The fifth cohort of the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program kicked off with activities at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences May 27-28, 2026. Twenty-nine undergraduates from 23 universities in Wisconsin and beyond will work on a freshwater research project this summer.
At UW-Madison, they participated in the First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour and traveled to the Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton to learn about how Wisconsin geology shapes the landscape we see today. Using real features like springs and streams, attendees gained a clearer understanding of how this “natural tapestry” influences the water systems in our state. At UW-Milwaukee, they kayaked the Milwaukee Harbor and conducted hands-on activities in the school’s fish labs and aboard the Research Vessel Neeksay. Intended as a research “soft launch” participating faculty and staff helped set the stage for an exciting summer of freshwater research.
Each student was matched with a mentored research project hosted at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-La Crosse, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls or UW-Stevens Point.
Projects spanned a wide range of freshwater topics, including:
- PFAS detection, impacts and remediation
- Water quality and agricultural runoff
- Microplastics
- Flood resilience
- Invasive species
Students will present their research findings at UW-Madison’s Summer Research Symposium on July 30.
The Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities program is funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Sea Grant, the UW Water Resources Institute, the Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium, the UW-Madison Aquatic Sciences Center and Water@UW-Madison. The program equips the next generation of freshwater professionals with knowledge and skills they need to meet Wisconsin’s water challenges.
