SAULT STE MARIE — Lake Superior State University is expanding its Great Lakes research capacity through a $3 million investment from donors Dick and Theresa Barch. The gift establishes the Richard and Barch Endowed Executive Directorship, which is the first named directorship in the university’s history.
The donation supports the university’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education in Sault Ste. Marie. The funding will be used to create an Excellence Fund for student research, acquire advanced equipment and purchase a larger research vessel for applied fieldwork.
The investment establishes an Excellence Fund at the university’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education, known as CFRE. This fund will support student research projects and the purchase of advanced scientific equipment. It will also provide a new, larger research vessel to give students more opportunities for fieldwork on the Great Lakes.
The center serves as a regional hub for freshwater research and workforce development. Staff and students regularly collaborate with tribal, federal and state agencies to address environmental challenges. Dr. Ashley Moerke serves as the executive director at CFRE and noted the gift’s regional significance.
“This investment strengthens our ability to grow research and student training at a scale that impacts not only LSSU, but all those who appreciate the Great Lakes and freshwater ecosystems,” Moerke said. She added that the resources will help the center gather data to inform conservation and resource management across the region.
The donation arrives as the university expands its academic offerings in natural resources. Dr. Kevin Kapuscinski is a professor and the holder of the Vanderploeg Endowed Assistant Directorship at CFRE. He emphasized the importance of the timing for the university’s new accelerated degree options.
“This level of support enables us to expand the scope of our research and involve more students directly in applied fieldwork,” Kapuscinski said. He noted that the upgraded equipment will help protect the Great Lakes while training students for careers in the management of natural resources.
LSSU recently launched an accelerated 4+1 Master’s Program in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. This program allows students to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in five years. Aiden Cardwell is a senior Fisheries and Wildlife Management student and is among the first to enroll in the program.Cardwell has worked at the center for two years analyzing water quality and sampling fish. “The Barch Center and all that it facilitates, has been instrumental in shaping my professional and personal life, my sense of place and my appreciation for freshwater and fishery sciences —an impact this generous gift will ensure is felt by many others to come,” Cardwell said.
The center also leads specific research projects with international partners. One current project involves oil spill research using mesocosms to replicate freshwater conditions. This study is conducted in partnership with Algoma University, the University of Windsor and the U.S. Coast Guard.Richard Barch, who has a long history of supporting the university with Barch, said the center provides experiences that textbooks cannot replicate. He described the value of students working directly in wetlands and marshes.
“Turning over rocks in a river or along a lake bottom brings a kind of personal satisfaction that deepens learning and reveals the complexity of ecosystems,” Barch said. “Getting wet, cold and muddy in waders isn’t a side note at LSSU, but a defining part of the student experience and one you won’t find in an urban campus setting.”
Students in the new accelerated Master’s Program in Fisheries and Wildlife Management will continue to complete research-based theses using the new equipment and vessel. The endowed directorship is expected to assist the university in pursuing future external funding and research partnerships.