Funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin will help grow the reach of UWM’s Innovative Weather program across the state.
The university’s in-house forecasting service, Innovative Weather provides experiential learning opportunities for atmospheric science students to work with companies needing custom weather forecasts.
The $60,000 grant from the Freshwater Collaborative will enable Innovative Weather to expand its reach by offering services and expertise to interested researchers at UW System institutions and regional businesses.
“Rain and snow significantly impact freshwater,” said Paul Roebber, distinguished professor of atmospheric science and the founder of Innovative Weather. “There are critical freshwater research projects going on across Wisconsin that will benefit from advance notice of where and when such events will take place.”
Innovative Weather and the atmospheric science program moved from UWM’s College of Letters and Science to the School of Freshwater Sciences earlier this year.
The award for Innovative Weather is one of eight water-science projects at UW System universities supported this summer through about $544,000 in total funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.
The Collaborative is a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, to tackle challenges facing the state’s water resources and support curriculum development, undergraduate research opportunities and field training experiences for UW System students.
“Our latest funded projects will create new collaborations and strengthen existing partnerships among the UW institutions and external partners that will further enhance the student experience and prepare undergraduates for careers in Wisconsin’s workforce,” said Marissa Jablonski, executive director of the Freshwater Collaborative.
Startup funding for the Freshwater Collaborative was provided in 2019 by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and UW System. In July 2021, the Wisconsin Legislature and Evers approved $5 million in the current biennial budget to expand the Collaboration’s ability to train water professionals and establish Wisconsin as a leader in water-related science and economic growth.
A complete list of the funded projects is available here.
