Daily News

March 3, 2005

McMaster students are hoping to bridge the gap between Hamilton and developing nations during today's Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Day. Students with the McMaster chapter of EWB will construct a bridge in front of the John Hodgins Engineering Building. They also will showcase a treadle pump used in water-deprived areas of Ghana and Mali in front of The Barn in University Plaza, Dundas, and have a display set up in the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC).

March 3, 2005

Both the University and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3906 are pleased to announce that a new collective agreement has been reached for the bargaining unit representing teaching assistants. In a vote held Tuesday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 2, 2005, CUPE members ratified the terms of the agreement by a clear majority.

March 3, 2005

Two grants totaling $3.5-million were awarded today to McMaster University researchers: one to explore how Canada's aging population will affect the labour force and the economy; the other to find solutions to the devastating and pervasive problem of bullying.

March 2, 2005

A world leader in dynamical systems theory and mathematical biology will deliver next week's Britton Lectures. David Rand, chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, uses mathematical modeling to study evolutionary and ecological systems, to improve our understanding of the processes of biological change, and to develop new theories about the behaviour of ecological systems. Much of his work is driven by questions arising in experimental biology and in medicine, to which he applies deep mathematical theories and his own creative insights.

March 2, 2005

McMaster University and General Motors of Canada have partnered to establish two new automotive engineering centres -- the GM of Canada Centre for Engineering Design and the GM of Canada Centre for Corrosion Engineering Research. "GM Canada sees McMaster as a key educational partner as we work together to enhance automotive innovation and commercializable R&D in Canada," said Al Green, vice-president personnel and operations for General Motors of Canada.

March 2, 2005

Peter George, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University, was named this morning recipient of the 2005 Spirit of the Community Award. The award is given to a member of the Hamilton community who best exemplifies leadership and volunteer involvement. The award is given by Hamilton Safe Communities, a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life in Hamilton.

March 2, 2005

Depressed people die prematurely, and it's not just suicide. Depression is a very common illness that frequently is recurrent and leads to significant disability. It is less recognized that people with depression are at twice the risk of dying prematurely from a host of physical illnesses such as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease.

March 1, 2005

McMaster English professor James King will discuss his trials and tribulations in writing the biographies of Margaret Laurence, Farley Mowat and Jack McClelland, a trilogy that chronicles the emergence of modernism in Canadian literature at this Thursday's McKay-Thode Lecture. Entitled "Reinventing Canadian Literature", the lecture takes place at 8 p.m. in the Ewart Angus Centre, Rm. 1A1.

February 28, 2005

They reflected, then renovated and now are rejuvenated  that is, the 250 McMaster employees who participated in the third annual "Inspiring from Within" conference. Last Thursday and Friday, employees gathered at the historic Old Mill in Ancaster to be inspired by inspirational and informative keynote speakers, session leaders and facilitators speaking on various topics.

February 28, 2005

Almost 300 McMaster employees and their families attended two showings of The Wiz over the weekend. Produced by the McMaster Musical Theatre Group, the show had the crowds laughing and cheering as Dorothy valiantly tried to make her way home to Kansas.

February 25, 2005

It's 12 p.m. and McMaster's aptly named fitness centre is thriving. A group of cyclists spin to loud, energetic music aside the vigorous movement of feet landing rhythmically upon rows of treadmills. In front of mirrors, weightlifters pump iron, and bodies stretch atop maroon mats marking the beginning or end of a workout. This is a typical snapshot of The Pulse - one of McMaster's most popular destinations.

February 23, 2005

This year was a successful year for the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Founded in 2000, the international charitable organization is dedicated to providing access to technologies to developing countries around the world to break economic, social and judicial barriers. EWB's national membership has grown exponentially over the past five years to include 6,000 members nationwide with chapters in 22 Canadian universities. But growth hasn't stopped there as this past year McMaster was one of the first Canadian universities to extend the scope of first-year engineering design to incorporate international development activities.

February 23, 2005

A journey through war-torn Rwanda with Canadian Lt-General Romeo Dallaire; a walk through Tibetian monasteries; a visit to the 'Ground Zeros' of the planet -- these are just some of the expeditions taken in the five films to be screened at McMaster's first annual Peace Film Festival March 2-6.

February 23, 2005

Making Canada more competitive was one theme in Wednesday's federal budget that recognized the important role of university research in developing economic prosperity and social benefits for Canadians. Ralph Goodale, the Minister of Finance, announced the government's budget in Ottawa today, which included indirect support for research, and increased funding to research granting councils of $375-million over five years. For McMaster, this would amount to a potential increase in funding of about $3.5-million over that period.

February 22, 2005

Richard Slobodin, one of the finest ethnographers to work among the First Nations peoples of the Canadian north, and one of the founders of the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University, passed away in Hamilton on Jan. 22, 2005. Born in New York City on March 6, 1915, he was just short of his 90th birthday.

February 22, 2005

Microchips for treating heart disease and cancer. Synthetic tissue for treating severe burns and vascular disease. These are just two examples of a new generation of biomaterials that are being developed to treat life-threatening medical conditions. And this is only the beginning.

February 21, 2005

More than 400 McMaster employees and their families were in attendance for the annual Employee Appreciation Day Basketball Event sponsored by the McMaster Employee Spirit Society (M.E.S.S.!). Along with complimentary tickets to the game, the employees enjoyed refreshments, doors prizes and face-painting.

February 18, 2005

Two McMaster University studies, to be published in the Journal of Virology, show that sex hormones have a profound effect on susceptibility of female mice to the herpes simplex virus, type 2 (HSV-2 ), one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.

February 18, 2005

Educators can simulate some clinical experiences for physiotherapy and occupational therapy students at McMaster University, but they can't simulate real-life health care. That's where local health care providers come in. Acting as preceptors, area clinicians welcome students into their practices, providing opportunities for students to apply the knowledge they've learned at university.

February 17, 2005

Recognizing the increasing role of technology in health care, McMaster has established a School of Biomedical Engineering. The School, created jointly by the Faculties of Engineering and Health Sciences, will begin operating for the 2005/2006 academic year. The McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering (MSBE) brings together existing bioengineering-related activities at the University and expands into emerging areas of biomolecular, biomedical and bioengineering research.