Probably one of the most interesting stories that I have heard over the years has been the true tale of Dr. Herbert Jackson. Dr. Jackson was a Christian missionary who, when he got to the mission field, was assigned a vehicle that could start only with a running push. After a while of debating what to do, Dr. Jackson struck gold – he went to a nearby school and got permission from the principle to take some of the students out of class momentarily to push his car. Genius! After being pushed, the missionary would either park his car on a downhill or leave the engine on. This technique was full proof for roughly two years.

What most undergraduates outside of the social sciences and the humanities perceive of as science journalism is a passive, fact-collecting affair sifting through press releases and secondary sources. There can be nothing farther from the truth. Becoming a science journalist as JYI can not only enrich your undergraduate education intellectually, but also help you take concrete steps towards finding your passion and the career of your dreams.

Typically, undergraduate research journals are confined to one specific university. As such, board meetings are usually held in a class room or diner not too far from where they have classes. These meetings are typically informal as the staff members often see each other on a regular basis. The Journal of Young Investigators, however, is unique in that it is an international undergraduate research journal. Therefore, besides internet and telephone communications, in-person meetings are also established at various locations around the United States of America. This year, JYI had its executive board member meeting in Washington D.C., corresponding to the 2008 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and Research Conference at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel (November 21-23, 2008).

The Journal of Young Investigator's CEO, Shiv Gaglani, sat down and spoke with Raymond Gilmartin, Professor at the Harvard Business School and former CEO of Merck. A brief biography of Professor Gilmartin is below. In addition, the audio recording and typed transcript of the interview are below.

he process of urbanization started long before the word itself existed. In fact, the relentless pursuit of a more comfortable life has been going on ever since man realized his superiority over the rest of the animals. From caves to huts, then to houses and sky scrapers! Man made them all. In the last couple of centuries many changes have occurred as never before in the entire history of mankind. Maybe these enormous changes are too much and too fast for Mother Nature to cope with, as is reflected in the declining environment around us as well as our own health.