Daily News

September 9, 2003

Clinical nurse specialists Janet Pinelli and Amanda Symington are the new site co-representatives for The Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCN/C) at McMaster University. In their new positions, they will seek to raise awareness of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that helps individuals make well-informed decisions about health care. "We would like to focus on advanced clinical practitioners from the allied health professions as our target group, in order to raise their awareness of The Cochrane Collaboration and the benefits for all health care professionals," says Pinelli. Symington adds: "As advanced practitioners who have completed two systematic reviews, we can provide advice and support to individuals who are interested in participating in The Cochrane Collaboration as reviewers. We believe that The Cochrane Collaboration is a key resource in the facilitation of evidence-based practice."

September 9, 2003

McMaster University, including the Downtown Centre, will remain open during the Road World Cycling Championships Oct. 6 to 12. Exams, classes and programs will continue as usual that week, except for at the Centre for Continuing Education at the Downtown Centre, which will not hold classes during the week of Oct. 6-12. The Hamilton boards of education will close schools for the championships. Although routes for the races do not encompass either the main McMaster campus or Downtown Centre, the routing and number of visitors could have an impact on University access. While everyone will be able to get to campus and the Downtown Centre, traffic congestion is expected to be heavier than usual, and delays should be anticipated. McMaster employees and students are encouraged to study race routes and schedules, available at http://www.hamilton2003.com to know when affected roads will be closed each day of the event which will determine where congestion occurs on other alternate routes through the city. Main Street will close between James Street and Queen Street for the duration of the event. Other roads will close one hour prior to the start of each race and will reopen approximately one hour after the finish of each race. Routes and race times will vary each day of the race. Click here for details.

September 9, 2003

McMaster University and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario today announced the appointment of Heather Arthur as the first Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Chair in Cardiovascular Nursing. In her new position, Arthur will work closely with McMaster's health partners to encourage new research and postgraduate studies in cardiovascular nursing. She will also continue her own program of research related to health behaviour and its relationship to both risk for, and recovery from, heart disease. "Dr. Arthur has established a reputation as an exceptional cardiovascular nurse researcher and educator," said John Kelton, dean and vice-president of health sciences at McMaster. "We're very pleased and excited to be able to recognize her invaluable work with this appointment."

September 8, 2003

A lack of evidence on the value of new health technologies has the Province of Ontario in a little bit of a conundrum. Without systematic comparative evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of new medical technologies, how do they decide what should and should not be reimbursed? With a $3-million grant over three years from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, McMaster's Bernie O'Brien is hoping to provide some guidance. Through a series of research studies, the co-director of the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines and director of the Program for Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH) will assess the economic benefit of new medical technologies, providing evidence to support government reimbursement decisions. "Evaluation research is about trying to gather the evidence so the decision makers can make sensible decisions," says the professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster. "They're tough choices because they involve trade-offs between different disease areas."

September 8, 2003

The McMaster Marauder baseball team dropped their first game of the season on Sunday evening when they fell to the Brock Badgers in the Blue . . .

September 8, 2003

Make it McMaster Marauders 107, Ontario University Athletics opponents 0. The Marauders, who started the season with a 56-0 gutting of the Guelph Gryphons just . . .

September 5, 2003

On Saturday, Sept. 6, McMaster students will be wrapping up their Welcome Week activities by giving the residents of Hamilton a reason to shine. They'll be at street corners and shopping malls armed with polish, cloths, and donation boxes to make everyday articles shimmer and raise money for a good cause. Third-year biochemistry student and fundraising initiative team (FIT) co-ordinator Binny Jandu, says McMaster has a long, proud tradition in Shinerama, the largest post-secondary fundraising event that has raised more than $14 million for Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a fatal genetic disorder that leaves its sufferers highly susceptible to lung and digestive tract problems. "This is a great opportunity for university students because it is one of the only Welcome Week events that is directed specifically at the community," says Jandu. "They still get to make new friends and have a lot of fun, but they're helping a really good cause too."

September 5, 2003

A double ring shape encircles a shield emblazoned with the McMaster coat of arms. Within it, two massive rings indicate the time. This is the brainchild of mechanical engineering graduates Patrick Burton, Braden Kurczak, Michael Paddags and Peter Whitred, who today presented a "clock ring" perched atop the doorframe at the north entrance to the McMaster University Student Centre. But even more than that, they presented their legacy. "We wanted to give something back to the University," said Whitred to the Daily News. "We all had such a great experience over our five-year degree and we love McMaster and engineering that we wanted to give something back. It's also a little immortality for us," he said, adding whenever they come back to campus to see the clock it will remind them of their student years.

September 4, 2003

A new name and a new face will put human rights issues at McMaster in a different light, with the recent appointment of a director for Human Rights and Equity Services (HRES), formerly known as the Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Office (SHADO). Mark Walma, a Hamilton native and McMaster alumnus, joins the University after earning a law degree and recently serving as the acting director of Equity Services at The University of Western Ontario where he also chaired Western's New Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee. "I'm very excited to have the opportunity to return to my hometown and, even more so, to be able to pursue my passion for human rights at my alma mater," says Walma. "I have very fond memories from my undergrad and graduate work here and look forward to being able to give something back to the McMaster University community."

September 3, 2003

September 3, 2003

An important message was heard today. "Watch out for each other." It's simple, but it can make a big difference in a university student's life. It's the key message of a rape drug awareness campaign launched by a coalition of McMaster and Hamilton agencies. Last year, there was an increase in reported cases of suspected druggings and sexual assaults, and this year community agencies are prepared with a public awareness campaign directed at university and college students. "The timing of this campaign is crucial," says Jane Mulkewich, human rights and equity services officer at McMaster, who adds it coincides with the Month Without Violence in September. "It's the time of the year of the greatest risk."

September 2, 2003

Years of preparation and careful attention to cultural trends are among the greatest assets for McMaster staff, faculty and student leaders helping this year's double cohort class adjust to university life. With the changing profile of first-year students -- most notably those who will begin a post-secondary education and leave home as young as 16 -- comes the Office of First Year Experience, the University's newest initiative to meet the growing needs of first-year students. "We've been preparing for the double cohort for several years as we have seen a gradual increase of 16- to 18-year olds coming to McMaster in the last four years," says Danielle Stayzer, first year experience co-ordinator. "There are many programs and services offered to students at McMaster that are designed to support them academically and socially, and it is my goal that this office will add its support to both students and the staff running these programs."

September 2, 2003

In front of a sold-out crowd Monday, McMaster third-year running back, Jesse Lumsden rushed 12 times for 215 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the McMaster Marauders to a 56-0 victory over the University of Guelph Gryphons. McMaster started second-year quarterback, Jon Behie who completed 12 of 17 (71 per cent) passes for 245 yards. Rookie quarterback, Adam Archibald entered the game in the third quarter to finish the game with four completions in seven attempts for 75 yards. Third-year quarterback, Mike Zaremba did not dress due to a sore back. McMaster 2002 CIS rushing leader (1227) Kyle Pyear added 98 yards on the ground and snared three passes for 59 yards to finish with 157 multi-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

August 29, 2003

You can feel it in the air. September, it's just around the corner and that means students are about to begin classes for another year. Students will be welcomed back to McMaster next week, and many activities have been planned by the University's new First Year Experience Office to make them feel as at home as possible. "In the First Year Experience Office, we are frantically trying to nail down the plans the various groups are making for Welcome Week 2003, answer calls from first-year students and process for our orientation kits called the 'MacPac'," says First Year Experience co-ordinator Danielle Stayzer. To find out more about Welcome Week, visit www.mcmaster.ca/ww to view pictures from past years, a general schedule of this year's events and information about the goals of Welcome Week at McMaster.

August 28, 2003

The Hamilton community received hundreds of helping hands this week when the 114 Residence Life staff committed to volunteering for a day at organizations throughout . . .

August 28, 2003

McMaster's Meir Steiner is leading a collaborative research project on postpartum depression (PPD) that received an $80,000 grant from the Society for Women's Health Research. . . .

August 28, 2003

As you read this, countless first-year university students are packing their bags, anxiously wondering what their new digs are going to look like this year. This weekend, they'll find out when they move into residence at McMaster. As that time nears, Housing & Conference Services is busy preparing for move-in weekend Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. "We are gearing up to welcome the 'Class of 2007' as well as returning students who will be moving into University residences over the Labour Day weekend," says Cathie Miller, director of Housing and Conference Services. "Extensive planning has been dedicated to co-ordinate the student move-in to be effective for the students and their families."

August 28, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/vests.jpg” caption=”Prints of Betty Goodwin”]The McMaster Museum of Art is presenting The Prints of Betty Goodwin, an exhibition of almost 100 works from . . .

August 27, 2003

Forget waiting for days to select the courses you want. Now graduate students can select their courses using the Student Online Academic Registration (SOLAR) system. McMaster's School of Graduate Studies introduced SOLAR to graduate students today. Launched for undergraduate students in December, this new Web portal is offered through McMaster University General Student Information (MUGSI) and now allows graduate students to select, add or drop courses for the September 2003 to August 2004 academic session. The deadline for graduate students adding first-term courses is Sept. 26. There are numerous benefits to online registration, says John Scime, graduate registrar & secretary of the School of Graduate Studies. Not only does it allow students to select their courses from virtually anywhere, it allows them to do it in real time, he says. "With the Web access and the real-time connection to the student records system, students obtain feedback instantaneously about the courses they selected."

August 27, 2003

The words "on time" and "on budget" were something to celebrate at a "topping off" ceremony Wednesday on top of the fifth floor of the $70-million Centre for Learning & Discovery. The final concrete was poured by, pictured from right to left, Karen Belaire, vice-president administration, Tony Cupido, director of physical plant, Bob Dunn, assistant director of physical plant and David Clusiau, design principal at Norr Architects and Engineers. A "topping off" ceremony is customary when a construction project is on time and on budget. The pouring ceremony was followed by a barbecue for 400 tradespeople, users' group members, the steering committee and other guests who have had a part in the design or construction of the building.