Daily News

February 16, 2006

There was confusion this morning for many people at McMaster about whether the University was open or not. Under the Snow Closure Policy the University closes if the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board closes its schools. However, today the University decided to stay open. "The School Board made a decision to close based on criteria that are important for its students and staff," said McMaster president, Peter George. "However, we deal with different issues at the University. For example, this week our students are writing mid-terms, and in view of the improving weather forecast, we decided that closing would be too disruptive to our students. We made the right decision to keep the University open but the confusion highlights the need for us to change our Snow Closure Policy so we are not tied to decisions that don't necessarily reflect the University's needs."

February 15, 2006

The McMaster flags remain at half-mast today in memory of Heather Watson. The second year Arts & Science student was killed Monday evening in a traffic accident on Cootes Drive. The 19-year old Oakville woman will be remembered fondly as having a strong love of music and animals.

February 15, 2006

McMaster is one of only six Ontario universities selected by the Council of Ontario Universities to receive an endowment from the provincial government to fund a research chair position in public policy. McMaster's application for Ontario Research Chair in Educational Policy and At Risk Students was one of eight proposals selected from among 37 submissions by 14 other universities.

February 15, 2006

Graduates of the DeGroote School of Business' innovative Health Services Management MBA will gather together along with faculty, students and healthcare leaders to discuss private sector involvement in Ontario healthcare this Thursday evening at the second annual HSM dinner. Special guests Kevin Smith, president and CEO, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Peter Brenders, president and CEO, BIOTECanada and Chris Ward, former government house leader, minister of education and parliamentary assistant for health, will bring a variety of perspectives from both sides of the debate.

February 14, 2006

Location, location, location. The old real estate adage takes on a new meaning when it comes to Bruce Newbold's research. Newbold, an associate professor of geography and the director of McMaster's Institute for Environment and Health, has plenty to say about the importance of location, but his take on the neighbourhoods we live in might surprise you. In tonight's (Feb.14) free Science in the City public lecture, "Healthy Hamilton? Checking up on the City's Health", Newbold discusses the research that reveals the neighbourhood where you live plays a key role in determining how healthy you are.

February 14, 2006

A tragic accident last night claimed the life of a McMaster student. Heather Watson was struck on Coote's Drive by a city of Hamilton plow/salt truck just before 6:30 Monday evening. The 19 year-old woman was a second-year student in the Arts & Science Program. Police are continuing their investigation.

February 14, 2006

Two McMaster graduate students in chemical engineering took top honours from the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada (PAPTAC) at their annual meeting on Feb. 9. Lucy Ye won the first place Bolker prize for her presentation and the Karnis award for best poster, while Chuanwei Miao won second place for his presentation. Yaling Xu, received the Journal of Pulp Paper Science Award for his paper, "A New Look at How Fines Influence The Strength of Filled Papers". Both PhD students work with professor Robert Pelton in chemical engineering. Xu now works for the Nalco Chemical Company in China.

February 13, 2006

Simon Andrews, third-year arts & science, and Angela Greenwood, second-year geography, were pleased to receive gifts from the University for taking part in an online survey conducted to review undergraduate programs. Associate vice-president academic, Fred A. Hall, congratulated the students Friday morning, presenting Andrews with a new 30GB iPod and Greenwood with a $100 gift certificate from Titles Bookstore.

February 13, 2006

The McMaster Inter-Residence Council has elected Rabia Khan as IRC president for 2006-2007. Khan has served on the council as a Woodstock Hall representative, vice-president internal, acting vice-president finance and yearbook editor.

February 10, 2006

"Would you like a kiss?" was the question asked in the McMaster University Student Centre. But those who stop at the Kissing Booth won't get any ordinary kiss; they'll get commitment-free chocolate candy kisses. Most people do not ask their partner before engaging in intimacy. But the far majority of individuals love being asked. Handing out chocolate at the Kissing Booth is just one way the McMaster community is promoting communication and respect in dating relationships.

February 10, 2006

After another marathon vote count ending around 7 a.m. Friday morning, the next McMaster Students Union (MSU) president has been named: John Popham. Popham is currently the vice-president administration of the MSU and has sat on the Student Representative Assembly and as Inter-Residence Council president.

February 10, 2006

McMaster's student-athlete alumni will be welcomed back on campus this weekend to take part in the annual Marauder Weekend activities. This year's events include varsity action with the women and men's basketball and volleyball games played against the University of Windsor teams on Saturday. As well, there are alumni basketball games on Saturday and alumni soccer games with a soccer reception on Sunday.

February 10, 2006

Part-time coaches, trainers, behind (and on) the scene contributors are recognized as Friends of Distinction by McMaster Athletics and Recreation for their tireless dedication to sport, University athletics and the pursuit of excellence. Award recipients and nominees are the men and women having contributed in a significant way as the "doers" and "builders" to current and past athletic programs at McMaster.

February 9, 2006

Seven years ago, playwright/performer/activist, Eve Ensler started an awareness campaign that has since grown into an international movement to stop violence against women. McMaster's V-Day 2006 organizers Nicole Kallmeyer and Melina Dimson, fourth-year arts & science students, have taken up the cause to make the campus "vagina-friendly". V-Day is a global movement working at the local, national and international level to raise funds and awareness about violence against women. Campaigns have sprung up all around the world to honour local "vaginal warriors", women and men who have worked towards ending violence against women in their communities.

February 9, 2006

Outstanding students from the Faculty of Humanities were recognized for their achievements at the 25th annual Awards Assembly in Convocation Hall on Friday, Feb. 3. The awards, including scholarships, essay prizes and Dean's Honour List certificates, were presented to students by the associate dean Suzanne Crosta, and John Ferns, chair of the Undergraduate Awards Committee.

February 9, 2006

McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine will launch satellite campuses in two neighbouring areas as part of a provincial government plan announced today to create 104 new medical school places across the province. The satellite campuses will be established in Niagara and Waterloo/Wellington in the next two and a half years, each accommodating 15 first-year medical students.

February 9, 2006

The next time you mutter about the high cost of relationship maintenance, take comfort in knowing that microbes share your pain. In the first study to examine the cost of sexuality in microbes, Jianping Xu, associate professor of biology at McMaster University, found that sex exacts physical, morphological and behavioural stress on microbes. His findings are published in the recent edition of Genetics, published by the Genetics Society of America.

February 8, 2006

Look around, can you tell who among your friends were tiny, preemie babies? As young adults, the majority of extremely low birth-weight infants are attaining similar levels of education, employment and independence as normal birth-weight infants, according to a study by researchers at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in the February 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

February 8, 2006

Companies that cut middle managers jeopardize their productivity more than save costs, a study from McMaster University suggests. "Middle managers are the front line communicators with employees," says Rick Hackett, Canada Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. "One-on-one social exchanges between bosses and their workers have a real impact on employee productivity, behaviour and commitment, and when you cut middle-management, often you lose that interaction."

February 8, 2006

President Peter George and provost Ken Norrie joined together to congratulate and recognize 78 students who were awarded 2005 President's Honour Awards and 15 in course students who achieved Provost Honour Roll for 2004-5 at a reception in Celebration Hall, Tuesday, Feb. 7. Students entering their first year at McMaster with a secondary school average of 95 per cent or higher received a President's Honour Award while in course students earned Provost Honour Roll distinction through maintaining a perfect 12.0 average on at least 30 units (usually their sessional average).