Daily News

June 5, 2008

Ambulances should take about eight minutes between the time the initial call is placed and the time it arrives at the scene of the emergency, according to the Government of Ontario. But eight minutes could be fatal for a person having a heart attack, going into anaphylactic shock, or having any other type of medical emergency. This danger was obvious to a young Eddie Wasser in 1982. Now an emergency room physician, Wasser was in his first undergraduate year at McMaster when another student had a seizure, and the ambulance took 20 minutes to arrive.

June 4, 2008

A lot can happen when collaboration occurs in research. No one knows that better than David Chettle, a professor in the Department of Medical Physics & Applied Radiation Sciences and the associate dean of Science, Research & External Relations in the Faculty of Science. Chettle is the principal project investigator in a proposal that was recently funded by the Ministry of Research and Innovation, through the International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP). The project is entitled Sustainable use of lead in Ontario and other developed economies: assessing knowledge gaps and determining evidence based strategies to minimize health impact.

June 4, 2008

Short bursts of high intensity sprints -- known to benefit muscle and improve exercise performance -- can improve the function and structure of blood vessels, especially arteries that deliver blood to our muscles and heart, according to new research from McMaster University. The study, led by kinesiology doctoral student Mark Rakobowchuk, is published online in the American Journal of Physiology, Regulatory, Integrative & Comparative Physiology

June 4, 2008

The entire campus will be the beneficiary of a new plan to provide more coordinated support for teaching and learning at McMaster. The Centre for Leadership in Learning (CLL) will join forces with the Learning Technologies Resource Centre (LTRC) in newly renovated and custom-designed space on the second floor of the H.G. Thode Library. "We've wanted to find a permanent home for CLL for a long time in addition to finding a way to provide faculty and students with much better facilities and opportunities to enhance learning," says Fred Hall, associate vice-president, Academic.

June 4, 2008

The McMaster Alumni Association hosted an induction ceremony for the newest members of the Alumni Gallery as part of Alumni Weekend. The Arch Awards, which honour the achievements of recent graduates, and Distinguished Service Awards, which recognize volunteer service to the Alumni Association, were also presented. "The Alumni Gallery is a photographic and biographical display of some of these alumni who lead interesting lives and make outstanding contributions to society," said Karen McQuigge, director of Alumni Advancement. "Included in this alumni 'hall of fame' are graduates whose names are household words. Others are not as well known, but their lives are just as absorbing."

June 4, 2008

More than 90 per cent of the McMaster community completed the MAC ID Service Enhancement Process last spring and summer. Those who have not done so are encouraged to spend a few minutes to complete the process. The benefits of MAC ID Service Enhancement include one username and password for authorized resources such as MacConnect (wireless and public data jack access), UnivMail e-mail, Sophos Anti-Virus Remote Update and VPN.

June 3, 2008

The McMaster community is being encouraged to use greener modes of transportation next week as part of the Commuter Challenge from June 2 to 6. "The purpose of the event is to reduce the amount of single occupancy vehicles on campus by promoting walking, bussing, biking and carpooling," said Kate Whelan of the ACT Office.

June 3, 2008

Automated parking at the Ron Joyce Stadium went live this morning. Permit holders must have transponders to enter the parking lot while visitors can pay with cash or credit cards upon exit. The lot has 340 spaces, of which 100 have been designated for permit holders while the rest are for visitors. Spaces are still available for permit holders. Transponders were distributed by parking staff last week. Permit holders who do not have transponders yet can pick them up at the Parking Office.

June 2, 2008

The Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, recently held its annual fourth-year Honours Undergraduate Symposium. With a total of 96 students, it was a record number of participants for the annual event.

June 2, 2008

Jamal Deen, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was presented with an academic excellence award at the Eighth Annual Guyana Awards Gala on Saturday, May 24 in Toronto. Deen was recognized as one of the most honoured academics in engineering to emerge from Guyana as well as his continued involvement in the country's social development.

June 2, 2008

A symposium designed to teach investors, researchers and the public about commercial-ready research that can create jobs and spur economic development in southern Ontario will be held June 5 and 6 at McMaster University.

May 30, 2008

Death Valley may not seem like the most enjoyable destination to visit on a field trip, but it's the perfect place for geography and earth sciences students to gain a better understanding of what they learned in the classroom. Students in professor Carolyn Eyles' fourth-year field course recently spent 10 days exploring the geological features of Arizona, California and Nevada. The field course is a culmination of the instruction students receive in their first three years of geography and earth sciences courses.

May 29, 2008

A large art piece of etched glass panels designated as Canadian cultural property has been installed at McMaster University, a donation of a family in honour of four generations of its graduates. Twelve glass panels with images and landscapes of 10 provinces and two territories of Canada are inside a 53-foot long glass wall of the Jan and Mien Heersink Reading Pavilion of the Health Sciences Library. Created by Canadian crystal artist Mark Raynes Roberts, the work is called A View to Our Heritage and communicates the tapestry of the country.

May 29, 2008

"It really is about establishing a bridge," says Gu Xu, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, of a new campaign to raise money to build a school in one of the communities affected by the Sichuan earthquake.

May 29, 2008

An innovative summer program at the DeGroote School of Business will introduce teens to the exciting world of commerce and help them develop important skills that will help them throughout their lives.

May 28, 2008

Imagine owning a copy of Galileo's 1632 Dialogo di Galileo Galilei (Galileo's Dialogue), a work so controversial he was convicted of heresy in 1633 and the book was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books. Or perhaps a first-edition, autographed copy of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine is a more suitable choice for your personal library? These books and more will be made available to the public, beginning this fall, through a unique partnership between McMaster University Library and U.S.-based companies Kirtas Technologies, Inc. and Lulu.com.

May 28, 2008

McMaster University will welcome home its graduates during Alumni Weekend 2008 from Thursday, May 29 to Sunday, June 1. An annual event, this year's festivities feature a new and exciting start, with the Alumni Gallery and Alumni Association Awards ceremony being held on Thursday evening.

May 28, 2008

Two McMaster researchers are part of an international team that will conduct a major study on work and employment in a global context. The team, led by the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT), includes Charlotte Yates and Don Wells, both of the Labour Studies Program and Department of Political Science.

May 28, 2008

Only weeks into his presidency, Azim Kasmani is already busy. "It tends to age you. I certainly don't get much sleep anymore," the McMaster Students Union president says of his new job. "It's a fantastic learning experience though."

May 27, 2008

Today is the day McMaster undertakes a confidential one-minute, four-question Employee Equity questionnaire that will allow the University to refresh and renew data on workplace demographics. Karen Belaire, vice-president administration, says there are two key reasons for the one-minute questionnaire: "McMaster's strategic plan identifies a goal of building and measuring an inclusive community with a shared purpose. In addition, the federal government requires that McMaster maintain ongoing workplace demographic data. This questionnaire is one in a series of initiatives that help achieve these goals."