**Speaker tells students not to give up**

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON – Astronaut Bernard Harris spoke for the second time at the University of Houston on the empowerment of youth, especially in minorities, in a lecture hosted by the UH Urban Experience Program on Tuesday night in the UC World Affairs Lounge.

“Many young kids lose the ability to dream because they are not encouraged,” said Harris of his “Dare to Dream Program,” which helps students with challenging backgrounds and difficulties to dream starting in elementary school.

A panel of successful African-Americans, such as former NFL player Tyrone Smith and Emmy award-winning journalist Linda Lorelle, also spoke about their efforts to engage minority students to dream and succeed.

“Things happen in our lives, and we see it as a failure,” Harris said. “We can run up against obstacles, and we think it is all over or meant to be when it could just be a redirection to something greater.”

Harris told the audience about his own failure — the first time he applied to be an astronaut, he was turned down.

“You need to tweak what you are doing or turn and deviate just a little bit and it will lead to something greater,” he said.

-The Daily Cougar
By Romana Fatima

**KU engineers, chemists collaborate to advance microscope technology**

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS – The university’s electrical engineering and chemistry departments, two different disciplines within academia, are collaborating to develop new microscope technology. The project hopes to advance technology in the medical field.

“This is an example of multidisciplinary research that brings different techniques and expertise together to do something neither of us could do alone,” said Carey Johnson, professor of chemistry and collaborator with the project.

The research project aims to improve the technology used to image organic molecules while reducing the cost and increasing the portability of the equipment.

Only half a dozen microscope laser systems exist in the country, costing as much as $500,000 each, and they have little or no maneuverability. However, the university’s project aims to reduce the laser system to shoebox size, allowing for easy mobility.

Rongqing Hui, professor of electrical engineering, co-sponsor of the microscope project, sees the benefits of cross-disciplinary studies.

“Collaboration is important because you can utilize your knowledge to solve important problems for other disciplines,” Hui said.

—The Daily Kansan
By Marshall Schmidt

**Opportunities for careers in sustainable business increasing**

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY – Because the concept might be new to some, David Riley, executive director of the Penn State Center for Sustainability, defined the idea of sustainable business for a group of about 40 students.

“This is an emerging concept,” he said. “People think that sustainability is just about the environment, but it’s about things that last.”

The overarching point expressed by the panelists was that with the future in mind, there is no other choice than to conduct business in a sustainable way.

Michael Peck, founder of the MAPA Group, brought a “doing well by doing good” mindset to his business development consulting practice. He spoke zealously about the importance of sustainable business practices.

“(Sustainable business) is exactly what the country needs,” Peck said. “In fact, this is the most patriotic thing we can do.”

During the question and answer segment of the program, students voiced concerns that they were feeling unprepared to apply knowledge they learned in school to the workplace, specifically in sustainable business.

Andy Smith, a professor in Penn State Great Valley’s new MBA program in sustainability management, said current corporate business practices are based upon assumptions that no longer apply.

“Sustainability is built upon a whole new set of assumptions,” Smith said. “It is the future.”

— The Daily Collegian
By Brittany Truscott