Kohler Trust for Clean Water gives $2.5 million to UWM for Great Lakes research

MILWAUKEE_The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will supercharge its Great Lakes research thanks to a $2.5 million gift from the Kohler Trust for Clean Water. The funding will initially support enhanced research on water quality and ecosystem health led by Harvey Bootsma, the inaugural Kohler Endowed Chair of Great Lakes Science in UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Kohler Trust for Clean Water for its visionary commitment to protecting and preserving precious freshwater resources,” UWM 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 the school’s dean to devote talent and resources to specific topics for a three-to-five-year period, then shift into other areas in subsequent years. In this way, UWM can maximize its efforts toward understanding and solving the complex challenges facing our Great Lakes, including harmful algae blooms and invasive species, chemical and nutrient contamination, and other threats to the freshwater ecosystem.

“Water is such an integral part of Kohler and essential for life itself for all of us. 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.”

Bootsma has a quarter-century of research excellence at UWM, and his focus on the health of large lakes and their ecosystems has taken him around the world. This new appointment enables him to make more thorough examinations of algae growth and other issues affecting water quality, including invasive species like mussels.

Such research plays a key role in understanding and maintaining the Great Lakes, which hold 21% of the world’s available surface freshwater and provide drinking water for 10% of the United States. They’re also a major economic engine, sustaining 1.3 million jobs that generate $82 billion in wages.

“I am so excited about the research we will do to better understand and protect our amazing Great Lakes as a direct result of this generous support from the Kohler Trust for Clean Water,” said School of Freshwater Sciences Dean Rebecca Klaper. “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. Quite simply, the potential this gift unlocks is limitless.”

About UWM
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has an ambitious mission as both a top-tier research university and an access institution, striving to ensure that students have equitable opportunities to earn a college degree. UWM educates a diverse student body of more than 22,000 students from 88 countries. About 39% of its undergraduates are first-generation college students. Its unique and top-rated programs include Wisconsin’s only accredited schools of architecture and public health, the only North American school dedicated solely to freshwater sciences and a film program ranked among the top 50 in the world. It has the largest and top-rated online education program in Wisconsin. UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, promote entrepreneurship, provide student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2024 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.