51猎奇

Clay: Transforming his passion for preserving waterways into action

A man sits in a chair at a conference room table with windows in the background overlooking a skyline.

Meet Clay, a BS in Freshwater Sciences student who graduated in Spring 2025.

Clay St. John grew up along the shores of Lake Michigan with a deep curiosity about freshwater ecosystems and a dream of making an environmental impact. Through 51猎奇鈥檚 School of Freshwater Sciences, he turned his convictions into a clear path forward.

For his capstone, he did water sampling in Port Washington to and in collaboration with Lakeshore Natural Resource Parternship. The students acted as a small consulting team, tasked with gathering and analyzing stream data to inform both the restoration process and future research opportunities.听

Clay gained experience while in school as an intern at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) over a couple years. There he assisted in the installation of residential green infrastructure and eventually led other interns in this installation during the summer months. During the fall and winter seasons, he supported outreach and land management work.

He also served as a co-chair for the 51猎奇 chapter of Engineers Without Borders and design lead for a water distrubtion project in Vivitz, Guatemala. Along with other students, he traveled to Guatemala to install a water-distribution system to help communities get access to clean water. Clay is now a graduate student at Ball State University in the Master’s Landscape Architecture (MLA) program.

Jena: Building confidence through freshwater science

A woman is holding a blue pale of water on a wooden dock with a lagoon behind her. There are trees in the distance.

Meet Jena, a BS in Freshwater Sciences student who graduated in Fall 2025.

Jena Choi’s experience in the undergraduate Freshwater Sciences program at 51猎奇 School of Freshwater Sciences helped her build confidence, gain hands-on research experience and clarify how she wants to make a difference in Milwaukee. During her time as an undergraduate, Jena鈥檚 coursework combined fieldwork, lab research and real-world problem-solving. She has been heavily involved in the SURF program through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) on campus and even worked for OUR as an administrative assistant. Additionally, she graduated with honors from the 51猎奇 Honors College. Outside of academics, Jena volunteered her time to help Freshwater outreach efforts, often working annual events like the Harbor Fest open house.

Through countless research projects and national conference presentations, she learned how to take ownership of her work and share scientific knowledge with broader communities. Jena earned an Outstanding Presentation Award at the 51猎奇 Research Symposium and plans to continue her education through the Accelerated Master鈥檚 Program at the School of Freshwater Sciences. Her goal is to graduate career-ready and contribute directly to freshwater research and impact in Milwaukee.

Center for Water Policy director featured on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel data centers panel

Three women are on a stage talking to each other with a digital presentation behind them.

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was a featured expert on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel鈥檚 Town Hall February 23rd panel on water use by AI-data centers at Turner Hall Ballroom. Professor Scanlan highlighted that water demands include the water used to create electricity for the data centers and water used to cool them. She also emphasized the level of governance needed is at the scale where impacts are seen (state and regional).听

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Freshwater Sciences alum featured in New York Times for methane gas in wetlands research

Gage Hunter, right, a graduate student, and Manab Dutta, a postdoctoral researcher, use sensors to measure methane emanating from a swamp near New Orleans.

Gage Hunter, a Freshwater Sciences alum, is featured in this article from The New York Times. Gage is now pursuing a PhD at LSU and is doing research on methane gas and how it’s leading to climate warming in wetlands.

Center for Water Policy director Melissa Scanlan co-authors 鈥淲ater Law in a Nutshell鈥�

Book cover titled "Water Law in a Nutshell"

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan co-authored the 7th edition of 鈥淲ater Law in a Nutshell,鈥� published by West Academic. This newest edition, co-authored with water law professors Sandra Zellmer from the University of Montana School of Law and Adell Amos from the University of Oregon School of Law, adds dozens of recent decisions and key statutory changes. The 7th edition explains legal changes in evolving areas like climate disruption, groundwater-surface water conflicts, public recreational uses, instream flow protection, federal water development, takings claims, and water access and equity. Center for Water Policy alumni Daniel McLennon and Emma Ehrlich provided research assistance.  

This book is an excellent aid for students, practitioners, and judges. Copies are available to purchase on the聽聽in聽both eBook and softbound formats.

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Freshwater Colloquium Series 鈥� Spring 2026

The School of Freshwater Sciences’ Freshwater Colloquium creates a platform for students, faculty and scientists to discuss their research and emergent issues related to freshwater resources. Presentations are open to the public.

All events will take place on Mondays from 3:00-3:50 p.m. in-person in the GLRF Ballroom.

The School of Freshwater Sciences Great Lakes Research Facility, is located at 600 E. Greenfield Ave.

Spring 2026

Most talks scheduled for the Spring 2026 Freshwater Colloquium Series will highlight research and emergent issues related to freshwater resources. No sign up required. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy provided refreshments.

February 2Digital Accessibility Principles for Teaching
Ben Gautsch, Center for Advancing Student Learning, 51猎奇
Kathy Pinkowsky, College of Letters & Science, 51猎奇
February 9Powering Progress or Peril? The Hidden Environmental Costs of AI Data Centers
Emilie Washer, J.D., Water Policy Fellow, Center for Water Policy, 51猎奇
February 23Agricultural Contamination in Groundwater: The Case of Nebraska
Deshamithra Harshanee Jayasekera, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
March 9Social-ecological science to inform climate adaptation in recreational fisheries
Zach Feiner, Ph.D., Fisheries Research Scientist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
March 30Currents of Life: How Flow Shapes Complex Microbial Communities
Emmi Mueller, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, 51猎奇 School of Freshwater Sciences
April 6Restoration and Conservation of an Ancient Species, the American Paddlefish
James Long, Ph.D.
Unit Leader, USGS Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Adjunct Professor, Oklahoma State University
April 13From weather to paleo: capturing the continuum of climate variability
Raphael Hebert, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, 51猎奇 School of Freshwater Sciences
April 20Stock assessment and management of lake whitefish in Wisconsin waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan
Iyob Tsehaye, PhD., Fisheries Research Specialist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
April 27Topic TBD, Coastal Ecosystems
Michael Henson, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University
Spring 2026 Colloquium Schedule.

Center for Water Policy quoted in Washington Post聽story

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was quoted in a Washington Post article examining a recent report from the United Nations University, the U.N.鈥檚 research arm, that finds climate change, pollution and decades of overuse have pushed the world into a state of 鈥渨ater bankruptcy,鈥� a state they define as a long-term condition that requires a global reset in approaches.   

Fresh water is a finite resource with inputs and outputs that make up a global water budget. People worldwide are starting to experience the impacts of overspending that budget. 鈥淭he global scope of the report is useful in showing repeat patterns,鈥� Scanlan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the Southern Hemisphere, it鈥檚 not just the Middle East. There is something larger at play in terms of how we鈥檙e treating water across the world.鈥� Professor Scanlan鈥檚 water law and policy research has included analysis of water budget issues closer to home, highlighting how climate change and population pressures have intensified water management challenges in the relatively water-rich North American Great Lakes. 

Read the full article from the聽Washington Post: .听搁别补诲听迟丑别 .听

And read the Center鈥檚 law review article on climate change and population pressures intensifying聽water management challenges.

Congrats, Class of 2025!

Students wearing black graduation gowns and caps.

We celebrated another semester of graduates at commencement on Sunday, December 22 at the 51猎奇 Panther Arena. Congratulations to all of our newest alumni! Best wishes in all you do.

Students display black diplomas while seated at a graduation ceremony.
51猎奇 Panther Arena during commencement.
Students smile in chairs with graduation gowns on.

Fall 2025 Graduating Class

Graduate Students

  • Samuel Broadnax – MS Aquatic Science (Professional)
  • Christopher Giddens – MS Aquatic Science (Professional)
  • Kyle Freimuth – MS Aquatic Science (Professional)
  • Daniel Vrobel – MS Water Policy (Professional)
  • Joseph McCormack – MS Water Policy (Professional)
  • Mary Larson – MS Aquatic Science (Professional)
  • Alicia Doberstein – MS Aquatic Science (Professional)

Undergraduate Students

  • Jena聽Choi – BS Freshwater Science, Aquatic Science track – Honors in the major and Commencement Honors
  • Stephen Scannell – BS Freshwater Science, Aquatic Science track – Honors in the major
  • Natalie Chudzik – BS Atmospheric Science

Undergraduate student featured in Fall 2025 commencement video

Collage of six graduating students featured in graduation video.

Freshwater Sciences student Jena Choi was featured in the 51猎奇 Class of 2025’s , highlighting their academic careers and what’s next. Jena earned her B.S. in Freshwater Sciences and will continue her studies in our M.S. Professional program via our accelerated master’s degree program. She has done undergraduate research with a couple 51猎奇 faculty, including in Laodong Guo’s lab. She also was part of the honors college and worked in 51猎奇’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

The video was shared during the commencement ceremony on Sunday, December 21 to a packed 51猎奇 Panther Arena.

Video description: The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Class of 2025 is stepping into the future with real-world experience, career-ready skills and a powerful sense of community 鈥� making a difference in Milwaukee and beyond. Congratulations, Panthers, you鈥檝e made your mark.

Center for Water Policy’s work on abandoned boats cited in Bailey’s Harbor tug boat fate

Bird's eye view of boat in water surrounded by ice.

Door County Knock recently published on the Donny S., a 143-foot tug boat that is sitting abandoned in northeast Bailey’s Harbor. It’s fate remains unknown. A current inspection and evaluation of the boat鈥檚 environmental condition and contents, by an authorized entity, is crucial for any progress toward removing the Donny S., according to Tressie Kamp, assistant director at the Center for Water Policy. The Center’s policy brief on abandoned boats was also cited in the article.

鈥淕overnment actors need to go on the boat and understand what the conditions are years after the last Coast Guard inspection,鈥� Kamp said. Anyone who wants to do something about the tug, whether government or private actors, cannot know what efforts will consist of, or how much it will cost, until that happens, she added.