Daily News

October 1, 2002

The Speech from the Throne officially opened the new session of Parliament yesterday. The Speech sets out the broad goals and directions of the government and its strategy to accomplish those goals. The following are sections from the Speech on Skills, Learning and Research: "The fuel of the new economy is knowledge. The government has invested heavily in providing Canada's schools and libraries with the information technology to connect young Canadians with the best information and knowledge the world has to offer. It has invested in access to universities and in excellence in university research because Canada's youth need and deserve the best education possible, and Canada needs universities that produce the best knowledge and the best graduates. The government will build on these investments. It will continue to increase its funding to the federal granting councils to provide young Canadians greater support for graduate studies and research. It will work with universities on the indirect costs of research and on strategies for its commercialization to create opportunities for entrepreneurs and to fuel innovation. It will strengthen government science, integrating its efforts across departments and disciplines, and focussing on the priorities of Canadians. In November, the Government of Canada will host the National Summit on Innovation and Learning. This will be an opportunity to position Canada as a world leader in such areas as health sciences, biotechnology and clean energy. The government will work with its partners to break down the barriers to the recognition of foreign credentials and will fast-track skilled workers entering Canada with jobs already waiting for them. It will also position Canada as a destination of choice for talented foreign students and skilled workers by more aggressively selecting and recruiting through universities and in key embassies abroad. It has invested in access to universities and in excellence in university research because Canada's youth need and deserve the best education possible, and Canada needs universities that produce the best knowledge and the best graduates."

October 1, 2002

McMaster University will be lending two documents from the Bertrand Russell Archives for a major exhibition on Einstein to be staged at four museums in the United States and one museum in Israel over the next three years. The exhibit is titled Einstein: Changing World. Carl Spadoni, research collections librarian, Mills Memorial Library, says that the Library will be providing the April 11, 1955 letter from Einstein to Russell which, in fact, is Einstein's last letter. The letter was written a week before Einstein died, and in it he agrees to sign a statement about the threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons. The statement is known today as the "Russell-Einstein Manifesto." The second document is a mimeographed press release, containing the statement, which is signed by Einstein, Russell, and six other scientists, several of whom were Nobel Prize winners.

September 30, 2002

Recipients of the 2001-02 Karl Freeman Prize in Biochemistry for top graduate seminars were announced Monday. The recipients, pictured from left, with Karl Freeman in centre, are: fourth-year PhD candidate Iain Mainprize (first prize PhD), first-year PhD candidate Tracey Campbell (second prize MSc), fourth-year PhD candidate Kari Draker (second prize PhD) and second-year MSc candidate Joe McCann (second prize MSc). McCann will transfer to PhD in January. The prizes are awarded to biochemistry students deemed to have presented the most outstanding graduate seminars during the 2001-02 graduate seminar series. The Karl Freeman Prizes in Biochemistry Graduate Seminars were established in 2001 by Karl Freeman, chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1973 to 1979 and also acting chair for six months during 1982. This is the first time the prizes have been presented. Freeman is now professor emeritus but continues to have an active interest in the Department and takes courses at McMaster. Tracey Campbell was also awarded the 2002/03 Thomas Neilson Scholarship. This is awarded each year to the biochemistry graduate student deemed to show the greatest potential as an independent scientist at the time of transfer to the PhD program. This award was established in memory of Thomas Neilson by his family, friends and colleagues as a token of their appreciation and respect. Neilson joined the Department of Biochemistry in its early years and contributed strongly to its chemical expertise.

September 30, 2002

While it has been open for months, the cutting of a red ribbon made it official. Alumni, faculty, staff and students converged in the curved, glassed-in Marketplace of the new McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) Saturday for a grand opening celebration. Taking part in the official opening, from left are, Walter Pohl, McMaster Association of Part-Time Students president; Evan Mackintosh, McMaster Students Union president; Ian Cowan, Alumni Association president; Peter George, McMaster President; and Gary DeGroote.

September 27, 2002

This Homecoming weekend, McMaster alumni will return to a very different campus. One major change is the addition of the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC). The long-awaited heart of campus will be home to two days of celebrations to thank students and donors, past and present, for their contributions to the project. The MUSC and the McMaster Students Union (MSU) will be hosting a number of events on Friday. The MSU is sponsoring hourly draws starting at noon for students who pick up a special passport for the day. Once the passport is stamped at five MSU services, it can be entered into the draws. Services located in the MUSC and the newly renovated space in Gilmour Hall will be holding open houses. Students and staff are encouraged to visit and see what services are available.

September 27, 2002

A fourth-year student in the School of Business is being lauded for recovering a visiting consultant's computer this week. In this story, Bob Hodgson, director . . .

September 27, 2002

The McMaster community had a glimpse into the future of the Health Sciences Centre Expansion Thursday. Pictured from left, David Clusiau, principal architectural designer of Norr Limited, Tony Cupido, director of Physical Plant at McMaster and Niky Melichar, administrator in the Office of the Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences, display a rendering of an addition to the facility. Details, construction timelines and the approved design of the expansion of the facility were presented. The building will be located in the area between Wentworth House and the McMaster University Medical Centre. The multi-storey building will be approximately 300,000-sq. ft. and will house lecture halls, classrooms, hospital facilities, the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Health and incubator space. The project -- the largest in 30 years on campus -- is tentatively scheduled to commence Oct. 15, 2002 and will be completed in the summer of 2004. Site preparation has already begun.

September 26, 2002

McMaster Tiger-Cats fans are being offered a touchdown deal on the final three games of the season. Two-for-one tickets are being made available to faculty, staff, students and alumni for games on Sunday, Sept. 29 vs. the Edmonton Eskimos; Monday, Oct. 14 vs. the Toronto Argonauts; and Sunday, Oct. 27 vs. the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. All three games begin at 1 p.m. Tickets are two for $40 and can be purchased at the Roarrr Store in Jackson Square or Centre Mall, the Ivor Wynne Stadium Box Office and at the concession of Les Prince Field at Saturday's Homecoming football game. You must present your McMaster identification card. "McMaster's partnership with the Tiger-Cats is an effort to get people excited about Tiger-Cats football," says Roger Trull, vice-president, University Advancement. "We're trying to get faculty, staff, students and alumni to consider going to games. In return, the Tiger-Cats are going to offer this attractive ticket package for McMaster's people and will donate five per cent of the proceeds from the tickets to student groups on campus." Supporting the Tiger-Cats ultimately benefits the University, Trull adds. "We think it is important that the Tiger-Cats thrive in the city because what it good for the city is good for McMaster and what reflects positively on the city, reflects positively on McMaster," he says. Tiger-Cats chairman and co-owner David MacDonald appreciates McMaster's support. "We know that McMaster has always been a strong football University and Tiger-Cats supporter," he says, "and we are happy to offer them this special deal on our last three games before the playoffs."

September 26, 2002

More than 60,000 prospective students will probe McMaster this weekend. These students  many of the double cohort  will explore what McMaster and 19 other Ontario universities have to offer at the sixth annual Ontario Universities' Fair at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. "For some students, this is probably the only chance they have to see all Ontario universities in one location at one time," says Bonnie Crocker, student liaison officer in McMaster's Office of the Registrar. "Hopefully the fair will interest students enough to come visit McMaster because our campus is a great selling feature." Representatives from across McMaster will attend the fair, including individuals from first-year programs, Department of Athletics and Recreation, Housing and Conference Services, The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, Admissions and Student Liaison. "Over the three days we will have 183 McMaster faculty and staff representing 17 McMaster faculties and departments," says Crocker. "One of the unique things about our booth is that we have representatives from all of our programs and services there to speak to students and this will allow us to have one-on-one contact with them."

September 25, 2002

Three suspects are in custody today after McMaster security officers observed them breaking into vehicles on campus Tuesday, Sept. 24. At approximately 1 p.m., a McMaster shuttle bus driver witnessed someone suspicious entering vehicles and informed McMaster Security. Officers monitored their security cameras and observed three individuals breaking into vehicles. The officers responded in their cruisers. According to sergeant Margaret McKittrick of the Hamilton Police, the suspects, who were operating a stolen auto, attempted to exit the parking lot but were blocked in by McMaster security cruisers. "The suspects rammed the roadblock and subsequently collided with a third McMaster vehicle (a McMaster Physical Plant van) where they were eventually stopped. All three suspects were apprehended. Hamilton Police cruisers responded to assist and take control of the suspects." The suspects were transported to St. Joseph's Hospital and the Hamilton General with minor injuries and released. The vehicles were towed and secured. As the vehicles contained stolen equipment, the Hamilton Police Break and Enter Auto Recovery Unit was advised and will continue an investigation. Hamilton Police suspect the arrested persons may have been responsible for numerous other thefts from autos in the area. Facing charges of dangerous driving, theft and possession under $5,000 and criminal negligence causing bodily harm are Michael Hall, 19, Trevor Marquard, 20, and a 16-year-old Hamilton female. "The entire community came together to make this arrest," says McMaster's sergeant of crime prevention Cathy O'Donnell, noting Parking and Transit Services helped redirect traffic. "It really was a combined effort."

September 25, 2002

McMaster's Web site has a new look and feel. Check it out. After months of talking to user groups, developing navigation structures, testing proofs and confirming design features, a revamped mcmaster.ca goes live Wednesday, Sept. 25. The redesign was implemented to enhance McMaster's Web site and give it a consistent look and feel, in an effort to improve the user's experience. The University's Web project includes the development of templates and a style guide to be used by all departments and faculties. This will ensure the University has a unified look and consistent navigation structure. The design provides a fresh new look with snapshots of current information and an improved navigation system to help users find what they're looking for easily and quickly.

September 25, 2002

The tenth annual Ghandi Peace Festival and Peace Walk, hosted by McMaster's Centre for Peace Studies and the India Canada Society, takes place Saturday, Sept. 28 at Hamilton City Hall. The festival opens at 10 a.m. and activities commence at 11 a.m. The festival, which celebrates the birthday and philosophies of Mahatma Ghandi begins at 11 a.m. with an opening address by Mayor Bob Wade followed by a keynote address from Joy Warner, past national chair of Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. At noon, there will be a peace walk followed by food and music. Festival participants and interested onlookers are invited to participate, march through the city and bring signs and banners to display and voice their messages of peace and non-violence. "The purpose of the Gandhi Peace Festival is to promote nonviolence, peace and justice," says Rama Singh, professor of biology at McMaster. He also hopes it provides an avenue for various peace and human rights organizations within the local community to become collectively visible, and exchange dialogues and resources, and build on local interest and dialogue in peace and human right issues that develop around the world. "We are encouraged by the growing interest in the Gandhi Peace Festival," he says. In an effort to involve more people in the festival, they created the McMasterPeaceFest, an annual event that consists of a number of peace related events on campus. They have also initiated a high school peace essay competition. The winners of this competition will be recognized at the Sept. 28 festival. They also have increased the content of the peace booklet and made it a more relevant and resourceful book for high school students, says Singh. "I know of no city of the size of Hamilton which has more peace and human rights organizations than we have," says Singh. "I am excited about the involvement of high school students as well as those from McMaster to make it a great peace walk." The Gandhi Peace Festival is twinned with the Annual Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence, sponsored by McMaster's Centre for Peace Studies. This year's speaker will be the imminent Elder of Australian Aboriginal People, professor Lowitja O'Donoghue, Flinders University, South Australia. She will speak on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the McMaster University Medical Centre, Room HSC 1A1. Pictures and posters from the Vaishali Sabha Conference on Peace, Nonviolence and Democracy that took place last February in India will be on display at the University Centre Marketplace Thursday, Sept. 26 until 8 p.m. The Vaishali Sabha was co-sponsored by the Centre for Peace Studies.

September 24, 2002

As another summer came to an end, so did another busy season for Conference Services. Wendy Read, conference co-ordinator, Housing and Conference Services, cites events held by the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC), the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), and the Olympic Academy of Canada (OAC) as the highlights of a very positive summer for McMaster University. The SSC annual meeting and the STLHE conference, each of which hosted approximately 400 delegates, were very large events. States Read, "This year was bigger than last year. There were a large number of departmental events."

September 24, 2002

McMaster University is taking a lead position on an innovation policy on behalf of 50 business schools in Canada. McMaster is one of only two schools chosen -- University of Ottawa is the other -- to provide business-school input to the federal government. The university hosted a federal summit on innovation last Tuesday. McMaster hopes to submit its paper to other business schools, with the final version to go to Ottawa before a national conference on innovation, likely in November in Toronto. Ottawa is pushing cutting-edge innovation and knowledge-enterprise in research schools and Canadian companies. Without new products and services, Ottawa is saying, Canada will slip in its standard of living among the great economies of the world. What McMaster is telling Ottawa is that it must give equal weight to how companies take innovations to market. In general, innovation relates to new products, new services or new technologies that have gone to market and been adopted into commercial use. "Eighty per cent of good inventions fail because somebody has not bothered to look at this from the invention-to-market stage," says business dean Vishwanath Baba. He is chair of the Ontario Council of Business School Deans, representing 17 schools in the province. (The Hamilton Spectator, Sept. 24, 2002)

September 24, 2002

McMaster faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to attend an open house for information on the building expansion to the Faculty of Health Sciences. After considerable planning, construction of the multi-use facility is about to begin. The expansion is the largest building project on campus in the past 30 years and will provide significant new classroom, research and hospital space. However, the construction itself will create some challenges. "We have tried to anticipate and mitigate the impact the construction will have on campus and the community," says Karen Belaire, vice-president (administration). "Input received at the open house will help to ensure that we have considered all the issues that may arise during this phase of the project." Details of the project, including the construction timelines and the approved design, will be displayed. As well, the architect, project manager and University officials will be available to answer questions. The open house will take place Thursday, Sept. 26 in Divinity College, Room 136 from 4 to 7 p.m.

September 23, 2002

The McMaster Museum of Art presents the work of Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904), an English-born, American-based photographer and inventor, also known as the "Father of the Motion Picture." After more than a century, the significance of his photographic studies of motion and their relevance to the world of art and science remain undiminished. A pioneer in the field of photography in the 1860s, it was Muybridge's revolutionary photographs of animals in motion that first won him international recognition. In 1872, he was hired by Leland Stanford, the former Governor of California, to settle an argument about whether a trotting horse ever had all four feet off the ground at any one point in time. The widely published results and resulting controversy fueled Muybridge's research. With the support of the University of Pennsylvania, he was able to develop elaborate photographic systems including electromagnetic tripping devices, dry plates which would produce higher definition images, a motor clock that would allow him to take different views at the same time and his own invention, the zoopraxiscope, a lantern which allowed him to project images in rapid succession. Over three years, Muybridge took more than 20,000 photographs of men, women, children, animals and birds. Of these images, 781 were published in the 1887 series Animal Locomotion. Thanks to a generous donation by Jack Greenwald, a selection of this series is now part of the McMaster University collection. The McMaster Museum of Art is located on the campus of McMaster University at the corner of Sterling Street and University Avenue. Admission to the Museum and this special presentation is pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $2. Students, seniors and members are free. Museum Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11-6; Thursday evening 7-9; Sunday 12-5 Phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 23081. Fax: 905-527-4548. E-mail: museum@mcmaster.ca

September 23, 2002

McMaster's University Student Centre offers more than your morning coffee. It is also a place to get prescriptions filled, photos taken and travel advice. Three new student-focused stores are located on the main floor of the MUSC, north of the food court. The University Pharmacy, also located at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Windsor, is open for business. The pharmacy fills prescriptions and sells typical drug store items, says Lori Diamond, MUSC administrative director. Jostens Photography, which offers studio photography, class rings, and graduation products, also opened recently. Travel CUTS opens today, Sept. 23. The Canadian University Travel Service (CUTS), is owned and operated by the Canadian Federation of Students. Travel CUTS work closely with tourist boards, airlines and land product companies to offer affordable travel to students. "For students, staff and faculty, it is great to have all of these clients available right on campus," says Diamond, "but it is also a revenue stream for the student centre."

September 20, 2002

McMaster was a much smaller place when Joe Laposa first walked onto campus in 1967. Over the 35 years that followed, not only did campus grow, but so did his affection for the University. "It is the people at McMaster that I miss the most," said Laposa, who retired from McMaster's chemistry department this past July. On Wednesday, President Peter George formally thanked him and several other McMaster retirees for their contributions to the University. "This is my opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate your work over the years and your commitment to our University," George said. "It is also an opportunity for you to take a moment and reflect on your accomplishments. This is not a time for modesty. Your contributions have helped to build a great University." Approximately 120 staff and faculty who retired from McMaster between January 2001 and July 2001 were honoured for their years of service. The annual reception was held in Faculty Hall. "This is a proud legacy," said George, "and it is one that each and every one of you helped to create."

September 20, 2002

McMaster's 2002 Community Campaign got off to a great start Wednesday at the annual faculty, staff, and retiree kick-off event. The country and western themed barbeque took place under sunny skies on the Frank C. Miller terrace of the McMaster University Student Centre. The terrace was transformed into a country and western paradise, complete with bales of hay, barrels of apples, and red and white gingham. More than 150 guests, including 20 retirees, attended the event. Faculty, staff, and retirees were treated to a barbeque lunch while Patsy Cline tunes played in the background. Evan Mackintosh, McMaster Students Union president, and Peter George, President and Vice-Chancellor, explained the vital importance of support from the faculty, staff and retirees to the past, present and future success of McMaster University. The Community Campaign, which begins each fall, aims to raise awareness and participation among faculty, staff and retirees and to encourage the McMaster community to support the University's fundraising goals. Photo captions: Top: Faculty, staff and retirees enjoy lunch on the Frank C. Miller terrace while Peter George, President and Vice-Chancellor, explains the importance of their support. Below: Rod Morrison, director, Alumni Advancement, left, and George draw a name for one of the door prizes. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay

September 19, 2002

Leave the car at home Friday and hop on the bus for free. McMaster is celebrating World Car Free Day tomorrow by providing free Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) tickets for staff and faculty for travel to and from McMaster's main campus and downtown location. Tickets can be picked up at the information desk in the McMaster University Student Centre, or from the front desk (the Security Guard) at the downtown centre. The promotion will include a draw for Tim Horton's coupons. A car will be parked in front of the McMaster Museum of Art on Friday for faculty, staff and students to decorate and paint. "People are invited to leave a mark on a car instead of the car leaving a mark on the earth," says Daryl Bender, co-ordinator in McMaster's Alternative Commuting & Transportation Office. Bottles of water will also be handed out at campus entrances for those entering campus by means other then a motor vehicle. Bender encourages everyone to leave the car at home, not just on World Car Free Day, but every day. "The more people embrace the idea of leaving their car at home, the more we can avoid turning our green space into parking lots."