Water@UW-Madison

media release: Water@UW-Madison will host their annual Spring Symposium on Monday, May 5, 2025 from 2-5 pm. The Symposium theme is The Art of Water Research.

There are many definitions of art, all of which are intended and represented in the theme of this year’s Water@UW symposium  These definitions include but are not limited to “a branch of learning,” “skill acquired through practice or study,” and “works produced by human creative skill and imagination appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

This event will span the broad scope of work happening within the Water@UW network with the goal to highlight the commonalities in process, thought, and beauty of results across disciplines of water research. Presenters who wish to go beyond traditional talk formats to convey the art of their process (how they do water research) and the art of their results (where is the beauty in their work) will be welcomed and encouraged.

We aim for the event to inspire creativity, reveal new perspectives or interpretations of results, and promote an appreciation of the beauty in both water and water research. Through keynotes, lightning presentations, and structured networking time, this event will bring together members of the Water@UW community and beyond and provide opportunities to draw inspiration from the creative approaches each of us bring to our science and art.

keynote speakers:

Associate Research Scientist Sara Adlerstein Gonzalez, PhD, is an applied ecologist and visual artist who explores the connections between art and science. Adlerstein Gonzalez is a faculty member at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. She is also an artist who has curated national and international exhibits, and has had her work shown in galleries and museums in Chile, Europe, Canada and the US. Adlerstein Gonzalez teaches courses that bridge arts and sciences. Describing her work as an artist and scientist, Alderstein Gonzalez writes:

In my world, art and science belong together as naturally as air and water. Both inform my work influencing my approach. Observation, experimentation, improvisation, searching for patterns all comes together within the creative process. (https://www.wsg-art.com/sara-adlerstein-gonzalez)  

Katie Hein started working as an Aquatic Research Scientist at UW-Madison's Trout Lake Station in September of 2024. Prior to her new role, she worked for 11 years as the Statewide Lake Monitoring Lead for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Katie worked on freshwater ecosystems in northern Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, and Arctic Sweden as she pursued her graduate degrees in aquatic ecology. Though Katie chose to turn away from art and toward science as an undergraduate, her family and friends know that art is a continuous thread knitting together her personal and professional lives through time. Katie feels passionate about sharing science with the public and infuses artistic elements into her scientific findings. 

Water@UW-Madison is excited to welcome five lightning talk speakers in addition to our two keynote speakers. Each lightning talk speaker will have seven minutes to share their own take on this year's theme The Art of Water Research.

• Dr. Steve Loheide, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UW-Madison
• Dr. Trina McMahon, Professor of Bacteriology, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW-Madison
• Dr. Nimish Pujara, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW-Madison
• Dr. Cee Nell, Environmental Data Scientist in the Data Science Branch of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area
• Dr. Carla Romano, Groundwater Section Manager at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources