The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has received $2.5 million from the Kohler Trust for Clean Water that will support the university’s Great Lakes research.
The gift will initially fund research on water quality and ecosystem health, UW-Milwaukee announced on Tuesday. Harvey Bootsma, the inaugural Kohler Endowed Chair of Great Lakes Science in UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, will lead the research.
“We’re extremely grateful to the Kohler Trust for Clean Water for its visionary commitment to protecting and preserving precious freshwater resources,” UW-Milwaukee chancellor Mark Mone said. “This gift fuels the crucial research performed by our world-class experts at the School of Freshwater Sciences. It’s an investment in the health of our Great Lakes and everyone who relies upon these natural wonders, and it will pay dividends for generations to come.”
The new endowment allows for talent and resources to be devoted to specific research topics for a three-to-five-year period. The topics can change in the following years. This expands UW-Milwaukee’s work to understand and address Great Lakes issues such as harmful algae blooms and invasive species, chemical and nutrient contamination and other threats, according to the university’s news release.
“We are proud to support this important work in the School of Freshwater Sciences,” said Laura Kohler, chair of the Kohler Trust for Clean Water. “Water is a finite resource and must be safe for everyone, and we emphasize partnerships that bring us closer to this ultimate goal. I can think of no better partners in this area than the dedicated people at UWM.”
UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences dean Rebecca Klaper said she’s excited about the research that will happen because of the gift.
“But I am equally excited about everything else this gift makes possible, like continuing to attract and retain the best freshwater researchers and training the next generation of freshwater scientists and professionals,” Klaper said. “Quite simply, the potential this gift unlocks is limitless.”
