Daily News

February 11, 2005

It was a day of learning and discovery for Eliot Phillipson, president & CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Phillipson spent the day at McMaster talking with researchers and administrators and visiting a variety of laboratories to see first-hand how McMaster is putting the CFI's money to work.

February 10, 2005

Tommy Piribauer will be president of the McMaster Students Union for 2005-2006. Piribauer won the race on the six ballot of preferential voting with a total of 1,719 votes. Piribauer is the current vice-president administration with the McMaster Students Union. His involvement with the MSU has spanned his university career as he spent three years as executive editor of the Marmor prior to becoming vice-president administration.

February 9, 2005

When they graduate, McMaster's varsity athletes will leave behind two marks  one on the courts and one in the classroom. On Tuesday, McMaster President Peter George recognized the marks made by the approximately 100 student-athletes scheduled to graduate this year. "We're here today to honour a remarkable group of students who stand out as scholars and as athletes," said George at the reception in Alumni Memorial Hall. "For me, one of the best parts of my job as McMaster University President is the opportunity I have to see our student-athletes in action."

February 9, 2005

This story has all the makings of a gripping motion picture. Woven throughout are drama, excitement and mystery and at the core is a protagonist too small to be seen with the naked eye. It's the story of the atom, and internationally known theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss will tell it this Thursday.

February 8, 2005

Technology using the tiniest scientific elements will have some of the biggest impacts on the future, says Charles Lieber, a distinguished chemistry professor from Harvard University, who will present the 27th Alexander Graham Bell Lecture this Thursday. "Nanotechnology offers the promise of producing revolutionary advances in many areas, extending from biotechnology and medicine to electronics and computing, and thus may impact in a substantial way our future lives," he says in a lecture abstract.

February 8, 2005

They phish, spoof, skim, and shoulder surf. And while it sounds like fun and games, the stakes are high and it's the consumer who's at the losing end. The light-hearted terminology describes methods used to commit identity theft  all types of crime where someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data to engage in various fraud schemes.

February 7, 2005

Recommendations in the Rae Report in Postsecondary Education, released today, give the Ontario government a clear path forward to building stronger and sustainable universities and colleges, says Peter George, president of McMaster University. "Competition for scarce government resources is intense but if we are to realize our economic and social aspirations as a province, and as a country, then we have to have a postsecondary education system to match. Quality requires investment by all partners."

February 7, 2005

Seven members of McMaster University were honoured at the John C. Holland Gala Awards on Saturday night. The event, which marked the start of Black History Month in Hamilton, recognizes achievements by members of the black community and provides role models for young blacks.

February 7, 2005

Summer may be months away, but things will heat up in the student centre tomorrow for Career Services' annual Job Fair. "For students looking for summer positions, the fair will give them a head start on their job search without leaving campus," says Kate Toth, events & marketing co-ordinator for Career Services. "It's important to remember that each position a student holds helps them build valuable transferable skills, which will ultimately prepare them for success in the career of their choice."

February 4, 2005

Ten members of McMaster's Residence Life staff made history last weekend by being the only school to claim the top two awards presented at the annual Residence Life Conference. The 25th annual conference was held at the University of Guelph Jan. 28-30.

February 4, 2005

The nomination deadline for the 2004 President's Awards is six weeks away for the University's highest award for non-teaching employees. Since 1997, the President's Awards have recognized and celebrated the outstanding work of more than 430 exceptional employees and team members who have contributed to the mission and success of McMaster University.

February 4, 2005

A unique entrance scholarship called the "Inspiration Scholarship for Women in Engineering", featuring a mentoring program, has been launched by the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. The new scholarship is being launched in conjunction with the Faculty's third annual Women in Engineering Exchange event on Feb. 5, 2005. The event is organized to introduce young women from Ontario high schools to the engineering profession.

February 3, 2005

Alumni will sweat out sweet memories on McMaster's courts during the annual Marauder Weekend Feb. 5-6. The memories begin Saturday in the Burridge Gymnasium. The first alumni match involves a women's basketball game at 10 a.m. followed by a men's match at 11 a.m. The games will be followed by a Marauders alumni luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the mezzanine. A recruiting tour and lunch will take place Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Ivor Wynne Centre.

February 3, 2005

McMaster student Adam van Koeverden, Canada's only two-medal winner at the Athens Olympics, has been chosen Ontario athlete of the year for 2004 in a poll governed by the Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame. In winning, van Koeverden captures the Syl Apps Award in memory of the former Maple Leafs' star and world-calibre pole vaulter. Lori-Ann Muenzer, who won cycling gold in Athens, placed second in the voting, while McMaster University running back Jesse Lumsden was third.

February 3, 2005

More than 150 young women in Grades 9, 10 and 11 will travel to McMaster from 45 Ontario high schools this Saturday to learn about careers in engineering. The third annual Women in Engineering Experience is a full day event featuring guest speakers, discussions with engineering students and alumni, lab tours and the popular Fireball Show -- a science and engineering demonstration filled with experiments, pyrotechnics and multimedia presentations. There also will be an engineering design competition with members of the winning team each receiving a $1,000 scholarship to McMaster.

February 2, 2005

The long-held belief that older people perform slower and worse than younger people has been proven wrong. In a study published today in Neuron, psychologists from McMaster University discovered that the aging process actually improves certain abilities: Older people appear to be better and faster at grasping the big picture than their younger counterparts.

February 2, 2005

With most reeling from the hardships of recent winter storms, and now facing biting winds and short, overcast days, McMaster staff and students have a chance to come in out of the cold when the sixth annual Soulfood fair rolls into the McMaster University Student Centre Thursday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This one-day event, themed "Heart & Soul", is a celebration of mental, physical and emotional health and wellness. It emphasizes holistic well-being, with the balance of the body, mind and spirit.

February 1, 2005

McMaster's Computing & Information Services and Telecommunications departments amalgamated this week to form a new University Technology Services Department. "This change reflects our absolute commitment to improve service for our clients," says Debbie Barrett, chief information officer and author of McMaster's new University Technology Strategy. "The approach creates a single point of client service so that 'one call does it all' for technology support and services. The McMaster community deserves nothing less."

February 1, 2005

Mary Anne Chambers, minister of training, colleges and universities, toured McMaster's campus Tuesday, learning first-hand about some of University's newest developments and collaborative initiatives. Joined by McMaster President Peter George and provost Ken Norrie, the tour began with a stop in the Allen H. Gould Trading Floor in the DeGroote School of Business. The trading floor is a 90-square-metre educational facility that resembles an actual trading floor in a brokerage operation. It features 20 computer workstations and two large digital display boards that provide up-to-the-minute market data.

February 1, 2005

There is no throbbing Pink Floyd music. No lasers. No automatic tilting chairs. The William McCallion planetarium is as bare bones as they come, but when the lights go down and a gazillon stars materialize over your head, all is forgiven. McMaster's planetarium is a little-known gem at the University. Tucked away in the basement of the Burke Science Building, the planetarium's size initially takes you by surprise. It's a small circular space with barely enough room for 50 seats. A projector cum replica of Earth dominates the room.