Under pressure from Gov. Jim Doyle, the UW System withdrew Tuesday from a funding dispute between UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee over research related to water technology.
The conflict centered on funding for a Madison-based freshwater research consultant, Jeff Smoller, who is on leave from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Smoller serves on The Daily Cardinal Board of Directors.
Located near one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, UW-Milwaukee is currently planning to build a school specifically for freshwater research. Although the hiring of this consultant did not directly affect UW-Milwaukee's funding, they saw it as the state spending money unnecessarily on UW-Madison, the system's largest research institution.
""Madison greatly, greatly out-receives Milwaukee,"" said Eric Peterson, chief of staff for state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee. ""This project is something that Milwaukee has been working on for a long time.""
Taylor and other Milwaukee lawmakers urged the removal of funding for Smoller to keep the investment for the water research in Milwaukee.
""We are happy to see that the funding has been removed from that position,"" Peterson said.
However, UW System spokesperson David Giroux said although he understands Milwaukee's concerns, the contract agreement would not have diminished Milwaukee's role as Wisconsin's center for freshwater research.
""We've done a lot to prepare UW-Milwaukee to take a lead role for this very exciting idea in Milwaukee,"" Giroux said, citing funding for the new freshwater research school.
However, Giroux said some people in Milwaukee misunderstood the funding for the consultant as undermining research efforts the new freshwater school will provide.
""I think if there's a problem here it is that the UW System has not done a good enough job explaining all the things in support of Milwaukee and UW-Milwaukee specifically,"" Giroux said We've got to do a better job at getting the word out.""
