News

WRI Mesophase Research

October 27, 2025

The Western Research Institute (WRI) is pioneering mesophase pitch research utilizing different feedstocks in our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Mesophase pitch is a crucial precursor for mid- and high-performance carbon fiber, highly conductive carbon foam, electrodes, and other advanced carbon materials.

What is Sar-AD?

September 15, 2025

WRI SAR - AD, Asphalt compositional characterization for high quality product selection.

Thank You to Our Incredible Petersen Asphalt Research Conference Community!

September 2, 2025

Join us in celebrating these remarkable team members: Chris Seago, Joseph "Cole" Tietjen, Jason trout, and Morena Wroblewski.

Shining a Spotlight on WRI's Incredible Talent!

July 7, 2025

Join us in celebrating these remarkable team members: Chris Seago, Joseph "Cole" Tietjen, Jason trout, and Morena Wroblewski.

Precision Materials for a Lighter Future: Advanced Carbon Fibers from Hydrocarbon Feedstocks

May 27, 2025

WRI is at the forefront of material innovation, transforming hydrocarbon feedstocks into high-performance carbon fibers with extraordinary mechanical properties. Our advanced synthetic and engineering processes are creating materials that enable lighter, stronger, and more efficient solutions across various sectors.

Podcast on the Coal-to-Asphalt project

May 12, 2025

Turning coal into asphalt instead of burning it? This is the great idea that Western Research Institute and University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) are working on in the coal-to-asphalt project

Jeramie Adams presented WRI’s upcycling technology for Recycled Asphalt Shingles to Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA)!

May 5, 2025

Jeramie Adams, Vice-President of the RenuMAT group (RENewable Upcycling Materials and Asphalt Technologies) at Western Research Institute, was invited to the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association’s Spring Committee Meeting Series in Charlotte NC in March 2025.

WRI’s 2024 Annual Report just released!

April 21, 2025

Our 2024 Annual Report has just been released!! The Centennial event that we organized a couple months ago in 2024, showed that many people know about WRI, but without understanding what we exactly do! So, we decided to resume the publication of Annual Reports in order to inform all stakeholders about our activity.

Yogesh Kumbargeri and co-authors received the Emmons Award!

April 10, 2025

During the last Annual meeting of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT), the Walter J. Emmons Award for year 2022 was revealed. WRI is proud to announce that it has been given to Yogesh Kumbargeri, Jean-Pascal Planche, Jeramie J Adams, Michael D Elwardany and Gayle King, for the paper entitled “Effect of Binder Chemistry and Related Properties on Low Temperature Performance Parameters of Asphalt Binders”.

The race for Rare Earth Elements is speeding up in Laramie!

March 25, 2025

The race for Rare Earth Elements is speeding up in Laramie, Wyoming!! Western Research Institute is proud to inform that American Rare Earths Limited has started a new project with us.