Daily News

August 31, 2005

It was the drug of choice on university campuses, the drug that spawned psychedelic culture as well as countless jail sentences and fines, but LSD actually has respectable roots--roots that a McMaster University researcher is uncovering. "Far from being fringe medical research, trials of LSD were once a legitimate branch of psychiatric research," explains Erika Dyck, a doctoral researcher in the Department of History at McMaster.

August 31, 2005

Every step of the 42.1 kilometers Heather Bryce takes towards the finish line, is one step closer to putting a stop to diabetes - a disease that affects her father, grandmother and uncle, and if she's not careful, potentially herself. A recent graduate of McMaster's life sciences program, Bryce will take part in the Canadian Diabetes Association's (CDA) marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 11. She's currently raising $6,000 required to make the journey and she's about half way there.

August 30, 2005

McMaster professors Harish Jain and Gary Warner have been named to the Order of Canada. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, announced the appointments yesterday. The Order of Canada, established in 1967, is Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement. There are 82 new appointments for 2005. Jain, Warner and other 2005 recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

August 30, 2005

A review of the University's shuttle bus service to west campus was conducted over the summer and the recommendation from the final report will be implemented on September 1.

August 30, 2005

McMaster University has been named one of the Top 100 universities in the world, one of only four Canadian universities to make the list. The annual poll published by China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University bases its findings on several criteria of academic and research performance including Nobel prize winners, frequently cited researchers, scholarly articles that appear in Nature and Science, and the per capita performance of the institution.

August 30, 2005

Each year an ever-expanding collection of birthday candles serves as a reminder that we are all getting older. Aging brings with it many joys: life experiences, pearls of wisdom, new hobbies, perhaps grandchildren. Inevitably, it also entails increased physical frailty marked by realities such as dwindling muscles. Decreased muscle mass leads to weakness. Muscle weakness can result in dangerous falls which cripple thousands leading to an estimated $2.4 billion in direct health care costs and forcing many seniors to move into nursing homes.

August 29, 2005

In mere days, the relative peace and calm of summer will be but a distant memory as students return to campus in full force this weekend. From Sept. 3-5, approximately 3,150 first-year students will move into McMaster's 11 residences. All beds in residences are spoken for. A new residence, currently under construction, will open in September, 2006 with 390 beds.

August 26, 2005

He came home with not just one, but three medals from the Canada Summer Games this week. Third-year nursing student and McMaster rower Doug Csima claimed two silvers and one bronze medal during the Games held August 15 to 18 in Regina, Saskatchewan. "It means a lot to come away with three medals," says Csima. "We (including Csima's partner Brandon Batey from Grimsby) have devoted a lot of time to training, with the Canada Games being our primary focus."

August 25, 2005

A pioneer in the science and technology of biomaterials has been appointed director of the newly established McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering. At the same time, an orthopedic surgeon, who also holds a degree in electrical engineering and management, has been appointed associate director. University professor John Brash has been appointed director of the new School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. Over the past four decades, his studies in biomaterials have contributed directly to the development of advanced medical devices such as artificial arterial grafts, blood pumps and heart valves.

August 25, 2005

Chris Hadfield, Dave Williams and Bill Todd today were among a group of Canadian astronauts to encourage children in McMaster's Venture Engineering Camp to reach for the stars. At an interactive educational event in the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, the astronauts explored the educational aspects of the NEEMO 9 mission scheduled for this fall.

August 25, 2005

McMaster celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of a new front entrance at its annual summer employee party today. Senior management hosted The McMaster Summer Street Party and Front Entrance Celebration from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in front of the Psychology Building.

August 25, 2005

McMaster has received a glowing report card for its impact on the environment. A new McMaster Environmental Report Card, that measures solid waste, hazardous waste, air quality, energy, transportation, water and groundskeeping at the University, has received high ratings for having met most of its goals in these areas related to ensuring McMaster's commitment to sustainable development and environmental practices.

August 24, 2005

For third-year biochemistry students Jonathan Yau and Justyna Troczynska, volunteering has always been part of their life. They have volunteered in hospitals, Yau at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton and Troczynska in Trillium Health Center in Mississauga. They also belong to numerous student clubs at McMaster. This year however, they wanted to do something more and were ready for the challenge of bridging the gap between two diverse cultures and a foreign language. Through the support of local communities and churches, the students, who specialize in biotechnology and genetic engineering, raised a large portion of funding for their trip throughout the months of May and June. They traveled to Honduras through Mountain Movers Mission International (MMMI) from May 22 to June 20.

August 24, 2005

Canadian astronauts Chris Hadfield and Dave Williams will visit McMaster tomorrow (Thursday, Aug. 25,) with professor Mehran Anvari, to host an interactive educational event with children in the Venture Engineering Camp and engineering students. The event will explore the educational aspects of the NEEMO 9 mission scheduled for this fall. Members of the crew will be on hand to present their research objectives and answer questions about their roles in the underwater mission which aims to test and evaluate new medical diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to enhance the delivery of state-of-the-art medical care in remote and harsh environments.

August 23, 2005

When most people think of vacation, they think R&R - rest and relaxation. However, Ron Racine, chair of the psychology, neuroscience and behaviour department, and his wife Yvonne are always on the lookout for challenging trips. The Racines' vacations usually involve either biking or hiking, although they have also done canoe, kayak, horse, and camel trips. This summer, fueled by Guinness and assorted English ales, this adventurous pair hiked across England.

August 22, 2005

The McMaster Marauders began its 104th football training camp and 75th season this morning (Monday, Aug. 22). The team will train until its first game on Monday, Sept. 5 against the University of Windsor at 2 p.m. at the University of Windsor stadium.

August 22, 2005

McMaster's DeGroote School of Business will present the DeGroote Executive Lecture Series featuring Robert Cooper, a world-renowned expert in new product development. These workshops are ideal for small and medium-sized business owners who want to maximize the returns on their innovation efforts in the fields of business strategy, R&D, new products, marketing and business development.

August 22, 2005

McMaster's Board of Governors has approved new parking rates for campus. Parking in most zones will increase by about 2 per cent as of Sept. 1, 2005. Parking fees help support inflation, infrastructure, maintenance of current lots, and the construction of future parking facilities. Parking rate increases this year are significantly less than in the past few years, when commuters saw a 20 per cent increase in fees. McMaster's fees, which range between $27-$64 are consistent with that of other geographically similar universities, such as the University of Guelph, which charges between $24-$67 and The University of Western Ontario, which charges between $25-$81.

August 19, 2005

When McMaster's Alison Miculan arrived in Kinniya, Sri Lanka last April, she witnessed unimaginable devastation. It had been four months since a tsunami struck the village and left thousands homeless, destitute, widowed or orphaned. To Miculan, it seemed as though the tsunami had just hit. Although bodies had been removed, debris was still scattered among the village, boats ripped in half laid vacant at the edge of the sea, and piles of destroyed beds rested in piles outside the local hospital.

August 18, 2005

Mark Tarnopolsky, an associate professor in the departments of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University, has been awarded both a national and regional award from Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC). MDC announced that Tarnopolsky is the double winner of the Dr. David Green Awards in the Ontario region and Canada. The awards recognize excellence in research and the provision of service for those with neuromuscular disorders.