About Us

A Message from the Executive Director

As a researcher who was born and raised in Wisconsin, I am thrilled to be a part of this unprecedented initiative. Thirteen universities, along with additional partners from government, industry and local communities, have united to make the state a world leader in water sciences.

Our mission has never been more important. Worldwide, climate change, population trends and other challenges are forcing us to rethink, and to revolutionize, how we use, safeguard and conserve our most precious resource. At the same time, water has become the world’s fastest growing economic sector. More than 75% of jobs globally are water-dependent.

At the Freshwater Collaborative, we are preparing Wisconsin to lead the nation in water-related science, technology and economic growth. We’re supporting research that will address the state’s 10 Grand Water Challenges. We’re training future water professionals to address workforce needs. We’re building a network that stretches beyond the state’s borders, promoting education, responsible stewardship and job creation.

Be sure to sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter. We can’t wait to share our next chapter with you.

Best,
Marissa Jablonski

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Our Vision and Mission

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin applies the power of the 13 University of Wisconsin institutions and the Wisconsin Idea to lead the global community in addressing freshwater challenges.

The mission of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is to:

• Create knowledge to solve freshwater challenges through collaborative research across academia in fields such as natural and applied sciences, engineering, economics, social sciences, arts, humanities and policy;
• Recruit and develop talented professionals across all freshwater disciplines through intentional structuring of curriculum, training and workplace experiences; and
• Improve the well-being of natural ecosystems and all people by applying research and training to engage and serve communities and solve freshwater challenges.

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Land and Water Acknowledgement Statement

As a system of universities in Wisconsin we share stewardship of the land and water between the Michigami, the full system of Great Lakes, and Michiziibi, the great Mississippi River, with the current sovereign nations of Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe, Oneida and Mohican people along with the ancestors before them. Together we commit to being connected to this space, increasing our knowledge of it and transmitting that knowledge to future generations.

Our thanks to Dr. Margaret Noodin, director of the Electa Quinney Institute and a Center for Water Policy scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, for crafting this land and water acknowledgement.

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