Daily News

October 24, 2003

Classes, tests and presentations are a regular part of every student's life, but students training for medical professions including nursing encounter the additional responsibility of working clinical shifts that expose them to workplace stress, physical fatigue and illness. Starting today, more than 100 Ontario nursing students are meeting at McMaster for a three-day conference that's focused on wellness tips to help keep them healthy before launching careers in an already overworked and understaffed profession. "Nurses face some workplace hazards that are unique to the profession, including back injuries from constantly lifting patients," says Sandra Woltman, third-year nursing student who's co-ordinating the conference with fourth-year student Kristina Kolodziej. Woltman also points out that "needle pricks"  occurring when a used needle penetrates a nurses' skin while it's being handled  are among the common hazards that put nurses more at risk of viruses and infectious diseases. And with the health care system facing significant nurse shortages  only about three nurses for every 500 Ontarians  nurses already have some of the highest absentee rates from work as a result of illness and injury.

October 24, 2003

One of Ontario's largest gatherings of undergraduate engineers will take place Oct. 26-29 at the Hamilton Convention Centre. More than 400 undergraduate students from across Canada will attend the 53rd annual Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference. "This conference gives students the chance to learn about the latest trends in our profession through lectures and seminars, develop speaking skills at presentation competitions, and make valuable connections in academia and industry at graduate studies fairs and receptions," says Jon Ng, a fifth-year chemical engineering and society student who heads the student conference program. "Most importantly, being able to meet and mingle with hundreds of our undergraduate colleagues from across the nation offers a deeper respect for the spirit that is shared by engineers."

October 23, 2003

One day patients may be able to wear a sensor that will conduct a test of their biochemical levels and allow doctors to analyze the results without shipping samples off to a lab. McMaster University engineering physics professor Rafael Kleiman's research lab may well be home to the creation of this new type of device. Kleiman is one of the world's leading researchers studying MicroElectroMechanical systems (MEMS)  transforming static silicon chips into minuscule machines that can feel, smell, see, hear and act. Kleiman, who holds the Canada Research Chair in MicroElectroMechanical Systems, plans to work closely with colleagues in McMaster's health sciences faculty to study biomedical applications for micro-machines. Click on http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/review/review1003.pdf to read a profile of Kleiman in the McMaster Review. "As we start to miniaturize everything, we need to understand how the forces behave on a small scale," said Kleiman, a senior researcher at Bell Laboratories, the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies in the U.S., before joining McMaster in July. "Things work differently as we make them smaller and because of that we need to understand how they work so we can exploit them fully." He is one of three new McMaster researchers to be appointed under the Canada Research Chairs program. The federal government committed $900 million to the Canada Research Chairs program in the 2000 budget to establish 2,000 research positions at Canadian universities. Today's announcement marks the halfway point in the program, which helps universities attract and retain the best researchers and achieve excellence in natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities.

October 23, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Wayne_taylor.jpg” caption=”Wayne Taylor”]Health policy expert Wayne Taylor, an associate professor in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, has been . . .

October 22, 2003

When long-term illness or loss of mobility due to age affects a family member, doctor appointments, treatment sessions and ongoing care become a part of daily life. As Canada's population continues to age, more Canadians are taking full or partial responsibility for the long-term care of parents and other relatives, and that makes it an issue more employees are facing at home. Debra Earl, employee health education nurse, has organized a four-part series with Hamilton Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) Caregiver Education Program co-ordinator Anne Vallentin, and "renegade volunteer" and former McMaster nurse educator Mary Buzzell, to help employees deal with the significant strain being a caregiver can place on life at home and work. "We're hoping these sessions will bring people together so they can share their experiences with each other and also learn about the health care services and resources that are available to make a caregiver's job easier," says Earl. The four-part series  offered on Thursdays over the lunch hour  is a customized version of an interactive eight-hour program offered by VON exclusively in Hamilton. The McMaster adaptation is a pared-down version of the program, tailored to focus on the needs expressed by about 40 McMaster employees who pre-registered for the sessions last month.

October 21, 2003

Being more active, eating healthier, and getting more quality sleep may sound like a common sense recipe for feeling better, but too often the stresses of daily life and work can cloud those good intentions. Now, an employee health and workplace wellness group spearheaded by Employee Work-Life Support Services has set out to encourage wellness and healthy lifestyles for McMaster's 5,000 employees. The Workplace Wellness Group includes representatives from various departments throughout the University. "We strive to provide a healthy and safe work environment," says Wanda McKenna, manager of Employee Work-Life Support Services. "There are a number of services available that we invite employees to take advantage of." McMaster and other large companies across Canada are putting more attention on employee wellness, on and off the job. Throughout the year the University offers regular sessions and workshops toward health promotion techniques ranging from healthy food choices to yoga. Emotional well-being is also addressed, with Employee Health Services offering workshops tackling issues such as caring for aging parents.

October 21, 2003

If you're a researcher working outside the United States, McMaster is the place to be, according to a leading science magazine. McMaster placed fifth in . . .

October 20, 2003

Two distinguished scientists are at McMaster this week to share their knowledge of the universe and lasers. Sir Martin Rees, one of the most distinguished astrophysicists of our time, will talk about Life in Our Universe and Others, today (Monday, Oct. 20) at 8 p.m. in Togo Salmon Hall, Room 120. His talk will examine such questions as: Is there life -- even intelligence -- beyond the Earth? How can we best look for it? What is life's long-term future, here on Earth and perhaps far beyond? Could there even be other big bangs? Rees is a professor of astronomy and cosmology at the University of Cambridge and Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom. From 1973 until 1991, he was the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge. He served for 10 years as director of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy and was president of the Royal Astronomical Society (1992-94). Nobel prize winner and renowned physicist Bill Phillips will give a talk on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 21 entitled Almost Absolute Zero: The Story of Laser Cooling and Trapping. The talk takes place at 7:30 p.m. in University Hall, Convocation Hall. Phillips' lecture is an updated version of the Nobel lecture he gave in Stockholm in 1997 when he shared the Nobel Prize for Physics "for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light." His talk is aimed at a general audience of non-scientists, but discusses some of the newest and most exciting developments in physics.

October 20, 2003

Beginning today, Human Resources and Financial Services will join in conducting a pre-contract study with DLGL to assess their integrated HRIS/payroll system. This study is the final stage in the selection process for a vendor to work with the University to implement a contemporary HRIS/payroll system. The intent of the project is to improve efficiency and effectiveness of process, maintain accurate and current employee information, ensure consistent application of business rules and policies, ensure data security and integrity and provide user-friendly self-service facilities for managers and employees. Recognizing the promise made in Refining Directions to creativity, innovation and excellence, senior administrators are committed to support and encourage this project. Karen Belaire, vice-president, administration says, "The University's mission embraces creativity, innovation and excellence. We must be able to access and use current, accurate Human Resource and payroll information to meet our strategic goals and be able to measure our success. This project can be seen as one more step in becoming the 'Employer of Choice'".

October 20, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Seiji-Ogawa_opt.jpg” caption=”Seiji Ogawa”]Seiji Ogawa, recognized for revolutionizing the field of functional magnetic resonance imaging, will present a lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 22 entitled . . .

October 20, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/MacShad1.jpeg” caption=”MacShad students”]”RainBowl,” a product developed by Shad Valley McMaster University students, won second best overall at the sixth annual RBC/Shad Entrepreneurship Cup . . .

October 18, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Pres-Birnie.jpg” caption=”Peter George, Susan Birnie “]More than 1,000 McMaster employees and family members gathered with their friends and colleagues at Les Prince Field . . .

October 17, 2003

During October, McMaster University, with Mohawk College and Hamilton's healthcare providers — Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare and St. Peter's — are celebrating the . . .

October 17, 2003

It's affectionately referred to as Vulcan, named after the god of fire and metalworking. Physics professor Bruce Gaulin said the name seemed to fit McMaster University's neutron beamline because many of the engineered materials the instrument will study come from the world of metal works. Gaulin and the McMaster community celebrated today a $15 million award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to build and locate the neutron beamline instrument at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The instrument will be one of 24 state-of-the-art research instruments housed at the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source, scheduled to open in Oak Ridge, Tenn. in 2006. The McMaster neutron beamline will be the only Canadian instrument at the scientific facility, which is headed up by McMaster physics alumnus Thom Mason.

October 17, 2003

This morning's news reports included a story that originated from the Washington Times linking interest in the McMaster nuclear reactor to alleged Al Qaeda connections . . .

October 16, 2003

McMaster's front entrance off Main Street will be getting a facelift next year when the City of Hamilton begins construction on the principal roadway that leads to campus. That clears the way for McMaster to begin planning a vision for the campus side of the entrance, working with stakeholders to ensure all issues are addressed. Over the next couple of weeks Karen Belaire, vice-president administration, will be organizing a steering committee of McMaster stakeholders including representatives from several faculties and departments, parking, planning, physical plant, as well as an external engineering traffic consultant. "The environmental assessment process has taken many months. As this process comes to an end the University will now begin to plan for the redesign. There are a number of factors to consider as we begin designing the front entrance," says Belaire. "The city has recently released a drawing of their plans for Main Street based on the environmental assessment, and now we'll work on our vision for our entrance way and access route. Addressing the needs and concerns of cyclists, pedestrians, public transit and emergency vehicles in this high traffic area will be challenging for the committee."

October 16, 2003

A lush, green campus and charming older buildings are some reasons why McMaster students like their school. McMaster ranked eighth in a recent university report . . .

October 15, 2003

McMaster professor emeritus Bertram Neville Brockhouse, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994, died Monday. He was 85. Brockhouse shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with American physicist Clifford G. Shull for their separate but concurrent development of neutron-scattering techniques. Bertram was a pioneer who made an incredible impact on the world of science, said McMaster President Peter George. He also had a passion for science that was an inspiration for many. One researcher he made an impact on was Bruce Gaulin, Brockhouse Chair in the Physics of Materials. I am literally where I am today because of the work he did, said Gaulin, who also wrote an article with Brockhouse for the Encyclopedia of Physics. Gaulin was impressed by Brockhouse's modesty for his work. To me, the most amazing thing about him was how modest he was and how he always was such a fine gentleman.

October 15, 2003

McMaster is hosting the 17th Japan Studies Association of Canada (JSAC) conference Oct 17-19. Sessions will be held in the DeGroote School of Business (mostly . . .

October 14, 2003

More than 500 students from southern Ontario high schools are at McMaster today (Wednesday) for the annual McMaster Engineering and Science Olympics and Open House. Students are participating in a friendly competition of events based on engineering and science principles. This year, a new remote event concept has been introduced along with the traditional on-campus competition. This remote activity involves students working on a chemistry problem in a lab at their home school with results submitted online. Through the open house program, students will have a chance to meet with university students, faculty and professional engineers as well as seeing the on-going daily activities at the university. A variety of displays, special presentations and tours will be featured. "McMaster Faculties of Engineering and Science, known for innovation and education, excellence in research and quality of student life, offer the Olympics as an innovative opportunity for students to actively participate in applying engineering and science principles through friendly competition and activities," said Bob Loree, director of Engineering 1. Awards will go to the top teams in each event. More than $20,000 in McMaster entrance awards are available to be won.