Daily News

June 8, 2005

(Editor's note: The following is Jean Chretien's address provided to graduates at this morning's Convocation ceremony. Chr

June 8, 2005

One of the world's foremost experts in fish physiology and aquatic toxicology has been given the highest honour McMaster can bestow upon its faculty. Christopher Wood, a professor in McMaster's Department of Biology, has been named a Distinguished University Professor.

June 8, 2005

Nearly 1,000 social sciences students, Canada's twentieth prime minister and a Hollywood director/producer, will walk away from Hamilton Place today with a McMaster degree. The Faculty of Social Sciences will confer degrees on 991 students at two ceremonies, the first at 9:30 a.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Both ceremonies will be held at Hamilton Place. Honorary degrees will be presented to The Right Honourable Jean Chretien and movie director Ivan Reitman, who will deliver the Convocation addresses at their respective ceremonies.

June 7, 2005

The Department of History and the Wilson Centre for Canadian History celebrated the accomplishments of its history graduate students on June 1 by hosting a dinner cruise on the Waterfront Trust's newly-inaugurated Hamilton Harbour Queen. Departmental chair Virginia Aksan and graduate director Michael Gauvreau praised the many students who have been awarded external awards, published articles, and otherwise contributed to the culture of research excellence within the department. They recognized four students - Heather Nelson, Tabitha Marshall, Erika Dyck and Wendy Churchill - for their extraordinary success in building a sense of professionalism and community among history graduate students.

June 7, 2005

Today, 625 science students will walk the stage in the Great Hall at Hamilton Place to receive a McMaster degree. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., science graduands will receive doctor of philosophy, master of arts (geography), master of science and bachelor of science degrees. Honorary degrees will be presented to David Hunter Hubel, Nobel laureate neurobiologist, and Michael Rowe, physicist. Hubel will deliver the Convocation address.

June 7, 2005

(Editor's note: The following article is a first-person account by ACT co-ordinator Jennifer Dawson about her personal cycling journey, and encourages others to participate in this week's Commuter Challenge.) In case you've been on vacation, away at a conference or hiding in a cave, it's Commuter Challenge Week. Over the last year, I've been writing articles for the Daily News that highlight Mac folks who regularly take the bus, walk, carpool and cycle to campus.

June 7, 2005

Brian McCarry, McMaster chemistry professor and chair of Clean Air Hamilton, was awarded a silver community award at a Canadian Environment Awards ceremony last night at Toronto's historic Liberty Grand. The fourth Canadian Environment Awards is a national program that celebrates the commitment of Canadians who are acting locally to help protect, preserve and restore the country's environment. The centrepiece of the Canadian Environment Awards is the Community Awards, which honours individuals and groups of Canadians chosen from more than 150 nominations submitted by the Canadian public. Gold and silver winners in six categories were announced.

June 6, 2005

McMaster will confer degrees upon more than 1,000 students today (June 6) in the Great Hall at Hamilton Place. At 9:30 a.m., 521 humanities and arts & science students graduate, and at 2:30 p.m., 490 business students graduate. Honorary degrees will be presented to Linda Hutcheon, Hugh Fraser and David Brown. Hutcheon and Brown will deliver the Convocation addresses at their respective ceremonies.

June 6, 2005

McMaster celebrated the academic accomplishments of its student-athletes Sunday at the ninth annual Marauder Scholar Brunch held as a part of McMaster Alumni Weekend. In 2004/2005, McMaster established a new benchmark with 299 student-athletes (38 per cent) achieving a minimal sessional average of 9.5 (out of 12) - or 80 per cent.

June 6, 2005

For the first time, McMaster will honour four graduating students for obtaining the highest cumulative grade point average of their class. Alaina Benoit, honours linguistics; Christian Kurtz, honours business commerce; Jonathan Little, honours kinesiology; and Matthew Schmidt, honours French-A and linguistics, are recipients of the 2005 Governor General's Silver Academic Medal for each receiving a grade point average of 11.9. The students will receive the honour at their respective convocation ceremony this week.

June 4, 2005

This Spring, McMaster University is conferring honorary degrees on David Brown, Jean Chretien, Cathy Crowe, Hugh Fraser, Ben Heppner, Eric Hoskins, David Hubel, Linda Hutcheon, Mike Lazaridis, Samantha Nutt, Ivan Reitman, Haddon Robinson, and J. Michael Rowe. We don't normally defend our choice of honorary degree candidates, but in the case of Jean Chretien, there is an aspect of his contribution to the country that deserves mentioning, and of which many are not aware.

June 3, 2005

Team members of the McMaster Solar Car Project unveiled one of Canada's entries into the first-ever North American Solar Car Challenge today. Named Phoenix, the solar car features a redesigned aerodynamic shell, a three-wheel chassis system for reduced road resistance, a more efficient solar array with 479 solar cells, and new suspension, steering and braking systems for improved performance and handling.

June 3, 2005

McMaster multimedia students and faculty were recognized recently for their work on Virtual Cities, a collaborative project with the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Virtual Cities was the online companion site to the AGH exhibit titled Future Cities. The Merchant Capital Group Design Award was awarded to multimedia graduates Audrey Carr '05, Andrew Paulin '05, Katrina Jennifer Bedford '04, to multimedia professors Geoffrey Rockwell and Liss Platt, and to AGH director of programming Shirley Madill.

June 3, 2005

While McMaster President Peter George flipped flapjacks, Commuter Heroes were recognized for helping the environment through sustainable transportation. Commuter Heroes are individuals nominated by their fellow employees and students for their ongoing commitment to sustainable and active transportation.

June 3, 2005

Canada's Research University of the Year has been awarded another $2.5 million in research grants. The new funds for McMaster come from the Social Sciences and Humanties Research Council (SSHRC) and will support the work of 32 research projects. Researchers will use the money to look at a number of projects - from exploring the experience and meaning of inheritance within families to restructuring in the nonprofit social services to the role of media coverage in capital markets to classical commentaries of the 15th century.

June 3, 2005

McMaster alumni will return to their alma mater this weekend for the 2005 Alumni Weekend, featuring tours of campus, garden parties, an annual general meeting, class reunions and an awards ceremony. "We're looking forward to a wonderful Alumni Weekend," says Rod Morrison, director of the McMaster Alumni Association. "It's always a special pleasure to welcome McMaster graduates back to campus, to celebrate the accomplishments of the newest members of the Alumni Gallery, and to thank all of the volunteers who work on behalf of the McMaster Alumni Association throughout the year. It promises to be a great occasion."

June 2, 2005

Music makes us move to the rhythm. But just how are music and movement related? McMaster University researchers have found that how we move also shapes what we hear, even in babies. "The simultaneous experience of listening and moving to a rhythm wires the brain so that different senses work together," says Laurel Trainor, a psychology professor at McMaster. "Our interpretation of sound is affected not only by our auditory system but by input from our other senses as well."

June 2, 2005

Ever wonder what exactly is in the air that we breathe in and out each day? McMaster's own Brian McCarry can tell us this and more. He can tell us what pollutants are in the air, how they will affect us, and most important what we can do to help prevent further pollution. McCarry, chair of McMaster's Department of Chemistry, was recognized last night (Wednesday) for his work with a Hamilton Environmentalist of the Year Award. He was named the 26th recipient of the Dr. Victor Cecilioni Award at a banquet at the Hillcrest Restaurant.

June 1, 2005

She's an advocate, teacher and mentor, who has spoken on topics ranging from citizenship to the role of women in history and Canadian children and adolescents. And for helping change the lives of McMaster students and employees, McMaster's Geraldine Voros was among seven women selected for a Hamilton Annual Women of the Year Award. Voros, a doctoral candidate at McMaster and sessional lecturer for the Faculty of Social Sciences, was nominated in the category of "Mentoring and Education".

June 1, 2005

A new design and a new name are just two of the highlights to be announced when the McMaster Solar Car Project unveils its much anticipated, third-generation, solar-powered vehicle on Friday, June 3, 2005. "After eight months of hard work on this car we are really excited about unveiling it," said Karleen Dudeck, business manager of the McMaster Solar Car Project. "It will represent the sum of a lot of blood, sweat and tears."