Daily News

December 1, 2003

There's a bug going around campus and it's catching fast. It's the "Sprit of Giving" bug, and the 2003 Holiday Hamper Food Drive is one of many ways people can donate to those in need over the next several weeks. Until Dec. 11, food donation boxes decorated in Christmas wrap will be placed around McMaster University and the Hamilton Health Sciences site. "Please be generous in your donation of non-perishable food items," says Jennifer Holland, a co-ordinator of the Holiday Hamper Food Drive. "Your contributions do make a difference to the disadvantaged in our Hamilton community." Senior officials representing the corporation and the Faculty of Health Sciences will present the Holiday Hamper to Joanne Santucci, executive director, Food Share, Greater Hamilton, on Friday, Dec. 12 at 10:45 a.m. in the main lobby of the Health Sciences Centre.

November 28, 2003

The potential for life in other areas of our galaxy and solar system will be explored in the third in a series of five public lectures tackling origins research. During the free lecture, From the Big Bang to the Origins of Life, in Rm. 120 of Togo Salmon Hall Monday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m., James Ferris, a chemistry professor and director of the New York Centre for Studies on the Origins of Life at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, will discuss the processes that led to the formation of the elements, galaxies, solar systems and planets. Ferris will take the audience through scenarios for the origins of life including the proposal that an RNA world preceded the DNA-protein world, which is the basis of life on Earth today.

November 27, 2003

McMaster's Alternative Commuting & Transportation (ACT) office is seeking input from the McMaster community on how to improve cycling on campus. ACT is hosting two campus walkabouts on Tuesday, Dec. 2 in an effort to identify problem areas on campus and find ways to improve them. This includes identifying the number of bike racks on campus, secure bike parking and bike access. "Campus cycling facilities need improvement," says Daryl Bender, ACT co-ordinator. "We need your input to make it happen."

November 27, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/sandra_witelson.jpg” caption=”Sandra Witelson”]Sandra F. Witelson, professor of psychiatry & behavioural neurosciences and the Albert Einstein/Irving Zucker Chair in Neuroscience, will present the Ben . . .

November 26, 2003

McMaster astronomer Christine Wilson wants to see what others don't. To do that, she needs high-tech tools such as a complex telescope that uses radio waves to clearly uncover cold gases and dust between stars  research that will help her learn more about the universe. The McMaster astrophysicist's ability to conduct research on how stars, planets and galaxies formed received a boost Wednesday with the announcement of a $7.9 million investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) in Chile. Wilson is the Canadian project scientist for the international $550 million (US) ALMA project, considered the most important development in radio astronomy in this decade. ALMA will be the highest altitude, full-time ground observatory in the world. This investment in ALMA is very important for the Canadian astronomy community, said Wilson. Not only will it help with infrastructure costs, such as buildings and access roads on the site in Chile, but it will also allow us to help develop the software for translating the raw data from ALMA into the images that scientists analyze. ALMA will be a single instrument made up of an array of 64 radio antennas (each 12 metres in diameter) that will work together as one telescope to study millimetre and submillimetre radio waves from space. The antennas can be repositioned so that the telescope can function as a giant zoom lens. The antennas must be kept cool and dry so the lab' for this research is Chile's Atacama Desert, a flat area located 5,000 metres above sea level in the Andes that hasn't had rain in years.

November 25, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Tryon.Valerie.jpg” caption=”Valerie Tryon”]It is rare to find anything in this world as beautiful as the sounds of a solo piano beneath the capable . . .

November 25, 2003

Although many first year students have not yet completed their first term at McMaster, they're already planning for next year. As they think about writing exams and going home for the holidays, many students are thinking of a home of another kinda home to live in next year at McMaster. Many of the 3,389 first-year students who this year called one of the on-campus residence home are now looking for housing off-campus. And it's not a simple search. For Lindsay Fidler, a first-year resident of Moulton Hall, location, cost, and housemates are some of the key concerns. She admits that she doesn't understand a lot about leases, and she's not sure where to begin her search for a house. For students like Fidler, the Off-Campus Resource Centre will help find with their hunt. p>Beginning Thursday, Nov. 27 at 9:30 a.m. in the McMaster University Student Centre, Room 309 and continuing Monday, Dec. 1, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. in the same location, the OCRC is offering sessions on The 5Ws of Finding a Home Off-Campus Next Year. These free information sessions tell students when, how and where to look for housing, what questions to ask landlords, what their rights are as tenants, and other valuable information.

November 25, 2003

A luxury suite with air conditioning, two washrooms and a stone's throw from fine dining isn't the typical first home-away-from-home experience for most students. But the 280 residents  168 of them first-year  who secured a room in McMaster's new Mary E. Keyes residence this fall are discovering that the typical campus residence experience is undergoing some changes. Today the residence officially opens, with speeches from Cathie Miller, director of Housing & Conference Services, Peter George, President and Vice-Chancellor, and members of the Keyes family. The residence is the namesake of the late Keyes, who dedicated 38 years of service to the University in faculty and administrative roles, putting students' interests and concerns at the forefront of any initiative. "Dr. Keyes initiated the vision for this new student residence," says George. "Reflecting her respect for the needs of the students, she insisted that the building needed to provide an environment that would be comfortable for living, learning, working and socializing. I am proud that her vision has become a reality."

November 24, 2003

The bathtub in the McMaster University Students Centre marketplace overflows with generosity. Toothbrushes, hotel-sized lotion bottles, bars of deodorant and little yellow ducks nearly spill over the side, as another person walks up and hands a bag of items to donate. The immense goodwill of McMaster is amazing to the five co-ordinators of the first annual Rub a Dub Dub, Drop Your Stuff in the Tub project. The co-ordinators -- Jessica Waserman, Hanieh Rahimi, Alana Kayfetz, Cole Bassarab and Stephanie Forrest -- as well as an army of volunteers are collecting toiletries and stocking stuffer toys for holiday gift baskets for battered women's and children's shelters of the Hamilton community. "We have received phenomenal contributions so far," says Kayfetz, a second-year communications and women's studies student. "We are overwhelmed by the response." The bathtub will be located in the McMaster University Student Centre marketplace today (Monday) and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 21, 2003

Imagine learning about the ideals of science, engineering, and technology in a fun, interactive club environment. The Venture Kids Club, a new and exciting addition . . .

November 20, 2003

McMaster University and the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA) have established a committee to develop and implement a new job evaluation system and process for the positions in MUSA. This involves selecting a job evaluation tool, collecting job content information and rating jobs. Implementation of the new system is scheduled for June 16, 2005. The Joint Job Evaluation Steering Committee (JJESC) includes: Carmela Civitareale, Kathy Ouellette and Gord Slater as the MUSA representatives and Susan Birnie, Heather Grigg and Marvin Gunderman as the University representatives. The JJESC has two alternate members, Rosemary Viola for MUSA and John Drake for the University. The JJESC also includes two expert advisors, Nancy Vukelich for the University and Daina Green, a labour consultant contracted by MUSA.

November 20, 2003

A former McMaster University president, the founding dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, and a nursing school visionary were honoured Friday by having their portraits hung at the University. The photographs and biographies of nine former faculty members are displayed in a Community of Distinction on a second floor wall in McMaster's Health Sciences Centre. All were chosen for outstanding leadership and distinguished contributions through outstanding scholarship and innovative research. Harry Thode - president of McMaster from 1961 to 1972 Murray Enkin - an advocate for change, and faculty member in obstetrics and gynecology David Sackett - founder of Canada's first Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics May Cohen - family physician and promoter of the equality of women in medicine John Basmajian - professor of medicine and biomedical sciences, and a leader in the field of rehabilitation science Alma Reid - director of the School of Nursing from 1949 to 1970. Jerry Dolovich - pediatrician and founder of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at McMaster Fraser Mustard -instrumental in the development of the new medical school curriculum and its research capability John Evans - the founding Dean of McMaster's Faculty of Medicine. Click here for biographies of the recipients.

November 20, 2003

A shrug of the shoulders, a sarcastic remark, or a common phrase that makes reference to an historic parable can communicate different messages in English, Arabic and French. But for a student whose first language isn't English, those subtle innuendos can make a big difference in how well they process and understand what others are saying. For the hundreds of international students attending McMaster each year, tackling the pace, material and workload of university-level courses is coupled with the pressure of adapting to a new culture, climate, and language. Now, McMaster's commitment to meeting those students' needs has seen the recently-expanded English as a Second Language (ESL) courses reach new levels of popularity. Rosette Adera and Claire Rivlin, the Centre for Student Development's English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors and co-ordinators, say many students who are new to English and Canada have no idea how well or poorly they'll do in real-life foreign language situations until they arrive. "A lot of students can read and write well, but often their listening and speaking skills need work," says Rivlin. "Sometimes the English-language education they received in their home country doesn't coincide with their needs to understand lectures, ask questions, and express opinions in an academic environment."

November 19, 2003

McMaster's Cicile Fradin is among five budding Ontario researchers to receive the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize. The biophysics professor, who is conducting research into cellular dynamics in a newly renovated research lab in the Arthur Bourns Building, will receive $15,000 from the province. Fradin's research involves using laser optics to study the dynamics of biological systems such as cells. Her research has the potential to aid the understanding of how defects in membrane composition and integrity are affected by disease, drugs and toxic substances. "The Polanyi prize recognizes the promise and potential of our young researchers. Cicile Fradin is acknowledged as a world-class leader in her field of research and I am delighted she has received this honour," says Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president, research & international affairs. "She is the twelfth outstanding scholar from McMaster to be awarded this prize and it certainly speaks to the excellence of our University's research community."

November 18, 2003

McMaster University is expanding again, with two nursing programs finding a new home in a former bingo hall. The Frid Street building's open concept design of 20,000 square feet, newly renovated to accommodate 65 workstations, will provide much needed functional office space and is conducive to meeting and teaching activities. The building is close to both the main west-end campus and McMaster's community partners. MACDoor, a federally-funded program that helps street youth aged 16 to 25 build a life away from the streets, moved into the renovated space in May. The MACDoor program, directed by assistant professor Dyanne Semogas, helps street kids make changes in their lifestyle one day at a time and offers resources such as job-hunting skills. There are five staff members at MACDoor and as many as 20 students accessing the services most days. MACDoor was previously sited at a succession of temporary locations downtown.

November 18, 2003

The Canadian Cochrane Centre is celebrating ten years of helping people in Canada make well-informed decisions about healthcare. The Canadian Centre first opened in August . . .

November 17, 2003

It was an unfamiliar, yet all-too-familiar feeling Saturday for the McMaster Marauders. After remaining undefeated this year, they lost 36-32 to Laval Rouge et Or in the Mitchell Bowl championship game. It was McMaster's fourth consecutive national football semi-final loss. In front of more than 11,000 cheering fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Marauders bounced back from a 22-5 second-quarter deficit to give them their first lead of the day, 32-29. But, with just 2:33 remaining, a 30-yard sprint by Laval quarterback Mathieu Bertrand restored the lead for the Rouge et Or. Then, with just four seconds left on the clock, McMaster rookie quarterback Adam Archibald launched a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Vaughan Swart. The pass, which would have given McMaster the winning touchdown, was knocked down at the Laval five-yard line. The Laval Rouge et Or and Saint Mary's Huskies will meet Saturday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. at Toronto's SkyDome in the 39th annual Vanier Cup, in a rematch of the 1999 National final.

November 17, 2003

An internationally respected researcher and world-acclaimed entertainment executive are the recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni Award. Each year, McMaster recognizes alumni who have distinguished . . .

November 17, 2003

McMaster's graduate and undergraduate enrolment numbers were presented to University Senate last week. Preliminary enrolment figures for the 2003-2004 academic year (as of Nov. 1) . . .

November 13, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/patrickseale_opt.jpg” caption=”Patrick Seale”]Patrick Seale, a student in McMaster's Department of Biology, will be awarded the 2003 Governor General's Academic Gold Medal at Convocation . . .