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In The Wings: Milwaukee's cutting edge water research

On the shores of Lake Michigan, just steps away from the booming Walker's Point neighborhood, a hub of scientific research is gaining global attention.

 
The School of Freshwater Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is where we begin this month's In The Wings stories, and we meet a woman who has worked for nearly 20 years on the leading edge of freshwater research.

Dr. Sandra McLellan oversees a lab of students – from undergraduate to post doctoral students – working on big scientific questions impacting Milwaukee.

Finding the sources of pollution and visioning solutions, studying runoff and drinking water, and working on complex DNA sequencing of water contaminates are just a few of the daily tasks students and staff undertake.

McLellan says Milwaukee is uniquely positioned to drive the science of freshwater, not only because of easy access to Lake Michigan, but also because of the University's and the State of Wisconsin's investment in the facilities.

Top notch laboratories at the School of Freshwater Sciences, which were overhauled and expanded in 2014, make the work possible, she says.

Click the player below to hear an audio story with McLellan, and keep scrolling to watch a video inside her lab.

For more stories from our In The Wings series, click the tiles below.

And check back for more stories about water this month, on air and online.

Director of Digital Content | Radio Milwaukee