Daily News

February 19, 2009

There are lots of labs on campus. However, few people are aware Mills Memorial Library houses one where books, archival documents, posters, maps and photographs receive conservation treatment. The Preservation Lab, part of The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections is staffed by Audrie Schell, a book conservator. Schell is one of only a handful of book conservators in Canada and to develop her specialty she apprenticed for three years with Belgian master binder, Hubert Leurs.

February 19, 2009

Budding entrepreneurs in Hamilton, Halton, Niagara, Brant and beyond will have the chance to win funding, office space and entry into a regional business contest through a new start-up competition launched at McMaster University. The McMaster Start-Up Challenge is being organized by the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation and sponsored by the Office of Research and International Affairs at McMaster to spur and support new business ideas at the university and throughout the region.

February 18, 2009

What does it take to be recognized by one of today's best-known geographic magazines? Being at the forefront of your research career, being adventurous with your research and studying uncharted territory are all required - and receiving your PhD from McMaster University certainly helps. Beverly Goodman, who earned her PhD from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences, has been named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic magazine. The program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration, while still early in their careers. Each Emerging Explorer receives an award of $10,000 to assist with their research and to aid further exploration.

February 18, 2009

A McMaster University professor whose groundbreaking discoveries improved understanding and diagnosis across many medical fields has been honoured with a prestigious award from the American Society for Microbiology. Mohamed Karmali, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine, has been named the recipient of the 2009 BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology. The award recognizes a distinguished scientist for research accomplishments that form the foundation for important applications in clinical microbiology.

February 17, 2009

Faculty, staff and retirees of McMaster are invited to visit several "hidden gems" on campus during Doors Open McMaster. The Community Campaign hosts the event to raise awareness of this year's fundraising initiative. The series provides members of the McMaster community the opportunity to explore fascinating places on campus through a variety of informative tours. The recently refurbished W.J. McCallion Planetarium is one location available for viewing.

February 13, 2009

Two teams from McMaster have qualified for the Canadian Engineering Competition after placing first in their categories at the 2009 Ontario Engineering Competition. Lindsey Kettel and Cory Minkhorst, both fifth-year mechanical engineering and management students, came first in the Innovative Design category, and CJ Smith, a third-year civil engineering and society student, and Justin Sma, a third-year mechatronics student, placed first in Parliamentary Debate.

February 13, 2009

Alumni, students and faculty rang in the Year of the Ox with a celebration of the Chinese New Year at the 10th Annual Chinese Alumni Dinner hosted by the McMaster Alumni Association. The dinner recognized Chinese alumni for their contributions to McMaster.

February 13, 2009

Researchers of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research have discovered a new way that bacteria evolve into something that can make you sick. The finding, published in the Feb. 16 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has implications for how scientists identify and assign risk to emerging diseases in the environment.

February 13, 2009

The DeGroote School of Business has been named one of the top 50 business schools in North America in a recently released survey of international employers. The QS Global 200 Business Schools 2009 highlights which schools around the world are most popular with employers. The list is compiled from an annual survey of global human resources managers and line managers who are recruiting MBA graduates.

February 13, 2009

Congratulations to the following recipients who will receive a $50 Title's gift card from the MACCESS Portal Launch draw.

February 11, 2009

Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) has named McMaster University's John Berlinsky as its academic program director. Perimeter is an independent research institute, located in Waterloo, which was founded in 1999 with the help of a $100 million donation from Michael Lazaridis, co-CEO of Research in Motion. John Berlinsky is currently a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster, vice president of the Faculty Association and a member of McMaster's Board of Governors. He will continue to serve on the Board and as vice president (and next year's president) of the Faculty Association, while being seconded three days a week to Perimeter.

February 11, 2009

The Ontario bid for the 2015 PanAm Games is still not final but McMaster is a possible site for a new aquatic facility. The Executive Committee of the Board of Governors has approved McMaster's participation which could now include plans for a new 50-metre pool at the University.

February 11, 2009

In the not-too-distant future, a simple blood test may predict the genetic risk of suffering a heart attack - no matter what your ethnic background. Dr. Sonia Anand, a professor in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and researcher within the Population Health Research Institute, led a group of Canadian and British researchers who pinpointed specific genes and their association with an increased risk of heart attack.

February 10, 2009

Greg Zilberbrant, a student in the Master of Engineering and Public Policy degree program at McMaster, is this year's recipient of the Norm Lockington Sustainability Scholarship. Norm Lockington presented Zilberbrant with the $1,000 award at a special lecture on February 3.

February 9, 2009

A team of McMaster University scientists will be trading their laboratories for the vast Alberta wilderness in February as part of a national effort to raise $1 million for digestive health research. Instead of peering into microscopes, they will be mushing dogsleds through snow covered fields in the Kananaskis Spray Valley provincial park, snowshoeing through the emerald forests surrounding Lake Louise, climbing the 2407m/7897ft Ha Ling Mountain and cross-country skiing over the Continental Divide, the land which divides the flow of water between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

February 6, 2009

With some sophisticated know-how and a lot of creativity, a team of computer wizards from the Science Media Lab has won the competition to create a flashy multi-media page that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR).

February 5, 2009

Over the last six months the changes in the world economy have been dramatic and Canada and Canadian universities have been wrestling with the impact of the financial downturns and what these changes mean to university budgets and forecasts.

February 5, 2009

The events that make up the 2009 Albert Lager Lecture Series prove that variety really is the spice of life. Whether you are interested in a day at Stratford enjoying a performance and discussion of the beloved musical West Side Story or learning the first steps to growing food in your own backyard, this year's lecture series has something for everyone. The Albert Lager Lecture Series was developed in 1994 following a generous donation from alumnus Albert Lager. The goal of the popular lecture series is to expose McMaster alumni and friends to interesting learning environments and it has quickly become one of the most cherished McMaster Alumni Association programs.

February 5, 2009

Carolyn Eyles started a wiki with her students to create an inventory of Canadian glaciers; Nick Bontis moves around the classroom like an inspirational speaker. Both professors bring an uncommon sense of passion to their teaching, and today have been recognized with a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship. The 3M Fellowships are the most prestigious recognition of excellence and leadership in Canadian university teaching. Each year up to 10 professors are chosen out of more than 35,000 faculty members across Canada.

February 5, 2009

Twenty-two McMaster students descended on Mississauga for the annual Engineers Without Borders (EWB) conference on Wednesday, January 21. Over 700 delegates from universities and cities across Canada participated in four days packed full of international development workshops and inspirational speakers.