The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Program, with funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, hosted a special Women in Aquaculture session at the recent Wisconsin Aquaculture Association Conference in Marshfield, Wisc.
During the session, four presenters talked to nearly 90 people about their experiences. Stories ranged from being one of the first women in a male-dominated field, to rearing salmon, trout and zebrafish, to undergraduate research experiences, to working with high schoolers on aquaculture pursuits.
The presenters included Dani Klontz, Safeway; Mackenzie Klemek, Morgridge Institute; Willow Williams, UW-Milwaukee student; and Rachel Ziegler, Green Bay Area Public School District. Peter Shep, a doctoral candidate at UW-Milwaukee funded through the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, also shared information about fish farming and his efforts to solve challenges regarding the rearing of yellow perch.
The session was part of a larger effort to boost aquaculture outreach and the workforce in Wisconsin. Read more about how Sharon Moen, UW-Madison; Dong-Fang Deng, UW-Milwaukee; and Emma Hauser, UW-Stevens Point, are collaborating with students, teachers and the aquaculture industry to address a major staffing shortage.
Photo above: Peter Shep, Mackenzie Klemek, Willow Wilson, Sharon Moen, Rachel Ziegler, Emma Hauser, Dong-Fang Deng.