D. in American history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; her master’s degree in American studies from Wesleyan University; and her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University.