Daily News

July 5, 2004

After two years of collaboration, McMaster's Mark Loeb, Marek Smieja and Fiona Smaill are celebrating the fruit of their labour with the launch of their textbook, Evidence-based Infectious Diseases, published recently through BMJ Books. Though standard textbooks on this topic are abundant, this book is considered the first of its kind through its use of evidence-based medicine. "McMaster is considered the home of evidence-based medicine," said Smieja. "We thought it very fitting that our textbook would reflect this approach." All three editors are members of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, having trained in medical microbiology, infectious diseases, and health research methodology.

July 5, 2004

The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ)  the new job evaluation tool for positions in the MUSA bargaining unit  is now available online. The Joint . . .

July 2, 2004

A McMaster University graduate has been awarded a prestigious Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation doctoral scholarship, the premier award in Canada for studies in the social sciences and humanities. Alenia Kysela, who graduated from McMaster University's arts and science program in 1994 and from McMaster's doctor of medicine program in 1997, is among 14 scholars selected for the award. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Toronto and works in the field of international health, in particular HIV primary health care in under-resourced settings. Each year, up to 15 doctoral students are chosen through a highly rigorous selection process. All scholars are doctoral candidates in the social sciences and humanities and are pursuing research touching upon one or more of the four themes of the foundation: human rights and social justice; responsible citizenship; Canada and the world; and humans and their natural environment.

June 30, 2004

McMaster University is celebrating Canada Day with the creation of a Canadian history professorship at the University naming a leading Canadian historian and author to the post. H. V. (Viv) Vivian Nelles will join McMaster University as the L.R. Wilson Professor in Canadian History this Canada Day. Nelles has authored several books and has a new one out this summer. The 268-page book titled, A Little History of Canada, is addressed to several audiences, according to his introduction. "The first are Canadians in search of a brief introduction to the history of their country.

June 30, 2004

Researchers at McMaster University will discover new ways of treating cancer and respiratory illnesses and gain a greater understanding of how people learn and how the body responds to exercise, thanks to a $420,081 investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) New Opportunities Fund. "Our researchers continue to have great success in a highly competitive process," said Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president research & international affairs. "The research we're doing at McMaster is leading edge and CFI support is an integral part of our research enterprise." "These CFI investments will provide world-class facilities and cutting edge tools for Canadian researchers examining complex issues that are of critical importance to the province of Ontario and the rest of Canada," said Carmen Charette, interim president and CEO of the CFI. "It will also enable outstanding researchers to provide the training and mentoring required by the next generation."

June 29, 2004

A McMaster child psychiatrist, who has mentored medical students regarding issues releted to international health and written books for Afghan children dealing with war, has received an award for her extensive accomplishments and commitment to health care education. Joanna Santa Barbara, a member of the psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences department, is the recipient of this year's John C. Sibley Award for part-time faculty from the Faculty of Health Sciences. "Recipients are selected based on activities that reflect initiative and sustained commitment and have a lasting impact on teaching and learning in the Faculty," said Susan Denburg, associate dean, academic. The Sibley Award was named for John C. Sibley, one of the founders of McMaster Medical School. He was known for his interdisciplinary approach to community health both locally and internationally. "I've learned a lot about teaching from wonderful colleagues," said Santa Barbara. "It always feels like a privilege to participate in learning situations."

June 28, 2004

It turns out sustainable transportation is not a challenge for McMaster. Twelve per cent of the McMaster population -- or 618 participants  took part in this year's Commuter Challenge, leading the way among similarly sized companies and organizations across the country. "We are just blown away by the results," says Jennifer Dawson, Alternative Commuting & Transportation (ACT) Office co-ordinator. "With the help of a committed campus steering committee, enthusiastic and dedicated co-ordinators from 50 departments and the lure of free food we well exceeded our goal of 400 participants. Last year we only had 79 people take the challenge. We're just thrilled with this year's response." The Commuter Challenge, an event to encourage citizens and employees across Canada to walk, cycle, take transit and rideshare to work, took place May 30 to June 5, 2004. McMaster celebrated the week with an Active Transportation Fair, free pancake breakfast (served by President Peter George and Ward One councillor Brian McHattie), and a Walk n' Roll Party, which took up part of Zone 2 parking lot.

June 27, 2004

In the 2000 federal election, 25 per cent of young adults and 61 per cent of all Canadians exercised their right to vote. Today, different . . .

June 25, 2004

On Monday, July 5, 2004, McMaster University will welcome 52 exceptional young high school students from across Canada for the award-winning Shad Valley Program, an elite summer camp for science, technology, mathematics, and entrepreneurship. Every year, out of thousands of applicants, 500 senior high school students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, recreation, leadership, entrepreneurship and community involvement are chosen to attend one of 10 participating Shad university campuses across Canada. At McMaster, the aspiring young minds of MacShads are exposed to the inner workings of university life, complete with guest lectures, projects, and workshops, all with a dynamic business twist.

June 24, 2004

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Ron_Thorn_6.jpg” caption=”Ron Thorn, Brian Mullan “]When director of security services Ron Thorn joined McMaster 11 years ago, he had a vision to develop . . .

June 24, 2004

McMaster announced its 2004 football recruiting class Wednesday. Comprised of 21 student-athletes, the class includes players from Almonte, Barrie, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Hamilton, London, Oakville, St. Catharines, Stoney Creek, Thornhill, Toronto, Beaconsfield, QC - via Upper Canada College in Toronto and Nassau, Bahamas - via Ridley College in St. Catharines. The McMaster recruiting class includes seven receivers, five linebackers and five running backs (including two full backs), three defensive backs and one defensive lineman. "We improved our depth at receiver, linebacker and running back, three areas identified by our coaching staff for improvement," said head coach Marcello Campanaro on his first recruiting class with McMaster. "We were also successful in recruiting a very athletic group of kids with a lot of character who are excited about coming to McMaster and competing for a position in the fall."

June 23, 2004

A second-year McMaster University student has presented a major research paper and received an award from the American Physiological Society. Jacob Rullo of Hamilton, 20, has won a David S. Bruce Award for undergraduate research. This is the first year for the awards, which are given annually to up to four undergraduate students at North American universities. Rullo, who has just finished his second year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program, has been working in the laboratory of Alison Fox-Robichaud since his last year of high school. His current project involves developing and characterizing a model of liver injury associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The model involves giving mice a compound called dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) in the drinking water. In five to seven days the mice develop inflammation that has features of ulcerative colitis, one form of inflammatory bowel disease.

June 22, 2004

A McMaster University student is headed to Yale University to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship after receiving a rare "perfect score" on her application from a Canadian funding agency. Amy Latimer, a PhD student in McMaster's Department of Kinesiology, plans to use the two-year fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to study health communication strategies at Yale's Health, Emotion and Behaviour Laboratory. "I'm very excited about this opportunity to build on my current research interests in a large lab that receives a lot of international profile," says Latimer. "My family and my colleagues here are just thrilled."

June 21, 2004

Since obtaining his PhD in 1999, McMaster's Hendrik Poinar has achieved a lot. Aside from international media attention surrounding his research into the genetics of ancient humans, Poinar has had four successful major grant proposals to develop new lab facilities and support his ongoing research. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 articles and book chapters, in leading journals such as Nature and Science. And he has offered undergraduates, research assistants, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows several opportunities to participate in this research. Now, he has another success to add to that list  one that recognizes him for achieving so much so early in his career. The 35-year-old assistant anthropology professor was named the winner of the 2004 Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award. The award provides $25,000 to a new McMaster professor (less than eight years from a PhD) to encourage creative thinking about how undergraduate students can participate in University research. This is the second year for this award. The 2003 recipient was Imre Szeman, director of McMaster's Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition.

June 18, 2004

Barb Rabicki's favorite plant has three Latin names. To the layperson, it's called "bugbane" or "snakeroot," a tall, fragrant perennial with purple leaves that thrives in moist, shady areas. But she's unlikely to plant it on campus just yet. "You need the right place for it," she says. "Most of our garden beds on campus receive full sun exposure, so we have to keep that in mind when we're selecting new cultivars." Rabicki has an Ontario Diploma of Horticulture from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor's degree from Western. Before joining McMaster's grounds team as the grounds manager last month, she was a parks manager at the City of Hamilton. "McMaster is gifted with the most tremendous natural environment," says Rabicki. "My goals will be to optimize the beauty of the campus, create compelling spaces for people to enjoy, introduce new landscaping ideas and enhance the natural beauty."

June 17, 2004

Globetrotters who are looking for comprehensive care, before and after they travel, can seek advice from McMaster's Shariq Haider at Hamilton Health Sciences new International Health and Tropical Diseases Clinic. Under the direction of Haider, the clinic sees patients before they travel to review their overall health, discuss the health risks of the region they're visiting and receive the shots they need to protect their health. If, when they return, they aren't feeling well, they can come back to the clinic for assessment and treatment. Haider is an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster and a specialist in tropical medicine and infectious diseases. He knows the importance of continuity of care when it comes to today's exotic illnesses. "Over and over again, research shows that people who receive pre-travel advice have better outcomes," said Haider. "Our clinic can help travellers reduce their risks of getting sick and, if they do come down with something, we have the expertise to treat them quickly and effectively."

June 16, 2004

The following are highlights from the June 9 Senate meeting and June 10 Board of Governors meeting: Bob Rae commission McMaster President Peter George is . . .

June 16, 2004

McMaster has responded to the need for new athletic and recreational facilities by announcing plans to build a new $43-million athletic and recreation centre and stadium. Scheduled to open for the fall of 2006, the $30-million Athletics & Recreation Complex will be an addition to the University's existing Ivor Wynne Centre. This new centre will provide: a new sports hall, an indoor running track, a wellness and fitness centre twice the size and capacity of the current Pulse, international standard squash courts, new locker rooms, an expanded sports medicine clinic, as well as other teaching and training facilities. In addition, the new complex will be capable for use in hosting exams, movies, speakers, conventions and other community events. Construction of the complex is set to begin in March 2005. A future $13-million McMaster stadium to replace the existing Les Prince Field will have seating for 7,000 and will include varsity locker rooms, meeting space, storage areas, food preparation and concession facilities and seasonal multi-purpose training areas. The stadium field will be a high quality soft-surface artificial turf. The outdoor track will also be refurbished with a new track surface and new multi-seasonal artificial turf.

June 15, 2004

McMaster University's Venture Engineering and Science was awarded the 2004 Actua Best Project Award on June 8 for a project that is educational, fun, and . . .

June 15, 2004

On June 10, President Peter George hosted a reception in honour of 158 outstanding employees who have been recognized by members of the McMaster community as nominees for the President's Awards for Outstanding Service in 2003. This year's President's Awards for Outstanding Service resulted in 34 total nominations highlighting the achievements of 25 individuals and nine teams for their contribution to McMaster's mission. In his remarks President George noted, "We are committed to creativity, innovation and excellence. Today's nominees and award recipients have achieved the recognition of their peers as a result of incorporating these values in their day-to-day work and helping make McMaster the quality institution that it is. You are very much part of the reason McMaster ranks among the finest Universities in the world."