March 6, 2003

Why aren't more women involved in politics? What can be done to support women interested in running for office? Have there been improvements to encourage women to participate as student, community and political leaders? Redefining Leadership, a one-day conference on Friday, March 7 in the council chambers of Gilmour Hall is providing a forum to discuss these issues. The conference, co-hosted by MacWin (McMaster Womyn's Issues Network) and the MSU Gender Equity committee, will feature a keynote speaker and panel discussions allowing panellists to share their experiences and members of the audience to participate in the presentation. "The speakers are all women who have all made outstanding commitments to their communities," says Nicole Richmond, who co-organized the event with Helen Tewolde. "Each of the speakers we have seen at different events and have been truly impressed by, and felt that these are women who would provide both inspiration and insight to our audience." Keynote speaker, Sue Fraser, kicks off the day at 9:30 a.m. Fraser was MSU president from 1989-90 and is now a social justice lawyer.

March 6, 2003

A team of researchers from McMaster University will be approaching up to 1,500 south Oakville residents asking for blood samples, in the first Canadian study to find the prevalence of West Nile virus infection. The researchers are looking for antibodies of the West Nile virus in the blood to help them get a better grip on how many were infected with the potentially deadly virus. Physicians believe that about 150 people are infected for every case that reaches them. The rate of Oakville residents contracting the mosquito-borne virus last summer was one of the highest in North America, said Halton medical officer of health Bob Nosal. There have been 58 human cases of West Nile since August -- 49 confirmed cases, and nine probable -- in Halton, almost all of them in south Burlington and south Oakville. Halton has the second-highest number of West Nile cases in Canada. Only Toronto is higher. Nosal said of the 19 Halton residents hospitalized with West Nile symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis, half are still suffering significant health problems, such as trouble walking. "West Nile caused a significant amount of illness last year, and we need to take it seriously." The ministry has contracted the research to McMaster University and hospital infectious diseases specialist Mark Loeb, and university colleagues and professors John Eyles and Susan Elliott. The blood will be tested at provincial labs. Read more

March 5, 2003

More than 100 guests from the Hamilton and Halton business and research communities, along with representatives from municipal and provincial governments, attended a Golden Horseshoe Venture Forum Tuesday morning where a new Biosciences Network was launched. The Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network is an organization initiated by McMaster University, the City of Hamilton and the Region of Halton to bring together the area's biosciences research and business communities to foster the creation of a vibrant biotechnology industry. Nick Markettos, senior advisor in the Office of the Vice-President (Research & International Affairs) says the timing is right for such an initiative. "Biotechnology and biosciences hold enormous promise for economic and social benefit and the creation of this network will allow us to move ahead together to increase research and commercialization activities in this area," he said. Keynote speaker Borys Chabursky, president and founder of Strategic Health Innovations, spoke about advancing the commercialization and development of biotechnology in the Golden Horseshoe. He told the audience that in order to compete with already established biotechnology clusters they would have to take advantage of the biosciences strengths and opportunities that exist in this region. "You have the resources but lack the links that will establish a cluster of innovation in biosciences in this area," he said. The first major event organized by the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network is a day-long conference planned at McMaster University on June 11, 2003. BioSummit2003@McMaster will bring the scientific and business communities together to find opportunities for strategic partnerships and create an environment for collaboration.

March 5, 2003

Andy Oxman, a Hooker Distinguished visiting professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, will examine the "Unbearable Lightness of Health Care Policy", today (March 5) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Health Sciences Centre, Room. 1A6. An international leader in developing, teaching, researching and applying evidence-based health care, Oxman is the director of Health Services Research in the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Welfare. His talk will be based on Milan Kundera's book, The Unbearable Lightness of Being. "The underlying argument of my talk is that health-policy making is doubly unbearably light because not only is it often impossible to compare alternative policy options, many policies are never properly implemented, however well informed they are," Oxman says. Oxman will describe his experience working with key stakeholders in Norway to evaluate an implementation strategy for a broadly supported health policy: active sick leave; use case studies from six countries on the use of research to inform drug policy to better understand this experience; expand on a systematic review of interviews with policy makers about the use of research in health policy; draw some conclusions and engage the audience in a discussion about the implications of this in the Canadian context. Oxman's publications include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, methodology development, quality of life, community-health practice guidelines, and educational strategies for health-care providers and users. He is a leader in the Cochrane Collaboration and an active participant in the Evidence Based Medicine Working Group. After completing his MD at Michigan State, Oxman earned a Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, a Masters degree in Design, Measurement and Evaluation, and Community Medicine Certification at McMaster in the 1980's. He is now the director of Health Services Research in the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Welfare.

March 5, 2003

Conditions facing female faculty at Canadian universities will be explored during a lunchtime discussion today (Wednesday). Hosted by Women's Studies, the event is one of several planned this week leading up to International Women's Day, Saturday, March 8. The discussion and brown bag lunch was inspired by the book Canadian Women and the Academic Tundra: Challenging the Chill, by E. Hannah, Linda Paul and Swami Vethamy-Globus. "International Women's Day is a time for asserting women's political and social rights, and reviewing the progress that women have made," says associate kinesiology professor Nancy Bouchier, one of the key organizers of the event. "Perhaps best of all, it is a day for celebration. Our event aims to provide us with a forum to reflect upon the working conditions of, and our own experiences at the university." Challenging the Chill gives a voice to women's experiences as teachers and researchers on university campuses across Canada, adds Bouchier, "and it embraces so many different perspectives from people of very different disciplinary, administrative, and pedagogical backgrounds." Participants do not have to read the book to participate in the discussion. But Bouchier says it will serve as a springboard for people to air their views about things like how they have felt about the social and academic climate at McMaster for women, what changes have happened during their tenure here, what work is left to be done, and what accomplishments they should celebrate.

March 5, 2003

Computing & Information Services continues to experience difficulty with the University's e-mail system. CIS staff are working around the clock to resolve the problem. Messages are being delivered, although at a slower pace than normal.

March 4, 2003

Three more up-and-coming McMaster researchers are the latest recipients of the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) New Opportunities Funding program. A total of $434,448 will provide world-class labs and facilities for the newly recruited faculty members to undertake leading-edge research in their first full-time academic appointment. The funding is part of more than $17.7 million awarded to 97 of the nation's emerging research leaders at 26 Canadian universities. McMaster's recipients are: Paulin Coulibaly, assistant professor jointly in geography & geology and civil engineering, was awarded $207,490 to research high-resolution soil moisture, through measurement, characterization, modeling and hydrologic applications. Geoff Werstuck, assistant professor of medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was awarded $132,719, to study molecular mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus promotes the development and progression of atherogenesis. Yiping Guo, assistant professor of civil engineering, received $94,239 for field research for the control of non-point source water pollution.

March 4, 2003

The McMaster Museum of Art presents an exhibition of recent work by seven accomplished artists who are also faculty in McMaster University's School of the . . .

March 4, 2003

McMaster Security Services, in partnership with the Hamilton Police Service and Mohawk College Security, is launching a new Community Road Sign Amnesty Program. The kick-off will take place Wednesday in the McMaster University Student Centre at 9:30 a.m. From March 5-31, anyone in possession of a street sign can drop it off at any Hamilton police station, McMaster Security Services or Mohawk College security office. "The program will enable those in the community who are inadvertently in possession of any street signs, such as road or traffic, the opportunity to return them without fear of prosecution," says Cathy O'Donnell, McMaster's sergeant of crime prevention. "This Program is designed to educate the public about the costs and possible serious consequences of road sign theft." The cost of replacing signs in the City of Hamilton is approximately $300 per sign. The program does not negate criminal charges if a person is found in possession of a sign during this period and is not making a concerted effort to turn it over to the police. The punishment for possession of property obtained by crime is a jail term of up to two years. If a fatal collision was to occur, which was directly due to a sign being stolen, the involved thief could face a charge of criminal negligence causing death, increasing the punishment of jail time. The program was first developed and implemented in 1993 by constable Dave Milsip of the Hamilton Police Service.

March 3, 2003

Off the shelf body parts. Man-made hearts, livers, corneas and blood vessels  replacement organs and tissues ready to implant into the body. The exciting new fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering will make these advancements in health care a new reality. Chemical engineering professor Heather Sheardown will discuss The Role of the Engineer in Health Care at Tuesday night's Science in the City lecture, the third of six lectures sponsored jointly by McMaster University and the Hamilton Spectator. In an interview with the Hamilton Spectator, Sheardown explains, "I've always been very interested in the body and the medical aspects of engineering, understanding the biological system and then using that. That's really what engineers do  understand what's going on and then translating that into something that can be used." Sheardown is currently working on two projects in her lab that involve replacement systems for two very different types of tissues: blood vessels and corneas. Her talk will focus on how these tissues can be engineered, the background into the rationale and need for these tissues, and some recent developments from her laboratory here at McMaster. The lecture will be held at the Spectator Auditorium, 44 Frid Street in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

March 3, 2003

As teammates draped the banner across her shoulders, Alana Shaw shed a tear and offered a smile of sheer delight. For the third time in the past five years McMaster is the Ontario womens' basketball champion, claiming the crown with a 46-45 win against Queen's Sunday. This was Shaw's last chance for another provincial title. She'll now cap her university basketball career this weekend at the national final eight tournament in Hamilton. "I'm so happy, it's so fulfilling," said Shaw while admiring the makeshift gown. "I'm so proud of everything. We overcame the adversity of injuries and we did this as a team. It feels so good. I've loved my five years here." The honours science student showed her gratitude with an outstanding opening half as Mac took a 30-24 advantage. She finished the contest with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Read the complete story in today's Hamilton Spectator.

March 3, 2003

The Conference Board of Canada and the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University announced today an agreement in principle to launch The Directors College for directors of Canadian corporations. The program is aimed at meeting the expressed needs of corporations in Canada for a Canadian-based approach to corporate governance. The Directors College, the first of its kind in Canada, will provide practically oriented corporate governance education to directors currently serving on the boards of Canadian corporations and prospective candidates for directorships. "Our program will not only cover the 'mechanics' of being a competent director, but will also focus on the principles of being a director who is constructively involved in defining the role of his or her company in Canadian society," said Vishwanath Baba, dean of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business. "This initiative builds on the Conference Board's six years of experience in delivering director education and 30 years of researching the practices and principles in corporate governance," said Mark Schacter, director of Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility for the Conference Board. "Our conversations with corporate executives and our members make it clear that the need for this program is urgent." Elliot Schreiber, industry professor, marketing & reputation management, said the partnership is another example of innovation, a hallmark of McMaster's culture. "The School of Business will contribute significant start-up funds and expertise in key areas of corporate governance, including accounting and financial management and disclosure. In addition, we have leading experts in the creation and development of high performance boards, including brand and reputation management, executive evaluation, organizational development, and knowledge management." The vision of the two partners is to establish a program uniquely tailored to Canadian business and culture. Its intention is to promote professional standards for directors that companies will be proud to support and shareholders will come to expect of their boards. Participants who successfully complete the curriculum will obtain an accredited Chartered Director designation. Stand-alone shorter courses that do not lead to designation will also be available. The faculty of The Directors College will include specialists from the corporate, legal and academic sectors. Subjects to be covered in the curriculum include compliance, liability, ethics, auditing and internal control, compensation, and organizational behaviour. The college is scheduled to begin on a pilot basis in the fall of 2003. Elliot Schreiber will lead the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business' participation in the partnership, and Mark Schacter will lead the Conference Board's involvement. The partnership between the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business and the Conference Board is non-exclusive, and discussions are underway with other potential participants in this national initiative.

March 3, 2003

The future shape of McMaster is the subject of three upcoming open sessions held on campus. As part of Refining Directions, the University's strategic planning process, University President Peter George and Provost Ken Norrie are holding open meetings. The first meetings were held in December to introduce the community to the process. A second set of meetings are planned for this week and next. The first meeting will be held at the Downtown Centre today (Tuesday) from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 216. Other meeting dates and times are: March 12: 8:30 to 10 a.m., McMaster University Student Centre, Room 319, and March 13: 2 to 4 p.m. Health Sciences Centre, Room 2J36-ABCD. The focus of this set of meetings will be on themes and recommendations emerging from reports submitted by six Work Groups on key areas of the University: undergraduate education, research and graduate education, external activities, internal community, planning and managing, and branding. The Work Groups have been meeting since last fall. In mid-February they presented their reports to the Refining Directions Steering Committee. The reports are currently being consolidated into a comprehensive planning document. For more information about this process and the Work Groups, visit Refining Directions.

March 3, 2003

The Marauder's men's basketball team has advanced to the Ontario University Athletics west division championship game, after defeating the Laurier Golden Hawks 88-64 in Saturday's OUA west semi-final game. The University of Guelph defeated Lakehead University 84-60, in the other semi-final and will travel to Hamilton on Wednesday, March 5 for the west division championship game. The tip off is at 7 p.m. McMaster is expecting a capacity crowd and advises McMaster fans to purchase advanced tickets for this game. Tickets will be available beginning Tuesday at 12 p.m. at the Compass Information Centre in the McMaster University Student Centre and the Copps Coliseum box office with no service fee. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 905-527-7666 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Normal service fees apply. Fans are also advised to arrive early to Wednesday's game to avoid the large volume of McMaster night class traffic.

February 28, 2003

The first time you came to McMaster, whether as a student, employee or to attend an event or meeting, did you have difficulty finding your way around campus? For many, locating the right campus entrance or getting to the right parking lot can be a challenge. For those with visual or physical disabilities, the challenge can be even greater. The McMaster community is invited to help make improvements to campus signage at an open house Monday, March 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the McMaster University Student Centre atrium. Hosted by the Signage and Wayfinding Committee, the open house will feature proposed designs and features of new campus signage. Mock-ups and photos will be on display and available for public review and comment and there will be surveys to provide feedback and suggestions. Committee members will also be present to answer questions or discuss the project in further detail. http://ppims.mcmaster.ca/signs.

February 27, 2003

A need for more bicycle racks and improved cycling routes, particularly at the Sterling Street entrance, are among the key comments in a report prepared for the new McMaster Cycling Committee. The report is based on surveys completed during an open house held last fall to solicit comment on everything from bike rack designs to problem areas on the campus and city cycling network. Most of the 57 respondents who completed the survey forms in late October called for more bicycle racks at McMaster. About half of the respondents said they wanted route improvements and about one in five respondents requested additional shower facilities on campus. In response to the survey and earlier comments by cyclists, the University has already added temporary cycle racks at the north end of the campus mall and is installing new racks near the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC). The mall racks are a temporary measure during the current renovations to Hamilton Hall, says Daryl Bender, co-ordinator of the Alternative Commuting and Transportation (ACT) Office. "In the long term, we're looking at putting them on the south side of the McMaster Museum of Art and east of Hamilton Hall."

February 27, 2003

Faculty and staff have at their disposal a state-of-the-art facility containing a large collection of audio visual and electronic materials with the launch of the Edward & Margaret Lyons Instructional Media Centre. Formerly the Edward & Margaret Lyons Humanities Communications Centre, the facility combines the McMaster University Video Library and the Visual Resources Centre/Slide Library into one area centrally located in Togo Salmon Hall, Rooms 314 and 331. The Lyons officially opened the centre Tuesday with the unveiling of a plaque. Howard Jones, acting dean of humanities, gave the history of the Lyons' involvement while Geoffrey Rockwell, associate professor in the School of the Arts, introduced the key staff members who helped make the centre a success. The media centre's audio visual library consists of approximately 1,400 videotapes, 16mm films, and videodiscs. The collection is primarily used by faculty for classroom screening or individual study. There is a selection of feature films as well as subject specific videos, which cover areas such as anthropology, women's studies, sociology and drama, as well as a large selection from the BBC Shakespeare Series. McMaster is also a member of Interfilm, which provides access to over 34,000 film and video titles from other Ontario universities. The slide and photograph collections, formerly overseen by the School of the Arts, have been incorporated into the centre. The collections can be traced back to the 1930s, when art history courses were first taught at McMaster University. They currently house more than 105,000 slides and 36 running metres of mounted photographs and reproductions. The centre has three video and DVD viewing stations available to preview material. The slide library also has preview facilities. Faculty, staff and students can access the collections during regular business hours. Photo caption: Edward and Margaret Lyons unveil a plaque that bears their names at the opening of the centre Tuesday.

February 27, 2003

Members of the University community are invited to attend one of three scheduled open meetings in March to discuss the future of McMaster and Refining . . .

February 27, 2003

McMaster is best in Ontario West. The Marauders captured the women's basketball conference crown with an 85-74 win against Laurier last night. This is the fourth trip to the university nationals in the past five years for the Marauders. Mac won OUA titles in 1999 and 2001 and were involved as hosts last season. "Our team gave absolutely everything until the bitter end," said jubilant head coach Theresa Burns. "I'm very proud of this group." Read more.

February 26, 2003

The McMaster Museum of Art presents Made in Canada until March 16, with a lunchtime talk today, (Wednesday, Feb. 26) at 12:30 p.m. The Made in Canada exhibition is a visual discussion about the relationship between landscape and Canadian identity using works from McMaster University's permanent collection. The exhibition includes paintings by David Alexander, Jack Bush, Franklin Carmichael, A.J. Casson, Naomi Jackson Groves, John Hartman, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Cornelius Krieghoff, J.E.H. MacDonald, David Milne, Tony Onley, William Perehudoff, George Reid, Otto Rogers, Jack Shadbolt, Tom Thomson and Tony Urquhart.