Daily News

July 3, 2002

Crime prevention is on Cathy O'Donnell's radar screen. McMaster's new sergeant of crime prevention, located in the new student centre, has a proactive approach to campus policing. "It is better to prevent crime than it is to respond to crime or investigate crime after the fact," she says. With a focus on crime prevention and community relations, O'Donnell will provide a number of services in her new role, including offering educational programs, seminars and safety audits. She will also be available to provide a general overview of safety on campus and will liaise with the SWHAT (Student Walk Home Assistance Team) and the EFRT(Emergency First Response Team). "We want to bring about an increased profile about being proactive on campus," says Ron Thorn, director of security. "In preventing crime, we're trying to raise our crime prevention profile on campus. The availability of the office at the student centre also meant that we could have a closer association and communication with students. "My hope is that Cathy will have the opportunity to talk to people at all different kinds of levels to get the message out there that we are trying to enhance the personal safety of people on campus," he says.

July 2, 2002

Mary Keyes' legacy to McMaster is being recognized with the decision to name the new residence after her. The Board of Governors has approved a recommendation from the Campus Names Committee and University President Peter George to name the new facility the Mary Keyes Residence. Keyes dedicated 38 years of service to the University, beginning her career her as an associate professor of kinesiology. She was head of student affairs at McMaster for ten years before her death in February. During this period she worked tirelessly to ensure students' interests and concerns were foremost. She was known for her open door policy and accessibility to students. "Given the depth of this legacy and enormity of Dr. Keyes' contribution to student life at McMaster, I believe it is only fitting that the new student residence be named to honour her memory," wrote vice-president University Advancement Roger Trull in a letter to the committee. The distinction honours Keyes' vision, kindness and generous spirit. END OF STORY

June 28, 2002

McMaster's antivirus software site license is changing from Command to Sophos. License terms permit all employees to use Sophos Anti-Virus software on their home and . . .

June 26, 2002

The transformation from abandoned bingo hall to modern medical facility is complete. McMaster Family Practice, one of three community family practice sites affiliated with the Department of Family Medicine, recently completed its relocation from the McMaster University Medical Centre to the newly renovated West End Clinic at 690 Main Street West. Culminating a year of planning and preparation, the new offices were quietly opened for the first patients on May 21. Official opening ceremonies took place today, with Hamilton mayor Bob Wade, Hamilton Health Sciences chief executive officer Murray Martin, and Hamilton Health Sciences board chair Marvin Ryder in attendance.

June 26, 2002

Three new Canada Research Chairs (CRC) have been awarded to McMaster University, bringing the University's total number of chairs to 33. McMaster will receive $4.2 million from the CRC program over the next seven years to support the work of world-class researchers Paul Higgs(physics) Manel Jordana(medicine), and Tamas Terlaky (industrial engineering). Jordana, who will hold the Canada Research Chair in Immune Biology of Respiratory Disease and Allergy, is a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster. Terlaky, a professor in computing & software engineering, will be Canada Research Chair in Optimization. Higgs, from the University of Manchester in the UK, recently accepted a tenured position in McMaster's Department of Physics & Astronomy. He will hold the title Canada Research Chair in Biophysics.

June 25, 2002

Four McMaster researchers are recipients in the first round of research grants under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's (SSHRC) Initiative on the New Economy (INE). The work of McMaster researchers Stephen Jones, Tony Porter, Mohamed Shehata and Khalid Nainar explores the impact of the new economy on business and society and how it permeates the everyday lives of Canadians. The researchers received more than $250,000 from the new fund.

June 25, 2002

Board approves capital financing plan to address construction boom Board approved a capital financing strategy to cover a shortfall of $120 million in designated funding. . . .

June 25, 2002

McMaster's nuclear reactor has been issued a Class IA Non-Power Reactor License by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The license was issued following recent . . .

June 24, 2002

Fifty-two outstanding high school students from across Canada will descend upon McMaster Sunday, June 30 for the international Shad Valley Program. The program allows senior high school students, who have demonstrated excellence in academics, recreation, leadership and community involvement, to expand their minds in engineering, science, technology and entrepreneurship at the university level. Established in 1982, the Shad Valley Program combines an academic and recreational portion, that takes place at a host university in July. A work term takes place in August, for about 60 per cent of its participants. McMaster has served as one of the host universities for the Shad Valley Program for the past four years. The event is organized through the central headquarters -- Shad International, located in Waterloo. This year, approximately 860 students competed for 474 spots available at eight campuses in Canada and one in England. Shad Valley's primary goal is motivational -- to give participants an appreciation of their true potential and to encourage them to strive for the highest levels of achievement. A typical day at MacShad commences at 8:30 a.m. with a university-style lecture and an intensive academic workshop followed by an afternoon of academic sessions and a recreational activity. Events feature guest speakers from the community, opportunities for artistic expression, and time to work on collaborative team business projects. The students will design, build, market, and present a product or service to a panel of judges before they leave McMaster. In October, the winning team from each campus will compete against other Shad Valley campuses at the RBC Shad Entrepreneurship Competition in Toronto. On Saturday, July 13, MacShad will host a Mini-Shad Day for local high school students. This will provide an opportunity for prospective Shads and parents to learn more about the Shad Valley program and McMaster University. The event will feature a lecture, a team-building activity, workshops and guest speakers simulating a typical day at Shad. For more information about the McMaster Shad Valley Program or to register a student for Mini-Shad Day, contact Susan Cheng, program co-manager, McMaster Shad Valley at 905-525-9140 ext. 26948 or e-mail macshad@mcmaster.ca.

June 24, 2002

Highlights from the June 13 McMaster Senate meeting: First-year enrolment will increase this fall University Provost Ken Norrie informed members that McMaster would be prepared . . .

June 24, 2002

The Archives Association of Ontario (AA0) has presented its Institutional Award for 2002 to the Library's William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections. The . . .

June 21, 2002

Artificial implants, filters for water systems, advanced chips for computers and semi-conductor lasers for telephone transmission. All are familiar, everyday applications of advanced materials research. McMaster's Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research (BIMR) is at the forefront of the scientific advancements that make these technologies possible. The institute recently attracted leading experts from Canada, the US and Europe for an interactive workshop that focused on the convergence of two ongoing scientific revolutions in materials research. John Preston, professor of engingeering physics, explains, "One scientific revolution currently under way is our emerging ability to manipulate, fabricate and utilize structures on the length scale of a few nanometers." These advances in nanotechnology research impact industry's ability to build smaller, smarter devices just nanometres (0.000000001 of a metre) in size. "The second revolution involves our capacity to characterize and understand biological and other 'soft' material systems with the same rigor as conventional materials," continues Preston, who describes encapsulation for improved drug delivery and implants that mimic the response of real bone as examples of biomaterials. Soft materials bend without breaking and in order for this to happen, they are typically made up of long molecules. The intent of the workshop, titled Frontiers in Characterization of Soft and Nanoscale Materials, was to share cutting-edge technologies and the latest research with participants from industry, other academic institutions and McMaster students. Participants came to the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research to explore recent advances in electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and applications of synchotron radiation, motivated by the opportunity to access leading experts in the field, including McMaster's highly regarded experts George Weatherly and Gianluigi Botton, both professors of materials science & engineering (experts in atomic and electron microscopy), as well as chemistry professor Adam Hitchcock and physicist Bruce Gaulin (experts in synchotron-based studies). One of the more unique components of the workshop involved the sessions in which 60 students and researchers benefited from hands-on demonstrations from the experts using the research facilities in the institute. A workshop participant noted that, "by seeing and doing we are learning techniques that have never been written down in the literature." The speakers represented the combined expertise of research and industry, and included respected scientists Mick Brown (Cambridge), Richard Spontak (North Carolina State), Peter Grutter (McGill), and from industry, Sergei Magonov (Digital Instruments) and DeTong Jian (Canadian Light Source). The Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research is an interdisciplinary research organization, the largest facility of its kind in Canada, recognized as a leader in materials characterization. The institute is one of two such research facilities in North America - -the other is the Cornell Centre for Materials Research located at Cornell University. The facilities of the institute and its pool of expertise are also available to industry and organizations that require assistance with materials research and development or material analysis. Its membership of 60 faculty members is drawn from eight departments in the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Health Sciences. Photo:Lisa Croll, a McMaster chemistry student, discusses the finer points of atomic force microscopy with Tom Malis of National Resources Canada. End of story

June 21, 2002

Tom Flemming, head of public services in the McMaster Health Sciences Library, won the Canadian Health Libraries Association's (CHLA) Award of Outstanding Achievement. Announced at CHLA's recent annual conference, the award recognizes significant contributions to the field of health sciences librarianship in Canada. The contribution must be more than passing importance, interest or local advancement. The award was presented on Flemming's recent contributions to the health care community. During the past year, he has been recognized for his Web site "Health Care Information Resources ... for patients, their families, friends, and health care workers". The recognition has included at least two citations on the Medical Webmasters Listserv; one for his excellent disclaimer, considered one of the best ever written, and the second for his excellent listing of complementary and alternative medicine information resources.

June 20, 2002

A faculty of golden retrievers would be a dream come true for Howard Jones. They are intelligent, loyal, agreeable creatures. And they don't smell, laughs the newly appointed acting dean of humanities. Jones, who has a strong affection for golden retrievers, has been appointed to his new position for a six-month renewable term beginning July 1. I consider it a distinct honour to assume the office, even for a short time, says the Department of Classics chair, who has served under five deans of the Faculty of Humanities since its founding in 1968. Humanities has a record of excellence in teaching and scholarship of which it is justly proud, says Jones. As custodian of the faculty, he sees one of his roles as assisting in consolidating new initiatives, which have been established over the past three years. He also hopes to help attract top students and faculty to its programs. I see the faculty building upon its proven strengths in traditional areas and, as part of a university with a reputation for innovative approaches to learning, becoming a leader in emerging new disciplines, he says. Howard is an experienced administrator, having served as chair of classics for five years, says provost and vice-president (academic) Ken Norrie. There has been wide consultation on this matter and there is unanimous agreement that this is a most appropriate appointment. Jones received a BA from the University of London, and an MA and PhD from the University of Indiana. He has published on the classical tradition, examining the influence of the classical period on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and is a past winner of the McMaster Students' Union teaching award. Currently, he is training his golden retriever Dickens as a therapy dog and hopes to take him to hospitals to assist with the emotional health of patients. Jones, who says he will fill the position until a new dean is appointed, replaces Daniel Woolf. Woolf, who has served as dean since July 1, 1999, is taking on a new post at the University of Alberta as dean of arts. He leaves McMaster at the end of June.

June 20, 2002

McMaster is doing its part to fight the war on smog. During smog days, Physical Plant puts away lawnmowers and tree trimmers, in an effort to cut down on pollution. The Ministry of the Environment and Energy has issued a smog advisory for the Hamilton region today. Machines with two-stroke motors, generally found in lawn and garden equipment, are avoided on smog days, says physical plant service coordinator Len Van Hoffen. Two-stroke engines produce a lot of pollution, he says. In two-stroke engines, oil mixes with gasoline, resulting in the combustion of oil. This can lead to machines emitting clouds of oily smoke, according to Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works. Conversely, four-stroke motors, commonly found in cars and trucks, do not mix these fuels. On smog days, physical plant staff are assigned to other tasks, such as garbage pick-up and campus clean-up, Van Hoffen says. During a smog alert, there are a number of actions one can take to help spare the air. Air Quality Ontario advises: leave the car at home - walk, cycle, carpool or take public transit tele-conference instead of driving to meetings limit car trips by doing all errands at once, and do not let the engine idle keep car well tuned, check tire pressure and drive at moderate speeds A smog advisory means that there is a strong likelihood that there may be poor air quality within the next 24 hours due to ground-level ozone and particulate matter.

June 20, 2002

McMaster University Faculty Association librarians and the University have successfully negotiated a three-year compensation contract. The agreement was approved by the Board of Governors at . . .

June 19, 2002

Moyez Ladhani, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics, has been described as a gifted educator who makes academic learning fun and exciting, and is highly praised . . .

June 19, 2002

Twenty university grounds managers from across Canada have planted themselves at McMaster. Spotlighting common university grounds issues, such as snow removal and pest management, the . . .

June 18, 2002

Colleagues and educators across the country have honoured a McMaster professor for his contributions to teaching and learning. Professor Richard Butler,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades from McMaster's students and administration. On June 13 in Hamilton, he was honoured again, this time by colleagues and educators nationwide. Butler is the recipient of one of this year's prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowships. The 3M Teaching Fellowships were created through a partnership between 3M Canada Inc and the Society for Teaching Learning and Higher Education (STLHE). Since the program began in 1986, more than 160 educators across Canada have been recognized. These awards are given to individuals who not only excel in the teaching of their own courses, but also demonstrate an exceptionally high degree of leadership and commitment to the improvement of university teaching across disciplines. Butler does just that. In the classroom, Butler's aim is to make students think. One of McMaster's pioneers in problem-based teaching, he incorporates a problem-based, self-directed approach to all of the courses he teaches. As an instructor in both the Faculties of Health Sciences and Science, he helps students develop their knowledge and understanding, and stimulates them to strive to reach their potential.

June 18, 2002

GlaxoSmithKline Inc. today announced a $1-million investment to establish a McMaster University research chair in pediatric asthma at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. The creation of this chair is part of the GlaxoSmithKline Pathfinders Fund for Leaders in Canadian Health Science Research, a $10-million initiative to help fight the brain drain in Canada by providing opportunities for leading medical researchers and scientists. The GlaxoSmithKline Chair in Pediatric Asthma will enable the Firestone Institute to create a permanent position, allowing the recipient to conduct research that will improve the understanding of this chronic disease and potentially lead to pioneering new treatments for Canadian children with asthma. "This is an important research investment into a disease that has a tremendous impact on all segments of the population, but especially children," said Paul Lucas, president and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. "As a company, we have been a leader in the treatment of asthma for more than 30 years, working with organizations like the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health to improve the understanding and management of asthma in Canada. This investment is part of our longstanding commitment to asthma research." "The work being done in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University rivals any in Canada, and this chair will expand that reputation," said Peter George, President of McMaster University. "It will allow us to continue to attract leading scientists and provide an enriching environment to encourage world-class research, and also affirms our strong partnership with St. Joseph's Healthcare and the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health."