Something like this:

But as we now know from the many Activa commercials promoting “good bacteria,” there are plenty of positive uses for these microorganisms.

European researchers recently presented another positive use for bacteria; one that could benefit municipalities, but might take a bite out of some builders’ workloads: self-healing concrete. This space-age sounding creation involves injecting hearty bacteria into wet concrete during the mixing process. The results: pure limestone creation.

Sounds pretty cool, huh? But not so great for the many construction companies that make their money repairing cracked concrete structures and roadways.

Those wacky Europeans also are working on another concrete development that could reduce pollution, but increase road building costs: air-purifying concrete.

So one new concrete could reduce the need for repairs, but another could increase the cost of construction. Are either good for the industry? They both seem positive for society at large, but the jury’s still out on their long-term effects on construction.

A woman stands in front of a Happylife family display. The device, now in prototype stage, would be installed in homes to monitor inhabitants emotions and moods. (Image courtesy of auger-loizeau.com)

This is just weird.

In a move straight out of a Ray Bradbury novel (literally), designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau, in collaboration with two computer science teachers from the U.K., are working on a house that can read its inhabitants emotions.

An electronic device installed in the home, called Happylife, monitors residents’ emotions and mental state, reflecting the results on an in-home display that would indicate who was feeling happy, sad, etc.

Creeped out yet?

The device is still a prototype for now, so the designers enlisted the help of an English and creative writing teacher to drum up some potential results.

Here’s an eerie sample of what he came up with:

“I arrived home from the meeting, pushed off my shoes and glanced up at the Happylife display. Sandra’s dial had rotated two clicks further than I’d ever seen it. The orb was pulsing wildly. She’d seemed fine when I left.”

The great news (read: sarcastic) is the prototype is fully functional, so now all the designers need is a family willing to install the camera and display in their home.

Any volunteers?

Construction begins on a dam replacement in Black River Falls. The $8.7 million project includes the addition of a new generator. (Photo by Oxblue.com)

For nearly a century, the Black River Falls dam held back the waters of the rushing Black River, pooling tourism and energy-saving resources in the small western Wisconsin city.

Now, an $8.7 million project to replace the structure and add a new generator is temporarily disrupting some of those decades-long certainties, but residents are trying to be patient.

“It isn’t just a concrete structure. It supports area businesses, workers and restaurants,” said Barbara Brower, executive director of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce.

To prep the city-owned dam for reconstruction, the state Department of Natural Resources in fall 2009 began an incremental drawdown of water from a 5-mile dam-created reservoir.

Water rushes through the nearly century-old dam in Black River Falls prior to construction. (Photo by Oxblue.com)

The reduction prevented dozens of residents with private docks on the reservoir from boating and left availability for popular downstream tourist activities such as canoeing, tubing and kayaking erratic at best.

As a result, big-ticket purchases like boats and Jet Skis are down at local vendors, Brower said, since they can’t be used on the reservoir.

Conversely, summer rains and expected dam discharges have brought water to the south to levels too dangerous for canoeing and tubing.

Rose Schaper, owner of Lost Falls Campground in the city, said she has hardly been able to rent river recreation to campers this summer as a result.

“They aren’t able to go on the water, so we’re sending them other places to spend time, places in town,” Schaper said. “That’s good, but campers that are here are here for the water and aren’t typically … shoppers.”

The dam construction also represents a direct cost to local residents. Typically, the hydroelectric dam provides power to the electric grid, creating a roughly 10 percent discount in rates. Without that boost, electric bills are increasing.

The dam helps cut energy costs in Black River Falls, so area businesses are trying to ride out the construction period. (Photo courtesy of Mead and Hunt)

“It’s not astronomical,” said tavern owner Ronald Smith. “We are looking forward to supplying our own juice.”

Despite the temporary problems, it was evident the dam needed work.

Concrete dam gates were installed in 1912 after a devastating flood hit the city in October 1911 (See sidebar on page 31). In the decades since, the dam slowly lost strength.

City officials realized they had to take a hard look at the dam when a chunk of concrete broke off one of the flow gates a few years ago, said John Lund, Black River Falls utility commission president.

“It wasn’t a big chunk, but it alerted us,” he said.

Following a review of the structure, the city had a handful of options: revamp the dam, build a new one in the same spot or farther downstream, or construct a man-made version of the rocky waterway that existed long before the dam, Lund said.

After a few years of analysis and debate, the city, planners and an advisory board agreed to pursue dam replacement in the same spot.

The existing Black River Falls dam was built in 1912, following a devastating flood in October 1911. In the decades since, the dam slowly lost strength. (Photo courtesy of Mead and Hunt)

Brower served on the advisory board that worked with the city. She said the city needs the new dam and even with a few tourism-related setbacks, the trickle down from a project like this is generally beneficial.

Cranes rolled into place in June for the start of heavy water work expected to last into late 2011, after the dam is complete in June 2011. The new dam will be built with better control over water flow and will include electricity retention, computerized controls and up-to-date construction standards.

Rains pushed back some of the first steps in the project, which included taking down the old dam in steps and putting up the new dam behind.

Warren Hayden, project manager with Mead and Hunt Inc., Madison, said he appreciates the community input and support for the dam project. There’s plenty more work to be done, however, he said.

While residents await the predicted 14 percent cut in electricity costs the new dam and added generator will provide, two local contractors are enjoying the increase in work associated with the project. Black River Falls-based Hoffman Construction Co. and Lunda Construction Co. are both contractors on the overhaul.

“We need that kind of work here,” Brower said.

Paul Nortman, construction manager with Lunda, said his company is proud to put in the concrete for the dam “that’ll stand another 100 years.”

The rest of the city is fairly content to watch and wait, feeding off the slight increases in construction-related commerce.

Project officials from out of town have taken up a few rooms at the Comfort Inn and Suites a few miles from downtown Black River Falls, said Kae Shisler, general manager. And other visitors regularly ask about the status of the dam, she said.

At Cozy Corner Tavern up the street from the dam, owner Ronald Smith said he’s happy to see workers on the project are starting to come in after their shifts for walleye fingers and drinks. He sees it as a sign the overall work is on its way to completion.

“Everybody is looking forward to having it done,” Smith said.

And when the work is complete, locals anticipate it could bring a wave of opportunities.

Friends of the Black River, a nonprofit organization, is considering opening flow gates on the new dam for specialized kayaking that allows for competitions.

Jeff Polzin, group member and avid kayaker, said there are also chances for firefighter rescue training.

“After it’s finished, there is potential for things that weren’t there before,” he said. “We’ll be bringing new people into the river.”

David Cullen

When David Cullen took over as president and CEO of his family’s construction firm six years ago, things were looking up.

Business was booming for J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Janesville, and the time was right for fourth-generation leader Cullen to restructure the company’s executive team.

In recent years, however, business took a hit due to the recession, and Cullen had to make some tough decisions — including whom to lay off. He now has his sights set on 2012, the earliest he predicts improvement in the construction market.

“It’s a stark reality and not an easy thing to do,” Cullen said of his decision to lay off 11 salaried employees at the start of the year. “You have to think about the other folks still there that are depending on the viability of the company.”

Despite the recession, the 118-year-old company has maintained a backlog of work, which helps during these lean times, Cullen said. And the company hired back a few laid-off employees, though the industry outlook remains dim.

“We’re all facing very thin times right now,” Cullen said.

Cullen took over as leader of J.P. Cullen in 2004, following his older brother Mark’s turn at the helm. The company was founded in 1892 by their great-grandfather, John Patrick Cullen.

“In the back of your mind, if you’re in a family business, you always have that heritage and pride,” Cullen said. “You want to keep it going another generation.”

He joined the company 33 years ago, right out of college. While growing up, Cullen and his brothers, Mark and Richard, worked summers at the Janesville company doing “jobs no one else wanted to do,” such as sweeping and cleaning shelves. Work at job sites from age 18 on didn’t excite Cullen, he said, and by his third year in college, he still wasn’t sure he wanted to join the family business.

“Tugging at me was the thought, ‘Is this what I really want to do?’” he said.

But a work co-op with J.P. Cullen near the end of his studies introduced Cullen to the management side of construction, and he realized he’d found his place.

“It fit my personality and my education,” he said. “I always wanted to run a business.”

Over the years, Cullen has served as project manager, project executive and vice president of business development at the company.

Working with his father, J.P., and brothers was trying at times, but ultimately rewarding, Cullen said.

“Most family businesses struggle because there’s outside issues, family things,” he said. “It can be a struggle. You have to work at it.”

The future looks bright for the next generation of Cullens, he said, with several fifth-generation family members expressing interest in the company. The brothers instituted a policy when their children were young, however, that requires any family member now work professionally for at least three years outside the company before they can join J.P. Cullen.

“The kids say, ‘How come you got to come right into the business?’ But I know from my son’s experience that he found it invaluable,” Cullen said. “It’s a great learning experience to not be the boss’ son from day one. You can make mistakes on somebody else’s nickel.”

In addition to Cullen’s son Dan, who joined J.P. Cullen in fall 2009, Mark has two daughters who may join the company.

“We’d love to bring some daughters in,” David said.

Until the next generation is ready to take over, Cullen and his executive team are adapting to the changing economy. Project managers are expected to bring in leads regularly and be a part of business development, he said.

“We’re always looking,” Cullen said, “for the next opportunity.”

Planning a housing subdivision is likely not at the top of most developers’ lists right now, but for one Port Washington developer, the dream is alive.

Mike Speas of Timber Creek Development LLC knows the odds are against him — at the end of 2009, the Wisconsin Builders Association reported housing starts in the state declined by more than 24 percent from 2008 — but he’s confident in his plans for a niche subdivision focused on affordable sustainability.

“The key here is to do something other than what is already available,” he said.

Speas’ plans for a nine-lot subdivision in downtown Port Washington, called The Terraces at Mineral Springs, include building green homes priced around $200,000. He plans to sell them to customers with moderate incomes that are interested in the advantages of energy efficient building techniques.

To date, many of the homes built with green building techniques are not affordable for the average consumer, Speas said.

The company has developed two prototypes for the subdivision: a single-story house and a one-and-a-half story house, both with three bedrooms and two baths. The homes don’t include whirlpool baths or fancy amenities, but they have extra insulation and slate roofs, which will last a long time.

Each home is situated due south for passive solar gain and includes an option for solar panels. Building height and tree placement are restricted so the sun is not blocked from neighboring homes.

Rain barrels, rain gardens, shared driveways, geothermal heating and metal roofs are also features of the homes.

The common thread, in addition to sustainability, is affordability. Unlike most subdivisions, Speas said, The Terraces at Mineral Springs does not have a minimum square footage requirement.

“We’re offering an alternative,” he said. “A 1,200-square-foot home is fine. The design guidelines allow homeowners to wait for some features, like a garage, until they can afford it.”

Each home is guaranteed heating bills of less than $400 a year. And the houses’ steep roofs will fit in well with existing Port Washington homes, Speas said, while increasing efficiency.

“It’s a happy circumstance that the high, slanted roofs are also ideal for efficiency,” he said.

Speas said he envisions the houses changing over time as homeowners add on a cottage outbuilding or finish walk-out basements.

“We want our homes to be affordable and mainstream,” he said.

For now, Timber Creek Development faces a few challenges: the slow turnaround of the housing market and a construction project on the main road to the subdivision. But once construction on Division Street wraps up in September, Speas said he wants buyers to start coming forward.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from people,” he said. “But no signed contracts.”

Your Honor

Dan Druml (center), owner of Paul Davis Restoration of S.E. Wisconsin Inc., Milwaukee, accepts Top Franchise of the Year honors from Ed Nardella (left), owner of Paul Davis offices in New York and Connecticut and president of the Paul Davis National Executive Committee, and Scott Baker, president of Paul Davis Restoration Inc. (Photo submitted by Paul Davis Restoration)

Callen Construction Inc., Muskego, won three 2009 Master Elite Excellence Awards: the Consumer Protection Excellence Award, the Training Excellence Award and the Installation Excellence Award. The industry awards are hosted by roofing manufacturer GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J.

Engberg Anderson Inc., Milwaukee, was honored at the North American Copper in Architecture awards for its work on architectural copper design for the Milwaukee City Hall project (above). The awards are hosted by the Copper Development Association and the Copper & Brass Development Association.

The firm also was honored — alongside J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Janesville, and the City of Milwaukee — by the American Public Works Association for the City Hall project. The association chose Milwaukee City Hall as one of its Public Works Projects of the Year.

On the Horizon

Opus North Corp., Rosemont, Ill., prepares to top out the new College of Engineering building (rendering above) on Marquette University’s Milwaukee campus, phase one of the school’s Discovery Learning Complex project. The project team is now developing plans for phase two of the project, which will include a two-story building and 8,000-square-foot Discovery Learning Studio. (Rendering submitted by Opus North Corp.)

Cardinal Capitol Management Inc., Milwaukee, is developing a new Milwaukee apartment complex for people with special needs. … The Union Grove Union High School District is planning a $1.4 million project to improve athletic fields and science classroom labs at Union Grove High School in Union Grove. … R.A. Smith National Inc., Brookfield, is engineering an expansion at Walmart in Delafield to transform the store into a Supercenter. … J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison, is leading construction of a new Fine Arts Center at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield. … Consolidated Construction Co. Inc., Appleton, is leading construction of a $12 million plant expansion for Weldall Manufacturing in Waukesha. … The Edgerton Fire District plans to move its fire station to a vacant building in the Edgerton industrial park. … The city of Delevan is developing plans for construction of a new water tower.

Giving Back

Models walk the runway at the 2010 Refashion for Life event July 8 in Muskego. The annual event, hosted at Callen Construction Inc., Muskego, raised more than $28,000 for CommonGround Ministry/Elena’s House and the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. The event features a fashion show combining the latest fall clothing and fashionable products for the home, such as countertops, cabinetry, plumbing and light fixtures. (Photos submitted by Ron Sonntag Public Relations Inc.)

Miron Construction Co. Inc., Neenah, donated Home Depot gift cards and 17 picnic tables and benches to Easter Seals’ Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells. The furniture was built by Miron employees during the company’s 2010 corporate retreat.

Milestones

Ideal Homes Inc., Hartland, received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise and an Emerging Business Enterprise. … Somerville Inc., Green Bay, announced the following employee anniversaries: Vice President and Senior Project Architect John Oates, 35 years; President and Principal Architect Michael Kadow, 25 years; Senior Architectural Designer Peter LaPlant, 20 years; and Senior Architectural Designer Bob Schunke, 20 years. … Langer Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Milwaukee, received its 1,000 Perfect 10 installation rating from roofing manufacturer Carlisle SynTec.

Top Dollar

Integrity Grading & Excavating Inc., Schofield, won a $5.6 million contract to reconstruct an airport taxiway at the La Crosse Municipal Airport.

Dotted Line

Staff Electric Co. Inc., Menomonee Falls, landed a $5.5 million contract for a backup power generation project at the Riverside Pumping Station in Milwaukee. … American Asphalt of Wisconsin Inc., Mosinee, received a $5.3 million contract for state highway work in Marathon county. … Trierweiler Construction & Supply Inc., Marshfield, secured a $5.2 million contract to reconstruct an airport taxiway at the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison. … Payne & Dolan Inc., Waukesha, won a $4.5 million contract for state highway work in Milwaukee county. … The Samuels Group Inc., Wausau, secured a $3.4 million contract to remodel and add to the terminal building at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire. … Zenith Tech Inc., Waukesha, landed a $3.4 million contract for state highway work in Eau Claire County. … Miron Construction Co. Inc., Neenah, landed a $3.3 million contract for a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Lyons, a $2.4 million contract to remodel and add to an elementary and middle school in Brillion, a $1.6 million contract for renovations to the West Campus of Madison Area Technical College and a $1.09 million contract for work at the Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton. … Earth Inc., Arpin, won a $2.6 million contract for utility work in Nekoosa, a $1.5 million contract for wastewater treatment facility upgrades in Arpin and a $1.3 million contract for highway reconditioning in the town of Cranmoor. … A-1 Excavating Inc., Bloomer, won a $2.1 million contract for a utility project at the Fourth Street Bridge in Tomahawk and a $1.5 million contract for utility and street construction in Mauston. … Edgerton Contractors Inc., Oak Creek, secured a $2.1 million contract for flood management of the Kinnikinnick River in Milwaukee County. … J.F. Ahern Co., Fond du Lac, won a $1.8 million contract for a plumbing upgrade to the Waupun Correctional Institution in Dodge County. … River View Construction Inc., Wausau, received a $1.8 million contract for improvements to the Merrill municipal Airport in Lincoln County. … Advance Construction Inc., Green Bay, landed a $1.8 million contract for a Lake Belle View restoration project. … Rawson Contractors Inc., Sussex, secured a $1.6 million contract for utility work in Milwaukee. … Veit & Co. Inc., Milwaukee, obtained a $1.6 million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Century City site in Milwaukee. … D.F. Tomasini Inc., Sussex, won a $1.3 million contract for sewer repair, sewer main relay and lining work in Milwaukee. … Ellis Stone Construction Co. Inc., Stevens Point, received a $1.3 million contract for remodeling at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Merrill. … Haas Sons Inc., Thorp, landed a $1.2 million contract for street and utility reconstruction in Eau Claire. … A.W. Oakes & Son Inc., Racine, obtained a $1.2 million contract for a sanitary sewer project in Pleasant Prairie. … Terra Engineering & Construction Corp., Madison, won a $1.1 million contract for a sewer replacement in Morrisonville. … De Groot Inc., Green Bay, received a $1.08 million contract for utility and street work in Oconto. … Vinton Construction Co., Manitowoc, won a $1.04 million contract to reconstruct an airport taxiway at the Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay. … RJS Construction Group LLC, Superior, secured a $1.03 million contract for wastewater treatment facility upgrades in Poplar. … R.J. Albright Inc., Oshkosh, landed a $1.03 million contract to remodel offices at the Winnebago County Administrative Building.

Roald Gundersen, CEO of Whole Trees LLC, bends a tree at the Stoddard company’s 134-acre property near La Crosse. (Photos by John Krejci)

Roald Gundersen’s ideas are as big as the trees he shinnies up like a man half his age.

The Stoddard-based “tree architect” wants to take wood construction far beyond the rustic cottages with which people associate him.

“I may not see the day when we see wooden skyscrapers, but I’d like to,” the 50-year-old designer and builder said. “I have confidence in trees. I know what they can do.”

Gundersen is CEO of Whole Trees LLC, a design-build and architecture firm operating on 134 forested acres 10 miles south of La Crosse. The company specializes in using unmilled wood to create rounded, solid structures.

Unmilled timber is very strong, Gundersen said, because it retains the natural strength from a tree’s long growth period. Milled lumber violates a tree’s concentric and continuous fibers, he said, removing the strongest outer layers of the tree, which are naturally pretensioned to resist the elements.

“Trees are telling us how to grow a strong, tall structure,” said Amelia Baxter, Gundersen’s business and life partner.

The couple founded Whole Trees in 2007, and it has been profitable since its inception.

Recognizing the company is, for now, “totally niche,” Gundersen said he sees great potential for the use of unmilled timber in all types of construction. He just has to convince others.

Above: A large greenhouse and residence at Whole Trees LLC feature unmilled timber hand-bent by CEO Roald Gundersen. Below left: Gundersen runs his hand along a piece of freshly cut timber.

“We get pigeonholed into a rural setting,” he said. “People think we only do that log cabin look that belongs in the Adirondacks.”

It’s an easy stereotype, considering much of what Gundersen and his staff do is rustic in nature.

The process by which Gundersen shapes his trees, for example, harks back to a simpler time, when kids climbed trees instead of playing video games.

Gundersen bends his trees in specific ways for different aspects of construction. He doesn’t use fancy tools or even ropes and pulleys. He simply climbs the tree, riding the bended bough down to the ground, where he pulls on the trunk to reinforce the curve created.

He typically bends trees two to three times over three to 10 years, at which point they’re ready for use.

“It’s a crazy way to make a living,” Gundersen said.

The practice is dangerous, he said, and he has injured himself a handful of times, though nothing more serious than a sprained ankle. Once he had to jump from about 20 feet up when a tree wouldn’t bend as expected.

“I look at it as a workout,” he said.

Unmilled timber makes up the ceiling of an office at Whole Trees LLC, Stoddard.

Gundersen has loved being in the woods since he was a kid, he said. The property he now owns, lives and works on once belonged to his grandmother, who shared her botanical knowledge with Gundersen. He spent time planting evergreens there as a teen, trees that he has since used in the construction of Whole Trees projects, he said.

The Bookend, a private home included on the company’s 134-acre property, features unmilled timber.

Gundersen took over the property 17 years ago after his grandmother died.

“The first couple years I came here,” he said, “I didn’t touch anything; I just watched.”

Gradually, Gundersen started experimenting with the wind-blown trees found in the property’s valleys and began trying to re-create the look by bending others.

He built the farmhouse where he lives with Baxter and their two children — 1-year-old Cameron and 3-year-old Estella — in 1993. The yearlong project taught him many lessons in building and working with the unmilled timber, he said.

In the years since, Gundersen has designed and built a variety of private residences as well as some commercial properties and, recently, the Sustainable Living Building at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa.

He wants to expand Whole Trees’ institutional and commercial portfolio, he said, as those larger buildings are ideal for the solid structure unmilled timber creates.

That may take some time though, Gundersen said.

“Builders aren’t hip to this yet,” he said. “We have to show that what we do goes beyond the ‘hobbit cottage in the woods’ look.

“Projects like that are great. I love that, but it’s not what I want to do the rest of my life.”

Gundersen has big plans for his business, plans that involve research grants, a new way of looking at forestry and sharing his knowledge with other builders and architects.

Whole Trees is trying to land a Small Business Innovation Research grant of up to $90,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gundersen wants to use the money for development of a codification system for trees. The system would measure the strength of different parts of trees, such as the connection between branch and trunk.

“We can’t make a connection as strong as a tree has already grown,” Gundersen said. “We need to find ways to quantify that strength, and maybe we can use it to strengthen buildings in the long run.”

The research and development will be challenging, he knows, but Gundersen said he is confident. He also has a great deal of faith in the hidden profitability of forests.

Through his innovative use of younger trees — typically 20 to 30 years old — that don’t take as long to grow and his “use the worst first” philosophy, Gundersen is working to make all parts of a forest profitable, not just the large trees that take decades to grow. Whole Trees uses all types of timber, he said, rather than just pristine, tall oaks or red pines, both of which are popular with millers.

The company is trying to find ways to work with trees infected by emerald ash borers, Gundersen said, and already uses locust trees — considered an invasive species in areas — that he prizes for their strength.

“Demonstrating the wide variety of trees and timber we can use in our construction increases the value of forests,” he said. “It helps people want to keep their forest, make it profitable.”

Gundersen is eager to share what he has learned and show others the benefits of whole tree construction.

“Our business model is very much open source,” he said. “We want to facilitate the use of this material.”

Competition may be more of a concern someday, he said, but for now the business is so niche it doesn’t bother him.

As the business continues to grow, Gundersen knows he will have to grapple with the realities of a decreasing supply of wind-blown trees and the increased competition of other builders, but for now, he just wants to get out of the “hobbit, woodsy stereotype” many associate with Whole Trees.

“We’re still finding our footing,” he said. “We’re very much into the nascent stages of finding our footing, but we’re seeing there’s huge interest.”

Civil engineering students from Gateway Technical College study water samples from a Kenosha stream. School officials see increased job opportunities on the horizon for students studying soil and water sciences. (Photos by Greg Lebrick/Gateway Technical College)

Graduates with backgrounds in soil or water sciences could have a wealth of job prospects in the coming years.

“There are a lot of windows of opportunity out there in those areas for students to pursue,” said Tom Niesen, an HVAC and geoexchange instructor at Gateway Technical College. “There’s a real need for these educational options.”

Kenosha-based Gateway Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside are teaming up to attract more students to soil and water sciences through a new credit transfer option. According to the agreement signed in July, Gateway students studying civil engineering technology-freshwater resources and air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technology with an emphasis in geoexchange can pursue bachelor’s degrees in soil and water sciences at UW-Parkside.

“There’s a lot of science, math and engineering involved in our courses, and this is another way we can maybe attract more people to these career areas,” Niesen said.

Students enrolled in Gateway Technical College’s Civil Engineering Technology-Freshwater Resources program conduct fieldwork at a stream near the Kenosha school. Gateway recently partnered with UW-Parkside to increase educational options for students studying soil and water sciences.

The two programs selected are areas in which the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources predicts the most need for trained professionals in coming years, he said.

“Some people may think of these geoexchange jobs as just dirty work, but studies have shown geologists make better drillers,” he said. “The better the science is, the better results will be.”

Of particular concern to the DNR, Niesen said, is protecting groundwater as the geothermal industry expands.

“This is a whole new area, so it’s a little unpredictable,” he said. “But it looks like these areas, soil and water sciences, will continue to grow and provide opportunities for students.”

The geothermal industry has been around for a while, but until now there have not been many college training options offered, which is why the school decided to get involved, said Gateway President Bryan Albrecht.

Gateway received a National Science Foundation grant to get its program started. The school’s courses offer direct applications to the industry the students are entering, he said.

“It’s definitely filling a need,” Albrecht said.

And there are plenty of opportunities for water sciences graduates as well, said UW-Parkside Chancellor Deborah Ford, particularly as the Milwaukee area looks to position itself as a world leader in water technology.

The area is home to the Milwaukee Water Council trade group, which seeks to establish the Milwaukee region as the global capitol for freshwater research, economic development and education, according to the Council’s website.

“UW-Parkside and Gateway working together,” Ford said, “will help prepare students for these and other amazing career opportunities.”

A volunteer with Ma-Kah Water For All, works on a well in West Africa. (Photos courtesy of Ma-Kah Water for All)

When University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduate Sam Dinga’s sister died last year, he spent little time wallowing.

“I didn’t want to sit around and cry,” he said. “It’s our job to find the good in situations.”

Dinga, a native of Cameroon, West Africa, spent the months following Ma Kah Rosemary Fokum Dinga’s death researching what it would take to make her dream of providing clean water a reality.

“The need for clean drinking water is ongoing,” he said. “We tend to forget about these things, but it’s always there. My sister said, ‘Give people water, give them life.’”

A volunteer lays cement around a well near Cameroon.

Armed with research on well construction and the importance of a clean water supply, Dinga set out to build 40 wells in rural areas of Cameroon. He formed the nonprofit organization Ma-Kah Water For All and got to work.

By December 2009, he completed the first well, benefiting about 1,600 people, including several hundred children at a nearby orphanage.

Each well costs about $5,000, he said, and he raises money for construction through the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. Dinga works with the villagers to teach them about well construction, but he has to pay a drill and pump specialist to complete some of the work.

The work has helped soften the blow of his sister’s death, he said.

“To see people wearing t-shirts with her name makes me happy,” Dinga said. “Her life was not a waste.”

How to help

To learn more about donating to Ma-Kah Water For All, log on to
http://makahwaterforall.cabanova.com/#/Donate.

Mark Schmitz, principal/creative director of Zebradog Design, Madison (Photo submitted by Zebradog Design)

What is the first concert you went to?

With parents: 1969 Wisconsin Public Radio piano concert at the Elvehjem Museum of Art; without parents:
1976 Ted Nugent Cat Scratch Fever Tour (with afro)

What is your greatest extravagance?

My home

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A project that is on time and on budget

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“You guys …  never give up … we can do this”

What is your greatest fear?

Financial destruction. I put myself through seven years of college working many jobs at the same time to be where I am today.

What is your most treasured possession?

My three kids: Riley, Greta and Cole

What’s on your iPod?

Everything imaginable. On this morning’s drive to the studio I was listening first to The BoDeans and then slid into a Puccini opera.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would like someone to sell me some patience.

What do you miss most about your childhood?

The simplicity of a grape Popsicle and the intrigue of a baseball card

Where would you like to live?

At the top of Chairlift No. 10 in Vail, Colo.