J.F. Brennan To Support University Research Vessel

A half million-dollar donation to a community foundation and a public/private partnership are ensuring that students at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse’s River Studies Center have a dedicated research vessel for the first time in more than two decades.

Prairie Springs: The Paul Fleckenstein Trust announced January 17 that it is providing the funding for the boat to the La Crosse Community Foundation. J.F. Brennan Company will store, moor and maintain the 32-foot vessel and is making plans to assist further through a second phase of collaboration to include consulting on the freshwater science program curriculum and acoustical reconnaissance equipment.

“This is the first collaboration in which we worked with UW-L; however, as a company we are quite active in several educational and workforce endeavors with various academic institutions and our union partners,” J.F. Brennan Company President and CEO Matt Binsfeld said. “Development of young people through experiential learning is a foundational company value as we look to expose the next generation to the industries in which we work.”

Roger Haro, director of the UW-L River Studies Center, said the center has previously had houseboats that it turned into research vessels, but the last of those was sold about 25 years ago. Since then, it has relied on john boats, which has limited the center’s curriculum. With the center celebrating its 50th year of operation this year, 25 faculty members and nearly 300 master’s theses produced through the center from students doing their graduate work in river-related or aquatic topics, Haro said it was time to pursue a specially built research vessel.

“We needed a way to have a dedicated research vessel, maybe not one with sleeping accommodations but one that is outfitted to do high-level survey work and water quality work and as a teaching platform so we can help develop our students to be ready for jobs in the water sector,” Haro said.

The $500,000 gift from Prairie Springs: Paul Fleckenstein Trust will create a designated fund whose sole purpose is to support the new vessel and associated needs, said Jamie Schloegel, executive director of the La Crosse Community Foundation. “Paul was a philanthropist at heart. Before he passed in 2011 at the age of 47, he ardently supported environmental education.”

He also had a great love for conservation programs and enjoyed being on the water, said Carolyn Scott, Fleckenstein’s sister who, with her husband Jay Scott, serves as trustee for Prairie Springs: Paul Fleckenstein Trust.

“Paul established the trust to support research and scholarship in environmental studies and education, wildlife habitat and protection, conservation and ecological technology,” she said. “The research vessel will add another dimension to fulfilling that mission on one of the great waterways in North America.”

She added, “As trustees, we believe Paul would be thrilled to be associated with this initiative. He also would be grateful for the partnership with Brennan and the creation of significant experiential learning opportunities for UW-L students, research opportunities for faculty and the opportunity to advance the La Crosse community.”

Haro said the center has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Midwest Environmental Services Center, but knowing jobs in the water sector are growing, UW-L wanted to establish a partnership involving local industry as well. 

“There is a huge human resource need for well trained, skilled individuals to go into that workforce,” Haro said. “We’re looking forward to a long-term relationship with the industry and with significant players like J.F. Brennan.”

Already, Haro said, J.F. Brennan Company has been helpful in determining how to acquire instrumentation for the research vessel that will be useful for students’ research and help to advance their career opportunities.

“The possibilities are just very great, and we are extremely thankful they are so open and engaged in these discussions,” he said.

Munson Boats is building the research vessel, which will be named the R/V (research vessel) Prairie State in honor of the trust. The aluminum boat is 32 feet with an 11-foot beam and draft of 18-1/2 inches. It has a fuel capacity of 150 gallons. The vessel comes equipped with twin Suzuki 250 hp. engines and Suzuki 3x16x17 S.S. propellers. It has a cargo capacity of 5,000 pounds.

Haro said the size of the vessel and the enclosed cabin provide the necessary stability for hydroacoustic work, which he expects to be one of its primary uses.

The boat is expected to be delivered in 16 to 18 months.

“This is a game-changer for us,” Haro said. We’ve always been a presence on the river, but we’ve never had a larger, riverine research vessel.”

Haro said he expects the vessel will help with recruiting students to the program. Additionally, he said, faculty are already making arrangements with educators teaching in kindergarten all the way to 12th grade to come  aboard the vessel one week in the summer as part of a program that will help them develop curriculum involving the river system and take it back to their classrooms.

“We don’t know all the opportunities that we’ll avail from all of this,” Haro said.

“Right now we’re trying to have our eyes open and our ears open because we want to be really strategic in our planning and use this boat to the fullest extent to train the next generation of professionals for the water sector.”

Binsfeld said arrangements like the public/private partnership between J.F. Brennan Company and UW-L provide benefits for both.

“When we look to the future of water-based infrastructure and the impact our changing environment has on it, water resource-focused careers that provide technical solutions are in high demand,” he said. “As we look at our own business and where we will find future talent to not only grow but ultimately replace those that leave the workforce, this collaboration is one avenue to assure continuity of human capital.”

Other collaborations with the center or other similar educational programs are possible in the future, he said.

“Traditional forms and delivery of education are changing quickly,” Binsfeld said. “Industry outreach and workforce development are strategic opportunities that all companies and industries must be aware of, if we are to create interest and recruit our future workforce.  Nearly every company has the opportunity to create a collaborative educational partnership with school districts, trade schools, universities and unions.  Likewise, school districts, trade schools, universities, and unions are looking to partner with companies, so that they may offer curriculum that is aligned with career opportunities, thereby better preparing students to seamlessly transition to the workforce.”

Binsfeld believes such public/private partnerships will continue to be important in the industry.

“As our economy has evolved and moved to a digitally focused environment, traditional industries, such as the ones in which we work, have struggled to generate excitement among young people.  If we are to sustain our workforce, we need to better tell our stories. Our stories tend to speak for themselves in terms of the purpose behind our work and the positive impacts we have on society. Public/private educational partnerships are a way to enhance our communities, industries and companies by creating awareness around the impactful careers we offer to young people.  When you think of human adaptation to the effects of global climate change, the evolution and creation of clean energy, providing clean environments and conducting the transportation for U.S. agriculture to compete on a global scale, I can’t think of a more compelling and purpose-driven industry than the work we all do in marine engineering and construction, dredging and commercial towing.”

Caption for photo: The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse’s River Studies Center’s dedicated research vessel is a result of a $500,000 donation from Prairie Springs: The Paul Fleckenstein Trust to the La Crosse Community Foundation and a public/private partnership between the center and J.F. Brennan Company. The boat is expected to be delivered in 16 to 18 months. (Artist rendering courtesy of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse’s River Studies Center)