Daily News

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.

February 26, 2003

The Eves government announced today that it will invest $625 million over five years to expand and enhance current research and development programs and training funds to make them more accessible to the automotive sector. Of this, $500 million will be invested to enhance the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, which will support industry-based innovation activities that will accelerate the commercialization of next generation products. The remaining $125 million will be invested to enhance existing programs that support training in skills that are needed by the sector. The focus would be on creating the strategic skills necessary for building competitiveness, increasing the fit between Ontario's training institutions and advanced manufacturing needs and expanding opportunities to learn the new skills needed for the development and use of advanced manufacturing technologies. Read more

February 25, 2003

The first place McMaster Marauders men's basketball team garnered three honours from the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) 2002-03 OUA West Men's Basketball All-Stars, as voted on by the coaches. Coach Joe Raso was honoured as Coach of the Year for the second time in three years. Raso has led the Marauders back into the nation's top ten and, after a one-year absence, hopes to bring his team back to the CIS Final Eight tournament in Halifax. Fifth-year veteran Graham Hewitt received his second consecutive First Team All-Star selection, with second-year guard Rob Scully named to the Second Team. Marauder Adam Steiner made the all-rookie team. Click here to read more.

February 24, 2003

More than 150 McMaster employees and family members gathered in the Robinson Memorial Theatre Saturday (Feb. 22) to enjoy the McMaster Musical Theatre presentation of the rock opera Tommy. The event was organized by the McMaster Employee Spirit Society (M.E.S.S.!). The objective of the society is to promote McMaster team spirit through the organization of sporting and cultural events that encourage employees to have fun with their colleagues and families. This event was also promoted and co-sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs. Phil Wood, associate vice-president, Student Affairs, began the afternoon with opening remarks. The event featured complimentary tickets to the show, including a complimentary reception, draw prizes and a 50/50 draw. All of the proceeds from the 50/50 draw were donated to McMaster Musical Theatre. Mike Fazzari, husband of McMaster employee Kathy Fazzari and winner of the 50/50 draw, generously donated his share of the winnings back to McMaster Musical Theatre. The members of the M.E.S.S.! were thrilled with the participation and encouragement that they received. Pat Fraser, event co-chair said, "The employees have enjoyed all three of the M.E.S.S.! activities. They are so enthusiastic about the functions, even the planning and organizing is fun. The Tommy performance was very well received, and everyone enjoyed the afternoon". The event organizers of this M.E.S.S.! event include Pat Harris (chair), Kathy Kishimoto, David Tucker, Sue Birnie, Cam Playfair, Stacey Henderson, Pat Fraser (event co-chair), Terri Jones, Theresa Cooke, Alex Coldwell and Anthony Celani. M.E.S.S.! is always interested in enthusiastic volunteers to join the team. Interested volunteers can e-mail mess@mcmaster.ca or contact Anthony Celani, ext. 23554. Photo caption: Phil Wood, associate vice-president, Student Affairs, and M.E.S.S.! event co-chair Pat Fraser enjoy an afternoon at the theatre.

February 21, 2003

What do the deputy minister of finance, the inventor of the IMAX Camera and the editor-in-chief of Gardening Life magazine have in common? They are all honoured recipients of the McMaster Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award. Nominations for the award are now being accepted until March 31. Almost 15 years ago, the McMaster Alumni Association established the Distinguished Alumni Awards as the highest form of recognition offered by the Alumni Association to its members. Each year, two Distinguished Alumni Awards are awarded at the fall Convocation ceremonies to honour alumni who have established themselves as leaders in the arts, comprising humanities, performing and fine arts, social sciences and business; and the sciences, comprising science, engineering and health sciences. The nominees will have distinguished themselves through outstanding scholarship, research or creative contributions to the arts and sciences. To submit a nomination go to http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/nominationform.htm. Or contact the Alumni Office at ext. 23900 or email alumni@mcmaster.ca. McMaster prides itself on its reputation as a university dedicated to innovative programs and interdisciplinary studies. The recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards have also distinguished themselves as leaders in their chosen fields and are living examples of McMaster's core values. There are 27 recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award, ranging from professional artists to historians, policy makers to human rights acitivists, innovative researchers to health care professionals. More than half of the Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are also members of McMaster Alumni Gallery. To view a list of past recipients go to www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/daa.htm or check out the Alumni Gallery at www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/gallery.htm. Last year, deputy minister of finance, Kevin Lynch '80, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for the arts for his contribution to Canadian finance, and Martin Green '74 travelled from Australia to receive the science award for his research leading to innovations in solar cell technology.

February 21, 2003

Hamilton residents have the opportunity to put graduating doctors on the right path to developing excellent relationships with their future patients. One hundred and twenty people who have had a good relationship with a medical doctor are being invited to talk one-to-one about their experience with a third-year medical student. The sessions, organized in partnership with the City of Hamilton, will be held at city hall and at the West End Clinic during Patient Week starting April 28. Associate professor, family medicine, Cathy Risdon, said the first-person stories about memorable encounters, and the positive difference it made for the patient, are important for the students to hear. "Stories are a powerful tool for teaching. Patients have invaluable expertise in defining excellent medical care, and they can have a true impact on the students' perspective on their future." One prospective storyteller says, "When my daughter was first in the hospital, with isolation signs posted, you can imagine how upset we were. The very first night of our stay in walks our family doc, at the time fully outfitted in 'isolation' regalia. The smile on Sarah's face and the feelings of reassurance that we all felt from this first visit and the subsequent ones was overwhelming." "We went from feeling lost and isolated among strangers, in a strange and frightening situation, to actually feeling somewhat special and cared for on more than just a physical level."

February 21, 2003

People making outstanding achievements that bring fame to the Faculty of Health Sciences and University, will soon find themselves framed and hung. That is, their portraits will be added to the new Community of Distinction being formed along a wall of the Health Sciences Centre. The pictorial history will feature pictures and stories of alumni, faculty and staff who have brought distinction and recognition to McMaster University and the Faculty of Health Sciences through outstanding scholarship and innovative research. The 120-foot gallery will be along the west wall on the second floor, between the School of Nursing offices and the Ewart Angus Centre. To the left will be a three-dimensional graphic of a tree. The individual pictures and biographies of individuals will be set around another three-dimensional graphic of the HSC building and the gallery's sign. To the right will be more individual honours, plus recognition of the Faculty's partners in education and research, Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and St. Peter's Hospital. "We're a relatively young Faculty, but we have a clear history of excellence and innovation," said John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty. "It's important we recognize the individuals and groups who have put us on the map."

February 20, 2003

McMaster's Sarah Sterling is the Most Valuable Player in Ontario West following a sensational sophomore season in which she averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds. The selection highlighted a big day for hoops at McMaster. The men's team, already guaranteed home-court advantage in the playoffs due to finishing in first place, battled to a comeback 83-73 victory against Waterloo. Meanwhile, the women's squad dominated the individual awards with Katie Coulson named top defender and Susanne Burr picked as the exemplary student-athlete. Sterling, Coulson and Westdale grad Christen Dickenson were named to the all-star team. "For a second-year athlete to be so consistent and to make such an impact is amazing," said head coach Theresa Burns in evaluating Sterling's contribution. Click here to read more.

February 19, 2003

A professor of McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences is the lead investigator for the $20 million Canadian portion of a major study of adults with Type 2 diabetes. Hertzel Gerstein, professor of medicine, and head of endocrinology at Hamilton Health Sciences, will lead 11 Canadian university, hospital and community-based clinics participating in the international study, to test three promising approaches to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke in adults with Type 2 diabetes. He will be working in collaboration with Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine, and Sarah Capes, assistant professor of medicine, at McMaster University. The ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) study is funded by two American medical institutes, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which are both part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. There are a total of 70 sites in the U.S. and Canada; participants in Hamilton are being followed through the McMaster hospital site of Hamilton Health Sciences.

February 18, 2003

A new Functional Genomics Centre that will bring together some of McMaster's leading-edge researchers in the area of human disease, specifically cancer, received Senate approval last week. "Genomics research is substantially altering our understanding of normal physiological processes and the molecular basis of disease," says biochemistry professor and one of the centre's core faculty members John Hassell, in a report to Senate. "The greatest impact of genomics thus far has come from knowledge of the sequence of the genomes of experimental organisms." The centre is part of the restructuring of the Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MOBIX). MOBIX, established in the mid-80s, focuses McMaster's research efforts in the emerging area of molecular biology and biotechnology. The centre's core faculty includes: John Hassell; Juliet Daniel, biology; Suleiman Igdoura, biology; Yingfu Li, biochemistry; Bernardo Trigatti, biochemistry; Peter Whyte, pathology and molecular medicine. Other professors associated with the centre include Damu Tang, medicine, and Joe Macri, pathology and molecular medicine. The proposal will go to the Board of Governors for final approval.

February 18, 2003

McMaster University welcomes the federal government's commitment to boost research funding and support the development of tomorrow's innovative researchers with more graduate scholarship initiatives. University President Peter George said the budget recognizes the importance of making investments in learning and discovery. The government's focus on students and researchers will have significant payback for McMaster, one of Canada's top three research-intensive universities, and Canada, he noted. "I'm especially pleased that the government has sent an important signal that increasing the number of graduate students is a vital component to our long-term success," President George said. "Graduate students are key to developing tomorrow's researchers and the highly skilled personnel Canada needs to be competitive in a global economy. The federal government has shown leadership in supporting university-based research that will benefit all Canadians." Mamdouh Shoukri, McMaster's vice-president research & international affairs, said he was encouraged to see the government has committed itself to implementing its Innovation Strategy with support for indirect costs of research and more money for federal granting councils. The federal budget, unveiled in Ottawa Tuesday, calls for: A permanent contribution for indirect research costs An increase of $125 million per year for the federal granting councils Establishment of the Canada Graduate Scholarships to support 2,000 new master's and 2,000 new doctoral students each year Increased support for the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Genome Canada "McMaster is especially pleased to see the commitment to the National Research Council, for its support of the Atacama Large Millimetre Array astronomy project, which McMaster is involved in, and the development of the regional innovation centres," Shoukri said. "This is an opportunity to continue our work with our industry partners, other institutions and governments on initiatives in biotechnology and in materials and manufacturing."

February 17, 2003

Finding a parking spot and getting a coffee in the morning may be a little easier this week. This is reading week at McMaster, and many students have either gone south, gone home or are hitting the books to catch up on assignments or reading. No classes are scheduled Feb. 17-21, although all University facilities are open. Classes and labs resume Feb. 24. Hospitality Services is reducing its hours of operations. Click here for a full schedule of reading week hours.

February 17, 2003

McMaster's strategic planning process continues to move forward with the submission last week of reports from six working groups to the steering committee overseeing the process. Called "Refining Directions," the planning exercise was begun in the fall and is intended to further refine the University's strategic plan ("Directions") introduced seven years ago. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Refining Directions Steering Committee, chaired by University provost Ken Norrie, received reports from six working groups on aspects of University activities. The groups, each consisting of anywhere from 10 to 15 people from various areas of campus, have been meeting since last fall to study six main areas: research and graduate education, undergraduate education, external activities, internal community, planning and managing, and branding. To view the complete list of work group members, click here . "I'm delighted with the work group reports and with the excellent themes and topics that are being discussed and addressed," says Norrie. "This planning exercise is extremely important for the future of McMaster. The work of these six groups will help to inform all of us at McMaster as we begin our planning for the years beyond the double cohort. We know that this is a busy time for everyone and so we are especially grateful for the efforts made by each member of the six Work Groups to this planning process. Your commitment and service to McMaster is greatly appreciated," says University President Peter George. Themes and recommendations contained in the groups' reports will be synthesized by the steering committee and incorporated into a draft planning report.

February 14, 2003

Are birds turned on by blue movies? Apparently so. New research by McMaster University PhD student Alex Ophir shows that female quails that initially weren't interested in a particular male quail have their interest piqued by watching a short video of that quail frolic with another female. "We found that she's spending more time with the male who she didn't initially show interest in," said Ophir, who is in the final stages of his psychology studies. "She recognizes the bird who starred in the blue movie and now she's attracted to him. "She can tell whether the male she sees in real life was the male she saw in the video," said Ophir, whose research focuses on mate choice and sex behaviour. "What we've found is that watching the video will increase her preference for the copulating male. She can distinguish between the quail male Tom Cruise and the quail male Mel Gibson."

February 13, 2003

What could be more precious than a gift of time? That's what a group of fifth-year mechanical engineering students propose to leave as their legacy to McMaster students: time, that is, in the form of a decorative clock that will be placed in a prominent position above the doorframe of the north entrance to the McMaster University Student Centre. The clock is being designed and constructed by students Patrick Burton, Braden Kurczak, Michael Paddags and Peter Whitred, as a thesis project under the supervision of Tim Nye, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. A unique design, the timepiece is in a double ring shape that encircles a shield emblazoned with the McMaster coat of arms. The upper ring will indicate the hours and the bottom ring, the minutes. Large six-inch numerals will be legible from afar and will make telling the time easy for even the most myopic. The aesthetics of the design have been carefully thought out: all mechanical drives and power transmission systems will be hidden behind the shield which will appear to be floating in the centre of the ring.

February 13, 2003

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching, which are designed to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and learning at McMaster University. The awards demonstrate the value McMaster attaches to its educational function and recognize those who, through innovation and commitment, have significantly enhanced the quality of learning by McMaster students. All full-time and part-time faculty (including those on contract) are eligible. The President's Award for Course or Resources Design. This award recognizes the contribution of an individual, or of a group, to education through innovation and achievement in the design of a course or program of studies, or in the design of educational materials. The President's Award for Instruction. This award recognizes the contribution of an individual to education through innovation, achievement or continuing excellence in classroom or personal instruction. The President's Award for Educational Leadership. This award recognizes the contributions of an individual that more generally promotes excellence in teaching and learning. The contributions in question may not influence any single course or program directly but have effects well beyond the nominee's own department. The Award Each of the awards consists of: A citation of excellence and memento to be presented at the Spring Convocation; An honorarium in the amount of $5,000; An inscription of the recipient's name on McMaster's Wall of Recognition. Nomination Procedure Nomination forms are available in all departmental offices, from the Centre for Leadership in Learning, and can be downloaded from the following url: http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll. Nominations should be submitted by March 7, 2003 to: Dr. J.A. Johnson Chair of the Selection Committee The President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching c/o The Office of the President Gilmour Hall, Room 238 For more information or assistance in preparing a nomination, contact the Centre for Leadership in Learning, General Sciences Building, Room 217, ext. 24540.

February 13, 2003

Nominations are now being accepted for the President's Award of Excellence - Student Leadership. Nomination forms are available from the Office of the Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs), Gilmour Hall, Room 207. The nomination deadline is Friday, Feb. 14. The President's Award of Excellence was established in 1993 to recognize in-course students in their graduating year who have demonstrated a commitment to the University's belief in excellence in its student body. The selection committee may present up to three awards annually. Each award will be a President's Student Medal of Excellence and the recipient will have his/her name inscribed on a commemorative plaque displayed permanently in the McMaster University Student Centre. This award acknowledges the contributions made by students who play a significant role in improving and developing the intellectual, social, cultural and/or athletic fabric of the McMaster community.

February 12, 2003

More than 30 years ago, the McMaster Students Union identified the importance of getting involved in providing accessible, affordable, quality child care for McMaster students, staff and the surrounding community. As a result, it established a daycare for the University community, now known as the MSU Child Care Centre. On Saturday, Feb. 15, the daycare celebrates its 30th anniversary with a fundraising silent auction and dance. The event takes place at Quarters restaurant in the McMaster University Student Centre. Tickets are $25 per person and include h'ors d'oeuvres, a late night buffet and a DJ. Proceeds will go towards the purchase of an air conditioner. For tickets or to support the centre through a silent auction prize donation, call Debbie Thomson at 905-526-1544. Originally located at St. Cuthbert's Presbyterian Church on Bond Street North, the daycare soon outgrew that space and set up shop five years later at MacNeill Baptist Church at 1145 King Street West. Today, the program services 55 families with children ranging in age from 18 months to 6 years. The Centre is based on a not-for-profit model and all fees are directed back into supporting the objectives of the centre. The MSU and support from various levels of government provide additional funding. Caring, qualified early childcare educators develop, design and deliver fun and educational programming. An on-site cook prepares healthy snacks and meals for the children. Several students and community members provide additional support through co-op placements and by volunteering with the centre.