Category: Research Profile

Western Wisconsin is becoming a hub for preparing 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.

Faculty from the four campuses embarked on this growing partnership — funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin — three years ago when they piloted a high school summer camp. In its third summer in 2023, faculty worked with the Department of Public Instruction to promote the opportunity to students throughout the state of Wisconsin. As a result, the camp grew from 14 students from the Eau Claire area the first year to 23 students from nine high schools across Wisconsin, including seven students from the Milwaukee and Madison areas.

Camp participants learn about wetlands, fish, invasive species, Great Lakes beaches and contamination, and academic programs and careers focused on water science. Each day is spent in a different location, where they are taught by faculty from the four universities. The idea is to help high school students experience what it’s like to work in water science and to share what the UW schools have to offer in terms of hands-on coursework and internships that will prepare them to enter Wisconsin’s workforce — where their skills are critically needed.

“It’s good for students to have exposure to a variety of instructors from different campuses,” says Sarah Vitale, associate professor at UW-Eau Claire and the lead faculty member for the summer camp project. “They can learn they can get a really good job in this field with a bachelor’s degree, or if they go in this direction a master’s degree is recommended. Getting this kind of advice early helps them make decisions.”

The program has evolved to give students more applicable experience and an opportunity to meet and work alongside undergraduate students who are part of other Freshwater Collaborative-projects. For example, while at UW-Stout last summer, students worked in the field with research students funded by the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Project.

Many of the same faculty are involved in the advanced fieldwork course for undergraduates.

“The high school course showcases the excellent curriculum and research opportunities available to students should they choose to attend a UW school in western Wisconsin while the undergraduate course diversifies student experiences,” says Nicole Hayes, assistant professor of biology at UW-Stout. “UW-Stout students gain valuable insights from working with professors from UW-Eau Claire, UW Oshkosh and UW-River Falls.”

The two-week advanced course immerses students in wide variety of applicable fieldwork to prepare them for different kinds of jobs. For example, they did a remote sensing analysis on Lake Menomin and then used what they learned to analyze a body of water near their hometown or where they vacation in the summer. They also learned about wetlands and how they are integrated with groundwater, storm water, soils, and surface waters.

Abbigale Coffin, an environmental biology and ecology major at UW-Eau Claire, took the course in 2022 and was a teaching assistant for it in 2023. The course opened her eyes to how interconnected ground and surface waters are, and she gained the confidence and knowledge to perform tests and handle equipment independently.

“The amount of hands-on experience really prepares you for working and collecting data in the field,” Coffin says. “All the knowledge I gained from this class at least doubled the list of skills on my resume and allowed me to discover my passion for protecting our state’s ground and surface water.”

The Freshwater Collaborative recently granted new funds to continue years four and five of the high school camp and years three and four of the advanced fieldwork summer course for undergraduates. The group will continue to enhance both courses, tapping into the strengths of each university and refining the curriculum to ensure it has direct application to the workforce. The advanced course is also intended to be part of future certificate programs the Freshwater Collaborative plans to roll out.

“It’s been exciting to see this cross-campus collaboration grow and connect with other projects we are funding,” says Marissa Jablonski, executive director for the Freshwater Collaborative. “It is a great example of how we are creating a pipeline to jobs by implementing programs that recruit young people to UW schools and then provide them with hands-on experiences that train them for the water workforce.”

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

In summer 2023, 31 undergraduates from Wisconsin, California, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Illinois, Alabama and Virginia participated in the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program, gaining valuable research, career-building and life experiences.

Led by UW-Madison, the program is supported by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Water@UW-Madison, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and the UW-Madison Graduate School.

“The program’s central aim is to support the growth of our freshwater research enterprise and freshwater workforce through collaborative, cross-system programming designed to train, recruit, retain and diversify the next generation of freshwater professionals,” says Alison Mikulyuk, the program coordinator.

The program began as a pilot in 2022 and expanded to include any UW campus in 2023. This year, students participated in research at one of seven UW institutions: UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW Oshkosh and UW-Superior.

Students accepted into the research program were matched with faculty whose interests match their own. They participated in a weeklong orientation in Madison and spent the remainder of the summer conducting paid hands-on research at their chosen campus. In addition to working one-on-one with faculty and graduate student mentors, students met in person and online each week to discuss career paths, navigating graduate school, communicating science, public service and research practices.

To close out the summer, the cohort presented the results of their hard work at the Summer Research Symposium at UW-Madison in August. Each scholar presented a research flash talk to an audience of more than 100, followed by a research poster session that was well-attended by their mentors, family, and members of the public.

“I was extremely impressed by the work these young researchers presented,” Mikulyuk says. “It was a fantastic representation of the variety and quality of freshwater research conducted in our state.”

During the summer, the students were asked to reflect in writing on their experience as a Freshwater@UW Scholar. Below are edited sections of what a few of the students had to say about their experiences in the program. Longer reflections will be posted to the Sea Grant blog over the next months.

“One of my favorite parts of this experience was being able to interact closely with faculty from a university that was not my own. This experience gave me the opportunity to learn things that I would not have had the chance to learn at my university and opened my eyes to the various fields of geology. Being able to interact with students from different universities was also beneficial, as I was able to hear what others’ college experiences were like, as well as the research being conducted at other universities.” ~ Samantha Krueger, UW-Whitewater, conducted research at UW-Madison and won a Best Talk Award at the symposium

“Being in the lab and sampling is something I love, but this summer, I realized I also enjoy outreach. I had never experienced an outreach event before, but I was given the opportunity to travel to Superior, Wisconsin, for Lake Superior Day. This was one of the first times in my life that I got to talk to people at a big event who all have the same passion for the environment.” ~ Chloe Mellgren, Carthage College in Kenosha, conducted research at UW-Madison and won a Best Talk Award at the symposium

“Through my research, I learned a lot about the potential of using industrial byproducts to create sustainable solutions to environmental problems. My favorite part of the program was meeting and interacting with faculty and students from UW-Green Bay, as it allowed me to learn from experts in the field and gain new perspectives on my research.” ~ Su Than Thar, Ripon College, conducted research at UW-Green Bay

“Outside of my time conducting research, the program also provided me many opportunities for professional development. I gained insight into grad school. I also got to learn about career opportunities present with federal employment. I am so thankful for the freshwater program and all the knowledge and experiences it provided me!” ~ Kara Eppard, Bridgewater College in Virginia, conducted research at UW-Madison with USGS

“I enjoyed the fact that I was able to meet and collaborate with other students this summer. I will forever remember this experience and go on to make great use of the skills I acquired from the program.” ~ Ryan Waln, UW-Whitewater, conducted research at UW-Green Bay

In July 2023, Freshwater Collaborative granted nearly $600,000 to UW-Madison to continue the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program for its third and fourth years. The funding will provide immersive, hands-on mentored research experiences to 27 undergraduates to participate in summer research at one of the 13 UW institutions.

With a grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, three undergraduates from UW-Stout were trained to collect and analyze water samples as part of renewed efforts to monitor restoration efforts in the Red Cedar Basin Watershed, which has high levels of phosphorus pollution. The project brings together UW-Stout faculty from biology and applied social science as well as external partners like the City of Menomonie, Dunn County Land and Water Conservation, and the Red Cedar River Watershed Division of UW-Extension. Read more about the project. 

Here’s what students said about their experience.

• Kal Breeden, environmental science sophomore
• Dylan Kostuch, May 2023 applied science graduate
• Britney Serafina, May 2023 environmental science graduate

Why did you choose to participate in this research project?

Serafina: I chose to participate in this research project to broaden my experience and to take on a new opportunity. I thought it would be interesting to have research experience in water quality locally – especially with the reputation that the local lakes have.

What was your role in the project?

Breeden: My role was to conduct field data collection, analysis, and experimentation with my fellow student researchers. Our goal was to gather a large amount of data about the water quality of streams and lakes within the watershed, where data may have previously been sparse in many locations. Most days we were outdoors either in streams or lakes, but some days we worked in the labs at UW-Stout doing experiment setup, data entry, and macroinvertebrate identification. At each stream or lake site we visited we would collect data about the water quality including dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, nutrient content, habitat assessment scores, macroinvertebrate samples, and more. UW-Stout professors instructed us about what data we should collect, sites to visit, methodology, and water-quality experiments to conduct.

What skills did you learn? 

Kostuch: I learned a variety of stream and lake sampling methods and how to use the respective equipment involved. I also learned how to perform filtration tests with the lake samples collected to test for levels of chlorophyll. I learned much more about freshwater ecosystems than I had before this past summer. All three of us worked together to collect data and samples throughout the summer, and I was responsible for analyzing and putting together the poster about our data related to Lakes Menomin and Tainter.

Serafina: I learned many skills working on this project. I used many tools and pieces of equipment that I have never used before such as an inflatable boat, a Van Dorn, a dissolved oxygen meter, a PAR light meter, and a flow meter. Other than equipment, it was an awesome opportunity to learn how to use and operate an inflatable boat. I also was able to learn much more about our local water quality and improve my GIS skills.

What has been your favorite part about conducting this research? 

Kostuch: My favorite part of this research has been traveling to different sites to collect data and working with my colleagues and professors. It was interesting to see firsthand how the algal blooms developed over the course of the summer.

Breeden: I really enjoyed wading in the streams, many of them were in restoration areas and surrounded by nature. I also enjoyed gaining experience with both fieldwork and lab work and found that I liked having a balance between the two.

Serafina: I have a lot of fun memories from over the summer with Kal and Dylan from sampling. Being able to make a lot of connections whether it be friends, professors, or Research in the Rotunda was my favorite part of this research.

What was the most challenging part? 

Breeden: For me, the most challenging part of this project was feeling unsure of how to begin with certain aspects of the research or data analysis. Having only one year of college experience at the time I joined this project, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge or experience with research projects and what it’s like to come up with certain questions that you want to try to answer, or trends you want to explore, and then forming a plan and methodology to go about it. Thankfully we had the guidance of the UW-Stout professors who helped to lead us in the right direction. I learned a lot about what is possible in a project like this and how to form a plan that will lead to useful and meaningful research.

What kind of career do you hope to go into after graduation?

Kostuch: As of now I plan to pursue a career working in a cell biology or molecular biology lab. I have a deep interest in virology and viruses and may even attend graduate school in the future. After this summer experience, I also have a greater interest in limnology and water quality. Should I pursue limnology, the hands-on field experience and lab time will be a great boon.

Breeden: I hope to begin a career in environmental conservation, and this experience has given me many valuable skills that will help me to reach my goals. I feel very confident with the amount of work experience that I’ve gained through this project, particularly from conducting both fieldwork and lab work, and am excited to enter the workforce and continue working on meaningful research projects like this one.

Serafina: I currently have a job lined up as a Land Resource Technician for Chippewa County. This experience has already helped me attain my career goals by giving me the confidence and experience for finding new job opportunities. I am glad that I was able to have this experience.

The Red Cedar Watershed in west-central Wisconsin is one of the most highly impacted watersheds in Wisconsin. The Red Cedar River was listed as an EPA impaired water in 1998, and Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin have been listed as highly impaired since 1972 due to high levels of phosphorus pollution, which depresses local property values and the tourism industry.

Keith Gilland, an assistant professor at UW-Stout, lives in Menomonie and says Lake Menomin could be an asset, but most of his neighbors go further north during the summer where the lakes aren’t teeming with blue-green algae. This kind of pollution is common in highly agricultural areas like the Red Cedar Watershed, which encompasses more than 3,000 farms. Agricultural water management is one of Wisconsin’s 10 Grand Water Challenges and a top priority for the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, which provided funding for the “Establishment and Support of the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group.”

“The Red Cedar Basin is a good representation of a lot of watersheds in the entire upper Midwest Great Lakes region,” he says. “Lake Menomin has problems, and fixing it would benefit the City of Menomonie, Dunn County, and the lake, and it could be a good representation and model for other understudied lake systems.”

Lake Menomin interests him as a citizen and an ecologist. He notes that the assumption is if farmers adopt certain land management practices, the lakes will fix themselves. Yet that might not be entirely true given the lakes’ history, changes in land use, and the changing climate which has impacted precipitation patterns and runoff events in the watershed.

“We know the lake is green, but I don’t know that we should assume we entirely know why,” he says. “A large part of the problem could indeed be the particle-bound phosphorus coming from farm fields, but it also could be far more complicated than that, and we really need to study the lake and the entire watershed to understand it and refine our solutions.”

Concerted pollution remediation strategies began in 2013 followed by establishment of a volunteer-led Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies. Unfortunately, the group languished after its leader retired in 2015, and valuable long-term data is missing.

“A lot of work has gone into fixing water-quality issues at the watershed scale, but there hasn’t been a concerted effort to monitor whether it’s been effective,” Gilland says.

That’s where he and a team of student researchers and faculty collaborators come in.

With support from the Freshwater Collaborative in 2022, Gilland established an ongoing monitoring program within UW-Stout — not only helping to fill the monitoring gap, but also preparing students for the workforce.

The project brings together UW-Stout faculty from biology and applied social science as well as external partners like the city of Menomonie, Dunn County Land and Water Conservation, and the Red Cedar River Watershed Division of UW-Extension.

Local high school and middle school students are involved in the sampling program. Last summer three undergraduates from UW-Stout collected and analyzed samples from surface waters of the Red Cedar Watershed. All three presented their findings at Research in the Rotunda in Madison and the 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research hosted by UW-Claire. This summer the monitoring group includes students from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW Oshkosh.

“My favorite part of this research has been traveling to different sites to collect data and working with my colleagues and professors. It was interesting to see firsthand how the algal blooms developed over the course of the summer,” says Dylan Kostuch, who graduated in May.

Having never worked on a research project, sophomore Kal Breeden was happy to get hands-on fieldwork experience early in his college career.

“This experience has given me many valuable skills that will help me to reach my goals,” he says. “I feel very confident with the amount of work experience that I’ve gained through this project, particularly from conducting both fieldwork and lab work, and am excited to enter the workforce and continue working on meaningful research projects like this one.”

Britney Serafina graduated in May with a job lined up as a land resource technician for Chippewa County. Learning how to use tools and equipment and improving her GIS skills played a role.

“This experience has already helped me attain my career goals by giving me the confidence and experience for finding new job opportunities,” she says.

The hands-on training for students combined with the ability to provide consistent watershed monitoring is a win for Wisconsin — and could lead to more collaborations and training.

“Surface water monitoring within the Red Cedar Watershed is critical to the assessment of our water resources and in determining the locations of land management, conservation and restoration practices,” says Chase Cummings, a county conservationist with the Dunn County Land and Water Conservation Division. “Local municipal resources can be limited in areas of resource monitoring and the implementation of best management practices. We are committed to the role that we can play in advancing these efforts and look forward to our continued partnership with UW-Stout, as well as future partnerships, contributions and opportunities this program can provide.”

Read more about the students’ experiences.

By Moira Harrington,
UW-Madison/Wisconsin Sea Grant

When summer stretches before many college undergraduates, they make plans: Spend time outdoors. Connect with friends. Catch up on screen time.

For the 31 undergraduates participating in the 2023 Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program, those plans are the same, with slight alterations. The time outdoors is likely to be spent collecting field samples from a body of water. The friends are new ones—made from the pool of program participants who hail from California to Alabama from Virginia to Wisconsin, and points in between. The screen time isn’t about beating The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but instead entering findings into a larger dataset to further aquatic science projects.

“I looked at many summer REU (research experiences for undergraduates) opportunities,” Sofia Mota Chichy, chemistry major from the University of Michigan, said. “This one at Madison had the most in water chemistry and that’s what I am interested in. I’ve never worked in a chemistry lab before and it’s even better that it is an aquatic one.” Mota Chichy will be a part of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Christine Remucal’s lab studying magnesium oxide.

A second young woman also expressed her attraction to this opportunity because of its emphasis on water. Plus, said Jessica Alcorn a student at Northwest Missouri State, “I want to go to graduate school here in Madison.” She’ll work under UW-Madison’s Matt Ginder-Vogel, who does both surface and groundwater research.

These springboards from research to a new path in life were celebrated by an enthusiastic Marissa Jablonski at a recent orientation session for the students. “Life will form you without you trying. You’re on your way. You’ve shown up. You’re leaning in.”

Jablonski is the executive director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, one of the funding entities for the summer program, about which, Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley said, “It’s been really positive to be able to expand our program because of support from the Freshwater Collaborative. Last year, we were a fledgling program of nine students.” Hurley secured a nearly $358,300 grant from the collaborative, resulting in this year’s larger cohort.

No matter the size of the group, though, Hurley said the goal remains unchanged, “The overall goal is to provide immersive student research experiences to enhance workforce development skills and allow undergraduates to consider the option of graduate studies in Wisconsin. Research experience as an undergraduate is an important component of a successful application for graduate school. In the job market, it also sets apart recent undergraduates who have addressed the changing needs of water-related fields.”

Expanding the number of participating students is one thing, another is the broadened involvement from professors, graduate students and others at organizations that are acting as mentors for the students. There are 48 in all, including people on University of Wisconsin System campuses in Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Oshkosh. Also providing formative experiences will be mentors from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

In application materials, students this summer expressed interest in pursuing research into topics such as pollution, climate change, molecular structures of water, public health and more. The projects will deliver on that skill-building, spawning a new generation of water leaders. While the students will disperse across the state for these labs and field sites, they have a standing invitation to gather each Thursday virtually—and in-person if they are in Madison—for weekly professional development sessions on topics like science communication, navigating graduate school and proposal writing.

They will add these skills to their already prodigious ones in other areas that demonstrate well-rounded natures. At the orientation session, Alison Mikulyuk, summer research opportunity program coordinator, called out fun facts when she said among the group there was a proficient loon caller, a mushroom finder, dancers, an aspiring author, someone who graduated from high school as a 14-year-old, a boxer, world-medalist baton twirler, two twins, competitive swimmers, a multi-instrumentalist, many who play instruments and several who speak more than one language.

Mikulyuk urged the undergraduates to enjoy those skills of others, and also capitalize on the people who possess them, “Learn from each other. Care for each other…Take advantage of personal and professional connections.” She continued, “I hope you will have a life-changing experience that propels you forward in your next decades.”

The program will run until Aug. 5, culminating in a poster session where students will present their summer’s worth of findings.

In addition to the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Sea Grant, the summer program has support from the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, Water@UW Madison and the UW-Madison Graduate School.