The 2023 Water@UW-Madison Spring Symposium was held on Tuesday, April 18th, 9:00 – noon.
The 2023 Spring Symposium highlighted a fascinating array of projects and experiences about engaging and working alongside communities in water research. A series of presentations, lightning talks, and a panel discussion explored practices, experiences and outcomes of community-based water research.
Symposium Agenda
9:30 – Welcome
9:40 – “New Water Connections from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Policy”
Moderated by Water@UW-Madison Co-Chair Caroline Gottschalk Druschke and featuring UW-Madison’s Jen Rose Smith, professor in the American Indian Studies Program and Department of Geography; Ingrid Diran, professor in the Department of English; Grace Bulltail, professor in the Nelson Institute; Tricia Gorby, UW-Extension Natural Resources Institute director; and Manny Teodoro, professor in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
10:30 – “Tackling Wisconsin’s water challenges through UW Water Science-Policy Fellowships and agency partnerships”
Conversation moderated by Jennifer Hauxwell, associate director of the Aquatic Sciences Center and outgoing Water@UW chair, featuring current six science policy fellows stationed at the Wisconsin departments of Natural Resources, Health Services and Administration and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Three mentors of the fellows joined them.
11:00 – “Flowing Across Disciplines: meet artists and water professionals from The Flow
Proiect”
Students artists and water professionals shared their experience collaborating on “The Flow Project” to bring art and science together and present the creative outcomes of their partnership. The panel was moderated by Flow Project organizers Julia Buskirk and Alexandra Lakind.
12:00-4:00 – Lunch and socializing at the Memorial Union Terrace
After the Symposium, we hosted an in-person gathering at the Memorial Union Terrace with pizza, snacks, and refreshments. While we originally planned to host Water@UW’s first “flotilla” on Lake Mendota with kayaks from Outdoor UW and the Center for Limnology’s pontoon boat, stormy spring weather kept the gathering off the Lake and on the Terrace or inside the Rathskeller where we nonetheless celebrated Water@UW and all the spectacular water research at UW-Madison and beyond. But stay tuned! The Water@UW Flotilla will hopefully be rescheduled next school year.