The MSU Water Alliance is helping faculty connect across disciplines, supporting student and young professional research, and turning scientific expertise into real-world solutions. Launched in 2023, the alliance brings together more than 230 scientists, specialists, educators, students and community partners to address issues such as water quality at our beaches, PFAS contamination, climate resilience, flooding, shoreline erosion, aging infrastructure, and water affordability with the goal of advancing water solutions that serve communities in Michigan and beyond.

In its second year, the Water Alliance has focused on building campus connections through interdisciplinary research and public engagement. The alliance continues to foster collaboration, partnering with the World Bank and its senior economist, Claire Chase, to establish a seminar series and connecting with the MSU Broad College of Business to form a university-industry working group on water science, data and innovation.

Additionally, the alliance’s three interdisciplinary hubs, led by MSU faculty and community leaders, are advancing solutions at the intersection of science, policy and public need. The OneHealth hub is leading PFAS-related community engagement and conducting research on exposure to contaminant mixtures and broader issues of water security. The Food-Energy-Water, or FEW, hub is developing proposals on energy and water supply solutions for rural communities. And the Ecology hub is producing a manuscript that defines Michigan’s freshwater estuaries. Together, these hubs reflect the alliance’s commitment to partnership and impact-driven research.