Daily News

October 21, 2008

McMaster's Burlington expansion plan took a significant step forward last night with city council's approval of the project. Council's support follows earlier project approvals by McMaster's Senate and Board of Governors. Last night, councillors agreed to invest $5 million in the McMaster plan, while directing city staff to continue discussions with Halton Region about a regional investment of $5 million.

October 20, 2008

This past weekend has been a difficult one for students who live in Brandon Hall and for their families. A fire that broke out Saturday morning at 4 a.m. sent four McMaster students to hospital, more than 400 students had to be evacuated, and the building was badly damaged. I am pleased to be able to report that one of the students that went to hospital was quickly treated and released, that two who had minor smoke inhalation have also been discharged, and that the fourth student is continuing to improve.

October 19, 2008

We are now in a position to confirm that the damage to Brandon Hall from Saturday morning's fire will mean students will not be able to return to the building for a considerable length of time. While it is still too early to say how long it will take to make all of the repairs, the University is coordinating a long-term plan to provide accommodation for the 580 students from Brandon Hall.

October 17, 2008

The German scientist who won this year's Nobel Prize in medicine for research into cervical cancer will deliver the prestigious 2008 Gairdner Lecture at McMaster University on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Dr. Harald zur Hausen's research helped link human papillomaviruses (HPV) to cervical cancer, the key to eventually developing a vaccine to prevent the disease.

October 17, 2008

Where would we go if we didn't have access to a toilet? For 2.6-billion people-more than 40 per cent of the world's population-it is a daily reality. They also bear the brunt of needless death: According to the United Nations, the total number of deaths in 2002 that were attributed to poor water, sanitation and hygiene was more than 3.5-million. Diarrhoea accounts for 1.4-million preventable child deaths each year.

October 16, 2008

Who would have thought that worms found in your composter - only seen with a microscope - could be used to study genetic disorders in humans? With 700 million years of separation and roughly half of its genes similar to humans, the worm C. elegans is one of the most widely used animals in biomedical research today.

October 16, 2008

For the second consecutive year, McMaster University Library is hosting Parent Night, an initiative to gain the attention of first year students and their parents. A variety of guest speakers, including an academic skills counsellor and a peer mentor from the Centre for Student Development, the Library's first year experience librarian, and faculty member, Joe Kim will discuss strategies for achieving academic success and answer guests questions.

October 15, 2008

The Faculty of Science and the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour are pleased to present an H. Lyman Hooker Distinguished Visiting Professor public lecture by Eric Knudsen. Knudsen is a professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "Mechanisms of Learning in the Auditory System of the Barn Owl" will be presented in the Health Sciences Centre, Room 1A1, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

October 14, 2008

McMaster's Ombuds office has released its annual report. Co-funded by McMaster University and the McMaster Students Union, the Ombuds office provides impartial, independent, and informal dispute-resolution advice and assistance to all members of the University community.

October 10, 2008

On Wednesday, President Peter George hosted a luncheon honouring long-time McMaster employees for their commitment to the University. 204 employees attended the Years of Service luncheon to celebrate their dedicated service. Of those attending, six employees have worked at McMaster for 40 years.

October 9, 2008

A $15 million gift today launched a new research institute at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University which will work towards the causes and cures of digestive diseases. The Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute will have a research focus on understanding the causes of common gastroenterology conditions, particularly inflammatory and other bowel diseases, with particular attention on the role of the intestinal microbial environment. This research will generate new therapeutic approaches to the disorders which affect more than 2 million Canadians and impact many aspects of health.

October 9, 2008

More than 500 employees attended the annual McMaster Employee Spirit Society (M.E.S.S.!) varsity football event on Friday, Oct. 3. This was the first event M.E.S.S.! hosted in the new Ron Joyce Stadium, which opened in September. McMaster employees and their families enjoyed an evening of fun and good company while watching the Marauders play.

October 8, 2008

An online student event planning tool has been developed by Student Affairs through a grant from the Student Services Committee, and in consultation with student groups and representatives from Environmental and Occupational Health Support Services (EOHSS).

October 7, 2008

The McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM) continued its tradition of pairing innovative research and a great display of the arts with an integrated lecture and concert titled "A Colourful Appetite for Music: How the Brain Connects Music to Colour and Pleasure," held on Friday, Sept. 26.

October 6, 2008

You won't find the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research (BIMR) on any campus map, but you will be able to find the Institute located squarely at every stage of advanced materials research. Established more than 40 years ago as an offshoot of the Materials Science Department, the Institute for Materials Research was the first interdisciplinary materials research institute in North America, "the first to have researchers from a variety of departments -- chemists, physicists, geologist, all types of engineers -- doing advanced materials research together, ultimately building the foundation for our internationally recognized research organization," says John Preston, recently reappointed for a one-year extension of his term as director of the BIMR.

October 3, 2008

On Monday, Oct. 6, the Office of International Student Services' macAbroad program will bring the world to your doorstep through the 2008 Student Exchange Fair. Displaying information from various host institutions around the world, this is the exchange hopefuls chance to meet with past McMaster exchange students, current international students and to find out details about upcoming information sessions.

October 3, 2008

The McMaster community learned more about the University's refreshed and updated Campus Plan during an Open House held Thursday. The event was organized by the Campus Plan Steering Committee, which has spent the past few months refreshing and updating the Plan, which was originally written in 2002.

October 2, 2008

The first ever Q Methodology conference to be held in Ontario kicked off today, bringing together academics from disciplines such as health sciences, engineering, physics, political and social sciences, journalism and business.

October 1, 2008

The McMaster Museum of Art was honoured on Friday, Sept. 26 when it received the prestigious Curatorial Writing Award from the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) at their 31st Annual Awards ceremony.

October 1, 2008

McMaster's Centre for Peace Studies will feature Gandhian scholar Narayan Desai at its eleventh annual Mahatma Gandhi Lecture on Nonviolence. Desai, a peace activist from India, will speak on "Understanding Gandhi Comprehensively."