Plenary: Collaborative Approaches that Connect Science to Conservation and Restoration
Organized by: Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
Watch the July 13, 2026 plenary recording here!
Description:
To address water challenges such as PFAS, phosphorus pollution, and other issues, water research must be highly collaborative. The most effective water research and education pull together diverse stakeholders who are invested in solving problems and sharing unique perspectives. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin model brings together multiple stakeholder groups to train future water professionals. Learn how faculty and staff from Universities of Wisconsin institutions are creating collaborative research and programs with partners from K-12 schools, nonprofits and advocacy groups, government agencies, industries and communities.
Panelists:
Distinguished Professor and Director, Environmental Research and Innovation Center, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Dr. Greg Kleinheinz is a Madison, WI native and has a B.S. from Northern Michigan University, a Ph.D. from Michigan Tech University. He serves as Distinguished Professor and Director of the Environmental Research and Innovation Center at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has worked on Great Lakes water issues for 25+ years. Dr. Kleinheinz and his group operate four state-certified labs on the Great Lakes. He is a registered sanitarian in Wisconsin and Michigan, POWTS Inspector, and license well pump installer in Wisconsin. Dr. Kleinheinz and his beach group conduct beach monitoring and/or research in 12 Wisconsin counties with a summer research group of over 50 students working at over 100 beaches. He led the redesign of 60 Wisconsin beaches for sustainable stormwater management. His group conducts the analysis of over 8,000 surface water samples, 10,000 drinking water samples, and 350 well inspections annually.
Associate Professor and Director, Center for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Dr. Jessica Orlofske is an Associate Professor in the Biological Sciences Department and the Director of the Center for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside. Dr. Orlofske teaches a variety of courses, including invertebrate zoology, parasitology, principles of ecology, freshwater ecology, and biostatistics. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and graduate degrees from Iowa State University and the University of New Brunswick (Canada). Dr. Orlofske’s research focuses on invertebrate conservation and environmental monitoring. Dr. Orlofske applies her research interests to study threatened and endangered invertebrates and developing methods that employ invertebrates to assess ecosystem health. She is also involved in community outreach with colleagues and partners, including the UW-Parkside Root River Environmental Education Community Center and the Milwaukee Public Museum.
Outreach Program Manager, School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Liz Sutton leads outreach and community engagement at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, building connections between researchers and Great Lakes communities. She has established the School’s outreach department and plays a key role in regional collaborations such as the Water Connectors network and Milwaukee’s One Water, Our Water initiative. In 2018, Liz served as a Science Communications Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust aboard the E/V Nautilus, sharing live research with public audiences around the world. A former educator and museum professional, she continues to focus on translating science into meaningful, accessible experiences. Liz is currently pursuing a master’s in science communication from Stony Brook University.
Outreach Program Manager, Lake Superior Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Superior
Alan Brew is the Outreach Program Manager for the Lake Superior Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He earned his undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and his graduate degrees in literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the Lake Superior Research Institute, Alan worked as a professor and as the director of an environmental institute. In both roles, he developed and delivered place-based courses and programs that focused on the Lake Superior region.
Director of Freshwater Strategy, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Emily Tyner is the Director of Freshwater Strategy at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, a position she has held since 2020. In this role Emily manages both on-campus and community programs around water and is the state lead on the designation of a new National Estuarine Research Reserve for the bay of Green Bay. Before her current role, Emily spent five field seasons as a biological technician at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore while completing graduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences.
Moderator:
Executive Director, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
Dr. Marissa Jablonski is a water engineer, environmental advisor, and plastics-reduction expert who has worked in more than 45 countries, turning sustainability goals into measurable results. She serves as Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. After earning her PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, she taught peacebuilding, engineering, and physics before moving to Washington, DC, to influence environmental policy at the national and global level. As an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at USAID, she advised and supported public diplomacy efforts across international education and infrastructure. Selected as an Embassy Science Fellow by the U.S. Embassy in Thailand and the Phuket Hotels Association, she designed and led a groundbreaking model that helped hotels dramatically cut single-use plastics—proving that real sustainability happens when science, policy, and action align.
