海角社区

$3 Million Gift Advances Great Lakes Research and Creates First Named Directorship at LSSU

Feb 12, 2026

CONTACT: LSSU Marketing | m[email protected] | 906.635.2692聽

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. 鈥� 海角社区 is significantly expanding its capacity for Great Lakes research and hands-on opportunities thanks to a $3 million investment from Dick and Theresa Barch. The donation supports the creation of the Richard and Theresa Barch Endowed Executive Directorship at the university鈥檚 Center for Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE), marking the first named directorship in LSSU鈥檚 history.聽聽

The gift will establish an Excellence Fund to support student research, the acquisition of advanced equipment, and provide a new, larger research vessel, giving students expanded opportunities for hands-on learning and real-world experience.聽聽

鈥淭his investment strengthens our ability to grow research and student training at a scale that聽 impacts not only LSSU, but all those who appreciate the Great Lakes and freshwater聽 ecosystems,鈥� said Dr. Ashley Moerke, Executive Director at CFRE. 鈥淚t helps ensure that Barch聽 CFRE has the resources to conduct research and gather data that informs conservation, policy, and resource management across the Great Lakes region.鈥澛犅�

Barch CFRE serves as a hub for applied freshwater research and workforce development in the Great Lakes region, regularly collaborating with tribal, federal, and state agencies, as well as industry partners, to address real-world environmental challenges. Students engage directly in聽laboratory work, field sampling, and long-term research studies, producing science that impacts Great Lakes-wide decision-making and conservation efforts.聽聽

鈥淭his level of support enables us to expand the scope of our research and involve more students directly in applied fieldwork. The timing is especially critical as we launch our new accelerated Master鈥檚 program in Fisheries & Wildlife Management,鈥� said Dr. Kevin Kapuscinski, Professor and holder of the Vanderploeg Endowed Assistant Directorship at CFRE. 鈥淲ith upgraded equipment and a larger vessel, we can conduct work that helps protect the Great Lakes while training students for careers in conservation and management of natural resources.鈥澛�

Students gain experience that extends far beyond the classroom, benefiting from LSSU鈥檚 unique position as Michigan鈥檚 smallest public university. Support from private donors like the Barches is crucial to sustaining these opportunities, protecting ecosystems at the headwaters of the Great Lakes, and giving students direct involvement in research with real impact. For a university of its size, a gift like this is truly historic, highlighting a growing trend of investment in regional freshwater research, while also elevating LSSU鈥檚 profile as a leader in Great Lakes science.聽

鈥淚 have had the great opportunity to take classes and work at Barch CFRE for the past two years: analyzing water quality characteristics, sampling fish and algae, and engaging the public in the vast world of freshwater resources. CFRE bridges the divide between theory and real-world聽 impact by providing students with hands-on experiences and applied research initiatives,鈥� said senior Fisheries and Wildlife Management student Aiden Cardwell. 鈥淭he 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鈥攁n impact this generous gift will ensure is felt by many others to come.鈥澛犅�

LSSU recently announced an accelerated 4+1 Master鈥檚 Program in Fisheries and Wildlife聽 Management, allowing students to complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees in just five years while gaining hands-on experience and completing a research-based thesis. Cardwell is one of the first students to begin this program.聽聽

One example of CFRE leading the way in Great Lakes science is recent groundbreaking oil spill research that uses controlled 鈥渕esocosms鈥� to replicate freshwater conditions and assess ecosystem responses to oil exposure. Conducted in partnership with Algoma University, the University of Windsor, and the U.S. Coast Guard, the project is giving students research experience while also informing oil spill response and recovery in freshwater systems.聽聽

The Barches have a long history of supporting 海角社区 and its mission.聽 Their continued investment reflects a commitment to the work CFRE does and the long-term聽 stewardship of natural resources.聽聽

鈥淐FRE gives students an experience most other universities can鈥檛 offer. They provide an聽 opportunity for hands-on work in rivers, wetlands, and marshes that a classroom or textbook can鈥檛 replicate,鈥� said Richard Barch. 鈥淭urning 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.聽Getting wet, cold, and muddy in waders isn鈥檛 a side note at LSSU, but a defining part of the student experience, and one you won鈥檛 find in an urban campus setting.鈥澛�

The endowed directorship strengthens LSSU鈥檚 ability to attract research partnerships, pursue external funding, and expand student opportunities, reinforcing the university鈥檚 growing role as a leader in freshwater science and workforce preparation.聽