University of Wyoming College of Business. UW Photo
UPS CEO Carol Tomé pledged $20 million to expand the University of Wyoming’s Tomé Scholars to Fellows Program to students at the College of Business. It is one of the largest gifts in the university’s history.
Tomé, a UW alumna, announced the pledge during her 2026 commencement speech last month. The gift will strengthen the existing program in UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources while extending the model to the business college, creating a new cohort-based scholarship program focused on business innovation, entrepreneurship, applied research and leadership development.
This gift, combined with previous support from Tomés and her husband, will provide more than 100 students with full-ride scholarships at Wyoming. The inaugural College of Business cohort is expected to launch in fall 2027 with seven scholars annually, eventually growing to 28 students across four cohorts.
“We believe deeply in what a University of Wyoming education makes possible,” Carol and Ramon Tomé said in UW’s announcement. “Supporting Tomé Scholars has been one of the greatest joys of our lives, and this commitment is our way of giving back for the many blessings we’ve received. It is an honor to help open doors of opportunity for students who will shape our future.”
FROM ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP TO BUSINESS INNOVATION
University of Wyoming commencement speaker Carol Tomé announced a $20 million gift, one of the largest in the university’s history, during her commencement speech. UW Photo
Carol and Ramon are both UW alumni. Carol is former CFO of The Home Depot while Ramon is a retired environmental specialist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Air Protection Branch. Their newest gift continues decades of support for the university.
The Tomé Scholars to Fellows Program was first established in 2021 in UW’s Haub School and expanded in 2024. The program has become one of the university’s premier undergraduate scholarship opportunities, offering full-ride support along with immersive fieldwork, faculty-guided applied research, internships, service experiences and international field courses.
The newest gift extends that model into the College of Business, where the program will focus on cultivating Wyoming-centered business leaders prepared to drive economic and community vitality across the state. Students will complete hands-on business projects, internships, faculty-led study-abroad experiences and applied research designed to build professional readiness and entrepreneurial skills.
“Carol and Ramon Tomé understand something fundamental about higher education: Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not always evenly distributed,” Scott Beaulier, Dean of the College of Business, said in the announcement. “This extraordinary investment in our students will help the College of Business attract, develop and launch the next generation of leaders for Wyoming, the nation and the world.”
The new business scholars initiative will build on UW’s strengths in job placement, applied internships, entrepreneurship and innovation competitions, and partnerships with businesses and communities across Wyoming.
CONNECTING BUSINESS & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
For UW, the gift is significant not only because of its size, but because of the access it creates for students. The Tomé Scholars receive full-ride scholarships while participating in a cohort-based experience built around applied learning and leadership development.
“This gift is among the most consequential in UW’s history — not only because of its scale, but because of what it makes possible,” UW President Ed Seidel said. “The Tomé Scholars to Fellows Program has already proven that UW can develop leaders of national distinction, and now we have the opportunity to extend that model into business and entrepreneurship. The Tomés’ vision and generosity are transforming our university and the future of Wyoming.”
The expansion into the College of Business reflects a broader link between environmental problem-solving and business leadership.
“Today, business is intertwined with the environment,” Tomé Scholar Sidney Armbrust of Cheyenne said. “Our world runs on businesses — from local to global. The economy is a driving force in society, and it’s crucial that we understand both business and environmental systems to create solutions that truly work in the modern world.”
That interdisciplinary approach is part of what the Tomés’ gift is designed to support. Together, the Haub School program and the new College of Business program are expected to expand Wyoming’s entrepreneurial and innovation pipeline, strengthen workforce readiness, attract and retain high-achieving students, and raise UW’s national profile.
“The Tomé Program represents exactly the kind of transformational experience that changes lives,” Beaulier said. “It will create opportunities for students to engage deeply with leadership, innovation, mentorship and real-world problem solving while building a community of excellence within the College of Business.”
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