WEPCO's Link: a man with a passion for producing energy. (Wisconsin Electric Power Co.'s vice president of nuclear power operations Robert Link)

As a scientifically inclined high school student, it was probably only natural that Robert Link grew up wanting to be like his father.

"He was an imposing figure for a bunch of reasons," said Link of his father, one of a group of engineers who started RTE Corp. (now part of Cooper Power Systems, Houston). "He was one of the great inventors, building things in the basement and garage. He was an engineer's engineer."

While interested in emulating his father, the Milwaukee native was not eager to compete with his dad's daunting legacy. A high school introduction to an emerging technology pointed the way to a scientific field in which Link could chart his own course.

"Our physics teacher at Catholic Memorial High School (in Waukesha) decided to do a three-week session on nuclear engineering," said …