Daily News

August 19, 2008

Some changes are being made to HSR bus routes to campus starting Sept. 2. The B-line buses will be re-routed from the current King/Sterling/University alignment and will instead travel along Main Street and use the existing stops in front of the McMaster hospital and Emerson Street.

August 19, 2008

People infected with West Nile virus seem to return to normal within one year of experiencing symptoms, a new McMaster study has found. The study, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is the largest ever done on the long-term prognosis of West Nile virus. "This is the first study to comprehensively look at a large population of infected persons to study the long-term effects of West Nile virus," said study author Dr. Mark Loeb, a professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

August 19, 2008

Allison Sekuler, professor of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour at McMaster, has been confirmed by Senate as associate vice-president and dean of Graduate Studies. "Allison Sekuler has demonstrated her capacity for innovative thinking and implementation in many ways since she came here in 2001," said Provost Ilene Busch-Vishniac, noting the unanimous recommendation of the selection committee. "Her leadership experience at McMaster has positioned Allison well for this new role in guiding graduate education."

August 18, 2008

Barry Dewitt's summer suddenly got busier when he learned that he would be spending the second half of his third year of study at the University of Washington. Dewitt is one of 13 Canadian students receiving a Killam Fellowship this year from the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States. The award provides $10,000 for tuition and living expenses, an allowance for health insurance and a grant for field trips.

August 18, 2008

The Faculty of Health Sciences department known for more than 30 years as the Committee on Scientific Development (CSD) has changed its name to Health Research Services.

August 15, 2008

Ken Coley has been appointed the new associate dean, academic for the Faculty of Engineering and David Potter the director of the Engineering and Management Program.

August 14, 2008

Technology has changed -- and continues to make dramatic changes -- in how businesses work. Networking has moved online as people connect with colleagues through social networking. Security and privacy are key concerns as more and more information is exchanged electronically. Web users are becoming older and more culturally diverse, resulting in changes in how companies reach out to consumers. The Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) will address some of these current issues in information systems and look ahead to what the future holds.

August 13, 2008

Face recognition is something that most adults take for granted, but some children struggle with recognizing faces from different angles, according to a study being conducted in the Vision Development Lab by PhD candidate Mayu Nishimura.

August 12, 2008

When Angela Sheng, assistant professor of art history, was asked about the origins of an elaborately embroidered smoking jacket dating back to the late 1930s, the only clues she had were the initials M.W.D., 4th Marines and Shanghai, China. The clues were embroidered on the jacket, which was featured on a recent episode of the History Detectives, a PBS show that solves mysteries about historical artifacts. Sheng's contribution to the show was filmed at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. and aired on July 21.

August 11, 2008

It has been called the largest hacking and identity theft case yet. But last week's indictments of 11 people who allegedly plundered millions of credit card numbers is not expected to seriously dent the underworld where such crimes occur. Economic crime has been termed the crime of the century. And enforcement agencies, IT professionals and businesses are scrambling to mount a defense. Economic crime prevention is the theme of the 30th World Congress. The Congress is organized by the DeGroote School of Business and will be held from Jan. 14 to 16, 2009.

August 11, 2008

Former McMaster chancellor Larry Pennell passed away on the weekend at the age of 93.

August 11, 2008

If you've been going through your summer reading list as quickly as this summer has gone by, you may be in the market for some new suggestions. If you find yourself looking to finish off the summer with another good book, the William Ready Division of Archives and Reseach Collections has some suggestions for you.

August 7, 2008

The results of a new study involving a McMaster University researcher provide insight into how scientists might control human embryonic stem cell differentiation. In collaboration with researchers from SickKids and Mount Sinai hospitals, Dr. Jon Draper, a scientist in the McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, focused on producing early endoderm cells from human embryonic stem cells.

August 7, 2008

People who have gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after a stroke are more likely to die or become severely disabled than stroke sufferers with no GI bleeding, according to a study involving McMaster University researchers. The study was published in the Aug. 6 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

August 6, 2008

Tucked away in the basement of the Commons Building is a department known as the Assistive Technology and Learning Assistance Support lab (ATLAS). Intentionally not an imposing space, the ATLAS lab is small, but does the mammoth job of coordinating study strategies for students with learning or other disabilities. ATLAS' mandate is twofold: it provides counseling to students with mental health issues or learning disabilities as well as providing assistive technology. Accommodations range from smaller, quiet testing areas to innovative assistive technology solutions, and encompass a broad range of student needs.

August 6, 2008

Video games are among the most popular entertainment media in the world. Now, groundbreaking research involving McMaster University researchers shows that a specially designed video game can promote positive behaviour in young cancer patients that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment. The research published in the medical journal Pediatrics provides scientific evidence for a growing field of product development that taps into the positive potential of video games and other popular technology to improve human health.

August 6, 2008

Incoming first-year students don't need to wait until September to experience life at McMaster. Welcome Day on Friday, Aug. 8 will give them a head start on finding their way around campus and learning about the facilities and services available to them. Tours will be offered at the libraries, residences and David Braley Athletic Centre. A panel of upper-year students will be on hand to debunk myths about university life, such as the dreaded "freshman 15."

August 5, 2008

Canada has a record number of educated young workers. In 2005, a record 172,700 students received their undergraduate degrees from Canadian universities. In the 2005-06 academic year, enrolment in Canadian universities hit a record high for the fifth consecutive year as an estimated 1,047,700 students registered for classes. Despite this highly educated workforce, many young Canadians struggle to find work in their chosen field.

August 1, 2008

Sports fans tuning in to the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on Aug. 8 may recognize a familiar face. McMaster graduate Adam van Koeverden will be carrying the Canadian flag, leading his teammates into the stadium. "What an incredible honour to be selected to carry our great country's flag at the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing," writes van Koeverden on his website, www.vankayak.com. "With so many awesome Canadian athletes up for consideration, it was amazing just to be nominated alongside them."

July 31, 2008

Densely populated cities and increased air travel can be factors which create and spread pandemic disease. But a Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine researcher is working with isolated Hutterite communities to understand the transmission of pandemic diseases like influenza. Dr. Mark Loeb and his research team have received $1.6 million in funding to carry out the research from the Rx&D Health Research Foundation (HRF), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).