Lynde B. Uihlein is putting serious money behind Milwaukee’s water future. On Thursday, the longtime philanthropist announced a $10 million endowment to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, a gift university leaders called a “game changer” for freshwater research in the region. The money will underwrite research, support the Center for Water Policy and help keep the school’s research vessels running year round on Lake Michigan.
How the gift will be used
According to UWM, the endowment is split three ways. About $4 million will support the school’s core mission, including research operations, faculty and equipment, plus scholarships and fellowships for students. Another $4 million will continue funding the Center for Water Policy. The final $2 million is dedicated to year round maintenance and operation of the school’s research vessels.
Chancellor Thomas Gibson called the gift “truly a game changer” and said it will amplify the school’s ability to turn science into policy and community solutions. The announcement was made at the school’s harbor campus in front of the research vessel R/V Neeskay, a fitting backdrop for a check that size.
Maggi Sue and the research fleet
Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the donation will provide operating funds for both the R/V Neeskay and the forthcoming R/V Maggi Sue, a larger, purpose built research vessel that UWM has long planned. In 2019, an anonymous donor committed $10 million toward the Maggi Sue, and the new ship is designed to extend scientists’ time on the water and host advanced sensors and interchangeable lab spaces. The $2 million slice of Uihlein’s endowment helps ensure the school’s research platforms can stay active throughout the year.
Uihlein’s philanthropic track record
Lynde B. Uihlein is a two time UWM alumna and the founder of the Brico Fund, which supports feminism and environmental work. The Center for Water Policy traces its roots to a $2.6 million endowment from Uihlein in 2011, which funded an endowed chair and helped build the school’s interdisciplinary policy work, according to the Center for Water Policy. Her giving has repeatedly underwritten the school’s mix of science, law and economics aimed at protecting the Great Lakes.
Local impact and what’s next
Local leaders and faculty say the endowment will expand hands on training for students and accelerate applied research that feeds into local water policy and industry. Urban Milwaukee, which republished the Wisconsin Public Radio report, noted the gathering of community members, staff and students at the harbor site for the announcement. University officials say the endowment secures operating funds while construction and fundraising for the Maggi Sue continue, putting UWM on steadier footing to respond to Great Lakes challenges…