Daily News

February 17, 2006

More than 140 young women in grades 10, 11 and 12 will be traveling to McMaster University from 49 Ontario high schools on Saturday, Feb.18, to learn about careers in engineering. The fourth annual Women in Engineering Experience is a full day event featuring guest speakers, discussions with engineering students and alumni, lab tours, the popular Fireball Show, and an engineering design competition with members of the winning team each receiving a $1,000 entrance scholarship to the engineering program at McMaster.

February 17, 2006

The third-place Guelph Gryphons and second-place McMaster Marauders hook up for an OUA West semi-final matchup this Saturday at Burridge Gym in Hamilton at 7 p.m. The other semi-final pits the fifth-seeded Laurier Golden Hawks against the top-ranked Brock Badgers. McMaster has won both games against the Gryphons this season, however, both contests have been tough, physical games that could have gone either way.

February 17, 2006

The appointment of McMaster nursing professor Alba DiCenso as the CHSRI/CIHR Chair in Advance Practice Nursing has been renewed by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the final six years of her 10 year term. Her work, related to education, mentoring, research, and communications, has included evaluation of nurse practitioner roles and intervention and the management of nursing services; a proposal to improve access to high quality health care for Canadians with common chronic diseases through the integration of advance practice nurses in specialized roles; and the provision of bursaries to graduate students.

February 17, 2006

Viv Nelles, McMaster's L.R. Wilson Professor of Canadian History, is hoping to reinvigorate public debate over the future of Ontario's electrical system. In his inaugural lecture Thursday Feb.16, Nelles told his audience that when he passes Hamilton Cemetery on York Boulevard, he hears voices; early twentieth-century community leaders engaged in a lively and constructive political debate over the power question. Now, in the early twenty-first century, the people of Ontario once more need to engage in a vigorous debate over the future of electricity. The conclusion to be drawn from the lecture: important and complex issues are for elections.

February 17, 2006

Stories of the AIDS crisis and high mortality rates in Africa seem almost commonplace. But for two third-year McMaster midwifery students, these stories spark a passion in their hearts. On March 5, Rhea Wilson and Catherine Goudy will embark on what they expect will be an enlightening and life-changing trip to Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa. As one of three compulsory community placements this year, this trip will fulfill the elective requirement and supplement the midwifery curriculum.

February 17, 2006

The men, taxi drivers who had immigrated to Hamilton from India, were looking for help. Their bosses were discriminating against them, giving them less valuable fares and calling them racist names. They came to Harish Jain who taught and studied human rights, human resources and labour relations at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Together the drivers and Jain called the owner of the taxi company. Jain still remembers standing in his office listening to the woman as she talked to her employees. "Hearing that woman on the phone - the way she spoke to these men. That's what made me a community activist," says Jain. Today, 20 years later, Jain was recognized for his work with racial minorities and immigrants when he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada.

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

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.