UW-Stevens Point recognized nationally for research efforts

WOOD COUNTY--The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was rated nationally among Research Colleges and Universities by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education.
The designation is for institutions that award at least $2.5 million on research and development each year. UW-Stevens Point is among 218 universities and colleges in the United States with this designation, and among just eight in the state.
UW-Stevens Point was awarded $6.89 million in new research grant funding during fiscal year 2024, much of which funded projects for students and faculty within the College of Letters and Science and College of Natural Resources. Sources included federal and state natural resources and conservation organizations, health organizations and other universities.
“UW-Stevens Point greatly values research and the educational opportunities it brings to our students and faculty,” said Chancellor Thomas Gibson. “The university also emphasizes undergraduate research, with faculty members working closely with students on innovative projects that are included in published articles and presentations. Many of our students co-author and present research before they begin graduate school or professional careers.”
Both UW-Stevens Point’s College of Letters and Science and the College of Natural Resources have annually showcased undergraduate student research for the past 25 years, offering public symposiums on campus. Students offer both poster and oral presentations that highlight work with faculty mentors. The university also has a variety of majors, from biology to business, represented at the annual Research in the Rotunda held at the Wisconsin capitol each spring, which gives students the opportunity to present their research to state legislators.

Chemistry Professor Nate Bowling is consistently awarded grants from the National Science Foundation for ambitious electron transfer research that synthesizes and studies the properties of molecules that never existed before. He has worked with more than 80 students since 2013, with many being his co-authors of articles in high-level academic journals.
Last Jan., a team of UW-Stevens Point faculty members and students were awarded one of three Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grants, with $175,000 for research on phytoremediation, the removal of synthetic materials from Wisconsin soils using living plants. The project could be funded an additional $400,000 after the two-year study is completed in Dec. 2025.
“Research is a critical component across the Universities of Wisconsin and I’m proud that UW-Stevens Point has been designated by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation as among the top Research Colleges and Universities,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.