Randy W. St. Germain developed much of Dakota’s underlying nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurement technology during his M.S. work at North Dakota State University from 1987 to 1991. Mr. St. Germain received his Master's degree in 1991. Mr. St. Germain co-founded Dakota Technologies, Inc. with Dr. Gregory Gillispie in 1993. Mr. St. Germain has designed and built a continually improving series of direct push deployable laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) site characterization systems for delineation of petroleum, coal tar, and creosote contaminated sites, including sediments in water bodies adjacent to such sites.