Daily News

March 4, 2009

The McMaster community is taking a new and unique approach to help ensure that the University inspires a respectful community.

March 3, 2009

More than 325 employees attended this year's Inspiring from Within employee conference at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel. Presented by the 2009 Inspiring from Within Organizing Committee in partnership with the Working at McMaster Steering Committee, this year's conference focused on the theme "Ready, Set, Grow." This was the seventh consecutive year that employees were able to enjoy a "made for McMaster" opportunity that included professional development sessions, networking with colleagues, and a welcome retreat from the long days of our Canadian winter.

March 3, 2009

Wait times for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning have improved since the Ontario government's strategy to shorten wait times launched in 2004. But a study led by a McMaster University researcher has found wealthy Ontarians are significantly more likely to receive MRI scans than their poorer counterparts. The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences study was led by Dr. John You of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. The assistant professor holds appointments in the departments of medicine and clinical epidemiology and biostatistics.

March 3, 2009

The McMaster community explored some fascinating spaces on campus as part of the February Doors Open McMaster event series. The second week of a three week series, the event included tours of the Biology Greenhouse, the W. J. McCallion Planetarium, the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, and the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.

March 2, 2009

Two students from the DeGroote School of Business Master of Communications Management Program have won first and second place in an international corporate communications case study competition. Heather Pullen won the $5,000 Grand Prize for the entire competition with a case study which examined Eastern Health's decision not to disclose that errors had been made in one of its laboratories. Pullen's study reviews the impact on Eastern Health's reputation and highlights the communication issues raised by the organization's reluctance to release information. Pullen works in public relations & communications at Hamilton Health Sciences. Her latest recognition follows a second place finish in a health communications competition hosted by the Public Relations Society of America earlier this year.

March 2, 2009

More than 330 new graduate student spaces are being created at McMaster as part of the province of Ontario's new investment in graduate expansion. John Milloy, minister of Training, Colleges and Universities announced the province is committing $52-million to create nearly 3,300 new spaces over the next three years at Ontario's universities.

February 27, 2009

The McMaster Office of Community Service-Learning & Civic Engagement will showcase the myriad of clubs, societies and organizations striving to make a positive difference in the community with its first ever Citizenship Engagement Week, happening February 26 to March 5. From voting and donating blood to coaching and volunteering, there are many ways to get involved and be an active citizen in the Hamilton community. Citizenship Engagement Week will highlight the wide range of beliefs on what it means to be an engaged citizen, as well as provoke thought, discussion and debate on citizenship in contemporary society.

February 27, 2009

The City of Hamilton has voted to participate in the Ontario bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games approving a plan to build a new stadium and velodrome in the city. Earlier this month, McMaster's Executive Committee of the Board of Governors also approved the University's participation in the bid which could include a new 50-metre pool on campus.

February 27, 2009

Alumni and friends of McMaster gathered at the Rideau Club in Ottawa for an evening of socializing and an informative discussion with Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams, director of the McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics. The discussion titled, Space Exploration and Remote Health Care was the fourth annual lecture hosted by McMaster at the Rideau Club. Organized by the Ottawa Branch of Alumni Advancement, the lecture provides an opportunity for alumni to connect with past friends and to re-familiarize themselves with University initiatives, while enjoying an entertaining evening out.

February 26, 2009

McMaster has a long tradition of research collaborations that span the globe. Now, two of McMaster's Research Chairs, Chris Wood and John Lavis, have been partnered with colleagues in developing countries to tackle pressing issues of international impact. Their expertise has been recognized by the International Research Chairs Initiative (IRCI), a leading-edge program that is sponsored by Canada's International Development Research Centre in collaboration with the Canada Research Chairs Program.

February 25, 2009

Country, folk and rock artists will come together to keep community radio alive in Hamilton as part of Raise Your Voice 2009, CFMU 93.3's annual fundraiser and community celebration, running from February 28 until March 20. Based out of McMaster University, CFMU, Canada's second oldest campus radio station, has remained true to its origins as a grassroots community broadcaster.

February 25, 2009

Micro-blogging is changing the nature of online communication on- and off-campus. Micro-blogging refers to a form of blogging that allows online subscribers to broadcast brief messages to other subscribers of a micro-blogging service. McMaster University Library recently created a Twitter.com account, accessible from the Library homepage, to update students, staff and faculty on new services, library events, and other happenings at the campus libraries. Twitter.com, a free social networking and micro-blogging service, is becoming increasingly visible at Canadian universities and in other areas of academic life.

February 25, 2009

If a formula existed for earning top grades it would be: hard work + dedication + perseverance = A+. Of course, it's never that simple - but a group of McMaster students have accomplished just that - the challenging task of achieving those perfect marks. These students were honoured at the President's Awards and Provost's Honour Roll Reception. The gathering brought together students from all levels and Faculties who achieved academic excellence in the 2007-2008 academic year, either in their final year of secondary school or at McMaster.

February 24, 2009

While the public has become more open to the concept of nuclear power, there are still many myths and misconceptions causing unnecessary concern. Radiation biologist Doug Boreham has lectured worldwide about the benefits of nuclear energy and the perceived risks associated with radiation in an effort to help separate the facts from the fiction, the science from the spin. His public lecture (Tuesday February 24) on Realities, reassurances and the rebirth of nuclear power for the Science in the City series will be a wide-ranging and engaging talk on the latest issues.

February 24, 2009

Three McMaster professors have had their Canada Research Chairs renewed, a federal research investment totaling nearly $3.7 million. Dr. Jeffrey Weitz, Canada Research Chair in Thrombosis and Pavlos Kanaroglou, Canada Research in Spatial Analysis, were awarded $1.4 million each for their Tier 1 Chairs. Gregory Slater, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Isotope Biogeochemistry, was awarded $500,000 for his Tier 2 Chair. Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their field. Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

February 24, 2009

Training to become a specialist in health care takes years of study and lots of hard work. But imagine if you were assigned to become the crew medical officer aboard a long-duration mission to space. What specialized knowledge would be called for? Would you need to be a doctor? What skills would be required in addition to medical training? Those are just a few of the questions audience members will be asked to consider at Isolated and Alone: Training the Medical Crew Officer for Long-Duration Missions, a free public lecture that will be presented tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 24) as part of a McMaster University seminar series on space medicine.

February 23, 2009

The student body has elected its next president. Vishal Tiwari, current vice-president of education, McMaster Students Union (MSU), will be the MSU president for the 2009-2010 academic year. Tiwari begins his role as president in May.

February 23, 2009

It's time to dust off your athletic gear and prepare to Get MACtive. McMaster's Healthy Workplace Group and Employee Health Services have organized McMaster's second Get MACtive Challenge and it's shaping up to be eight weeks of fitness fun. The 2009 Get MACtive Challenge runs from Monday, March 9 to Sunday, May 3 and includes weekly prizes, activities, giveaways, health tips and of course the opportunity to improve your fitness.

February 20, 2009

Did you know that a disposable water bottle will remain in a landfill for 1,000 years or that purchasing a water bottle is 3,000 times more expensive than an equal amount of municipal tap water? These are just some of the reasons why new water fountains have been popping up around campus. McMaster University has begun retrofitting a number of water fountains with new gooseneck spouts, recognizing that many individuals prefer to carry their own reusable water containers over using disposable water bottles.

February 20, 2009

F. Scott Fitzgerald once famously said, "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you've got something to say." For the researchers and clinicians in McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), that approach to writing has resulted in hundreds of publications in top scientific journals over the last year, as well as significant contributions to leading health-care books and manuals.