Daily News

March 20, 2008

An international study of immigrant health care professionals may hold the solution to Canada's health care crisis. "People talk about Canada's aging population and express concern about the lack of health care providers for the elderly, but one of the problems is that we may have some difficulties recruiting and retaining people who are Canadian into this field," says lead researcher Ivy Bourgeault.

March 19, 2008

Water is essential to life, but the water we drink to stay alive could also be making us sick. Lesley Warren, associate professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences, is studying the interaction between water, rocks and bacteria that can have a negative impact on human and environmental health. "Environmental water quality and public health are inextricably linked," said Warren.

March 19, 2008

Statistics professor Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan is the 2008 recipient of the Don Owen Award for excellence in research and teaching. "Dr. Balakrishnan is an outstanding example of the ideals expected by this important award and reflects both the research and teaching excellence within the Faculty of Science here at McMaster," said John Capone, dean of the Faculty of Science, "and in the spirit of this kind of distinction, Dr. Balakrishnan will be held high as a role model."

March 18, 2008

For the first time, the number of public health nurses in Canada is being documented by researchers at McMaster University -- critical information to have on hand should another outbreak like SARS occur. Of the 320,248 nurses in Canada, 50,557 work in community health positions, according to data compiled by McMaster's Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU).

March 18, 2008

As antibiotics lose their punch, a team of researchers at McMaster University discovered "old" drugs that doctors are turning to also have built-in problems in thwarting infectious diseases. Gerard Wright, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, examined rifampin ADP-ribosyltransferase (ARR), an enzyme that gives rise to resistance to rifampin, a 40-year-old drug used to treat tuberculosis and hospital-acquired infections, such as multi drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

March 17, 2008

Michael Thibodeau and Evan Murray have reached the finals of Canada's Next Top Ad Exec. The students have been through two stages of the competition and are now set to travel to Toronto to present their marketing plan to a panel of industry experts on Tuesday, March 25.

March 13, 2008

Degas, Monet and Renoir are just some of the world-renowned French artists whose works will be showcased in two new exhibits at the McMaster Museum of Art. Matisse: Jazz and the French School open Thursday, March 13.

March 13, 2008

McMaster University has named David Wilkinson as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. His appointment takes effect April 1. "David has shown great leadership in Engineering since he arrived here in 1979," said McMaster President Peter George. "His appointment comes during exciting times for the Faculty as it marks its 50th anniversary, and prepares for the opening in 2009 of a new building that will house the Walter Booth School of Engineering Practice and other programs."

March 13, 2008

The McMaster University community is invited to attend the 12th Annual Graduate Students Recognition Day on Tuesday, March 18 in Convocation Hall. The event represents a collaborative effort between the Graduate Students Association (GSA) and the School of Graduate Studies to celebrate the contributions of graduate students to innovation and discovery at McMaster.

March 13, 2008

Text, audio and video chat are just some of the services that enhance web-based teaching and learning at McMaster. These services are available through Elluminate, McMaster's web conferencing provider.

March 13, 2008

Pat Harris, Associate Registrar (Student Liaison), has been named McMaster's Acting Registrar, an appointment approved by Senate this week. Harris will hold the position until a successor has been found for former McMaster Registrar Lou Ariano, who has been appointed Registrar at Aga Khan University in Pakistan.

March 11, 2008

This week marks the eighth week of the MACtive 12-week challenge. MACtive was launched on January 21, 2008 by The Healthy Workplace Group as a challenge to help us all achieve or maintain our fitness goals.

March 11, 2008

How many times have you walked past a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk without looking at him? Have you ever done it on McMaster's campus? This week, four Commerce students from the DeGroote School of Business are living "homeless" on campus for five continuous days. Their goal is to raise awareness of homelessness within the Hamilton community and to fundraise for two local charities: Living Rock Ministries & Good Shepherd Centres.

March 10, 2008

Learning that goes on outside the classroom is just as important as learning that goes on inside the classroom. That's why McMaster students are being asked to rate how engaged they are at university, both academically and extra-curricularly, by participating in the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE).

March 10, 2008

This week is March Break, and that means thousands of high school students will be touring campuses across the country to get a closer look at campus life. McMaster will host approximately 3,200 prospective undergraduate students for 90-minute campus tours and an admission update session.

March 10, 2008

Concerns over climate change, increasing demand for clean energy and our dependency on overseas supplies of fossil fuels have placed nuclear energy back on the policy agenda and generated talk of a nuclear "renaissance."

March 10, 2008

Canadian astronaut David Williams will give a lecture for Brain Awareness Week on Wednesday, March 12 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in MDCL Room 3020. Williams will discuss Neuroscience Research in Space from Plasticity to Performance.

March 10, 2008

A day after taking the #2 seeded UBC Thunderbirds to the brink in the national semi-final, the #3 McMaster Marauders secured their second CIS bronze medal finish in school history with a 83 to 79 defeat of the #8 Laval Rouge on March 9 in Saskatoon, SK.

March 7, 2008

It's time to get out and vote McMaster. Nick Bontis, associate professor in the DeGroote School of Business, is one of 10 finalists competing in the TVO Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition. Bontis's lecture airs Saturday, March 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. on TVO and will be repeated Sunday, March 9 from 4 to 6 p.m.

March 7, 2008

McMaster University will be saving green in more ways than one by making T2202A tax certificates available online. Instead of receiving the certificates in the mail, students can now access them on MUGSI by clicking on Tax Certificates on the Student Applications menu.