Minnesota Water Research Fund: The First Five Years

| MWRF | Minnesota Water Research Fund

MWRF MISSION:

By providing sustained water research funding and partnerships with outside stakeholders, UMN CEGE can develop innovative research to improve water treatment technologies and water quality in the environment and to enhance public health, while also attracting more water research experts to the University.

MWRF ADVISORY COMMITTEE Bernie Bullert (Chair) BCE 1968, MBA 1977, UMN SL-serco Michelle Stockness (Vice Chair) BSCiE 2001, Univ. of Missouri-Columbia Barr Engineering

David Allen

BA Mass Comm. 1993, UMN SL-serco

Lisa Cerney

BCE 1999, UMN Hennepin County

Tricia Christensen

BSCE 2001, South Dakota State Univ. Black & Veatch

Bo Johnston

MSCE 2005, UMN Black & Veatch

Andrew Ohrt

MSCE 2005, UMN West Yost

Naeem Qureshi

MSCE 1985, UMN Sambatek

Karl Streed

BCE 1972, UMN

Stew Thornley

BS Bus. Administration 1981, UMN MN Department of Health

Shannon Wolkerstorfer

UMN External Relations

Minnesota Water Research Fund: The First Five Years

Author: Tricia Christensen is a MWRF Advisory Committee member. She has spent her 20 plus year career in water and is currently the Upper Midwest Planning and Asset Management Lead at Black & Veatch. She can be contacted at christensenp@bv.com.

What can be done in five years? A lot, according to water research champion Bernie Bullert. Five years ago, Bullert embarked on a journey to create a water research fund at the University of Minnesota (UMN). Today the Minnesota Water Research Fund (MWRF) is thriving and making an impact in Minnesota and beyond.

The MWRF had humble beginnings, just like founder Bernie Bullert, who grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm and was the first in his family to graduate from college. In 1968 he earned a Bachelor’s of Civil Engineering and later in 1977, a Master’s in Business Administration, both from UMN. Following college, Bullert got a job with Saint Paul Regional Water Resources, where he spent 35 years climbing the ranks to general manager, a position he held for 12 years. He later became director of water treatment and distribution services for the City of Minneapolis, and he now consults part time. Bullert has a passion for sustainable water systems, is a natural leader, and no stranger to hard work. It comes as no surprise that he has big plans for MWRF.

Bullert established the MWRF Advisory Committee and continues to inspire the team to work toward the vision of enabling UMN to be a national leader in innovative water research, to improve public health, and protect Minnesota’s water resources. The Advisory Committee is composed of UMN alumni and industry professionals who have an interest in supporting water research in Minnesota. Many of the committee members started volunteering because of their deep commitment to Bullert and now are personally committed to MWRF’s mission and goals.

“Water is vital to everyone’s health and to business and industry. Water resources are impacted by human activity, which changes the amount and quality of water available for all water needs on the planet. These impacts on water need to be researched so we will continue to have adequate supplies of quality water.” – Bernie Bullert

FUNDRAISING The fund’s short-term goal is to provide annual research grants for faculty and students working in water treatment and water resource management. MWRF’s long-term goal is to raise $2 million to create an endowed chair to support a UMN faculty member who is an international leader in the field.

The largest fundraising event supporting MWRF is Give to the Max Day, which is November 17, 2022. This is a day when Minnesotans come together to donate to nonprofits and schools across the state. In addition to seeking individual donations, the advisory council is working hard to identify partnership models to cultivate industry support. MWRF is actively seeking fellow visionaries to make the dream of longterm, ongoing water research a reality for Minnesota.

RESEARCH MWRF’s mission is to provide sustained funding for innovative UMN water research which will improve water treatment technologies and water quality in the environment. MWRF also aims to improve public health, protect water resources, and ensure the next generation of water industry leaders will make decisions grounded in solid research.

So far, MWRF has been making annual distributions in the range of $5,000 – $10,000, which have funded 8 projects and one significant research equipment purchase. The Advisory Committee reviews project requests each year and recommends one to two projects for funding. True to Bullert’s roots, many of the funded research projects address problems unique to Minnesota’s rural areas. The Advisory Committee also aims to support emerging research, providing seed funding for projects that do not yet have other funding sources. MWRF has positively impacted multiple UMN professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students who work on the research projects.

MWRF IMPACT – RESEARCH PROJECTS • 2022: Phosphorus Retention in Stormwater Ponds: Professor Emeritus

John Gulliver with PhD candidate Vinicius Taguchi • 2022: Quarternary Ammonium Compounds in MN Waters – Effects of the

COVID-19 Pandemic: Professor William Arnold • 2021: Impacts of Vegetation on Surface Water/Groundwater Interactions:

Assistant Professor Judy Yang • 2021: Purchase of ISCO Automated Water Sampling Devices for Use in

Water Research and Teaching CEGE Students • 2020: Optimization of Water Quality Monitoring in Streams: Adjunct Associate

Professor Paul Capel • 2019: Water-Conscious Cultivar Selection for Protecting Minnesota

Groundwater: Assistant Professor Xue Feng with PhD candidate

Brandon Sloan • 2018: Integrated Biocatalysis and Reactor Design for Clean Water and

Energy from Waste: Professor Paige Novak • 2018: N-nitrosodimethylamine Precursors in the Upper Mississippi River:

Professor Raymond Hozalski • 2017: Innovative Nitrogen Removal: Graduate student Anndee Huff working with Professor Paige Novak

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EDUCATION MWRF is also a proponent of industry education, hosting regular virtual events for students and professionals interested in the state of water. Last year’s educational event highlighted the UMN Water Council, a new interdisciplinary team bringing UMN scholars and resources together to tackle the pressing concern of access to clean water in the 21st Century.

MWRF started five years ago as the vision of one man. Today, MWRF can boast that it has provided funding for several projects, educated many students and water professionals, raised funds toward its long-term goal of an endowed chair at UMN, and positively impacted students, researchers, water professionals and their communities.

There is no doubt that water research plays an essential role in the future of our cities, states, and nation. MWRF is committed to ongoing water research that will enhance Minnesota’s economy and the health of Minnesota citizens, now and for future generations.

To support the MWRF or become a thought partner, please contact Bernie Bullert at bernie.bullert@sl-serco.com or another member of the Advisory Committee. More information about the MWRF can be found online at cse.umn.edu/cege/minnesota-waterresearch-fund.

This article is one of a four-part series that will be published in the Breeze. Next quarter’s article will highlight the importance of water research in Minnesota. Future articles will focus on the impact MWRF has on students, faculty, and the university.

The MWRF will have a booth near the registration table at the MN AWWA Conference in Duluth. Many of the MWRF Advisory Committee members are active participants in MN AWWA. Bernie Bullert, Michelle Stockness, Tricia Christensen, Bo Johnston, Andrew Ohrt, and Naeem Qureshi will all be attending the conference this year. Please stop by the MWRF Booth to visit or catch them at the social and technical events. •

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