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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

goersab — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:45:01 +0000

Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students goersab July 21, 2026

Nine undergraduates from around U.S. invite conversations at community presentation Aug. 6

Early in the morning on one of the hottest days of the summer, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic biology Associate Professor Keith Gilland and students Abi Cherry and Norah Shires trekked to the mouth of Galloway Creek, where it meets the Red Cedar River in Menomonie.

The group is investigating water quality, insect communities, and sedimentation processes in the heavily urbanized stream, as part of LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Cherry, Shires and seven other students representing nine universities from across the country are working to improve the health of the Red Cedar watershed.

Led by ��Ͽ� Polytechnic professors, the students are collaborating across disciplines in environmental science, biology, anthropology and psychology as they seek to develop sustainable solutions with community and government partners, local citizens and policymakers.

Associate Professor Keith Gilland and LAKES students Norah Shires and Abi Cherry measure the width and depth of Galloway Creek.

LAKES co-director Tina Lee, program director of applied social science, has been involved in the federally funded program, part of ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s experiential learning, since its inception in 2014.

“Our interdisciplinary approach seeks to better prepare students with the analytical skills needed to address complex environmental issues. They are really helping to build knowledge for improving our local environment, water quality, and eutrophic lakes – where phosphorus and nitrogen pollution causes blue-green algae blooms and low oxygen levels – particularly in the Midwestern U.S. Students get the opportunity to see their research directly impact the community around them and make important contributions to new science and policy,” Lee said.

The LAKES program runs from June 7 to Aug. 8. Students and mentors invite community members to a public presentation and forum from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Raw Deal in Menomonie.

Abi Cherry uses a transparency tube at Galloway Creek to measure water clarity and turbidity.

LAKES REU researchers

��Ͽ� Polytechnic mentors and their students are:

Biology Associate Professor Keith Gilland
- Abi Cherry, University of Cincinnati, biology
- Norah Shires, University of Northern Iowa, environmental science
Biology Senior Lecturer Arthur Kneeland, co-director of LAKES
- James Devereaux, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, anthropology and psychology
- McKenna Dudley, Illinois State, environmental system science and sustainability
Anthropology Professor Thomas Pearson
- Sydney Peterson, UW-Milwaukee, freshwater science and water policy
- Daniel Rogers, University of North Texas, anthropology
- Jacob Smertneck, West Virginia University, anthropology and environmental science
Psychology Program Director Professor Sarah Wood
- Hattie Larson, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic, psychology
- Annabel Raffin, Amherst College, Massachusetts, environmental studies and psychology

Norah Shires uses a DO meter at Galloway Creek to measure temperature and oxygen levels.

Urban stream management and restoration

Cherry and Shires are comparing characteristics of Galloway Creek with those of streams in local nature preserves to determine the impacts of urban watersheds on streams and what management activities might help build a healthy stream through the city. They have visited disturbed, undisturbed and restored sites along the creek.

“This project is the next step in a long history of Stout faculty and students studying and stewarding Galloway Creek and its watershed,” Gilland said.

They are also examining stream morphology – how the course or the depth of the stream has changed over time – as well as the effects of recent restoration projects, focusing on improving the riparian corridor along the stream with the hopes of refining restoration methods and identifying future sites for improvement, including possible channel reconstruction, he explained.

“Water is our most important natural resource; everything living relies on it. Creeks provide water for several ecosystems and contribute to the large bodies we drink from; protecting them and restoring them to good condition will ensure that we get to drink from and recreate in our waters for millennia to come,” Shires said. “The most challenging part of restoration, I think, is public education. Without voters to voice their concerns, funding for restoration projects isn’t placed where it is needed.

“A lot of projects surround the site, like native tree and vegetative plantings, as well as invasive removal. These things help improve the channel of the stream and are achievable,” she added. “What I would like to see is a large-scale removal of impervious surfaces along the creek, like long stretches of concrete. Replacing them with a more permeable material or even forgoing the concrete altogether would reduce urban runoff and improve the overall quality of our waters.”

Abi Cherry and Norah Shires examine insect samples from Galloway Creek in a biology lab.

Circular economy in the Red Cedar watershed

Kneeland, Devereaux and Dudley are studying circular economy in the Red Cedar watershed, with the idea that local commerce has a clearer relationship to the environment, as well as economically benefiting the community in general.

They are using long and short form interviews, talking with local business owners and Chamber of Commerce members to discover people’s attitudes, values and perceived barriers to engaging in local economic activity.

The interviews have also given insight into how people shop, Devereaux noted, adding that he would like to “explore ways that the Chamber helps the community that might not be normally known, and the reasonings behind their decision making.”

Norah Shires and Abi Cherry identify insect samples from Galloway Creek.

Viewpoints on data center developments

Proposed data center development has become a politically charged and controversial issue that raises new questions about energy, water, and future land use and development in the watershed, Pearson said.

He is working with Peterson, Rogers and Smertneck to study the diverse viewpoints and beliefs that shape public debate about data center development. The students are gathering information through participant observation and interviews and are documenting how local history and place identity inform the concerns of residents. They are also looking at how data center proposals have become a catalyst for community organizing, the response of government officials, and the strategies adopted by industry or other stakeholders working to expand data center infrastructure.

Peterson thinks the most impactful part of the LAKES program is the community connection and how that connection makes the research feel more meaningful than any other project she’s pursued.

“I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the close relationship between the city of Menomonie and ��Ͽ� Polytechnic. ��Ͽ� feels very integrated into Menomonie, which creates an atmosphere of trust and collaboration I haven’t experienced before,” she said. “I’ve been really surprised at how much respect the community has for the school’s research and how eager they are to participate in our study, even regarding a contentious topic like data centers.”

Insect samples from Galloway Creek under a microscpe.

Understanding sustainable behaviors and goals

Wood is working with psychology students Larson and Raffin, who are developing two projects using the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand more about people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to sustainability.

Larson is researching people’s general attitudes and opinions regarding secondhand shopping and whether it influences other sustainable behaviors. Raffin is investigating community opinions about Wisconsin and Menomonie’s goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050; how people respond to large-scale sustainability goals that are set at the group level, such as by the city, county, or state; and how effective group-set goals are in motivating behaviors.

They think LAKES REU has been a wonderful opportunity for their team to dive into a wide range of interests regarding sustainability and to gain firsthand experience with the research process. “It has been a great experience to talk with Wisconsin residents and get involved in the Menomonie community,” Larson said.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2446660. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Students receive a $6,300 research stipend for the summer, as well as housing in ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s residence halls, a $450 food allowance, up to $500 in travel reimbursement and funding support to travel to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to present their final research findings.

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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

Nine undergraduates from around U.S. invite conversations on challenges, opportunities at community presentation Aug. 6

��Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system

Alum works with engineering students to improve lunar dust testing, bolstering NASA’s return to the moon

��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists

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Nine undergraduates from around U.S. invite conversations on challenges, opportunities at community presentation Aug. 6 LAKES REU biology research 2026

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Tina Lee

Dr. Lee is an applied anthropologist who specializes in the anthropology of the contemporary United States, specifically public policy and inequality. She is a graduate of the Anthropology PhD program at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and has conducted research about the child welfare system, environmental governance, and humanitarian engineering. She is the author of Catching a Case: Inequality and Fear in New York City's Child Welfare System, published by Rutgers University Press in 2016, as well as serval articles based on her fieldwork in New York City. A book chapter on her follow-up work on child welfare in rural Wisconsin will be published soon. She is also the co-director of the LAKES REU, an NSF-funded research experience for undergraduates site which trains students through research on phosphorous pollution in the Red Cedar Watershed and how it might be mitigated. She teaches anthropology, research methods, and women and gender studies courses and is the program director for the Applied Social Science major as well as the Stout Core Director (Stout's polytechnic version of general education).

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

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Arthur Kneeland

Skills: Teaching, Entomological taxonomy, sampling and IPM. Sustainable Agriculture, GIS proficiency, ARCgis and ERDAS. Statistical proficiency, SAS,

Teaching Interests: Entomology, lab teaching,

Research Interests: Innovative sustainable agricultural techniques, Insect Ecology,

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��Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system

giffeyt — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:30:00 +0000

��Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system giffeyt July 15, 2026

Alum works with engineering students to improve lunar dust testing, bolstering NASA’s return to the moon

Tom Giffey

Through a collaboration with Sierra Space, a leading defense-tech space company, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students are validating critical systems that may be part of missions that return humanity to the moon.

Under the mentorship of alumnus Todd Treichel, Ph.D., a principal manufacturing engineer at Sierra Space, students from ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering have been developing methods to ensure that high-tech parts can survive in the harsh lunar environment.

The work comes at a time of revived public interest in space travel, thanks in large part to NASA’s successful Artemis II lunar flyby in April. Sierra Space has been actively developing In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, including developing a system to extract oxygen from lunar soil, as well as efforts to design inflatable space habitats and support activities for an upcoming Moon base.

For several years, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students have been redesigning and improving a lunar dust testing chamber. The chamber is used to study how gray, gritty moon dust – technically known as “lunar regolith” – could impact components like gears and lighting elements.

��Ͽ� Polytechnic Sierra Space project research team, from left to right: Luke Stanelle, Heidi Benningfield, Sammie Kotek, Dominick Konkel and Todd Treichel.

“It is very encouraging to know that something our team worked on could impact future designs for lunar testing,” said Sammie Kotek, of New Prague, Minnesota, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. “Todd has given us an opportunity to highlight what we learn here at Stout and apply it to something that will reach very important projects. The redesign and testing of the dust chamber could help better design equipment that is being sent to the moon, and I think that’s pretty cool!”

From lab to lunar environment

On a Friday during the spring semester, Kotek was among several students who joined Treichel in a lab in Fryklund Hall to use the dust chamber to test two headlights intended for a moon rover. Colorado-based Sierra Space developed the lights, which are meant to be used on an unmanned rover.

While images from the Apollo missions may make moon dust appear light and fluffy, it’s anything but. Heidi Benningfield, who graduated in May with a mechanical engineering degree, described the substance as “jagged like a kidney stone.” Unlike dust on Earth, which is smoothed and rounded by wind and rain, lunar dust is like a fine, abrasive ash. It’s also electrically charged, Treichel explained, which means it sticks to things – something Apollo astronauts discovered in the 1960s.

SMART Scholarship recipient guaranteed employment upon graduation

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Over the past two years, a team of ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students have redesigned the lunar testing chamber to make it more functional: For instance, they added variable speeds to the fan that keeps the dust airborne, as well as added a method to keep the dust from settling. Benningfield and Kotek engineered structural components while controls and electrical components were the focus of senior Luke Stanelle, a computer and electrical engineering major from St. Paul; senior Noah Flood Elyafi, a computer and electrical engineering major from Orfordville; and 2025 mechanical engineering graduate Dominick Konkel, who now works at Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Chippewa Falls.

The process had two goals: Measuring how effectively the chamber could coat the headlight lenses with simulated moon dust and assessing how that dust impacts the light output of the lenses. The lenses were coated with a prototype material to prevent dust from accumulating. When compared with an uncoated control piece also placed in the testing chamber, the coating seems to have done its job, Treichel said.

Just as importantly, the chamber that the students designed did its job, too, which will usher in the next phase of the project.

“The ultimate goal would be to take what the students have done and up-scale the chamber size to accommodate larger-sized test articles,” Treichel said. He plans on having several ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students visit Sierra Space’s Madison location this summer to conduct further tests.

Sierra Space Principal Manufacturing Engineer Todd Treichel with the lunar dust testing chamber in a Fryklund Hall lab.

Mentor comes full circle

Treichel, who received his manufacturing engineering degree from ��Ͽ� Polytechnic in 1990, has worked for Sierra Space and its affiliate, Sierra Nevada Corporation, for 18 years. His experience spans manufacturing and design engineering as well as quality, reliability, and environmental testing. He has worked on everything from rocket engines and thrusters to Mars landers, specifically the Phoenix Lander, and payloads sent to the International Space Station.

A few years ago, Treichel was invited to become a member of his alma mater’s Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board. At the encouragement of faculty, he visited ��Ͽ� Polytechnic in the hopes of arranging a project between the university and Sierra Space. He connected with Benningfield, who he described as having an exemplary passion for aerospace, and she interned at Sierra Space and presented at the Wisconsin Space Conference in 2024. Benningfield later completed a three-month paid internship as a SMART Scholar Engineer with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Last summer, Konkel made a keynote presentation about the lunar dust testing chamber at the conference, which is held annually by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, of which ��Ͽ� Polytechnic is an affiliate member.

Left: Dominick Konkel presents at the Wisconsin Space Conference. Right: Cannisters of lunar and Martian simulants. / Todd Treichel

“Being surrounded by so many brilliant minds and mind-blowing projects and knowing that the work I did earned the keynote spot at the conference was such an amazing achievement,” Konkel said.

“What I learned during this project will contribute to my future career through introducing me to topics that I have grown increasingly eager to explore,” continued Konkel, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. “These new topics will continue to drive me as I go to grad school and continue to drive deeper into the world of aerospace.”

The lunar dust chamber project grew out of a prototype that was developed about a decade ago, Treichel said. The original chamber prototype had several limitations and was put on pause. However, the launch of the Artemis program and NASA’s desire to return to the moon meant lunar dust testing was once again a relevant topic, and one that Treichel brought to ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students.

“The Stout team really took on an open-ended challenge where they were tasked with providing recommendations for design architecture, presenting them to Sierra Space, gaining approval, and then cut loose to design, build, and test,” Treichel said. The challenge was complex, he noted, involving the synthesis of mechanical and electrical engineering – precisely the interdisciplinary strength of ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s polytechnic model.

“I found this transition to be most impressive because it represents the real world of aerospace design engineering,” he said. “The amount of electrical engineering was greater than originally planned, but the students figured it out and executed without hesitation.”

The lunar dust testing chamber developed by ��Ͽ� Polytechnic students is shown with containers of simulated lunar and Martian dust.

Kotek, who began working at Scott Equipment Company after graduation, said working on the project not only broadened her horizons but gave her valuable experience working across teams, as the testing chamber was frequently passed between the students as deadlines arrived and new features were added.

She lauded the mentorship Treichel has been able to provide because of his long experience in the aerospace field.

“His knowledge about general engineering and aerospace was highly valuable to my learning experience,” Kotek said. “He taught with a purpose and always wanted us to walk away from a conversation gaining something. He also valued our engineering process and never tried to take our project away from us. When doing projects like this, it’s nice to know that your mentor trusts you to get the job done and does not overstep.”

Treichel said working with students has given him a full-circle experience. “Having graduated from ��Ͽ�, it’s rewarding to work with the next generation of engineers, almost like handing off the baton in a relay race,” he said. “As a polytechnic university, hands-on work coupled with experimentation on prototype hardware really makes this a solid focus on a career-oriented skill that can one day serve the aerospace industry as well as others like it.”

Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistant

Student Reese Hufnagel and Professor Matthew Ray examine the material solutions and ‘designing for demise’ to counter public safety risks

Student’s research aims at space debris

The Sierra Space project isn’t the only space-related research going on at ��Ͽ� Polytechnic. In April, junior Reese Hufnagel presented her work on addressing the growing problem of space debris during the Research in the Rotunda event at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison.

Hufnagel, a chemistry major from Anoka, Minnesota, is working with Professor Matthew Ray to mitigate the risk of reentry debris from spacecraft and satellites. Ideally, materials like used rocket stages and old satellites burn up when they fall to earth. However, as stronger carbon-fiber materials have become more common and the number of rocket launches has increased dramatically in recent years, reentry debris has become much more common. To address this growing danger, Hufnagel and Ray have worked to create a catalytic additive that, when integrated into carbon-fiber materials, can cause them to disintegrate when they reach a specific trigger temperature at reentry.

To bolster their work, Hufnagel and Ray have conducted more than 50 interviews with people in the space industry, including experts at NASA, SpaceX and Sierra Space. The pair have also formed a startup to commercialize their work, and Hufnagel has received a research scholarship from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. The pair also recently published an article about their research at The Conversation, an academic outline that rarely publishes work by authors who aren’t faculty members.

Hufnagel will be a panelist in August at the Wisconsin Space Conference this August in Kenosha. In the meantime, however, she will spend the summer as an intern at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

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��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists

goersab — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:30:00 +0000

��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientistsgoersab July 8, 2026

Faculty, students work across universities in Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs

Abbey Goers

Biology and environmental science faculty, university students and high school students ventured into the marshes, creeks and wetlands surrounding ��Ͽ� Polytechnic and the Menomonie area this summer to understand and strengthen the health of the Red Cedar Watershed.

Their research is part of three of Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs that seek to train the next generation of water scientists: the Field Hydrology three-week advanced field course, the Red Cedar River Basin Internship Program, and the Water in Western Wisconsin: An Interdisciplinary Freshwater Field Camp for High School Students.

The programs are led by ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group, which works in collaboration with Universities of Wisconsin schools in its efforts. ��Ͽ� Polytechnic received $358,949 in grants from Freshwater Collaborative to run the three programs during the 2025-27 biennium.

Field Hydrology course

The Field Hydrology course was led by faculty from four Universities of Wisconsin, with 14 students from ��Ͽ� Polytechnic, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and Beloit College. Students spent a week at or near each UW campus conducting hands-on activities in water science.

“By collaborating with faculty at UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Oshkosh, we created a course that lets students explore a wider diversity of water-related research and careers than is available at any one institution. Students learned from experts in the field while building on knowledge from their home institutions and emerged better prepared for careers in water resources,” said ��Ͽ� Polytechnic biology Assistant Professor Nicole Hayes.

Hayes and Lecturer Julia Chapman, program director of M.S. sustainable management, brought the students to Birch, Gilbert and Galloway creeks in the Red Cedar Watershed, which includes about 40,000 acres of open water and 4,900 miles of waterways in northwestern and west-central Wisconsin.

Students learned to assess water quality by measuring physical and chemical variables in the stream and on land. They also collected macroinvertebrate samples and analyzed them in the lab, then calculated diversity indices and the biotic index.

The students learned about soils and wetland delineation with Professor Amanda Little, program director of environmental science, and Professor Matthew Kuchta before visiting Muddy Creek wetland. They also spent time on the Kinnickinnic River at UW-River Falls.

��Ͽ� Polytechnic students in the course were Cayanna Erickson, who served as a teaching assistant, and Harrison Bennett, Georgia McGrath, and Carter Tieman. The four students are also part of the Red Cedar River Basin internship program.

As a teaching assistant, Erickson, who interned last summer as well, enjoyed teaching her fellow interns how to conduct stream sampling, seeing them each gain skills ranging from stream monitoring to wetland delineation and from understanding how geology impacts aquatic systems, and seeing their growth in the professional world, she said.

“I think what is most interesting to me about participating in these activities is the various skills that I have developed in these experiences, as well as assisting others in developing those skills, from stream monitoring to wetland delineation, and how geology impacts aquatic systems.

“Collaboration between various universities is extremely important because not all faculty members are able to teach every skill necessary for the professional world. Collaborating also allows students to learn a variety of skills from professionals that they may not have learned otherwise,” she added. “My goals for my research are to solidify a sampling protocol that future interns are able to replicate and continue for a long-term monitoring program.”

Red Cedar River Basin Internship Program

In the Red Cedar River Basin Internship Program, six interns – four from ��Ͽ� Polytechnic and two from UW-Eau Claire – are collecting data throughout the summer. The program is organized through the Red Cedar River Basin Monitoring Group.

The goals of the group are twofold. “First, we are training students to conduct research and monitor in a variety of aquatic ecosystems, so when they graduate, they are prepared to solve freshwater challenges as the next generation of water scientists,” Hayes said.

The students are participating in a range of projects this summer. With Hayes, they are collecting water samples from lakes Menomin and Tainter to assess the size of the harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms and measure concentrations of a toxin produced by these blooms.

With Chapman, they are sampling Birch, Galloway, Gilbert, Hay and Wilson creeks to assess water quality by looking at chemical, physical and biological parameters. They’ll study oxygen and pH levels, nutrient concentrations and conductivity, while also examining bank erosion, sediments in the water, habitat in the riparian zone and macroinvertebrate communities.

With Associate Professor Julie Beston and Assistant Professor Cassondra Vernier, the students are studying the relationship between beaver activity, macroinvertebrates and trout. As they collect data above and below beaver dams, they will also look at trout populations in streams with dams using environmental DNA (the genetic material that organisms shed into their surroundings).

Macroinvertebrates are small organisms that live in streams; many are juvenile insects that mature into flying insects as adults. They are important food resources for fish, and the mature adults are food for organisms that live near streams and lakes. Macroinvertebrates are key indicators of water quality.

Each student is also leading an independent research project they developed during the Field Hydrology course:

Bennett is examining how trout stream restoration impacts water quality and macroinvertebrate communities leading up to and directly after the project.
Erickson is conducting a study to estimate the number of zebra mussels currently in lakes Menomin and Tainter and how rapidly they are reproducing.
McGrath is testing methods to use environmental DNA to examine trout populations above and below beaver dams.
Tieman is examining how fish populations change once trout streams are restored.
Emma Herfel, UW-Eau Claire, is measuring growth of potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria on rocks in local streams.
Kasey Klouser, UW-Eau Claire, is sampling macroinvertebrates in beaver ponds to gain insights into the importance of these ponds for providing bat food resources.

Water in Western Wisconsin high school camp

During the Water in Western Wisconsin high school camp, which ran June 22-25, 21 students from across the state and the country experienced what it’s like to work in water science through hands-on coursework, preparing them for degrees in biology and environmental science and to enter the workforce.

Camp participants learned about ecological restoration, groundwater systems, water quality, surface water, fish diversity, and water pollution, as well as academic programs and careers focused on water science. Each day was spent in a different location, with experiences led by faculty from ��Ͽ� Polytechnic, UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls.

The Red Cedar River Basin Monitoring interns served as teaching assistants and taught the young students how to do the stream sampling, bug identification and water quality monitoring.

Freshwater Collaborative funded the camp, including visits to other UW campuses. The camp has run every year since 2021, making it one of the longest-running and most successful programs through the Freshwater Collaborative.

Overall, the Freshwater Collaborative invested $4.2 million for the 2025-27 biennium in projects that involve faculty, staff and students from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin, as well as dozens of partners from industry, government, local communities, tribal nations, nonprofits and K-12 education. Freshwater Collaborative funding increases research and training opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students and addresses Wisconsin’s biggest water challenges, including PFAS and phosphorus pollution.

��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s biology department offers undergraduate degrees in applied science; biochemistry and molecular biology; biology; and environmental science, as well as an online master's in conservation biology. ��Ͽ� Polytechnic also offers degrees in chemistry and physics.

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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

Nine undergraduates from around U.S. invite conversations on challenges, opportunities at community presentation Aug. 6

��Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system

Alum works with engineering students to improve lunar dust testing, bolstering NASA’s return to the moon

��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists

Faculty, students work across universities in Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs

Faculty, students work across universities in Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs Freshwater Collaborative Field Hydrology course

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From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up

hugginsm — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:36:24 +0000

From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow uphugginsm June 22, 2026

Professor Matt Simoneau investigates kids' global fascination with careers in social media

Matthew Simoneau

This article appeared in Fortune, NewsBreak, and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money.

When we asked second graders in Wisconsin this same question, we were surprised to often receive similar answers: Kids there also wanted to be YouTube influencers when they grow up.

I am a scholar of career and technical education. Since 2021, colleagues and I have spoken with a range of elementary, middle and high school students as young as 7 years old in the U.S. and Norway in 2024 to understand how children imagine their careers.

Our forthcoming research shows that social media has emerged as one of the biggest influences for young people’s career choice, second only to family, friends or teachers.

Over 60% of middle and high school students we surveyed from 2021-2024 said they wanted to be social media influencers or picked their future careers based on what they saw online. Other popular choices were professional soccer player, musician and actor.

Most young people will not go on to become successful social media influencers. Artur Debat/iStock Photos

Our process

In a separate January 2018 international study by the organization Education and Employers, 20,000 children, ages 7 to 11, were asked about their possible future careers and then explained how they learned about that job.

We decided to use a similar approach to understand children’s career dreams and influences.

In Wisconsin, we surveyed more than 80 different children, ages 7 to 11. We also conducted focus groups with more than 140 middle and high school students about their academic and career plans and what influenced their ideas.

We then conducted interviews in Norway with over 60 children in the same age range.

In both places, we gave kids simple prompts that included “When I grow up I would like to be … .” We also asked them, “How do you know about this job?”

We found that there is a disconnect between how schools are helping kids think about their possible future careers and what factors are actually influencing young people as they imagine their futures.

Influencer dreams

In some instances, students as young as 7 in Wisconsin and Norway simply drew the YouTube or TikTok logo, or wrote that they aspired to be an “influencer” without any idea of who or what they would influence.

They shared that YouTubers and influencers “gets lots of money” and that “they want to be famous.”

Students also drew pictures of footballers, musicians, actors and princesses. Some students shared career goals like becoming a wildlife biologist, pilot, engineer or filmmaker.

Older students were more likely to mention careers like nurse, electrician, engineer, teacher, welder, police officer and small-business owner – although becoming an influencer and content creator remained a common aspiration for teenagers and children.

We found that social media also had a positive influence on some students.

One student in a rural town said that online posts and videos encouraged them to want to become a marine biologist, even though the closest ocean is over 1,300 miles – or 2.09 million meters – away.

The limited role of schools

It’s common for middle and high school students to take online career interest surveys to help understand which jobs could be a good fit. Many schools also offer career fairs and job shadowing opportunities.

Most students, though, receive very limited individualized guidance on career paths from a school counselor.

But they generally do receive some kind of prompts to help them think about what sort of career they want.

Within roughly the past decade, 27 states began requiring personalized, multiyear educational plans that helps students as young as 11 years old develop their own education and career goals.

In 2015, for example, Wisconsin passed a new law that required school districts to provide academic and career planning services to students in grades 6 through 12. Students take an online career survey each year.

The students answer questions about their interests, and the online program then names a recommended career. The list typically includes traditional jobs like electrician or accountant, rather than something more modern, like content creator.

One potential reason is that many of the online career-planning programs schools use were created before social media became a central part of young people’s daily lives.

Some schools also have classes where high school students learn about different educational pathways and jobs. Yet these classes often meet only periodically, while high school students typically use social media every day. As a result, formal career education increasingly competes with a constant stream of online messages about work, success and the future.

Our focus groups with middle and high school students in Wisconsin revealed that few students find these online career planning programs at school helpful.

Students said they found career planning activities “redundant” and described them as “the same thing we did in middle school.”

One 17-year-old student in Wisconsin said the career survey was a “waste of time. The test told me I should be a truck driver.” This student took the survey when she had already been accepted into nursing school.

Students consistently said they learned more from conversations with teachers, counselors, family members and professionals than from online questionnaires.

While students are heavily influenced by social media, school career assessments typically don’t reflect this tendency. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

When dreams don’t match reality

Many young people now learn about careers through TikTok videos, YouTube channels, social media personalities and online communities. These influences can play a larger role in shaping career aspirations than formal school career-planning activities.

While many people aspire to make money online as influencers or content creators, nearly half of all online content creators earn less than US$15,000 a year.

I think that educators and families should recognize that young people are thinking about their possible careers – they are just more likely to rely on social media, rather than online surveys at school, to imagine their futures.

The Conversation

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Matthew Simoneau

Matthew Simoneau is the program director for B.S. Career, Technical Education and Training.

Teaching Interests: Principles of Career and Technical Education Instructional Evaluation Performance Analysis Coordination and Supervision of CTE Course Construction Methods of Teaching Postsecondary CTE Curriculum

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Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for ��Ͽ� graduate

giffeyt — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for ��Ͽ� graduategiffeyt June 2, 2026

Language barrier, jet lag can’t undermine Anderson’s creative ambition

Tom Giffey

Maya Anderson wanted to create something ambitious to cap off her B.S. video production degree at University of Wisconsin-Stout – something that would encapsulate her years of experience behind the camera, demonstrate her personal vision and set herself on a path toward professional success.

To meet these goals, Anderson traveled halfway around the world to Tokyo, overcoming jet lag and a language barrier to create a captivating music video with an underground Japanese rapper.

Anderson, who graduated May 16, had plenty of experience creating videos as part of the applied curriculum at ��Ͽ�, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University. “Even in my first week of freshman year we were already on shoots, setting up cameras and getting real-world practice,” she explained.

For her senior capstone project, Anderson sought a new challenge and a new locale, and she found herself drawn to the bustling capital city of Japan – a stark contrast to her small northern Wisconsin hometown of Marengo. “It’s always a goal of mine to keep shooting in new and unfamiliar places,” she said.

��Ͽ� video production student Maya Anderson, left, worked with Japanese rappers Mezz, center, and OnJuicy in an April video shoot in Tokyo. / Submitted photo

While she’s an experienced international traveler, Anderson had never visited Japan. However, she is fascinated with Japanese culture, especially its urban life, and cites director Gaspar Noé’s surrealistic film “Enter the Void” as an inspiration with its intimate, vibrant portrayal of Tokyo.

Originally, Anderson had intended to travel to Japan to create a stylized travel montage, said Assistant Professor Keif Oss, director of the B.S. video production program. As the project evolved, however, Oss and other faculty members encouraged her to produce something that could expand her portfolio in a more strategic and professionally marketable way, he said.

Anderson decided to make a music video – something she already had experience doing in the United States. Having honed her focus, Anderson was inspired to seek out creative partners in Japan. Through an online forum about underground Japanese rappers, she discovered a hip-hop artist, Mezz, and messaged her through Instagram. “Let’s do it!” responded the musician, and the pair planned and scheduled the video shoot over Zoom.

Maya Anderson's video for "Under the Moon," featuring Japanese performers Mezz and OnJuicy / YouTube

‘A crazy yet rewarding experience’

With the help of a student research grant through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Anderson booked a trip to Japan in late March and early April.

“Coming off a 13-hour flight, entering a 15-hour time zone change, then shooting a full music video within 24 hours was such a crazy yet rewarding experience,” Anderson said.

The young filmmaker collaborated on the video shoot for the song “Under the Moon” with Mezz, OnJuicy (another hip-hop artist), a gaffer, and a hair and makeup artist.

“Mezz was the only one who spoke English,” Anderson explained, “so I was directing using her and Google Translate, which worked out really well. It turned out to be one of my favorite shoots I’ve ever done.”

��Ͽ� student Maya Anderson talks about her video May 5 during Research Day at the Memorial Student Center.

Anderson said she tries to make her videos as immersive as possible to give viewers the sense they are experiencing them with her. “This is a huge reason I shoot almost everything handheld, so it gives my work a human feeling, with all my movements being intentional,” she said.

Eight hours of shooting were followed by a week-long editing process that was both digital and analog. “I love incorporating mixed media into my videos, which ends up being the most time-consuming part,” Anderson said. “I print out every frame of a specific section of the video, then individually draw or cut out each frame, scan them with my printer, and go frame by frame making the images into a video again.”

��Ͽ� video production student Maya Anderson, center, collaborated with Japanese performers and crew members to make a music video in Tokyo. / Submitted photo

Video enjoyed by viewers worldwide

The final video premiered online May 1 and immediately gained praise on social media – although once again Anderson had to rely on Google Translate to read what Mezz’s fans were saying.

Other praise came from closer to home when Anderson shared her video on campus May 5 during the annual Research Day event.

“I’m incredibly proud of her on many levels, and I think the work speaks for itself,” said Oss, who lauded the video as “creatively unique, beautifully designed, and very well executed.”

“Maya’s willingness to travel internationally and pursue a project of this scale says a great deal about both her drive and her creative ambition,” Oss continued. “Producing a film abroad requires a high level of initiative, independence, planning and resilience, especially as a student balancing the demands of a capstone production.”

Behind the scenes of the video shoot for "Under the Moon" in Tokyo. / Submitted photos

Oss added that Anderson’s experience reflects positively on ��Ͽ�’s video production program, which encourages students to think beyond the classroom and pursue real-world projects.

“Maya’s project is an example of students being supported in taking creative risks, applying for research funding and developing work that has personal vision and professional-level scope,” he said. “While not every student will travel internationally for a project, the program is designed to foster that kind of initiative, independence and experiential learning mindset.”

Anderson is thrilled that her capstone experience created a video that people around the world are enjoying.

“It’s an unreal feeling to have had this ambitious idea turn to reality,” Anderson said. “I definitely made my freshman-year self proud. I’m so grateful to have completed this project during my time at Stout, and I’m excited for what’s yet to come.”

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Hero Caption: Maya Anderson was among the ��Ͽ� students who presented their work during the annual Research Day on May 5 at the Memorial Student Center.

Keif Oss

Keif has an M.S. in Career and Technical Education and an MFA in Digital Filmmaking. He is an Assistant Professor of video production and serving as Program Director for the B.S. Video Production degree. Keif teaches a variety of courses in video production and photography with both narrative and commercial aspects.

Keif has worked on a range of professional and commercial video projects as a senior video producer and owner/independent contractor of A Creative Advocate, LLC. His work includes television/web advertising, documentary, motion graphics and a variety of marketing-oriented materials. Keif’s expertise and creative contributions include work for 100+ clients including Mayo Clinic, Seventh Generation, State Farm Insurance, Royal Credit Union and others.

Keif has also worked on short and feature film projects in various capacities including writing, producing, directing, camera operation and post-production/VFX.

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Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistant

hugginsm — Wed, 13 May 2026 12:43:23 +0000

Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistanthugginsm May 13, 2026

Student Reese Hufnagel and Professor Matthew Ray examine the material solutions and ‘designing for demise’ to counter public safety risks

This article appeared in Phys.org, Astronomy Magazine, The Mirage, NewsBreak, and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

When it comes to space debris, what goes up is coming down more often – and not safely.

When spacecraft launch, some components, including nonreusable rocket boosters, are jettisoned to decrease weight, leaving them to intentionally burn up as they reenter the atmosphere. Satellites also enter the atmosphere at the end of their life, supposedly burning up. But in many cases, they are not doing so as predicted.

Debris from partially burned-up spacecraft components and satellites reentering Earth’s atmosphere can pose a risk to people and structures on the ground. The surge in launches, driven largely by private players such as SpaceX, is turning a once-remote risk into a growing threat.

Our materials research group at the University of Wisconsin-Stout is studying the materials that allow reentry debris to survive. We look for ways to safely modify their exceptional heat-resistant qualities to make them safer for atmospheric reentry.

Debris landing on Earth

Reentry debris has fallen on both private and public property around the world multiple times since 2021. Some of the most notable events involve pieces from SpaceX Dragon’s carbon fiber trunk, which stays attached to the crewed capsule until just hours before its reentry. These trunks are larger than a 15-passenger van and used for storage.

Trunk debris from the Crew 7 mission to the International Space Station has landed in North Carolina, and fragments from the Crew 1 mission landed in New South Wales, Australia. Similarly, debris from the Axiom 3 mission landed in Saskatchewan, Canada.

A large piece of space debris from a SpaceX Dragon capsule was found by a campsite groundskeeper in North Carolina in 2025.

In addition to trunk debris, carbon fiber components that hold pressurized gases to adjust a spacecraft’s orientation also make up a lot of recovered reentry debris. Some of these most recent recoveries have been in Australia, Argentina and Poland.

Most of the debris that reenters the atmosphere burns up, so why are these pieces making it down to Earth’s surface?

Atmospheric reentry

Satellites such as SpaceX’s Starlink reside in low Earth orbit, typically between 190 and 1,240 miles (300 and 2000 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. To stay there, they need to move really fast, at about 17,000 miles (27,000 km) per hour. To reach this speed, a rocket with a million pounds of fuel had to accelerate it, and part of this energy is still contained within the satellite’s momentum.

As an object in orbit drifts down, closer to Earth’s upper atmosphere, it starts to collide with air molecules, slowing the object down. The amount of heat generated from this interaction rapidly consumes the satellite, melting metal at over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius).

More launches

Countries around the world have been launching items into space since the 1950s, so why is reentry a concern now?

Starting in the 1960s, about 100 objects were launched into space every year – or at least that was the case until 2016. Since then, the number has been increasing exponentially. In 2016, 200 objects launched. But in 2025, that number was 4,500, meaning 20% of all objects launched into space since the 1950s were launched last year.

Most of these launches came from companies in the United States, such as SpaceX and Rocket Labs. Companies like these, along with those outside of the U.S., have plans for large satellite constellations composed of hundreds of thousands to a million satellites.

The more objects and payloads launched, the more reentry events occur. Satellite operators are required to remove their decommissioned satellites from orbit after 25 years to comply with regulations set in place by international committees. Groups across the world, including the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S., have pushed to shorten the deorbit window to five years. Because of these guidelines, the full influx of reentry debris events from these recent launches will not be felt for another 10 or more years.

The objects launched and policy decisions made today will have a lasting effect on future safety.

Carbon fiber

As the world has progressed technologically, efficiency for launching items into space has too.

Satellites and spacecraft are becoming lighter, stronger and more heat resistant because of materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastics and new metals. These strong materials are sought after because they’re lightweight, but they can also cause deorbiting debris to withstand reentry temperatures.

Carbon fiber, once used exclusively in space technology, is now found in common items such as bicycle frames and racing car bodies. It is still the gold standard for fabricating high-strength, low-weight materials for spacecraft components such as rocket fuselages, interstaging – the protective housing found between the rocket stages – and pressure vessels that experience extreme temperatures and high mechanical stress and strain.

Simple metals such as aluminum and steel melt and burn away, while complex materials such as carbon fiber, which is manufactured at up to 5,000 F (3,000 C), burn away unpredictably, changing the way jettisoned components break up upon reentry.

Since the early 2000s, a majority of recovered space debris contains either carbon fiber-reinforced plastic sections or metal components wrapped with carbon fiber. The carbon fiber can act as an unintentional heat shield for heavier, more harmful debris.

This map shows locations where confirmed space debris has been recovered. With the increase in launches, the European Space Agency predicts that future space debris could fall practically anywhere across the world. European Space Agency

Design for demise

Design for demise is a major area of research focused on mitigating the risk of reentry debris. Instead of relying on controlled and meticulously timed deorbits that send components that survive reentry into the ocean at the end of their lives, spacecraft components are engineered to ensure they completely disintegrate while deorbiting through the atmosphere.

Design for demise can take many forms. These range from changing to more heat-susceptible materials to relocating harder-to-burn components to areas of the spacecraft that will be hotter during reentry, or using linkages that break apart at high temperatures to separate structures into smaller components to help them burn up.

With so much focus historically on spacecraft being made from the lightest, strongest and most heat-resistant materials available, it may seem counterintuitive to intentionally make some materials weaker. The key is making materials smarter, so they maintain their strength during their mission but weaken under the heat of reentry.

The Conversation

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Professor Matt Simoneau investigates kids' global fascination with careers in social media

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Student Reese Hufnagel and Professor Matthew Ray examine the material solutions and ‘designing for demise’ to counter public safety risks

Building with air – how nature’s hole-filled blueprints shape manufacturing

Professor Anne Schmitz investigates how nature provides a blueprint for better engineering.

Student Reese Hufnagel and Professor Matthew Ray examine the material solutions and ‘designing for demise’ to counter public safety risks satelite-reentry.jpg

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Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process

goersab — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:45:00 +0000

Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making processgoersab May 5, 2026

Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board

Abbey Goers

While Wisconsin farmers are out in their tractors preparing their fields, engineering students at ��Ͽ� have designed a portable manufacturing cell – a semi-automated assembly machine – to produce wooden toy tractors for area children.

The cross-disciplinary Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group is made of five mechanical engineering and manufacturing engineering seniors: Owen Coon, of Appleton; Ben Gurka, of Beloit; Kierce Hemauer, of Menomonie; Ryan Kahl, of Menomonie; Aili Klein, of Lakeville, Minnesota; and Dominick Widi, of Stillwater, Minnesota.

Owen Coon, Kierce Hemauer, Ben Gurka, Aili Klein, Ryan Kahl and Dominick Widi

The two-semester-long project concluded their Engineering Technology Capstone 2 course, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche. The manufacturing cell is 40 inches wide, 38 inches long and 36 inches tall. Its height makes it accessible to elementary children, as Dietsche plans to transport the machine to area schools to demonstrate the toy manufacturing process. He can also show the cell on campus tours and at industry conferences. The machine is fully enclosed with safety features, allowing Dietsche to pause assembly and talk about the process.

Constructed to be able to fit in the back of Dietsche’s minivan, the two-part portable cell can be easily assembled and disassembled by one person, and its lightweight aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame meets OSHA’s standards for a two-person lift. It can produce 20 tractors in an hour, including the main body, front and back wheels, and two dowel axles.

On May 1, the group showcased their system to engineering and technology faculty, as well as retired faculty members John Schultz and Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson and City of Menomonie representative Megan Hines, environmental program coordinator with the Urban Forestry Board.

They presented again on May 4 to faculty, peers, industry partners, family and community members as part of the Senior Design Experience, which blends the university’s polytechnic tenets of applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences.

The wooden toys, ducks and tractors are constructed from ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie’s Urban Forestry Board.

An interactive toy manufacturing experience for kids

Challenges for the Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group began on day one, as they essentially needed to redesign the previous group’s manufacturing cell from scratch. The previous design had broken and was not usable for testing.

However, this also gave them the opportunity to revamp the design in their own way. Their concept ideas in CAD included updating the sheet metal frame to a stronger aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame. This was also a durability and safety consideration. The original sheet metal frame had sharp corners and was not as solid – features the group deemed unsafe, since the machine is meant to be accessible to children.

With Dietsche as their project sponsor, the group’s lead capstone instructors were Assistant Professor Nathan Spike and Senior Lecturer Glenn Bushendorf, to whom they presented their initial research and design concept for critique. The group was aided by Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig and Lecturer Brandon Dick for coding and controls and Lecturer Mike Miller with sensors.

“The build phase brings a spark to see the fully functional machine. Our overall design has changed a lot. It’s two inches bigger and wider than our initial concept. The cell originally had seven doors, but after talking with Paul, we changed it to have one plated door on top. This cut down on the number of safety latches that we needed,” Hemauer said. “The machine also has an emergency stop button, and if the door is opened during production, the machine will stop.”

The wooden tractor components are fed by Dietsche through the top door into 3D-printed gravity-fed chutes. Then, like a mini-Henry Ford assembly line, five actuators – one for the body and one for each wheel – feed the components through the machine.

At first, the group designed the machine to be automated. “But we switched to have the dowels be manually inserted through the wheels, so kids can engage in the making process,” Klein said. “We also included a human-machine interface (HMI) touch screen for kids to give them an industrial feel. The screen shows images to guide kids through the steps of making the tractor.”

It was Hemauer’s idea of a Pez dispenser that evolved into the bolt-action idea of the manual insertion of the dowels, similar to how a ball is launched in a pinball machine. The insertion of the dowels is a press-fit operation, with no glue involved.

In their research, the group found that the pull force of a 6- to 10-year-old child is 22 pounds. They made the pull factor of the wheels 60 pounds for added safety and durability, knowing children would try to remove the wheels. They also imagined children would attempt to sit on and ride the tractor, although it is only 6 inches long and 3 inches high. With extra-strong dowels, made of oak, and chamfered wheels for structural integrity, the tractor can support up to 200 pounds.

A controls box mounted on the front of the machine houses the circuit board. They also added a plaque commemorating the professorship project, as well as ash wood brackets to cover the metal brackets on the exterior casing, giving the machine a warmer appearance.

The group enjoyed the cross-disciplinary project and understands the importance of the experience as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce. “Working across majors helps you see other people’s point of view and their strengths,” Gurka said. “We’re building communication skills and the confidence to ask each other questions. It’s being able to admit when you don’t know something and being able to fall back on each other for knowledge.”

A collaboration connecting people to people

The project concludes Dietsche’s three-year G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship, in which various groups of students designed toys with first-graders, created AI rapid prototypes of toys with kindergartners and built a two-wheel toy assembly system to produce a wooden duck, including its body, wings, wheels and dowel axle.

Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson gives a brief history of the collaboration during the capstone presentation.

The collaboration between the engineering and technology department and the city’s Urban Forestry Board began nearly a decade ago with the support of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant. As the city’s ash trees were dying and trees were being cut down, the grant funded the cutting, acquiring, milling, and kiln-drying of the ash wood. The repurposed wood was then used in student projects, creating benches for the City of Menomonie parks.

The projects were fostered under the guidance of Johnson and Nancy Schofield, a former ��Ͽ� professor and member of the Urban Forestry Board, who has since passed.

“Students wanted to see something that they built be used out in the city. Students became leaders and produced projects I never imagined possible,” said Johnson, who was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Menomonie Urban Forestry Board in 2021.

Professor Kevin Dietsche presents Environmental Program Coordinator Megan Hines with a toy wooden tractor and duck.

Students produced more than 20 city benches from the repurposed ash wood between 2018 and 2021, when Johnson retired and Dietsche stepped in to take his place. “This project has impacted how I teach. It follows a high-impact practices model (HIPS), which reinforces the importance of partnerships and hands-on activities, creating a whole team of student leaders,” Dietsche said.

“This project is something special. We’re able to take something dead and dying and give back to the city, with an end goal of showing kids the engineering process – from mechanical and technical to packaging. The real key is connecting people to people,” he added.

Dietsche plans to continue similar projects with the addition of artificial intelligence and circular design practices in the research and development, as well as construction and repair processes.

Graduates from ��Ͽ�’s mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs reported 99.5% employment rate within six months of graduation and an average starting salary of more than $70,000, according to the latest university First Destination Report.

��Ͽ�’s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor’s program in packaging. A master’s in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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Kevin Dietsche

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Master’s in food science students develop ideas for dietary supplements for GLP-1 users with aid of AI tools

goersab — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Master’s in food science students develop ideas for dietary supplements for GLP-1 users with aid of AI toolsgoersab April 30, 2026

More than 300 students, faculty from more than 30 degree fields to share findings, creative works at Research Day on May 5

Abbey Goers

With the rapid increase in the use of GLP-1 weight management and metabolic health medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, food manufacturing companies are influenced to think about new product development for consumers with reduced appetite, early satiety, gastrointestinal discomfort and other related nutrition challenges.

To understand the growing GLP-1 – glucagon-like peptide-1 – consumer market, M.S. food science and technology students at ��Ͽ� are using AI as a research support tool in the early-stage design of evidence-based functional food concepts for GLP-1 users.

Professor Eun Joo Lee, program director of food science technology, designed the project based on observations she made while attending a professional conference last summer. “In several sessions, I saw how quickly the number of consumers using products such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro was growing, and I also noticed that food companies were beginning to explore this as a new market by developing products intended specifically for these users,” she said.

Professor Eun Joo Lee and master’s students in the Nutraceutical/Functional Food course.

With artificial intelligence incorporated across the curriculum at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, the consumer trend made Lee think that the AI-assisted design of products for GLP-1 users would be a timely and meaningful topic for her master’s students in the Nutraceutical/Functional Food course.

The seven student groups will present their findings at ��Ͽ�’s annual Research Day on Tuesday, May 5. They will be among more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, representing more than 30 degree fields at the event.

Research Day

��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Research Day is an annual showcase that underscores the applied learning and research of Wisconsin's polytechnic students.

Research Day invites industry professionals and the campus and surrounding communities to engage with students and faculty and discuss their research and creative works through posters, prototypes, exhibits and collaborative faculty-student oral panel presentations.

AI-assisted design of products for GLP-1 users

In their literature-based and concept-design focused project, students used AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude to help define possible target consumer groups, identify a specific nutrition-related need-state, analyze the current market to compare product concepts and formats, organize market examples, develop literature search ideas and improve communication strategy.

Mama Bear vegan protein hydrogel research group

They also used AI tools to evaluate ingredients and food chemistry feasibility, review scientific literature, and consider claims, labeling, and ethics. In functional food and nutraceutical product development, health-related claims depend not only on the ingredient but also on the product form, intended use, scientific evidence and regulatory limits. In addition, they used Google Gemini to generate imagery for their research projects.

“At the same time, students were required to verify all scientific and market information using peer-reviewed literature, actual product information and other credible sources. Final scientific judgment and strategy decisions remained the students’ responsibility,” Lee said.

Understanding that GLP-1 users often face issues with constipation and bloating, Navya Sree Bathula’s group wanted to research a product to help make digestion more comfortable. “We studied gut health and weight loss last semester as well, and this project let us go deeper into our research,” she said.

The group’s research, “Gut Balance PHGG Calm Bites: AI-Assisted Design of a Chewable Fiber System for Bloating Reduction in GLP-1 Users,” focused on chewable bites to improve digestion and bowel movements and aid in weight loss, using partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) as the main ingredient. PHGG is a natural, water-soluble prebiotic fiber made from guar beans.

PHGG Calm Bites research group

Their proposed idea of Calm Bites would also include ginger and fennel extracts to reduce nausea and bloating, peppermint oil for gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxation, and probiotics.

“We found the most valuable part of this project was the teamwork, building time management and communicating to work well together and distribute the work among us. Each member of the group did their best to dive deep into the research project to make it a success,” Bathula said.

Another group researched “AI-Assisted Design of a Leucine-Rich Vegan Potato Protein Hydrogel Functional Food for Muscle and Digestive Support in GLP-1 Users,” with their target market being women, ages 35 to 55.

Their idea for a product called Mama Bear – an apple-flavored hydrogel for pre- and post-menopausal women – is for GLP-1 users seeking weight loss or for those with diabetes. “We found that some studies suggest lean body mass can account for up to about 40% of total weight lost during GLP-1 therapy,” Sakshi Amreliya said. “That helped us focus on a protein-rich product concept that could support muscle maintenance for GLP-1 users, especially women in our target age group.”

AI-generated images of the Calm Bites and Mama Bear dietary supplement ideas

When analyzing the current market, the group noticed a gap in products addressing this issue. They wanted to introduce a high-volume and easy-to-consume protein gel pouch that supports muscle mass, as well as supports a well-balanced fiber diet.

The group also noticed that most of the protein powders and gels on the market are animal-based, which can cause bloating and discomfort. Their research sought to fill the market gap by introducing a potato protein isolate hydrogel, with added konjac glucomannan as a dietary fiber.

They cross-checked the AI-assisted research with the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, leading researchers in GLP-1-related topics; Food Science and Biotechnology for hydrogel information; and Medicine, Science and Sports and Exercise for consumer information.

Because GLP-1 receptor agonist medications are often administered by injection, a third group studied the possibility of an ingested nutrient shot as a more comfortable method. They researched the “Development of a Low-Volume Synbiotic Nutrient Shot for Early-Stage GLP-1 Users: AI-Guided Functional Food Strategy.”

Synbiotic Nutrient Shot research group

A 60ml synbiotic nutrient shot – a mixture of PHGG, pea protein and probiotics to aid in gut health – is a natural product that promotes the production of GLP-1 hormone in the human body. The group’s concept was based on emerging research suggesting that certain prebiotic fibers and beneficial gut microbes, including Akkermansia muciniphila, may support gut health and endogenous GLP-1-related signaling. However, the students treated this as a literature-based functional food strategy, not as a replacement for GLP-1 medications.

“A nutrient shot would help GLP-1 users feel more full during a meal, helping them feel less hungry and therefore aiding in weight loss,” Dathu Ramvath said. “Compared to other products currently on the market, a synbiotic nutrient shot would be more affordable.”

Students found AI tools useful for brainstorming, organizing ideas, generating poster images and identifying possible market gaps, but they also learned that AI outputs needed to be carefully checked against peer-reviewed literature, actual product information and credible sources.

“We used the AI tools more to help organize and refine our jumbled thoughts,” Amreliya said. “The process was interesting, but we don’t rely 100% on it.”

Ramvath agreed, adding, “We used AI to find articles and asked AI to combine that information. It is a way to gather a lot of information quickly. We learned a lot about how to integrate these methods into our research.”

Outstanding researchers recognized at Research Day

The 2026 Outstanding Researchers will be honored at the Awards Ceremony from 5:15 to 6 p.m. on Research Day, closing the event. The Outstanding Researcher honors for leadership and significant contributions to research and scholarly activities are awarded by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, on behalf of the Provost’s Office and the committee. This year’s recipients are:

Charles Matson Lume, Senior Outstanding Researcher
Yuan Xing, Emerging Outstanding Researcher
Erik Evensen, Outstanding Research Mentor.

Outstanding student researcher awardees are:

Desiah Melby, Graduate Studies
Bonnie Allen, Honorable Mention, Graduate Studies
Reese Hufnagel, CSTEMM, undergraduate
Ella Kemp, CAHS, undergraduate
Michael Romero, Honorable Mention, undergraduate.

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Master’s in food science students develop ideas for dietary supplements for GLP-1 users with aid of AI tools

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M.S. Food Science & Technology

Our M.S. Food Science & Technology program will prepare you for a future as a food technologists/leaders through education, research, and outreach.

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Eun Lee

Dr. Lee (Ph.D., & CFS) is a Professor of Food Science and Technology (FST) program. She received her Ph.D. degree from Korea University (Seoul, Korea) in 2001 and worked at Iowa State University (Ames, IA) as a post-doctor and research scientist (2001-2011). She joined the ��Ͽ� in 2011 as an Assistant Professor, early promoted to an Associate Professor in 2015, tenured in 2017, and promoted to a full Professor in 2020. Dr. Lee served as Evelyn Van Donk Steenbock Endowed Chair (2015-2017), a Graduate Program Director of M.S. Food and Nutritional Sciences program (Jan. 2016-May 2019), and a Department Chair of Food and Nutrition (May 2018-June 2020).

Teaching Interests: Since Fall 2011, Dr. Lee has taught a variety of courses from introductory to graduate-level courses, online courses, and lecture-laboratory combined courses, including General Education (GE) courses and specialized courses to undergraduate and graduate students in the FST program. She developed four new courses (FN123-Science of Food (GE), FN425/625-Food Chemistry, FN435/635-Food Analysis, and FN725-Flavor Chemistry) related to the Food Chemistry area following IFT guideline and has been teaching mainly them so far.

Research Interests: Focused on the food chemistry area, especially “bioactive peptides produced from the egg protein (phosvitin)” and “mechanisms and prevention studies of quality changes of irradiated meats”. She has published more than 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 12 book chapters and received total $ 0.6 M research grants since 2002. Recently, Dr. Lee received the Sabbatical Award, and plans to conduct research for “the production of plant-based meat alternatives using 3D-Food Printing Technology” during the sabbatical year (Sept. 2021-May 2022).

Professional Interests: Dr. Lee has actively involved in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), working in the Food Chemistry Division Leadership Team (2013-2020). She was honorably elected and served as the Division Chair (2017-2018) for 1,400 division members. IFT is the largest international food science association with 17,000 members and evaluates the accreditation of the food science program, which the ��Ͽ� Food Science program received in 2014. As a result of her dedication, she received the IFT Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2016 and two IFT Outstanding Service Awards in 2015 and 2020.

Full Name: Dr. Eun Joo Lee

Job Title: Professor / Program Director

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: Kinesiology, Health, Food & Nutritional Sciences Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Eun Joo Lee CV (412.17 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Food Science and Technology

University: Korea University

Degree: M.S. Food Chemistry

University: Korea University

Degree: B.S. Food and Nutrition

University: Myong Ji University

Degree: Certification of FSPCA training course-"Preventive Controls for Human Food"

University: Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) - August 2016

Degree: Certification of Certified Food Scientist (CFS)

University: Institute of Food Technologist (IFT) - June 2016

Degree: Korean Nutritionist License

University: Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea - April 1992

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Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ��Ͽ� students’ research finds

giffeyt — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ��Ͽ� students’ research findsgiffeyt April 29, 2026

Undergraduate capstone explores hard-to-quantify impacts of conservation work on state’s land and water

Tom Giffey

When the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association needed a partner to help quantify the economic impact of environmental efforts its members were making across the state’s 72 counties, it found what it was looking for at ��Ͽ�.

The resulting research conducted by ��Ͽ� undergraduates last semester has now been presented at the state and national levels and could shape how county land and water conservation departments are funded in Wisconsin.

Through their research, ��Ͽ� seniors Helayna Brown and Ella Kemp determined that these departments have an impact on the state economy of at least $43.8 million annually.

Christina Anderson, associate director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, said county conservation departments work directly with farmers and other landowners to protect the farms, forests, shorelines and waters of the state. Their work is vital, but its value can be hard to quantify when it comes time to justify budget requests, Anderson said.

“The state pays for some of the positions in each county, and through the budget process we’re always looking for ways to show their value,” she said. “What’s the return on investment that the state is making on these important staff in every county? We were hoping that the university could help us identify what that return on investment is locally and statewide.”

This led the organization to seek help from Professor Tina Lee, director of both ��Ͽ�’s Center for Sustainable Communities and its B.S. applied social science program. They found Lee was already well-versed in how county-level land conservation efforts worked.

“It was very nice to work with somebody like her who can jump right in and within one semester have great a product and excellent foundation,” Anderson said.

State Sen. Jeff Smith, left, listens to ��Ͽ� students Ella Kemp, center, and Helayna Brown during Research in the Rotunda at the state Capitol in Madison on March 11. / Submitted photo

Multimillion-dollar economic impact tallied

After the project was proposed, Lee brought it to her applied social science capstone course, and she found two seniors willing to undertake the effort: Brown, of Menomonie, and Kemp, of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The students, both applied social science majors, worked for hundreds of hours over the course of the fall semester on the project. They began by focusing on a survey sent annually by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to county conservation departments. The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, a Madison-based nonprofit that advocates for those offices and their work, knew the survey wasn’t fully capturing the value of county conservation departments' work, as it only focuses on outcomes directly related to state funding. The organization wanted to hear ideas for how to improve or expand the survey. While the survey tallied statistics such as the number of nutrient management plans and acres of cover crops, it didn’t account for the fact that reporting methods varied by county, that project outcomes often take years, nor that much conservation work is indirect.

“It’s harder to quantify the relationship-building and the community impact that we have throughout the work we do,” explained Dunn County Conservationist Chase Cummings, who was among those interviewed by the student researchers. “The public is relying on us to do a lot of things, and it’s hard to put numbers to that.”

The student researchers conducted their own focus group with county conservation workers from around the state, which they followed up with a survey to gather data on topics such as staff time, experience and community engagement. This information was then fed into modeling software to estimate economic impact.

While county conservation offices are typically small, their impact was found to be economically significant: The induced effects, or household spending, generated by conservation budgets totaled $21.6 million annually. In addition, there were direct expenditures of $14 million and indirect effects (such as impacts on supply chains) of $8.1 million. In total, the economic output was an estimated $43.8 million each year.

��Ͽ� student Ella Kemp's capstone project focused on calculating the economic impact of county land and water conservation work in Wisconsin.

Students’ skills complement each other

Kemp said the project embodied the real-world impact she was seeking when she enrolled at ��Ͽ�, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.

“Instead of solely reading literature and working with previously published data, I was able to meet with people across the state and discuss issues directly impacting Wisconsin communities,” said Kemp, who after graduating in May will take a job as a research analyst with Expert Institute in Milwaukee.

Kemp said the capstone project was especially challenging – and rewarding – because it focused on both qualitative and quantitative questions. “It was definitely a tougher project, but really well worth it in the long run based on the impact that it can have for conservation departments,” she said.

Lee, who advised the capstone alongside Assistant Professor Courtney Juelich, said the two student researchers were able to apply their skills to different aspects of the project.

“Ella is really good at quantitative data analysis both from her background in economics and as a math minor,” Lee explained. She was able to quickly learn the skills needed to conduct the economic impact analysis, and she consulted with Professor Chris Ferguson to use specialized software to do so.

��Ͽ� applied social science student Helayna Brown's capstone project focused on calculating the economic impact of county land and water conservation departments in Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, Lee added, “Helayna is passionate about the environment and has a background in environmental science. She is also more qualitatively oriented and took the lead in conducting and analyzing the focus group and interviews. It really did end up being a wonderful team.”

Brown said she was surprised by how much she and Kemp were able to learn through their research. “When we were first given the project opportunity, I was excited but somewhat skeptical about whether I could actually evaluate and improve a government survey,” she said. “As we got into the work, I was able to apply the methods I’ve learned throughout my academic career. It was great to use the skills I have learned in a project with real-life consequences.”

Brown and Kemp were able to identify that the existing state survey didn’t adequately account for many of the hours county conservation workers spent building relationships nor the work they do to preserve the state’s forests. Some of the work falls outside the scope of DATCP funding, and therefore has not typically been captured in the survey. That gap, they said, could be addressed in future surveys.

Brown, who plans to pursue a graduate degree in environmental studies, said making the survey more comprehensive through the suggested additions can help it “fully reflect the hard work of department staff and the diversity of Wisconsin.”

��Ͽ� Professor Tina Lee, center, poses with students Helayna Brown, left, and Ella Kemp at Research in the Rotunda. / Submitted photo

Research finds state, national audiences

While their research was only recently completed, Brown and Kemp have already had several opportunities to share it with wider audiences. They were among students from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses to present their work at the state Capitol in Madison during the annual Research in the Rotunda event on March 11. They also were part of the ��Ͽ� contingent who attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, April 13-15, in Richmond, Virginia.

Lee is confident that the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association will be able to use the report, specifically by employing the students’ recommendations to make it easier to track the work being done on the county level.

“Helayna and Ella skillfully blended an analysis of existing data with a deeper dive into the day-to-day work of county land and water conservation departments through talking with them in an open-ended way about their work. They were really able to capture aspects of the work of county departments that aren’t currently measured and use that to make recommendations about how to improve reporting.”

The work is a prime example of how students at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University extend their focus far beyond the campus.

“This capstone really embodies the polytechnic tenets of applied learning, business and industry collaboration, and career focus,” Lee explained. “Ella and Helayna were able to apply what they have learned in the social sciences to a real-world problem that has real stakes for the state’s economy and environment.”

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Undergraduate capstone explores hard-to-quantify impacts of conservation work on state’s land and water State Sen. Jeff Smith and ��Ͽ� students at Research in the Rotunda 2026

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B.S. Applied Social Science

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Search Keywords: applied social sciencestudent researchconservation

Hero Caption: The Red Cedar River near Menomonie.

Tina Lee

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

Full Name: Dr. Tina Lee

Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Certificate Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: Social Science Department

Program

All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: Tina Lee CV (57.7 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Anthropology

University: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: Women's Studies Certificate Women's Studies

University: Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: M.A. Anthropology

University: Arizona State University

Degree: B.A. Anthropology

University: University of Houston

CACHSS

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Kintsugi 3D Viewer application by computer science senior brings cultural heritage to users worldwide

goersab — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:43:44 +0000

Kintsugi 3D Viewer application by computer science senior brings cultural heritage to users worldwidegoersab April 27, 2026

Kosharek’s is one of 10 ��Ͽ� projects presented at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Abbey Goers

Imagine being able to view the world’s cultural treasures from the comfort of your own home. To enter international museums from your computer screen and admire paintings, sculptures and artifacts as clearly as if you were standing right in the gallery yourself, all with the click of a button.

With the world becoming increasingly digital, ��Ͽ� computer science senior Melissa Koskarek’s Kintsugi 3D Viewer software is helping to make that happen. Through Kintsugi 3D, a creation of computer science Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff, Kosharek and a team of faculty and fellow student researchers are producing software that allows museums to preserve their collections by creating true-to-life, interactive 3D digital models to exhibit for viewers around the globe.

Melissa Kosharek presents her Kintsugi 3D Viewer software research at NCUR 2026. / Melissa Kosharek

“Access to cultural heritage objects is a significant part of human history, serving as relics to what life was like in the past. These relics are one-of-a-kind and are only available at one place, at one time,” Kosharek said. “We can help share the human experience further beyond what was originally possible by having it readily available to be viewed by anyone in the world with access to these technologies.”

Kosharek presented her user-centered design research – Expanding Cultural Heritage Digital Curation and Dissemination Using Kintsugi 3D Viewer – at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, April 13-15, in Richmond, Virginia.

She was one of 11 ��Ͽ� students presenting 10 research projects at NCUR, the largest symposium of its kind. The annual event, which drew nearly 4,000 students from institutions across the country, promotes research, scholarship and other creative activity by undergraduates in all fields of study.

“Conducting undergraduate research builds career skills that all employers are looking for – critical thinking, ability to analyze data to make good decisions, communication skills, time management and more. It’s an opportunity for students to grow personally and professionally as they become experts in a topic. I really love getting to see them present their research,” said anthropology Professor Tina Lee, who attended the event as a student research mentor.

Eleven ��Ͽ� students presented 10 research projects at NCUR 2026, in Richmond, Virginia. / Tina Lee

NCUR connects students with peers, faculty, and mentors as they share their posters, oral presentations, visual arts and performances. It helps students gain insight as they shape their academic and career paths.

Kintsugi 3D Viewer application

While similar to photogrammetry, which combines hundreds of photos from different angles to create a 3D model, Kintsugi offers more. It captures the essence of materials, textures, color, brightness and specularity – the reflectivity of a surface and how it varies – allowing users to examine artwork in greater detail, as if they were walking through a gallery in person.

Tetzaff’s software project received a $75,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant, as well as funding from ��Ͽ�’s Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, and a grant from WiSys, which has helped pay for students to work to improve the software. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and Cultural Heritage Imaging have been invaluable partners and have graciously dedicated hours of time to the project, Tetzlaff said.

Software by ��Ͽ� professor, students helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3D

Kintsugi 3D used by Minneapolis Institute of Art, other institutions to capture surface details of heritage objects

Kosharek’s 3D Viewer application is just one element of Kintsugi 3D. She is one of more than a dozen ��Ͽ� students from a variety of disciplines who contributed to the software.

“Melissa has made great contributions to the Kintsugi 3D project,” Tetzlaff said. “One of the things that’s unique about Melissa is that, while she’s pursuing a degree in computer science, she also has a strong interest in user experience research and design. Her skillset in design and programming has allowed her to both design and implement new features for the Kintsugi 3D Viewer.

“Ultimately, our goal is for this software to be a free and open-source viewer app that makes it easier for museums to host 3D models on their websites, and Melissa’s work has made significant strides towards that goal,” he said.

At the intersection of research, design and development

For nearly a year, Kosharek, from Dickeyville, has been focusing on adding features to the Kintsugi 3D Viewer application to help collection curators manage and configure collections of 3D models to elevate the viewing experience for the public.

Menu additions to the Kintsugi 3D Viewer, showing a model of 'Handover of a Fortified City to Emperor Maximilian I' / Courtesy of Charles Walbridge of the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Kosharek is also working to bring the Viewer application closer to other current applications, such as SketchFab or Voyager. She designed the wireframes for what the user interface looks like and is developing functionality.

Through user research, led by mentors Tetzlaff and Instructional Designer Darcy Hannen, Kosharek had the opportunity to work directly with cultural heritage professionals at worldwide institutions, who sought to create models of artifacts in their collections, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia).

“By working with my target audience, I gained an understanding of their workflow and needs, instead of assuming what would work. It was a very fun and interesting iteration cycle, where I learned the perspective of experts and the people who will be using the software. This helped make the software the best it can be, which is the focus of user-centered design,” Kosharek said.

Undergraduate research helped Kosharek learn to take ownership of her work and gave her a unique experience different than her peers. “I built a lot of the skills I need in class, but Kintsugi has been the main place where I can work at the intersection of research, design and development in a more comprehensive way beyond the scope of what one class can offer,” she said.

A Kintsugi 3D Viewer rendering of 'Cacus in Hell,' a 19th century sculpture / Courtesy of Charles Walbridge of the Minneapolis Institute of Art

“Presenting my work is the culmination of my efforts and, in a sense, I get to ‘brag’ about what I was able to accomplish. I was very excited to go to NCUR, not just to show off my own work, but to see what others have been able to accomplish,” she said.

Kosharek will graduate in May and is searching for full-time positions in the user experience, game production and event coordination fields.

Additional ��Ͽ� student researchers at NCUR, their topics and their mentors were:

Jamal Abdo, applied social science senior from St. Paul: Analyzing Safety Associated with Lighting in Menomonie. Mentors Tina Lee and Courtney Juelich.
Helayna Brown, of Menomonie, and Ella Kemp, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, both applied social science seniors: Return on Investment of the Work of County Land and Water Conservation Departments in Wisconsin. Mentors Tina Lee and Nicole Hayes.
Natalie Chartrand, chemistry junior from St. Croix Falls: Investigating Para-phenylenediamine Levels in Hair Dyes, Henna, and Tattoo Inks. Mentor Ana Magdalena Vande Linde.
Ashlyn Dellemann, applied social science senior from Two Rivers: Issues with Rental Housing Quality in Dunn County. Mentors Tina Lee and Courtney Juelich.
Bryanna Hoffman, biochemistry and molecular biology senior from Eau Claire: Engineering Luciferase-Based Bioluminescent Reporters in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli to Monitor Glucose Uptake. Mentor Marcia Miller-Rodeberg.
Ella Kemp, applied social science senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Playing for Passion, Not Pay: Economic Trade-Offs and NIL Awareness in Division III Women’s Soccer. Mentor Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus.
Evan Mancl, applied social science fall 2025 graduate from Chippewa Falls: The Social Construction of Cemeteries and Grief in the Chippewa Valley. Mentors Tina Lee and Courtney Juelich.
Dane Talbott Settle, industrial design senior from Madison: Nebi: Reinventing Mechanisms in Lighting Design. Mentor Jennifer Astwood.
Sarah Ulsberger, applied social science senior from Fort Atkinson: Digital Aesthetics and Identities of ��Ͽ� Students: Perceptions of Authenticity in Identity-Driven Marketing. Mentors Tina Lee and Courtney Juelich.

��Ͽ�’s annual Research Day, on Tuesday, May 5, will celebrate the work of students, faculty, and staff from all fields through research posters, exhibits, visual art and design displays, collaborative student-faculty presentations, a pitch competition and an award ceremony. Community members and business and industry partners are invited to learn more about the projects and how research and creative works are enhancing and revolutionizing the way we live, work and understand the world.

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Kintsugi 3D Viewer application by computer science senior brings cultural heritage to users worldwide

Kosharek’s is one of 10 ��Ͽ� projects presented at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Kosharek’s is one of 10 ��Ͽ� projects presented at National Conference on Undergraduate Research Kintsugi 3D Viewer student researcher Melissa Kosharek

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Michael Tetzlaff

Michael Tetzlaff is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. He received his B.S. from Bethel University in St. Paul, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include image-based computer graphics techniques and especially their applications in cultural heritage. He is the lead developer of Kintsugi 3D, an open-source software project for empirically based rendering of 3D cultural heritage artifacts captured using photogrammetry.

Full Name: Michael Tetzlaff

Job Title: Assistant Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Interactive Computer Graphics Photogrammetry User Experience Design Game Design and Development

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department

Curriculum Vitae: Michael Tetzlaff CV (244.64 KB)

Website: Kintsugi 3D Project Website

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: B.S. Computer Science

University: Bethel University

Degree: B.A. Physics

University: Bethel University

CSTEMM

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News

Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

LAKES REU researchers

Urban stream management and restoration

Circular economy in the Red Cedar watershed

Viewpoints on data center developments

Understanding sustainable behaviors and goals

Experience LAKES REU

���Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system

From lab to lunar environment

SMART Scholarship recipient guaranteed employment upon graduation

Mentor comes full circle

Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistant

Student’s research aims at space debris

Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

#StoutProud: Todd Treichel ('90)

���Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists

Field Hydrology course

Red Cedar River Basin Internship Program

Water in Western Wisconsin high school camp

Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin Research Experience for Undergraduates

From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up

Our process

Influencer dreams

The limited role of schools

When dreams don’t match reality

Ed.D. Career & Technical Education Leadership Online

M.S. Career & Technical Education

B.S. Career, Technical Education & Training Online

Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for ���Ͽ� graduate

‘A crazy yet rewarding experience’

Video enjoyed by viewers worldwide

B.S. Video Production

Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistant

Debris landing on Earth

Atmospheric reentry

More launches

Carbon fiber

Design for demise

B.S. Physics

Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process

An interactive toy manufacturing experience for kids

A collaboration connecting people to people

B.S. Manufacturing Engineering

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Master’s in food science students develop ideas for dietary supplements for GLP-1 users with aid of AI tools

Research Day

AI-assisted design of products for GLP-1 users

Outstanding researchers recognized at Research Day

M.S. Food Science & Technology

Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ���Ͽ� students’ research finds

Multimillion-dollar economic impact tallied

Students’ skills complement each other

Research finds state, national audiences

Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC)

B.S. Applied Social Science

Kintsugi 3D Viewer application by computer science senior brings cultural heritage to users worldwide

Kintsugi 3D Viewer application

Software by ���Ͽ� professor, students helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3D

At the intersection of research, design and development

B.S. Computer Science

��Ͽ� Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system

��Ͽ� Polytechnic's Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group trains next generation of water scientists

Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for ��Ͽ� graduate

Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ��Ͽ� students’ research finds

Software by ��Ͽ� professor, students helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3D