Representative Don Burkhart represented Wyoming House District 15 from 2011 through 2024. He has also served the state in various capacities, including serving as a member of the Energy Resources Council. His career included several different roles related to the nuclear sector. When Wyoming's first large-scale nuclear power plant was announced, Representative Burkhart's fellow legislators relied on his expertise and leadership to guide the state in key decisions. In this episode, Dr. Krutka asks Representative Burkhart about his time in the legislature, his perspective on the role nuclear energy can play in an energy state like Wyoming, and why he has chosen to give back through service.

This episode features Austin Moon, a recent graduate of the School of Energy Resources, and Randall Violett, the inaugural director over the Energy and Environmental Systems concentration in SER's Energy Resource Management and Development undergraduate degree. The guests discuss the curriculum for this educational concentration as well as the career opportunities available to environmental scientists and consultants.

Wyoming is an oil and gas producing state with a significant proportion of Wyoming’s oil coming from enhanced oil recovery using injection of carbon dioxide and other improvement techniques. Dr. Reza Barati is an expert on techniques for enhanced oil recovery and today serves as the Don W. Green Professor of Petroleum Engineering and the Director of the Tertiary Oil Recovery Program at the University of Kansas. Previously Professor Barati was at Wyoming’s own Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute and joins the podcast to speak about technology and opportunities for Wyoming.