Daily News

September 22, 2005

McMaster today celebrated the official opening of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, a $71-million building that will house more than 250 scientists, put Canada on the international research map and speed the discovery of new medicines. The opening highlighted a new medical discovery complex that puts Canada on the international map of advanced gene-based therapeutics research into treatments for breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, West Nile, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, SARS, and other life-threatening and disabling diseases.

September 22, 2005

A bronze portrait statue of Michael G. DeGroote, created by local artist Juliet Jancso, has a home in the atrium of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre of Learning and Discovery, which opened officially today.

September 21, 2005

One of North America's foremost experts on the Great Lakes ecosystem and environmental sustainability has been appointed director of the new Centre for Engineering and Public Policy established at McMaster University in partnership with Dofasco. Gail Krantzberg joins the university from the Great Lakes Regional Office of the International Joint Commission (IJC) where she has been director for the past four years.

September 21, 2005

McMaster staff, faculty and students can now park their cars at Zellers in the Ancaster Meadowlands and hop on the bus to campus. A new Park 'n' Ride service has been established, allowing at least 20 vehicles to use the Zellers parking lot and take an HSR bus from Martindale Crescent. The transit trip costs regular fare for employees and students without an HSR sticker on their student cards.

September 21, 2005

The McGuinty government is doubling its financial aid program to give 135,000 Ontario postsecondary students from low- and middle-income families more assistance starting this year, Chris Bentley, minister of training, colleges and universities, announced recently at McMaster. "Under our plan, a student's ability -- not their wallet -- will determine whether they reach higher through postsecondary education," Bentley told students. "In addition to doubling student aid funding by 2009-10, our government is taking immediate steps so all qualified students can have access to a college or university education. These are the most significant improvements to student aid since the Ontario Student Assistance Program was set up more than 25 years ago."

September 21, 2005

Editor's note: the following is an article by public relations intern Michelle Peek, who describes a new initiative from the Faculty of Humanities. A new public relations internship offered by the Faculty of Humanities is giving students a chance to both hone their journalistic skills, and foster a sense of pride and interest in the Faculty.

September 20, 2005

McMaster University announced today the creation of a newly endowed research chair, which will strengthen its cutting edge research in blood clots through the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic measures. The chair in thromboembolic disease was made possible by a $1 million contribution from Hamilton businessman, David Braley, and his wife, registered nurse, Nancy Gordon, and with $1 million in research funds directed towards blot clot research through McMaster's thrombosis clinical research group.

September 20, 2005

The federal government has invested $2.1 million to accelerate technology and knowledge transfer in southwestern Ontario. The funding, from the federal Intellectual Property Mobilization Program (IPM), was announced today at the McMaster Innovation Park by the Honorable Tony Valeri, MP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek and leader of the House of Commons, on behalf of the Honorable David L. Emerson, minister of industry and the Honorable Ujjal Dosanjh, minister of health.

September 20, 2005

Yi-Jia Susanne Hou is a Canadian violinist garnering much attention on the international music scene today. Among many other awards and prizes, she has left her mark in music history by capturing three gold medals with unanimous decisions at international competitions in France, Italy and Spain. Most recently, Hou won the Canada Council for the Arts Instrument Bank Competition, and was awarded the loan of the 1729 Guarneri del Jesu violin, which she uses with a bow made by her father, Alec Hou.

September 19, 2005

For 20 minutes on Saturday, the McMaster Marauders (2-1) looked like world beaters. However, football games are 60 minutes long, and the Western Mustangs (3-0) dominated the last 40 minutes in their 55-31 victory over the McMaster Marauders at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

September 19, 2005

For the fourth consecutive year, McMaster academic leaders and administrators joined in a friendly five-kilometer run and two-kilometre walk last week in support of McMaster's varsity cross-country team. Newly appointed head coach Chris Moulton commented, "This unique event is a fantastic opportunity for the student-athletes of the cross-country team to be able to interact with members of the McMaster community. It's also a great way to lead into our season."

September 19, 2005

McMaster faculty member and distinguished scholar of classics and ancient history, E. Togo Salmon (1905 - 1988), is commemorated in an exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art, curated by Howard Jones from McMaster's Department of Classics. The exhibition features a display of ancient coins, ceramics and glassware, and classically inspired paintings, etchings, drawings, prints, engravings and sculptures dating from between the 15th and 20th centuries.

September 16, 2005

The Arts Quad welcomes some new residents this week in the form of giant boulders. The boulders, which have been reclaimed from the courtyard in front of the Arthur Bourns Building itself now under renovation, will form islands in the new river-themed quad. Virginia Burt of Visionscapes Landscapes Architects Inc. was inspired by how people move through the space like a river. One of the highly used areas of the campus, more than 500 students traverse the Arts Quad each hour. Burt's design incorporates a winding river with eddies, confluences and deltas along and within its banks.

September 15, 2005

More than 70 companies will be on campus Sept. 19 looking for bright, enthusiastic and talented new hires. The annual Career Fair, which features companies such as Bell Canada, Innovus Research Inc., Molson Canada and Research in Motion, will take place in the Ivor Wynne Centre, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

September 14, 2005

For McMaster's Graeme Fraser, the annual Terry Fox Run on Sept. 18 is just a fragment of his dedication to help fight cancer. But if truth be told, he would be happy if it were the last Terry Fox Run he ran. After all, his ultimate race is in the lab, as he strives to find a cure for the disease that claimed the life of Terry Fox 25 years ago. With funding from the Terry Fox Foundation, the hematologist investigates and develops novel dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines to treat patients with hematological malignancy, specifically chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Ultimately, he hopes the vaccine will enhance the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells.

September 13, 2005

For fourth-year kinesiology student Shannon Mitchell, getting to class is suddenly a lot safer. For the past three years, Mitchell has crossed Cootes Drive to get to campus from her home in the Ainslie-Wood area. But until this year, crossing this busy road was like taking a chance with her life. Now that there is an area where she can safely cross over, she feels much safer making the trek to class.

September 13, 2005

For students, staff and faculty who use GO Transit to travel to McMaster, the trip will be faster and more convenient with new services announced by the Ontario Government. The improvements, which involve York University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology/Durham College as well as McMaster, will see expanded bus service between York University and McMaster.

September 13, 2005

The official launch of a new community portal called myhamilton.ca takes place today (Tuesday, Sept. 13), offering new levels of convenience and service for the Hamilton community, including McMaster University.

The portal serves as a gateway to community resources, services and information in eight categories.

September 12, 2005

Close to 700 McMaster employees and their families turned out to cheer on the McMaster Marauders as they battled and triumphed over the Ottawa Gee-Gees at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10. The final score was Marauders 28, Gee-Gees 18. Ivor Wynne Stadium, home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats will be the Marauders' temporary home for the next two seasons until the completion of the Ronald V. Joyce Stadium on campus.

September 12, 2005

The McMaster community is invited to join in a fun event in support of the United Way. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005, the second annual McMaster United Way Run/Walk will take place from 12-2 p.m. The route includes a 5km run or a 3km walk through the beautiful McMaster campus. This is one event where your level of physical fitness does not have to be that of a seasoned runner. It's a fun event for individuals and teams of all athletic (or non-athletic) levels to participate and enjoy.