RSSJE: How did you come to be involved first as chief scientific officer, then as director, and now as chairman at IMUC?
Dr. Yu: Well, the company that I founded with a colleague of mine — I was originally attracted toward commercializing our therapy because of some of the frustrations I felt as an academic investigator in terms of being able to develop therapies for our patients, and that was essentially a therapy did not have a strong commercial backing and a clear pathway toward commercialization. It was something that was very difficult to take past the phase one clinical trial, meaning the small clinical trial testing a few patients. If you wanted to develop a therapy that would be applicable to the population of patients out there, it had to be strategically developed with an eye toward commercialization from the start. Let me give you an example of this.
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The practice of collaborative law offers plaintiffs and defendants in legal disputes a structured process of settling their differences– an alternative to court processes that can often become costly and emotionally draining. The practice enables couples seeking separation and divorce to focus on family issues that will benefit their children by establishing a cooperative environment, as opposed to litigation. Black and White talks to Susan DiGirolamo, a collaborative law practitioner in Pennsylvania, about the quickly growing trend. DiGirolamo has been practicing law for 15 years. Her collaborative law practice is nearly two years old.
Toi Derricotte is a writer and poet, author of five books, and co-founder of Cave Canem, a summer workshop for African American poets. She is currently a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh. Black and White talks with the writer about her early influences as young writer, the influence of singer Billie Holiday, how her writing voice is changing, and her present work that positions her as a role model for young writers.
For over a decade, University of Maryland geophysicist Dr. Dan Lathrop has been on a quest to construct and run tests on spherical models that simulate the physics of the Earth’s magnetic field. Now completing work on the fourth model, his academic group is close to their biggest feat yet: filling the rotating sphere with sodium to create a self-generating magnetic field. Black and White talks with Dr. Lathrop about his work and influences. 
Andro Wekua’s installation in the 55th Carnegie International entitled “Get out of my room” is a hauntingly evocative piece. Of this work Wekua explains: “Although the work is meant to be exhibited and looked at, the figure in the installation is secluded, and resists being looked at.” John Eastman interviews the young Georgian-born artist.
Sharon Lockhart is a photographer and filmmaker that was born in Norwood, MA and lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Since 1992 she has exhibited her work in Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, and across the U.S. Her film ‘Pine Flat’ was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. The intimate photographs from her series of the same name capture the emotional portraits of the children that she came to know while living in a cabin in the foothills of the Californian Sierra Nevada Mountains. Black and White discusses her influences, her approach to her subjects, and her upcoming work.
Ranjani Shettar’s sculpture “Just a Bit More” at the 55th Carnegie International features a room-sized netted sculpture made out of uniquely formed organic materials. The work, the fourth in a series of her beeswax pieces, is at once both joyful and serene. The colorful palette of the skillfully netted hanging material draws the viewer and entrances them.
Mr. Akhilesh K. Verma is a citizen of India and a Senior Advocate, practicing for over 15 years in New Delhi, India. Black and White talks to him about the current happenings, U.S.-India relations, and issues of global concern. 
Barry McGee is a prolific artist that for the past 20 years has become famous for his graffiti “tagging” as well as work exhibited in major galleries around the world. He is represented by Deitch Projects gallery in New York City, and is currently exhibiting in “Life on Mars,” the 55th Carnegie International. John Eastman discusses the rebellious nature of his work, his intentions for the Life on Mars exhibit, life in San Francisco, and upcoming work.
Black and White interviews Curator of Contemporary Art at the Carnegie Museum of Art Douglas Fogle who is curating “Life on Mars,” the 55th Carnegie International. In an interview with John Eastman, Fogle discusses the choice of the exhibit’s theme, his experiences with the artists, what other curators have influenced him, and how the exhibit engages its visitors.
Davison, Inc. is a company that aids entrepreneurs and corporations in developing their new products. Black and White talks to George Davison, President and CEO of the 19-year old firm, about influences from his early years, business lessons learned as a professional paintball player, and “InventionLand” – the continually evolving facility that helps enable creators.
At a 1989 agricultural fair, Trevor Field discovered a child’s playground roundabout linked into a water pump. He saw this invention as a means to solve the Sub-Sahara African clean water shortage and developed it into the innovative PlayPump water system. Eighteen years later, more than 1,000 PlayPump systems have brought clean drinking water to those who need it most. John Eastman talks with Trevor Field about the South African-U.S. nonprofit organization, the motivation for his quest, the key entities that aid his organization, and his goal to expand the geographical reach of his systems.
The declining value of the U.S. dollar and its effects on the economy have been the subject of much debate in the financial community. Linda Rosencrance interviews two currency experts at investment banking firms who discuss the perceptions, underlying reasons, and effects of the U.S. dollar’s value around the globe. (Photos L-R: David Resler, Marc Chandler)
Small business meets big business in the world of product development, patenting, manufacturing, and retailing. Black and White interviews Mike Marks, inventor and co-founder of WorkTools.
