Water Words

Fall Newsletter, 2023

Friends and Partners,

The fall semester is upon us, bringing fresh energy and enthusiasm to the UW campuses as faculty and staff welcome students. Before we get too far into the semester, we want to highlight a couple of fantastic freshwater programs that took place across the state this summer. High school and undergraduate students dove deep into freshwater research, and you can read more below.

The big news for the Freshwater Collaborative is that we invested more than $4.3 million in 22 projects that will increase training opportunities for high school and undergraduate students and address Wisconsin’s biggest water challenges. Some of the funding will grow existing programs and collaborations, and some will support new projects including research on emerging contaminants such as PFAS.

The most exciting thing about this latest round of funding is seeing how programs are becoming more interconnected and how these connections are building a pipeline from college recruitment to freshwater jobs in Wisconsin.

Thanks for your continued partnership!

Best,
Marissa Jablonski
Executive Director

When it comes to freshwater research, where better to get hands-on experience than at one of the University of Wisconsin campuses?

Last summer, 31 undergraduates from a dozen schools nationwide participated in the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program, gaining valuable research, career-building and life experiences at one of the UW campuses. They shared thoughtful reflections about their experiences.

Western Wisconsin is becoming a hub for preparing students for careers in water industries, thanks in part to two cross-campus collaborations — a high school summer camp and an advanced field course for upper-level college students — involving UW-Eau Claire, UW Oshkosh, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout.

Abbigale Coffin, an undergraduate at UW-Eau Claire, says the knowledge she gained from the advanced fieldwork class more than doubled the list of skills on her resume.

Join water research colleagues from the United States and Canada for a free, online symposium Tuesday, Oct. 3, noon to 1 p.m. (CT). Panelists will discuss the impact of the recent U.S. Supreme Court's decision on wetlands protections, scientific research, legal analysis and policy, including an update on the upcoming EPA WOTUS Rule revisions. This event is part of a quarterly water symposium series sponsored by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium and Council of the Great Lakes Region.

REGISTER

Students and faculty are invited to submit abstracts to the Great Lakes Beach Association. The deadline for abstracts for students and oral presentations has been extended until Oct. 2. The conference takes place Oct. 16-18 in Sturgeon Bay and will feature sessions about the current science, best management practices and restoration efforts for Great Lakes beaches.

Student registrations are only $25 thanks to sponsorships from the Freshwater Collaborative. For questions, contact Greg Kleinheinz (kleinhei@uwosh.edu) or Carmen Ebert (ebertc@uwosh.edu).

The 20th annual Research in the Rotunda will take place Wednesday, March 6, 2024. This is a great venue for students to present their undergraduate research. Posters and students participating as Freshwater Collaborative Research Fellows (any student whose research received Freshwater Collaborative funding support) will not count towards a university’s allotment of posters. Please encourage your students to participate!

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