Dec. 4, 2024

The Freshwater Opportunities Bulletin is published the first Wednesday of each month except July. It provides information about water-related conferences, collaborative courses and field experiences, undergraduate research positions and internships, and other opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at the Universities of Wisconsin. Please share information on your campus. 

The IAGLR's 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research will be held June 2–6, 2025, in Milwaukee. Forty-seven sessions have been proposed to complement the theme Creating Great Lakes Resilience. We encourage faculty, staff and students who have received funding from the Freshwater Collaborative to submit an abstract to present their research/project. This is an excellent opportunity for students to participate in an international conference! Abstract deadline is Dec. 16. Submit your abstract.

Faculty and students are encouraged to present and discuss Wisconsin-related research in all aspects of water science and policy. This is a student-friendly conference. Up to four awards of $200 each will be offered to students, and students presenters are provided with constructive comments from the judges. Abstract deadline Is Dec. 20. Submit your abstract.

Proposals are being accepted for the Universities of Wisconsin Spring Conference. This is an opportunity to share teaching and learning approaches. Many Freshwater Collaborative-funded projects exemplify practices in areas of experiential learning, collaborative projects, community-based learning, and undergraduate research. Deadline is Jan. 6. Submit your proposal.

The next online Great Lakes Freshwater Symposium takes place Dec. 10 at noon. Cora Sutherland will present the Center for Water Policy’s legal research on Great Lakes offshore wind energy. Her talk, titled Great Lakes Offshore Wind (GLOW): Legal design choices and research questions, will distinguish the Great Lakes region from ocean waters in the United States, explore legal design and planning choices, and summarize a recent NSF-funded research workshop on GLOW. Open to faculty, staff, students, and external partners.

Register

Are you recruiting undergraduates for research positions or internships? We can help spread the word and post your positions to our website. Email the information to freshwater-collab@uwm.edu. 

Applications are open for the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program. Students participate in hands-on mentored research experiences at one of the Universities of Wisconsin institutions. Sites include UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-La Crosse, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point and Manitowoc, WI.

This is a paid, on-site research experience for undergraduates interested in water research. Feb. 15 deadline.

Learn more about the positions and application process.

UW Oshkosh is hiring undergraduates from any UW school for summer research assistant and internship positions with the EPA, Wisconsin Coastal Management, NOAA, Vilas County Environmental Health Program and Vilas County Health Department. Positions include salary, travel reimbursement and housing. Positions will be filled by mid-February. This position is listed on Handshake.

Learn more and apply

The UW Oshkosh ERIC lab is hiring students from any UW school for the Clean Boats Clean Waters Program in Vilas County. Interns inspect watercraft for aquatic invasive species and provide information to boaters about prevention. Positions include salary, travel reimbursement and housing. Positions will be filled ASAP. This position is listed on Handshake.

Learn more

Undergraduate Communications Intern: This is a paid internship for spring semester 2025, with the possibility of extension. This position offers the chance for an undergraduate student at UW-Milwaukee or another University of Wisconsin to gain hands-on experience in water policy communications. The position is remote and pays $16/hour. Application deadline is Dec. 15. Learn more.

Water Policy and Science Communications Grad Fellow: This is a fully funded position that runs fall 2025 through spring 2027. Candidates should be interested in conducting graduate research toward a thesis focused on water policy and science communications. Must enroll in the master's degree program at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. Learn more

Freshwater Collaborative offer students immersive field and lab work to prepare students for the workforce. Information about each class below. Additional details available on our website. 

Jan. 21-May 16 or July 7-Aug. 16
UW-Milwaukee. 3 credits.

This course addresses the importance of water in biological, ecological, physical, climate and economic systems, and the consequences of distributing the natural water cycle. Meets the Natural Science General Education Requirement. Open to high school students enrolled in the Early College Credit Program. 

Feb. 3-May 16
UW-Parkside. 3 credits.

This course covers the essential physical, chemical, and biological aspects of water in the context of socially relevant topics required to understand contemporary economic, political, and environmental water issues with a local, national, and international scope. 

Jan. 27-May 9
UW-La Crosse. 3 credits.

The “Mighty Mississippi” is a prime example of human interaction with the natural world, demonstrating how rivers connect all of us. This course connects you to your watershed(s) and fosters an understanding of how changes in one part of a hydrologic system impact those upstream and downstream. 

June 9-June 20
UW-Milwaukee/UW-River Falls. 3 credits.

Dive into a hands-on learning adventure focused on the limnology, Web-based climate and weather models, and biogeochemistry of Lake Michigan! This unique course uses a problem-solving approach to tackle real-world environmental challenges affecting Lake Michigan.

Open to 10 students from any university on a first-come, first-served basis. Preregistration is required to reserve a spot. Students who preregister by February 1, 2025, are eligible for double-occupancy dorm rooms. Meals during class time and lodging are covered by the Freshwater Collaborative. Course schedule and registration/enrollment information available at https://uwm.edu/freshwater/fcw2025/

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