UWM proposal wins Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant

MILWAUKEE_The Universities of Wisconsin have announced recipients of the 2024 UW Innovation Grants, including Anja Blecking, Anna Benko and Alexander “Leggy” Arnold of UW-Milwaukee for their proposal, “RECHARGE-STEM – Creating a new, equitable pathway for high school graduates and students who discontinued a STEM program to enter the local STEM workforce.”

“Wisconsin is in a War for Talent and these UW-Milwaukee professors want to help underrepresented Wisconsin students pursue STEM careers,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said. “This proposal will help meet the critical need for skilled laboratory technicians.”

Through the UW Innovation Grant, the Universities of Wisconsin will award each winning proposal seed funding totaling up to $175,000 split over two years, after which a progress report will be issued detailing the status of the project, work completed, and the team’s vision for future research or project development.

“I am proud of our faculty for creatively putting young people on the path to career success,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “By leveraging our partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Area Technical College through M3, as well as our relationships with chemical industry partners, we can connect talent with opportunities. I am grateful to the Universities of Wisconsin for rewarding this innovative idea with the funding to make it a reality.”

The UW-Milwaukee proposal calls for collaboration with the local chemical industry and other education partners including M3 to develop an eight-week, paid summer internship program that trains students as chemical technicians. Graduates of the program would earn a microcredential and have skills ready for employment. The proposal targets high school graduates and students who have taken some college STEM courses but stopped.

“We are honored and excited that our project was chosen,” Blecking said. “The funding and the support of our industry partners and collaborators within K-12 education, and local employment agencies, allow us to offer a new professional pathway to a laboratory technician career starting in summer 2025.”

UWM is one of three universities receiving a UW Innovation Grant, in addition to UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire. From this year’s three finalists, a review panel will select a “big idea” winner to receive additional funding totaling up to $400,000 distributed over three years.

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.