Freshwater grad students featured on NPR for flood resilence work

Cami Armendariz, Evelyn Grimm and Joe McCormack stand next to a bioswale in Milwaukee.
Cami Armendariz, Evelyn Grimm and Joe McCormack author of Rising Waters, Rising Costs: Understanding Flood Risk, Insurance, & the Price of Inaction. Photo credit: Jimmy Gutierrez, WUWM

Graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences — Joe McCormackEvelyn Grimm, and Cami Armendariz — were recently featured on WUWM 89.7 FM – Milwaukee’s NPR for their work addressing flood risks and resilience in Milwaukee.

As part of Melissa Scanlan’s Water Consulting course, these students, along with Stephanie Gruenloh and Franco Ferrante partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to produce “Rising Waters, Rising Costs,” a report examining the human and environmental impact of urban flooding, including historically underserved neighborhoods like Metcalfe Park.

Their research highlights:
✅ Climate-driven flood risks
✅ Inequities in FEMA mapping
✅ The importance of green infrastructure
✅ The financial toll of inaction

We’re proud to see SFS students applying science to real-world applications — and getting recognized on a national platform for it!