THU AM News: UW-Stout students help test, develop cooling system for data centers; Workers leveraging bargaining power for higher wages, UW economist says

September 5, 2024

— UW-Stout students helped test and develop a new liquid cooling system for data centers through internships with nVent, a global company with corporate offices in Minnesota.

Easton Sailer and Evan Pettit, seniors in the university’s computer and electrical engineering program, worked with nVent teams this summer to develop new “high density liquid cooling” products, or HDLC.

By using a liquid material to reduce heat buildup within data center servers, this technology offers a “more efficient and sustainable alternative” to air-cooling methods, supporting a greater density of computing power within a given location, according to the university’s release.

Sailer, who hails from Pound, Wis. in Marinette County, began a seven-month internship with nVent in January. Pettit, from Rosemount, Minn., began shadowing Sailer in May as a mentee, and the two students worked together on the HDLC projects.

Their work involved collecting and analyzing data and troubleshooting machines at the company’s facility in Anoka, Minn., as well as creating software code and using a variety of physical and electronic tools.

Sailer said he “gained a new perspective” through the internship on the engineering principles he learned at UW-Stout and had a great time working with Pettit on various projects. He’s set to graduate in December 2025.

“Water cooling units for data center servers are a relatively new concept in the field,” he said in the release. “While I was offered opportunities with other companies, I found this to be the most interesting because it reminded me of water-cooled gaming PCs but on a larger scale.”

Meanwhile, Pettit says he “quickly acclimated” to the professional environment thanks to the support he got from Sailer and others at nVent. He plans to graduate in May 2025.

At least 60 UW-Stout students have worked at nVent over the past 10 years, UW-Stout Career Services Director Bryan Barts said in the release. The $3.3 billion company, which has more than 11,000 employees worldwide, makes products for industrial automation, utilities, energy storage, commercial buildings, data centers and more.

“As a company that is truly focused on sustainability, they have been able to attract and engage with several UW-Stout programs, including engineering, management and industrial technology across their company and brands,” Barts said in the release.

— Wisconsin workers have leveraged their bargaining power since the end of the pandemic to attain higher wages, UW-Madison economist Laura Dresser says.

Dresser, associate director of the university’s High Road Strategy Center, spoke yesterday during a webinar highlighting labor trends in the state. She highlighted findings from the recently released State of Working Wisconsin 2024 report, which found wages are growing more quickly for residents who earn less.

“If I’m talking about a worker’s perspective on this economy, this is good in the cyclical sense that labor markets are tight, unemployment rates are low and job growth is steady,” she said. “This matters to all workers, not just workers who are looking for work, but workers who are in jobs.”

At the median, the wage increase adjusted for inflation from 2022-2023 was “the highest increase we’ve seen, matched only by 2019.” As a result, the median hourly wage increased by about $1, “making up for the losses incurred because of inflation” seen in 2022, Dresser said.

“When I say that it’s equalizing, I don’t mean things are great,” she said. “The bottom of the labor market has been neglected for too long.”

The report is calling for an increase to the state’s minimum wage, as boosting it from $7.25 to $15 per hour would have an outsized impact on racial and ethnic minorities and women, who tend to make less than white men in Wisconsin.

See coverage of the report.

— The Milwaukee law firm Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is offering a new online legal portal for startup company leaders, backed by its Venture Best entrepreneurship team.

The firm yesterday announced the launch of www.StartupProgram.com, or SUP, after it took over the software platform through its July acquisition of Los Angeles-based firm O&A, P.C. The site has an automated document creation service for entrepreneurs, a debt equity modeling service, online curriculum on venture capital economics and laws, and more.

Jordan Koss, partner and co-chair of Venture Best, calls it a “game-changing” tool for startup leaders.

“SUP is the most cost-efficient way to incorporate a startup with the knowledge and resources an entrepreneur needs to do it right,” Koss said in a statement.

See the release.

— The New North is touting its recent selection as an Accredited Economic Development Organization, with President and CEO Barb LaMue calling it an “exciting milestone.”

This economic development group, which works to advance 18 counties in northeastern Wisconsin, was recently chosen as an AEDO by the International Economic Development Council.

“To have a respected national organization like the IEDC give high marks to the accomplishments and work programs of New North is a real credit to our talented team, along with our many collaborative partners across the region,” LaMue said in a statement. “We are very honored.”

After a three-person team from the council visited the New North region in early August, the group put out a report calling it “one of the highest-performing regional economic development organizations” in the country. It highlights the group’s talent attraction programs, efforts to support military veterans, DEI initiatives and more.

See the release.

— The WMC Foundation is now taking applications for the Wisconsin Leads: Executive Fellowship program for business leaders.

“This program provides a fantastic way to build the next generation of leaders and shape how the business community interacts with public policy and local communities,” WMC Foundation Executive Director Wade Goodsell said in a statement.

The educational program includes a series of events led by the state’s “most prominent business and thought leaders,” focused on the Wisconsin economy, business challenges and relevant public policies.

The 2025 program includes three retreats in January, February and April, with an alumni retreat planned for May.

The WMC Foundation is affiliated with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

See the release and get more details.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— UW-Stout has opened a new research lab for the fall semester focused on histology, the study of anatomy at the microscopic level.

And Marquette University’s College of Nursing is now operating in a newly redesigned building that will provide greater capacity for students.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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