Daily News

December 3, 2004

An update on McMaster's budget process to the McMaster community has been prepared by Ken Norrie, provost, and Karen Belaire, vice-president administration. Following is the update sent out today: Dear colleagues, The preparation of the University's budget always begins in the fall and the process for the 2005/06 budget year is now underway. Our goal is to ensure that the University community is kept informed as the budget is developed.

December 3, 2004

The Core Competencies Steering Committee has prepared a report to update the McMaster community on the competency-based system for managers and academic leaders. Written by members of the Core Competencies Steering Committee, the report provides an overview of several initiatives being implemented this December and in 2005 to help integrate McMaster's six core competencies into key human resources practices across the University. These include: position descriptions, recruiting, interviewing/selecting, training and development, and performance management.

December 2, 2004

Photographers have demonstrated that McMaster is a campus of many colours in the Campus Colours photography contest for Picture McMaster. The contest, organized by the Office of Public Relations, challenged photographers to "picture McMaster" in unique, innovative, and colourful ways, and people across campus obliged.

December 2, 2004

Faculty, staff, students and the community are invited to dance for a good cause. McMaster Women's Studies Program has organized a dress up and dance event called "Great Women . . . and the Men Who Stand Behind Them" on Friday, Dec. 10 to raise money for The McMaster Anti-Violence Network and the Hamilton Sexual Assault Centre.

December 1, 2004

Large glass windows make up the north wall of Sonia Hawrylyshyn's office. From it, she can see the flow of McMaster employees coming to work each day. Hawrylyshyn knows many of these employees have career aspirations. Since starting in her position a couple of months ago, she has been exploring ways to help them achieve their dreams.

December 1, 2004

The prestigious National Club in the heart Canada's business capital on Toronto's Bay Street became a mini campus of the DeGroote School of Business last Thursday.

November 30, 2004

There's been a lot of talk about the increasing role of nurse practitioners in Ontario's health care system. A McMaster professor has been asked to head a task team to ensure it happens. Alba DiCenso, a professor for both the School of Nursing and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, will be co-chair of the team overseeing the implementation of the integration of primary health care nurse practitioners in Ontario for the provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

November 30, 2004

Imagine looking in the mirror and not recognizing your own face, or reaching to pick up a pencil only to discover it is actually a key. For people with certain forms of brain damage this is a reality. McMaster psychologist Allison Sekuler is trying to unravel this puzzle of vision and the brain. Her research has led her to the distinction of "Leader of Tomorrow", a title only a select few young Canadian scientists have earned.

November 29, 2004

McMaster's Faculty of Humanities has strengthened its foothold in the digital world of humanities research with the refurbishing of its Research Computing Centre. Funding from several federal and provincial programs has enabled the Faculty to purchase new equipment to support the work of humanities and social sciences researchers doing research in the areas of globalization and autonomy, text analysis, and infrastructure for internet streaming. The equipment is also available to other researchers and graduate students conducting research in the humanities.

November 29, 2004

The McMaster women's waterpolo team captured the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) gold medal for the third time in four seasons on the weekend in Ottawa with a 3-2 victory over York University. The match was an intense defensive chess match with the scored toed one each going into the fourth quarter. It was the first time in OUA's 18-year history of the championship game that no one scored a goal in the second and third quarters.

November 29, 2004

The Yves Landry Foundation has recognized the McMaster Solar Car Project (MSCP) for its recent successes in technological innovation and excellence. Composed of more than 180 McMaster students, MSCP, which designs, builds and races solar cars in international competitions, was awarded the "Progress Towards Sustainable Development" award at the college or university level.

November 29, 2004

While Ontario faces increasing demands on its dwindling electricity capabilities, McMaster University's Institute for Energy Studies will assemble a forum of experts today to recommend ways of encouraging people to reduce their energy consumption. "The window is closing on Ontario's ability to meet the growing demand for electricity," says Dean Mountain, the institute's director, and professor of finance and business economics. "We have 10 to 15 years left before the situation becomes dire. It's time to get creative, and get customers motivated to change their habits."

November 26, 2004

Career Services in partnership with Volunteer Hamilton is launching a volunteering program at McMaster. The service kicks off Monday, Nov. 29 in conjunction with a Volunteer Fair taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the McMaster University Student Centre Marketplace.

November 26, 2004

McMaster running back Jesse Lumsden has been named the 2004 CIS football player of the year. It is the third time in five years that a Marauder football player has been selected as the Nation's top player (he succeeds former teammates Ben Chapdelaine (2001) and Kojo Aidoo (2000)). Lumsden, a third-year geography student from Burlington, Ont. who rewrote the CIS and OUA record books in his fourth season with McMaster, received the Hec Crighton Trophy presented annually to the most outstanding player. The 6-foot-2, 226-pound running back set new CIS single-season marks with 1,816 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, a new CIS career record with 47 touchdowns, and an OUA record with 4,328 rushing yards.

November 26, 2004

A discussion document for the implementation of Refining Directions, McMaster's strategic plan, is now online. Project co-ordinator and engineering professor Andy Hrymak says, "Our goal was to develop an implementation plan that would clearly link planning in faculties and other areas of campus with the goals, targets and critical success factors in Refining Directions. We also wanted to identify recommendations to the University Planning Committee on how to move the University closer to its strategic objectives."

November 25, 2004

The McMaster University School of Social Work Student Association (MUSSWSA) is about to wrap up a successful project in support of the United Way. At their Nov. 8 meeting, the decision was made to join the on-campus "mitten campaign" by selling paper mittens throughout the department from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1. To date, $275 has been raised toward the goal of $1,000.

November 25, 2004

Humanities researchers at McMaster have released the first version of their text analysis portal for researchers (TAPoR). The alpha version of the portal was announced at a text symposium held at and sponsored by McMaster University Nov. 19-21.

November 25, 2004

Imagine being able to see or taste sounds, as well as hearing them. Sound like science fiction? For some people, it's reality. This blending of the senses occurs in a rare condition called "synesthesia." In this condition, a stimulus, such as sound, creates a reaction in another sense, as well as the expected sense.

November 24, 2004

Shucui Jiang, 40, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, has just returned from China where she was invited to present her work at the Third China Overseas Personnel Exchange and Economic Trade Cooperation Fair in Jinang, Shandong.

November 24, 2004

McMaster University's Chirif Matta has been recognized for his pioneering research in theoretical chemistry with a John Charles Polanyi Prize. The Province of Ontario established the prestigious awards to support outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers.