Thoughts from Interim Director Christy Remucal

It is an honor to step into my new role as the interim director for the Aquatic Sciences Center at UW–Madison. I am a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and have spent the past 12 years at UW–Madison studying aquatic contaminants and other water quality issues in both natural and engineered aquatic systems.

As a researcher, I have benefited tremendously from the center in seeking funding for my own research, mentoring Freshwater@UW summer students and working with the communications team on many different projects. I see this role as an opportunity to give back to the water research community and to have an impact beyond my research group.

More importantly, I am passionate about research, education and outreach related to water quality issues. These activities are at the heart of the missions of both Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. I am proud to join an excellent team of professionals at the center who support freshwater research and outreach across the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

I appreciate that the center focuses on fundamental research questions that also address the needs of our residents, providing actionable research that can solve real problems related to water quality, aquaculture, fisheries, invasive species, coastal processes, social science and many others. Water is such a critical issue for people in Wisconsin and the importance of water provides a great opportunity for education and outreach; it is truly impressive to see the creativity of Aquatic Sciences Center staff and their partners in developing new ways to connect with our community. As we look forward to the remainder of 2024, I am eager to build on the past successes of the center and explore opportunities to further expand our efforts to address water-related issues across the state.

Remucal assumed interim directorship in fall 2023. She is the fourth leader of the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, programs that have both been operating in Wisconsin for more than 55 years. For a profile of Remucal, visit go.wisc.edu/21c2r7.