FRESHWATER COLLABORATIVE OF WISCONSIN: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO FRESHWATER RESEARCH AND EDUCATION THAT TACKLES GRAND WATER CHALLENGES

The Freshwater Collaborative is a Universities of Wisconsin initiative that brings together water education and research at the state’s 13 public universities. Each University of Wisconsin institution leverages its strengths to work with industry partners, high school educators and career counselors, community members and governmental and nonprofit organizations. Freshwater Collaborative funding grows the pipeline to jobs and training for future water professionals through recruitment efforts and summer camps, course enhancement and creating hands-on experiences, undergraduate research to tackle 10 grand water challenges in Wisconsin and beyond, and internships that lead to careers. Two major water challenges are prioritized: (1) agricultural water management and (2) drinking water and emerging contaminants. The Freshwater Collaborative model brings together six stakeholder groups: water and ecosystems, community and tribal nations, local and state government, non-profits and associations, companies and industry, and academics. The Collaborative has formed statewide Collaboration Groups that include diverse stakeholders to focus on policy and research communications about phosphorus and PFAS. The Freshwater Collaborative is also crossing international borders and collaborating with the Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium to offer quarterly online symposia to discuss policy and research on a variety of water issues facing the Great Lakes region. Dr. Marissa Jablonski will talk about statewide research and programs that the Freshwater Collaborative has supported and grown.

Primary Presenter: Marissa Jablonski, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (jablons5@uwm.edu)

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