Course Notebooks: The Never-Ending Resource of a Midwest GeoSciences Group Course

We are amazed with the expertise, enthusiasm and energy of the people who attend our short courses.  To the credit of both the instructors and the attendees, the outcome of most courses feel like a historic event when I look back at most courses.

One of the key elements to prolong the life and effectiveness of any course experience is the COURSE NOTEBOOK.   It is amazing when I hear stories from long-past course attendees who routinely turn to their Course Notebook for the answer to help them face a technical challenge. 

There are two people attending the Advanced Aquifer Testing Course in Calgary, Alberta who provide a testament to this observation.  Sitting in the front row of the class is Laura whom I notice is filling her notebook chock full of notes, page-by-page-by-page-by-page.  The 500+-page course notebook is filling up with "gold nuggets" that are verbally presented by the instructors.  Her approach to taking notes includes tabs and post-it notes that prioritize the importance of her notes.  Wow, this is awesome!!

Laura's notebook is chock full of notes on nearly every page!

To our surprise, a past course attendee is here taking the course again....plus he brought his course notebook to share how the notebook continues to prove a useful reference.  Todd Myse attended our first 3-day advanced level aquifer testing course in Miami back in 2005...and is attending the course again to re-re-fresh his mastery of aquifer testing.

Great job, Todd!  You not only have maximized the use and life of that hefty notebook, you carried it TO a course!

We obviously enjoy meeting course attendees.....the iinstructors of Midwest GeoSciences Group courses take pride in attendees when we see how our courses play a positive role in both their work plus being responsible stewards of this planet that was given to us by our Creator.

We listen and learn from you .... plus we are practitioners too.  We respond to you and industry trends by developing courses, webinars and field tools that aim for best practice procedures and meaningful technical approaches.  As a result, a special 23-webinar series called The Contaminants of Concern Webinar Series was developed and you're invited to experience it.

What is this webinar series all about?
The Contaminants of Concern Webinar Series includes emerging contaminants that are just now receiving public attention; challenging, fast-moving, persistent contaminants; and managed contaminant sources in the environment like: 

Emerging Contaminants

• 1,4-dioxane
• Perfluorchemicals (PFCs)
• 1,2,3-trichloropropane
• Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and antibiotics
• Perchlorate
• Viruses and bacteria

Challenging, persistent chemicals

• MTBE/TBA
• Coal tar and wood-treatment chemicals
• Arsenic
• Chromium

Managed contaminant sources

• Landfill leachate/landfill gas
• Road Salt

Why is this webinar series important?
Remediation technology is ever increasing, and with it, the demand for the latest up-to-date information. Midwest GeoSciences Group meets the need with the Contaminants of Concern Webinar Series for professionals working in the fields of environmental consulting, site remediation, groundwater investigations, water quality issues, and brown field developments. The series highlights Instructors who are recognized experts from government and industry.

Regulators, consultants, engineers and hydrogeologists will appreciate the webinars for providing an overview of the various contaminant's origin, chemistry, means of site characterization, environmental fate and transport, remediation technologies, and discussion of real-world cases studies.

What are some advantages of MidwestGeo Webinars?

Our webinars are designed to be the highest quality webinars available in the environmental and engineering industry, period. I realize that's a bold statement, but its our goal.  We are selective about our instructors and how they teach their material.  Our instructors don't read a chapter out of a text book during a webinar nor will you find yourself "out of luck" if you miss it or have an unforeseen circumstance if you cannot access an event, for any reason. Other benefits include:

• Globally accessible
• High quality video and audio using premium WebEx platform.
• Interactive
• Unlimited attendees per registered site
• Taught by recognized experts
• 90-minutes each (1.5 PDH)
• Unlimited Question & Answers (Q&A)
• Discounts available for multiple webinars 

You're invited to join us for this landmark webinar series.  It promises to be a lot of fun plus technically beneficial along the way.

Register Now at www.midwestgeo.com

State Organizations Accessing Webinars in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana

Geologists and ground water professionals came together in October for their state organizational meetings, each featuring a webinar from the MIDWESTGEO WEBINAR ARCHIVES during their day long meetings.

The Illinois Groundwater Association, the Iowa Ground Water Association and the Professional Geologists of Indiana each recently conducted their fall meetings.  Representatives from each organization independently contacted Midwest GeoSciences Group and inquired about accessing a recorded webinar as part of their fall meeting agenda.  We gladly responded with enthusiastic support!

Smiles during the Illinois Groundwater Association Fall Meeting  (Photo by Tim Kemmis)

 

Midwest GeoSciences Group wishes to extend a special thank you to Joyce Day, Diane Lamb, Ed Mehnert, John Quinn, Al Stone, Bianca Colemenares, Steve Bennett, Dan Lombardi and others who attended the Illinois Groundwater Association at Argonne National Laboratory. Extra special thanks go to Joyce and especially to Diane for making it happen, and flawlessly!

We also extend a heartfelt thanks Bob Dustrup, Matt Culp, Roger Bruner, Molly Arp, Cara McCabe, Paul Vandorp and others who attended and facilated the recorded webinar during the Iowa Ground Water Association Meeting in Iowa City.

On behalf of the Iowa Groundwater Association I want to thank both of you and the Midwest GeoScience Group on the slug testing webinar by Dr. Butler that you presented at yesterday’s Iowa Groundwater Association meeting.   Providing a high-caliber training opportunity at our meeting ....  and helping our organization fulfill one of our objectives: to promote education of groundwater issues. -Bob Dustrup, 2012 IGWA President

Last by not least, we wish to thank Rob George from the Professional Geologists Association in Indiana for leading the way and facilitating the recorded webinar for their meeting in Indianapolis.  We look forward to upcoming collaborations during 2013!

Association of Engineering Geologists 2012 Annual Conference



The Association of Engineering Geologists Annual Conference lived up to its tag line:  Ascending to Greater Heights: Elevating Our Profession.    It was fitting because some of the main elements that resonated deepest were about the future of the engineering geology industry.  AEG does a great job of long-term planning and they seem to successfully see into the future and respond to the profession accordingly.  I am impressed by the vision of the AEG leadership and their ability to adapt to market demands, industry trends, and geographic shifts.  AEG is indeed leading the way toward elevating the profession.

This year's meeting was located downtown Salt Lake City with field trips and short courses scattered all over the state.  Utah is an outstanding place to hold a geology meeting.  The irony is my favorite day of exploring was at the Bonneville Salt Flats where we witnessed a car driving over 450 mph! (not directly related to geology, but without the salt flats the speedway couldn't exist!) 

Rock Core Boxes stacked at the Utah Geological Survey Core Repository. 
Bar coding is a trend we see more and more when we visit different core repositories. 

Keegan is pictured at our exhibitor booth.  Thanks to all those who stopped by and said Hello!
....especially to those who stayed a while!

Congratulations to AEG leadership for hosting another world-class conference.  We as members benefit from the conference but in the long run, the public benefits most from our stewardship as professionals with pride in our work coupled with standards and ethics set by the AEG vision. 

Aquifer Testing Course @ Camden Yards, Baltimore

Wow, did we have fun!  The 3-day advanced aquifer testing course at Camden Yards was one of the most enjoyable courses ever.  The max course attendance gave us insight about expectations for having a technical course at a historic Major League Baseball ballpark...but the daily excitement from a lunchtime private ballpark tour, early ballpark access before a game, a private luxury suite serving Baltimore's own crab cakes and other food, plus a 'surprise' visit from Baltimore Oriole's legendary retired pitcher, Tippy Martinez, put the extracurricular elements over the top.

 The advanced aquifer testing course was conducted in the historic Camden Yards warehouse behind right field fence.  Pictured waving behind home plate (farthest left) is Glenn Duffield during lunchtime ballpark tour.

Jim Butler in Oriole's Dugout.

Legendary Oriole's Pitcher, Tippy Martinez, visited our private suite during the Oriole's game to meet everyone, sign autographs, eat crab cakes, and share some memorable stories.  (Tippy is the only MLB pitcher to obtain all 3 outs in a single inning by picking off 3 consecutive runners on first base.....thanks for the stories, Tippy!)

Dr. Shlomo Neuman joined us too for this advanced-level aquifer testing course.  Yes, that is "the" Dr. Neuman who is the author of many landmark papers in aquifer testing whom we frequently reference in our professional work.  Shlomo along with Jim Butler and Glenn Duffield put the "education" in this event.  Thanks to the instructors for delivering a great and practical class that benefited everyone (according to the feedback forms!).

Most of all, thanks to the participants!  From four continents, we appreciate you traveling to Baltimore for the course and we thank you for the dynamic interaction and feedback.  We are touched and inspired by those we meet during courses and this course was no exception.  Your dedication and professional pride shine through in the informal discussions and your leadership made the course a truly historical event.  Thank you again, -Dan Kelleher.

Who is GeoMan?

GeoMan.  GeoWoman.   

The Midwest GeoSciences Group conducts short courses mainly for environmental and engineering industry and as a result we meet many geoscientists along the way.

A few years ago we adopted the names GeoMan and GeoWoman, for our safety and field apparel.   The initial idea the GeoMan and GeoWoman has since evolved into a variety of concepts, one of which is the SuperHero.  Sport shirts and T-shirts showing the GeoMan SuperHero is growing into a popular and fun item for geoscientists.  Keep your eye out this year for the new 2012 GeoMan or GeoWoman SuperHero apparel and send us your photos and we want to post them to our website!

Keegan and GeoMan Steve surfing at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Surf's Up at Bondi Beach while Keegan prepare's to catch a wave

Pictured is Tony Ward (Head Coach) and Tristran Moran and Andre Taylor (players) of the New Zealand Professional Rugby Team, The Hurricanes
http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/

Geological Society of America National Meeting in Minneapolis Oct 2011

GSA was fun!   The massive Minneapolis Convention Center was packed from wall to wall with people, presentations and posters.  Midwest GeoSciences Group was there in the midst of it all!

Busy Days at GSA (Keegan and Joe Julik pictured)

One of the many event highlights was to see so many geoscientists wearing their GeoMan or GeoWoman shirts in their "sartorial splendor" (thanks to Jim Butler for that wondrous descriptor!) 

Cait and Sean from Northern Illinois University Go Huskies!

GeoWoman Liliana's smile speaks for itself

Even the SuperHero GeoMan Thomas was unleashed at GSA! Thomas and Keegan looking great!

GeoMan Austin sporting the Hi-Vis Safety T during Day Two. If we were outside, you could easily see how he is Outstanding in the Field!

Thank you to all the GSA organizers and sponsors for hosting a world-class conference event.  GSA is like a family reunion in so many ways, but with too many family members to connect with in just a few days.  If we missed you, you're invited to send us an email at dan@midwestgeo.com and we are glad to send you a 2012 catalog with our latest offerings!

2011 Melbourne, Cairns and Sydney

Ken Bradbury and Maureen Muldoon led the teaching during our 2011 course: Improving Hydrogeologic Analysis of Fractured Bedrock Systems.   Arriving in Melbourne at the end of July, we had the privilege of meeting and teaching a wonderful group of scientists and engineers facing the same common ground water issues we face in the United States.

Hydrogeologic site characterization in the fractured basalts across Victoria pose some unique challenges but our friend and colleague, Tami Weaver, PhD, (URS Corporation, Melbourne) shed light on technical resources and references that outlined a meaningful process to tackle such a seemingly impossible mission.

Thank you to our friends at ACLCA for graciously hosting us in Australia again.  We are inspired by your hospitality and enthusiasm along with the course attendees who travel from across Australia and demonstrate their leadership among these challenging technical disciplines.

Maureen Muldoon at Ayers Rock which is located near the geographic center of Australia and made of Arkosic Sandstone.

Ken Bradbury (with his wife, Kari, in the background) snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and greeting one of the many, many fish species that are often only an arms length away.

Live Webinars vs. Recorded Webinars

Webinars are educational seminars available online.  Live Webinars are taught live by an instructor who receives participants real-time questions using a chat system on the computer screen.  Each Live Webinar is recorded and now available through the WEBINAR ARCHIVES at Midwest GeoSciences Group.

Just click on the link showing the Members Only Section located online at our homepage, midwestgeo.com and then choose your favorite webinar topic from list of recorded sessions.   A wide variety of webinar subjects are available now and more are being added all the time.

Watch the session like you’re in a classroom and listen to internationally-recognized instructors who specialize in each of their topics.  Submerse yourself in these 90-minute educational experiences and gain insights that are found no where else on the web. 

Recorded Webinars offer many benefits besides being available on demand, 27/7.  They simulate classroom sessions encapsulated in an easy-to-access online forum.  Some other benefits include:

1. Learn from recognized experts in the field
2. Improve your personal and professional skills and efficiencies
3. Learn to solve hydrogeologic, environmental and engineering problems we commonly face as professionals
4. Bring added-value to your projects and continue to build your career.
5. You can control the webinar progress or let it run automatically.  You have the ability to immediately repeat segments using a control slider, similar to YouTube.
6. Order Three Webinars and Receive Three More for Free!  Your Membership tracks both your paid and free Webinars automatically!

Not only can you experience the webinar alone or in a group, but every 90-minute webinar is equivalent to one and a half Professional Development Hours.  Each webinar includes downloadable handouts consisting of the Session Slides and a Record of Attendance Form.  Record of Attendance Forms may be used for documenting yours and your colleague’s attendance… in case you have licensure requirements for continuing education units. 

Experience webinars right on your personal computer or broadcast it in your conference room - choosing either a Live Webinar or a Recorded Webinar - both allowing an unlimited number of colleagues for no extra charge.

2011 University of Wisconsin: Rock Cores, Flow Meters and Models

The University of Wisconsin Madison is beautiful all year but my favorite season to be on campus is summertime.  Participants during our 2011 course "IMPROVING THE HYDROGEOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF FRACTURED BEDROCK SYSTEMS" indicated they enjoyed it too along with the on-campus fun.  Anyone who is familiar with the campus understands the uniqueness of State Street that connects the University and State Capitol.  We were aware of the daily (history-making) protests happening at the Capitol during our evening walks after class on State Street - which made our experience uniquely memorable.

The 3-day course takes advantage of the excellent facilities in Madison ranging from the state-of-the-art on-campus classroom auditorium, the extensive rock core library in Mt. Horeb and access to bedrock exposures and the fantastic field site with a variety of wells and downhole technologies.   The exercises range from practicing our rock core logging skills to FLUTe sampling to using the a host of dynamic borehole flow meters.  The 20-sec video below shows the rock core logging exercises:

Participants travel globally for this course with some travelling this year as far as the Western Cape of South Africa.   We are honored to have the privilege of bringing our educational experiences to people.  We enjoy meeting participants with such a wide variety of experiences, backgrounds and originating from such diverse geographic distributions.  Thank you to those who joined us in Madison for this fun and unique course!!