New Chief Technology Officer Joins The Water Council

UW-Milwaukee and The Water Council Partner to Further Innovation and Commercialization in Water

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and The Water Council recently announced Dr. David Garman as the new Chief Technology Officer for The Water Council. Dr. Garman will specifically lead The Water Council’s new initiative called the ICE (Innovation Commercialization Exchange) Institute while continuing his role as the associate vice chancellor for water technology, research, and development for UWM.

Demand for freshwater has led to global recognition of the need to bring new water technologies to market. Doing so will require a close collaboration between industry and researchers at top universities and research centers. The new partnership between The Water Council and UWM builds on their already close relationship and gives industry greater access to the scientists associated with the National Science Foundation and other federal laboratories.

“This is a very exciting concept to directly link research labs with global water industry needs. I am pleased to be part of The Water Council team to implement this and would like to thank UWM for its support and foresight in involving me in this important initiative,” said David Garman. “My involvement with a team of professionals to evaluate and match these is in itself an innovation that recognizes both the expertise in the University and the opportunity for transfer to industry.”

At UWM, Garman is responsible for strategic water visioning, stimulating interdisciplinary research and translation of research for industry, major funding acquisition in this area, and new water technology development. He served previously as the executive director of a cooperative research center in Australia - one of the first such centers dedicated to university-industry partnerships for new technology development, in the area of waste management and pollution control. He also successfully led an industry-university cooperative center in environmental biotechnology until he moved to Milwaukee in 2011 as the founding dean of UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences.

"The Water Council and our members are very fortunate to significantly expand our working relationship with David Garman, who is universally considered one of the few global leaders that can create close ties between industry and research professionals," said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. "David's technical expertise adds a tremendous and essential dimension as we advance the ICE Institute."

“Public research universities like UW-Milwaukee introduce vital research that drives human, scientific, and technological discovery,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “David’s dual roles with UWM and The Water Council will accelerate water industry innovations that can be commercialized and benefit society. This kind of engaged research-technology partnership serves as a nexus to link fundamental research with practical applications and global problem solving.”

UWM and The Water Council have enjoyed a strong partnership since the Council’s formation in 2009. Now retired, UWM Professor Sammis White and his urban planning students helped identify the 150 water technology companies that make up southeastern Wisconsin’s water industry cluster.

UWM joined The Water Council in the Global Water Center, where UWM scientists and students work side-by-side with industry partners to conduct early stage research. Technology developed there includes lead sensors to protect drinking water and ballast water monitors that can detect invasive species before they get into the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, The Water Council and its industry partners, along with the National Science Foundation, are underwriting the development of other technologies through the UWM/Marquette Water Equipment and Policy Industry and University Cooperative Research Center, directed by UWM engineering professor Junhong Chen.

With the launch of the ICE Institute, The Water Council is debuting a new membership structure for the organization with special reduced memberships through Dec. 31, 2016. More information on this promotion and about ICE Institute can be found at www.thewatercouncil.com/ice.

About the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Recognized as one of the nation’s 115 top research universities, UW-Milwaukee provides a world-class education to more than 27,000 students from 81 countries. Its 14 schools and colleges include Wisconsin’s only schools of architecture, freshwater sciences, and public health, and it is a leading educator of nurses and teachers. With a budget of $667M, UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, offer student internships, and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2016 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews.

About The Water Council
The Water Council was established in 2009 by Milwaukee-area businesses, education, and government leaders. The nonprofit organization, consisting of more than 180 members, links together global water technology companies, innovative water entrepreneurs, acclaimed academic research programs and, most importantly, some of the nation’s brightest and most energetic water professionals. The Water Council is capturing the attention of the world and transforming the Milwaukee region into a World Water Hub for freshwater research, economic development, and education. For more information, visit www.thewatercouncil.com.

About ICE Institute
In September 2016 The Water Council launched ICE (Innovation Commercialization Exchange) Institute, a groundbreaking commercialization initiative that will match manufacturers, utilities, and the agricultural industry with promising water and water-related technology research and innovations for advancement into the marketplace. As part of a dramatic expansion of The Water Council, the ICE Institute will aggregate, evaluate, and connect emerging technologies that address water issues across a wide range of industries. Working in partnership with the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and Alliance for Water Stewardship – North America, the ICE Institute will serve as a technology-vetting program. For more information, visit www.thewatercouncil.com/ice.