diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/pom.xml b/publisher-sandbox/pom.xml
index c284bf7..603d916 100644
--- a/publisher-sandbox/pom.xml
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/pom.xml
@@ -11,12 +11,17 @@
 	<artifactId>publisher-sandbox</artifactId>
 	<version>1.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<packaging>jar</packaging>
-	<name>publisher framework for DE - API</name>
+	<name>Testing/validation sandbox emulating publishing</name>
 	<dependencies>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.iplantc.de</groupId>
 			<artifactId>publisher-api</artifactId>
-<version>${project.version}</version>
+			<version>${project.version}</version>
+		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>org.xeustechnologies</groupId>
+			<artifactId>jcl-core</artifactId>
+			<version>2.7</version>
 		</dependency>
 	</dependencies>
 </project>
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
index 0a8db52..f9dc783 100644
--- a/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@
 package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.net.URL;
+import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 
 import org.iplantc.de.publish.mechanism.api.exception.PublicationException;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.xeustechnologies.jcl.JarClassLoader;
 
 /**
  * Black box host of publishing mechanisms for testing and validation purposes
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
 public class PublisherEmulator {
 
 	private SandboxConfiguration sandboxConfiguration;
+	private JarClassLoader jcl;
 
 	public static final Logger log = LoggerFactory
 			.getLogger(PublisherEmulator.class);
@@ -71,20 +73,20 @@ public void init() throws PublicationException {
 
 	}
 
-	public void initialize(String libDir) throws Exception {
+	public void loadPublisherClasses(String libDir) throws Exception {
+
 		File dependencyDirectory = new File(libDir);
 		File[] files = dependencyDirectory.listFiles();
-		ArrayList<URL> urls = new ArrayList<URL>();
+		ArrayList<URI> uris = new ArrayList<URI>();
 		for (int i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
 			if (files[i].getName().endsWith(".jar")) {
-				urls.add(files[i].toURL());
-				// urls.add(files[i].toURI().toURL());
+				log.info("adding jar:{} to candidates", files[i]);
+				uris.add(files[i].toURI());
 			}
-		} /*
-		 * classLoader = new JarFileClassLoader("Scheduler CL" +
-		 * System.currentTimeMillis(), urls.toArray(new URL[urls.size()]),
-		 * GFClassLoader.class.getClassLoader());
-		 */
+		}
+
+		log.info("creating jar class loader...");
+		jcl = new JarClassLoader();
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c4c8a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+import org.junit.AfterClass;
+import org.junit.BeforeClass;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mike Conway - DICE
+ *
+ */
+public class PublisherEmulatorTest {
+
+	private static Properties testingProperties;
+
+	/**
+	 * @throws java.lang.Exception
+	 */
+	@BeforeClass
+	public static void setUpBeforeClass() throws Exception {
+		// testingProperties = TestingProperties.
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @throws java.lang.Exception
+	 */
+	@AfterClass
+	public static void tearDownAfterClass() throws Exception {
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void test() {
+		fail("Not yet implemented");
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherTestingProperties.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherTestingProperties.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c628d98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherTestingProperties.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+import org.irods.jargon.testutils.TestingUtilsException;
+
+/**
+ * Test properties and utils
+ * 
+ * @author Mike Conway - DICE
+ *
+ */
+public class PublisherTestingProperties {
+
+	public static final String TEST_PUBLISHER_DIR_PROPERTY = "driver.jar.dir";
+
+	/**
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public PublisherTestingProperties() {
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Load the properties that control various tests from the
+	 * testing.properties file on the code path
+	 *
+	 * @return <code>Properties</code> class with the test values
+	 * @throws TestingUtilsException
+	 */
+	public Properties getTestProperties() throws TestingUtilsException {
+		ClassLoader loader = this.getClass().getClassLoader();
+		InputStream in = loader.getResourceAsStream("testing.properties");
+		Properties properties = new Properties();
+
+		try {
+			properties.load(in);
+		} catch (IOException ioe) {
+			throw new TestingUtilsException("error loading test properties",
+					ioe);
+		} finally {
+			try {
+				in.close();
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				// ignore
+			}
+		}
+		return properties;
+	}
+
+}