Daily News

January 10, 2005

All McMaster University personnel and services affected by the Dec. 19 flood, of the first and second floor of the west side of the Health Sciences Centre, have now been relocated. The flooded areas have been tarped to isolate them from the rest of the health care facility before restoration begins. No hospital or clinical areas were affected by the flood caused by broken pipes.

January 7, 2005

Between finding ways to assist victims of the tsunami tragedy, conducting interviews for television, radio and print, and a part-time job with Physical Plant, Noor Nizam finds a moment to reflect on the tragedy that claimed the lives of 98 members of his extended family. When asked how he is coping, he says humbly, "I try not to think about it." Right now his thoughts are on how to help the survivors of the crisis that claimed more than 150,000 lives in Southeast Asia on Dec. 26. Specifically, his thoughts are on his hometown, Kinniya, Sri Lanka, which he left four years ago when he moved to Canada.

January 7, 2005

Some 500 business leaders, corporate partners, directors, business professionals, international academics and media organizations from 35 countries will be in Hamilton Jan. 19 to 21 to attend the 26th Annual Business World Congress. This year's conference focuses on corporate governance, e-business, and intellectual capital. Delegates will focus on identifying the most influential and constantly changing trends in business development.

January 6, 2005

I have never doubted that McMaster is a caring community. The tsunamis that devastated South East Asia have generated an outpouring of concern and support from around the world and the students, faculty and staff at our University are no exception. Some members of our community have been directly touched by the disaster. They have lost family and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

January 5, 2005

A research team led by engineers from McMaster University in Hamilton has developed a promising new automotive process to machine car engine blocks. The process is said to be faster, cheaper and better for the environment than existing methods.

January 5, 2005

Panko shrimps, butternut shitaki risotto, farfalle jardinihre and pizza greco may sound like dishes from a high-priced, upmarket restaurant menu; but in fact, they are some of the items patrons can order for under $8 at McMaster's award-winning East Meets West Bistro.

January 4, 2005

Gigantic eagles swooping from the skies to rescue Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings may not be just the stuff of legends and fairytales, according to research published in the journal PloS Biology. McMaster University anthropologist Michael Bunce has shed new light on the evolution of the extinct Haast's eagle, the giant bird that once ruled the skies over New Zealand.

January 4, 2005

Women's studies students will step on stationary bikes tomorrow at 9 a.m., determined to cycle for 24 hours straight. It's an exhausting feat, but they know it's attainable. It's the second year students in McMaster's women's studies program will bike or walk for 24 hours to raise awareness of their program and women's issues in general. In January 2004, students Jim Jutte, Naomi Amaria and Kim Clarke accomplished the task, raising $500 to sponsor an academic journal about women in the media. They far surpassed their $50 goal to purchase a journal and kick-start a scholarship for a woman at risk.

January 3, 2005

McMaster students have joined the largest relief effort in history by contributing time and money to the 11 south Asian countries hit by a devastating tsunami. The McMaster chapter of The Student Volunteer Program (TSVP) and McMaster's MBAs Without Borders are among countless organizations assisting victims of the recent disaster.

January 3, 2005

A satellite Health Sciences Book Store will open in the McMaster Health Sciences Centre HSC-1R14 today, as major restoration begins after a Dec. 19 flood on the first and second floors of the west side of the centre. The McMaster Media Production Services group is being moved to HSC-1J11, but operations are not yet resumed. Staff in other affected areas are expected to move to alternative accommodations beginning today.

December 24, 2004

McMaster University is closed for the holidays, from Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, when normal activities and classes resume. Most campus services are closed during the holiday period. For a listing of dining facility operating hours visit Hospitality Services. Click McMaster Libraries for library hours of operation. For more information on services over the holiday period, read the recent Daily News story.

December 23, 2004

Researchers at McMaster University have developed the first assessment tool of its kind for evaluating risks faced by Canadians suffering from a rare and often fatal bleeding disorder. Their detailed bleeding questionnaire helps discriminate between patients - often in the same family - affected by a puzzling and rare condition known as Quebec Platelet Disorder (QPD) and those who are not.

December 23, 2004

People with chronic pain should have it attended to by a pain specialist, not just by the physician overseeing their disease or condition, says the scientific director of the new Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care. James Henry, 60, says chronic pain should be treated aggressively as early as possible, to stop the body from getting set in its ways, that is, allowing the development of neuroplastic processes which may mean the pain condition lasts longer than the underlying condition or disease which brought it on.

December 23, 2004

In accordance with the McMaster University Storm Emergency Policy, we have been monitoring the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Web site this morning. The H-W District schools are already closed for the holidays, and are therefore not affected by today's storm. However, we are now advised that all H-W District School Board buildings are closed for the day. Accordingly, McMaster will close today at 12:30 p.m. All essential services will continue to operate. Please note that under the terms of the McMaster University Storm Emergency Policy this closure is for the balance of today and tonight. Please check the usual media sources for information for Friday, Dec. 24.

December 22, 2004

It's like bathroom tissue; use the last sheet, replace the roll. If you take the last bus ticket from Planning & Analysis' petty cash box, you're supposed to let someone know to replace the strip. But yeah, sometimes you get busy or forget. Half of Planning & Analysis' employees commute to McMaster's Downtown Centre by bus or on foot. For meetings on main campus, department staff take transit; the trip from downtown is a mere eight minutes if the Beeline is running and the bus conveniently drops its passengers a scant 30 seconds from the Student Centre and Gilmour Hall. It's a departmental practice that Carolyn Essner, Anne McInnis and Nancy Weller appreciate.

December 21, 2004

McMaster University will be closed from Monday, Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, when normal activities resume. It is important to make sure all doors are locked and valuables are put away. If you are on campus during this period and notice anything suspicious, phone Security Services at ext. 24281. Security will be on duty throughout the holiday period, providing emergency services 24 hours a day. Officers will be patrolling campus, answering alarms and monitoring security systems.

December 20, 2004

Humanists studying electronic texts now have some new tools to assist them in their research. Computing researchers in McMaster University's Faculty of Humanities, with colleagues at New York University (NYU), have just released TAPoRware 1.0 which contains three sets of tools that can be used for the analysis of text in three specific file formats: xml, html and plain text.

December 20, 2004

Catherine Tompkins has been appointed associate dean of McMaster University's School of Nursing. In making the announcement, John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, praised the School of Nursing professor as an excellent educator and efficient administrator.

December 20, 2004

For the last decade, archaeologists, historians and Biblical scholars have been embroiled in a debate about the origins and development of the Kingdom of Edom, one of several Iron Age kingdoms mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Like the Kingdom of Israel, Edom grew from the collapse of the Egyptian empire around 1200 BC. Some have argued that Edom, located in present-day Jordan, was the result of the expansion of the Assyrian Empire in 8th to 6th centuries B.C.; others have said Edom is older, and developed independently.

December 20, 2004

Restoration companies have been called in to help with the clean-up and to dry and test computer and audio-visual equipment, after a flood from burst pipes in the McMaster Health Sciences Centre on Sunday evening. The flood caused extensive damage of the first and second floors of the west side of the Health Sciences Centre, in the red and purple areas.