Student Research

Research Opportunities

Faculty are not the only people conducting important research at UW-Milwaukee. Students in the College of Engineering & Applied Science benefit from UWM’s standing as a top, R1 research university, even at the undergraduate level. Our college focuses on the following key areas of research:

Milwaukee has long been a hub for advanced manufacturing. Whether leading smart and connected systems, developing self-healing materials or recommending energy-saving efficiencies for manufacturing partners, UWM’s cross-discipline experts are known for leadership in this area, including:

UWM’s proximity to Froedert & Medical College of Wisconsin regional health network, the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, GE Healthcare and other industry leaders provide collaborative research partnerships around innovations including robotic therapy or smart AI-driven wound care, leading to better patient outcomes. A few examples:

UWM researchers benefit from their location in the heart of the region’s robust cluster of power and control companies, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the state. Wisconsin has more than 900 companies in this cluster with $38 billion in sales and the college’s researchers are key collaborators with federal and industry agencies, driving change around clean energy technologies, including:

Researchers from the college are known globally for their infrastructure expertise, whether improving the bridges and roadways with transformative materials and sensors or reducing accidents and fatalities with better traffic flow. It’s not surprising that Wisconsin and other state department of transportation leaders have made UWM their choice for their education.

Water Equipment and Policy (WEP) Center

The College of Engineering & Applied Science provides a foundation for Milwaukee’s world-recognition as a leader in freshwater research, in partnership with UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences, maximizing the benefit of proximity to Milwaukee’s rivers and the Great Lakes.

All Students

All students are encouraged to participate in the college’s annual Student Research Poster Competition, a signature event that gives undergraduates and graduate students the opportunity to learn how to create a professional academic research poster to demonstrate the findings from their research. This event provides students with valuable connections to industry judges and helps them to earn critical communication and presentation skills they need to pursue further research opportunities or a career after college.

Undergraduates

We foster a culture of faculty-undergraduate research collaboration at UW-Milwaukee where the Support for Undergraduate Fellows (SURF) program provides hourly financial support and valuable hands-on experience with work alongside the college’s top researchers.

Graduate Students

Graduate students who pursue an engineering MS at our college will get even more hands-on research experience by working with one of our highly acclaimed faculty to take a deeper dive into a specific area of interest in either Biomedical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Energy, Mechanics, Industrial and Systems, Manufacturing, Materials, or Mechanical engineering.

Students who wish to continue to highest academic achievement through a PhD will take their research work to the next level to focus on one of the following concentrated areas of study: Biomedical, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical, Industrial, Materials or Mechanical.

Research Assistants

Some faculty members have financial support for research assistants or project assistants as part of their research funding. Faculty determine the duties and select who they want from among current students and admitted applicants. Both graduate and undergraduate students may be considered for these positions that pay a semester, academic year, or full-year stipend, have remission of tuition and offer health insurance. For more information about assistantships, please contact your program.