Michele Regenold and I have a lot in common. We're both English majors who never would have dreamed that we'd be writing about the various aspects of the transportation industry.

Regenold

Cold weather construction. Deicing runways. Snowplow operations. The site for Go! has articles on topics we've covered in ENR. The difference is that it's aimed at youth, with the goal of encouraging them to explore careers in transportation.

As of the end of January, the fledgling site has garnered 3,100 visitors and 156 subscriptions, with 45 of those from folks under the age of 21, says Regenold. With an art director and editorial assistant — a grad student at Iowa State University — she is working on two more issues through the spring. Sponsored by the university and by the Associated General Contractors' local chapter, the site grew out of a master's degree project of Regenold's 10 years ago. " I started a masters in journalism at Iowa State," she says. "One of the projects was to create your own magazine."

Was transportation her first choice for a theme? "Never! There is a school of engineering at Iowa, but I was oblivious to anything as practical as transportation. Engineers drove trains as far as I knew," she recalls. But she developed an appreciation for the industry and the opportunities it holds for the next generation. "I have a passion for writing for young people. I want to help them discover work that is important to them."

She adds: "There's been much talk about transportation workforce problems, with baby boomers retiring. Every industry has the same problem, sure, but transportation tends to be "invisible." This seemed like an opportunity to make it visible."

Her team is looking for sponsors to help fund Go! over the long term. "We'd like to take it to a national audience and publish more frequently."