Freshwater Collaborative awards $478,275 to UW-Green Bay to further research on contaminants and to train the next generation of water scientists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2023
Green Bay, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay will receive $478,275 for projects that will increase research and training opportunities for high school and undergraduate students and will address Wisconsin’s biggest water challenges, including emerging contaminants such as PFAs and agricultural water management issues such as phosphorus pollution.
The funding is part of a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, to tackle Wisconsin’s Grand Water Challenges and support curriculum development, undergraduate research opportunities, career development, and field training experiences for students interested in studying water-related fields at the 13 UW universities.
Funding includes support for the following student-involved projects at UW-Green Bay:
- $86,879 – Quantifying the impact of spatial and temporal variation in hyporheic zone fluxes on phosphorus transport and release in Wisconsin streams and rivers. (Joint UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison)
- $97,036 – Mitigating PFAs contamination of groundwater: Biochar Sequestration of PFAs in Biosolid Leachate at the Field Scale (Joint UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee)
- $281,794 – UW-Green Bay pre-college student experiences in freshwater, 2023-2025
- $12,566 – Water, health and habitat interactions: building capacity for water careers and education (Joint UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls and UW-Whitewater)
“This new funding will support student-engaged research and educational programs to better understand two pressing water quality challenges in northeastern Wisconsin: nutrient runoff and PFAs,” said Emily Tyner, director of Freshwater Strategy for UW-Green Bay. “With these funds, faculty, staff and students will improve our understanding of how land-based nutrients and chemicals impact waterways, provide tools for local educators to teach about water quality threats and prepare students for statewide water-focused careers.”
Students will be involved in projects and programs that include studying riverbed sediments as an important source of phosphorus in Wisconsin waterways, evaluation and mitigation of PFAs contamination in groundwater, enhancing freshwater-focused learning opportunities for pre-college students and teachers around Green Bay and Lake Michigan watershed, and a collaboration with five UW campuses to implement hands-on courses for undergraduate students to conduct research and field work on Lake Michigan.
“The most exciting thing about this latest round of funding is seeing how programs are becoming more interconnected. For example, high school students attending a summer camp in western Wisconsin are interacting with undergraduate students and faculty who are working on other Freshwater Collaborative–funded projects throughout the state,” said Marissa Jablonski, executive director for the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. “We can really see how these connections are building a pipeline from college recruitment to jobs in freshwater in Wisconsin.”
Specific grant descriptions for the latest funded projects are available here.
About the Freshwater Collaborative
The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities, connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training the next generation of scientists to solve global water resource problems through academic programs, collaborative research and career development across the UW System. Learn more at freshwater.wisconsin.edu.
About UW-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving more than 9,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and 80,000 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre- college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2021, UW-Green Bay was the fastest-growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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