Daily News

August 10, 2001

Dan Offord, director of the Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk (CCSCR), would like to see every child in the province enter school ready to learn. Offord and his colleagues came closer to this dream yesterday when the Minister Responsible for Children, John Baird, presented a cheque for $1 million to establish a chair in Early Child Development. McMaster University will match the provincial government's gift. The money comes from the Early Years Challenge Fund, established as a result of the recommendations of the "Early Years Study", co-authored by Dr. Fraser Mustard, a former dean of medicine and vice-president of health sciences at McMaster. Baird noted that McMaster's proposal was "one of the most innovative" and commended the centre for being a "superstar" in the area of early child development. The centre has developed an Early Development Instrument that measures the abilities of Kindergarten students in five general areas: physical health and well-being, social knowledge and competence, emotional health and maturity, language and thinking development, and general knowledge and communication skills. The information will then be used to determine where schools and communities have been successful and where improvements are needed. Magdalena Janus, a research associate at the CCSCR worked with Offord to develop the instrument for the "School Readiness to Learn Project". She describes the instrument as a survey with more than 100 questions that would be done by junior and senior kindergarten teachers, 5 or 6 months into the school year. The chair of Early Child Development will lead the CCSCR in training schools and communities on how to use the Early Development Instrument. (End of story)

August 9, 2001

Dozens of first-year students and their families will be on campus Friday, Aug. 10 to enjoy the activities provided at the annual Welcome Day @ Mac. The day is designed to acquaint new students and their families with the faces and facilities provided by the University. It's an opportunity to be welcomed to the McMaster community and helps students begin to feel at home in their soon-to-be new home. Various activities will be ongoing throughout the day including seminars about financing the upcoming year, living off-campus, using the University computers, libraries and a session titled "Flea's Eye View: How to Succeed at Mac." As well, students and their families can take tours of the campus, the Ivor Wynne Centre and residences. In addition to the tours and information sessions, there will be two tents set up on the lawns of the inner campus with students and University employees on hand to answer questions about the many student services and clubs. Lunch is available for $2 at the tent in front of the Burke Science building. Students and families that would like to spend a night on campus can arrange for overnight accommodation by contacting Housing & Conference Services at 905-525-9140 ext. 27222. (End of story)

August 9, 2001

The McMaster campus plunged into darkness this afternoon (Thursday) after a construction crew at the site of the new residence building hit a power line. No one was hurt in the incident. It took crews until almost 9:30 Thursday evening to restore power. The outage affected the air circulation system and left only emergency lighting in place. The hospital was also impacted by the loss of power but was able to use its back-up generators. Exams that were to be held Thursday evening were cancelled and will be rescheduled.

August 8, 2001

Christopher Somers, a graduate student in the department of biology, has been awarded a 5NR Science for Sustainable Development Postgraduate Scholarship Supplement. The $4,500 supplement is being offered by five federal government departments with the objective of encouraging young scientists to pursue research in environment-related sciences. Somers is one of ten high-caliber students from universities across Canada who are receiving the supplement this year. The supplement will help Somers, a PhD student, carry out his research on the rate of mutation in families of herring gulls on the Great Lakes. His research explores the results of the interactions between organisms and complex chemical mixtures in the environment. Somers will be receiving his award certificate at a ceremony on August 16 in Toronto as part of the Federal Public Service Youth Career Fair. His award is being offered in the name of Dr. Andrew Gilman, a Health Canada research scientist and Director of Health Canada's Sustainable Development Office. Dr. Gilman is a winner of the 5NR Science Awards to Leaders in Sustainable Development. He is being honoured for his work on the control of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the effects of those contaminants on Canada's Aboriginal population. The 5NR Scholarship Supplement and the 5NR Science Awards combine to recognize the importance of present and future generations of scientists devoted to sustainable development. They also aim to strengthen the links between the university and government science communities, while providing mentoring opportunities for gifted young researchers. The 5NR scholarship supplement is offered by Agriculture Canada, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, and Natural Resources Canada. This program is done in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). (End of story)

August 8, 2001

The Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are awards that McMaster's graduate students compete for with students from across the province. For each scholarship, universities are required to provide one-third of the $15,000 award, with the government providing the rest. The following is a profile of an OGS recipient: When Bridget Day learned she had been awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) she felt "incredible relief." "I started crying. I was so relieved," she says. "For me to receive the OGS means I don't have to apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) this year. I can pay my own way." Day has a $45,000 student loan debt. "Every time I have to apply for OSAP again it is just heart-wrenching, When I received the OSAP renewal form it was great to be able to toss it out. It was the greatest feeling." In addition to financial relief, the OGS award also gives Day "a sense of personal accomplishment. I feel I've come into my own in my academic career. To have recognition is a wonderful feeling." Day is a PhD student in classics, the study of ancient languages. She received her first McMaster undergraduate degree in psychology, but a passion for "everything about antiquity in the Greek and Roman world" led her to obtain a second undergraduate degree in classics. She has two master's degrees from McMaster, both in classics. She is writing her doctoral thesis on the myth of Europa, kidnapped by the god Zeus, as it has been told in ancient Greek and Latin mythology over the course of 900 years. "I just love the story," she says. "Part of the fascination is how different poets have treated the story." Day's ability to understand ancient Greek and Latin means she can read the poems as they were originally written and does not have to rely on an English translation. Day defines classics as the study of the history, art and archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds. Part of her fascination is "the puzzle of trying to discover what kind of a life it really was. There is always some new way of looking at a different angle of this puzzle and coming up with new ideas. Being a part of collecting a couple of new pieces for the puzzle is very exciting." (End of story)

August 7, 2001

The Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are awards that McMaster's graduate students compete for with students from across the province. For each scholarship, universities are required to provide one-third of the $15,000 award, with the government providing the rest. The following is a profile of an OGS recipient: For Hendrik Nieuwland, a McMaster graduate student in biochemistry, his Ontario Graduate Scholarship award represents recognition of the importance of basic science. "It's nice to be recognized for doing good work, especially in basic science," he says. While clinical research often captures the public imagination, Nieuwland says people tend to forget that basic research makes the clinical work possible. "You can't design the therapeutic research until the basic research is completed." For Nieuwland, the $15,000 award also means he won't have to take another part-time job to pay the bills. That will give him additional time to work in the lab and time to write articles on politics for a Hamilton arts magazine. Nieuwland received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from McMaster and is now working towards his master's degree. He admits to a fascination for "the molecular aspects of biological systems." To describe his graduate work, Nieuwland first begins by explaining that chemotherapy triggers cancer cells to undergo cell death. However there are some proteins that, when brought to a specific location inside a cell, prevent cell death. Some human cancers contain high levels of these anti-death proteins, thus rendering chemotherapy ineffective. These anti-death proteins belong to a specific family of proteins called "tail-anchored proteins," which are the focus of Nieuwland's research. No one knows how these proteins arrive at their specific location within the cell. If researchers are able to discover the factors involved in taking these tail-anchored proteins to their specific cellular locations, this information could have profound implications for cancer research and therapy in the future. Nieuwland is studying a tail-anchored protein named Sss1p. He is working to set up a genetic screen in yeast to identify the factors that target the Sss1p protein to a specific location in the cell called the endoplasmic reticulum, a site where some anti-death proteins function. Yeast has many proteins that are also found in the human body. "If I can find a protein that targets Sss1p in yeast, then maybe I can find the protein in humans," says Nieuwland. (End of story)

August 7, 2001

McMaster has a new director of public and government relations. Andrea Farquhar was appointed to the position effective July 16. Farquhar, who has been associate director of public relations, succeeds former director of public relations Gillian Howard. Howard left the University in April for a position at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Following a national search, we are pleased to announce Andrea's appointment to the position, which has been expanded to include the government relations portfolio," says Roger Trull, vice-president, University Advancement. "Andrea's experience at McMaster and in her previous career has prepared her well to lead this important function at McMaster. She has the respect of the McMaster community as well as the local and national media and I know she will do an excellent job building on the success we have had in this area." Farquhar joined McMaster in 1996 as a co-ordinator of external media relations. She was assistant director of media and community relations for two years before being named associate director in the fall of 1999. Prior to joining McMaster, Farquhar was a news anchor at CFRB Mix 99.9 in Toronto and a reporter and assignment editor at CHML/Y95 in Hamilton. "One of the best parts of my time at McMaster has been getting to know the people and areas that comprise the University. I'm looking forward to building on those relationships and to working with the public relations team to promote McMaster and to successfully serve the University's communication needs," says Farquhar. Born in Burlington, Farquhar is a graduate of the University of Toronto in English and history. Her father, Ben Firth, is a McMaster alumnus. She and her husband, Craig, a high school teacher, reside in Hamilton with their son, Cavan, who is almost two. (End of story)

August 3, 2001

Members of the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA) will pay higher union dues in September as a result of the approval of a motion yesterday. . . .

August 3, 2001

Simon Ouellet, human resources director of benefits, compensation & staffing, sent the following e-mail Thursday afternoon to members of the McMaster University Staff Association, the McMaster University Faculty Association (except clinical faculty) and The Management Group: McMaster University's long term disability (LTD) plan is an income protection scheme that provides financial protection to employees who become totally disabled as a result of non-work related illnesses or injuries. Employees are responsible for 100 per cent of the premiums for this benefit plan, which is provided through Sun Life of Canada. Participation in the LTD plan is mandatory for eligible faculty and staff members with more than 12 months continuous service. LTD premiums have not increased since 1997; however, during this same period of time employee utilization of the LTD plan has dramatically increased. As a result, we have been advised by Sun Life of a 49 per cent increase in LTD premiums effective July 1, 2001. Meetings have been held with representatives of MUFA, TMG and MUSA to discuss the LTD premium increase. While it has been determined that an LTD premium increase is unavoidable, it has been agreed that the premium increase will be absorbed by LTD reserve funds for the months of July and August, 2001. The 49 per cent increase in LTD premiums will be implemented effective Sept. 1, 2001. LTD plan participants should note that their pay on Sept. 15, 2001 will reflect this premium increase. For an employee earning $40,000 annually, this means the LTD deduction will increase from $25.20 to $38.09 per month. In recognition of the increased utilization of the LTD plan, Human Resources, in cooperation with all employee groups, is responding with a new disability management initiative to be unveiled this fall. The goal of this initiative is early reporting and intervention in order to minimize or avoid LTD claims. Human Resources is also working with Student Health Service and Athletics & Recreation on a employee health and wellness initiative designed to provide effective health promotion and disease prevention for all employees. We hope that these initiatives will help control future LTD costs. If you have any questions on this premium increase, you may contact Wanda McKenna, human resources officer, benefits, at ext. 24855 or any member of the benefits section at ext. 24552. (End of story)

August 1, 2001

Engineering physics professor Peter Mascher has been appointed to the William Sinclair Chair in Optoelectronics. "Peter Mascher has been a stellar administrator as chair of engineering physics and is eager to expand on his research work," said Mo Elbestawi, dean of engineering. "The Faculty is fortunate to have such an enthusiastic researcher of his calibre. We are excited about awarding this prestigious honour to Dr. Mascher." Mascher obtained a PhD in engineering physics from the Technical University Graz, Austria and spent about four years as a post-doctoral fellow and research associate at the University of Winnipeg. He joined McMaster University in 1989 in a position initially funded by the Ontario Centre for Materials Research. He is a professional engineer and a professor in the Department of Engineering Physics and has been department chair since 1995. Mascher leads active research groups involved in the fabrication and characterization of thin oxide/nitride films for optoelectronic applications and in the characterization of defects in semiconductors by positron annihilation spectroscopy. His research work is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and several federal and provincial centres of excellence, as well as industry. Recently he spearheaded a successful application to the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund to establish the Ontario Photonics Consortium, an initiative centred at McMaster and involving the participation of research teams from the University of Western Ontario, the University of Waterloo and Queen's University. Mascher has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings, has presented several invited lectures at international conferences and has graduated 14 PhD and master's students. He is a member of McMaster's Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research and the Centre for Electrophotonic Materials and Devices, as well as a number of international physics and materials research societies. (End of story)

July 31, 2001

A message was issued to the McMaster community on Tuesday afternoon regarding the arbitrator's release of an interim award for the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA). A copy of the joint communique from McMaster University president Peter George and MUSA president Barry Diacon follows: We wish to inform you that arbitrator George Adams has released an interim award in the settlement of the McMaster University Staff Association's first contract with the University. As you recall, the University and MUSA agreed in April to voluntary mediation/arbitration. The interests and priorities of each party were presented to the arbitrator in May and June. At that time it was anticipated that a final award would be issued by the arbitrator by July 31, 2001. After having considered the party's interests, Mr. Adams has issued an interim award. He has indicated that he requires additional clarification on some issues and is currently attempting to confirm a date to meet with both parties to finalize the complete award. The interim award provides MUSA members with the final details around salary increases and improvements to the major medical and dental benefit plans. The award provides for increases as follows: 2.0% 1999/00 3.2% 2000/01 3.0% 2001/02 2.5% 2002/03 We encourage all members of the community to take the time to become informed about the interim award. Complete details on salary increases and the salary grid can be found on both the McMaster Human Resources and the MUSA Web sites. The interim award begins the process of implementing MUSA's first collective agreement. This award marks the beginning of a new relationship between MUSA and the University. (End of story)

July 30, 2001

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Harveyfarewell.jpg” caption=”Harvey Weingarten, President George”]His farewell was bittersweet. Harvey, I know that you keep telling me that no one is irreplaceable, but I . . .

July 30, 2001

It has taken four years, but an international consortium that includes McMaster researchers has decoded the genome sequence of a bacterium that could play a key role in reducing the use of chemical fertilizers. The sequence revealed that the bacterium contains more than 6,000 genes or roughly one-fifth the number present in the human genome. This research contributes significantly to the goal of achieving environmentally safe and economically sustainable food crops. The bacterium, Sinorhizoblum meliloti (S. meliloti) is commonly applied to alfalfa crops as part of a natural fertilization process. Until now, scientists did not have a comprehensive understanding of the bacterium's genome. S. meliloti is unusual in that its genome is made up of three chromosomes, while most common bacteria have only one. Three teams of scientists, from McMaster (teamed with the Universitat Bielefeld, Germany), Stanford University, France and Belgium, were responsible for sequencing each of the three chromosomes. The integration of their research appears in the most recent issue of the international journal, Science. Turlough Finan, chair of biology and one of the lead investigators, believes that now that the sequence of genes is known, researchers can infer many processes and investigate the functions of many genes more efficiently. "If we can understand how the bacterium works, we may be able to improve the nitrogen-fixation process and increase the range of plants it can interact with." The team at McMaster includes Finan and Brian Golding, a professor of biology and a specialist in bio-informatics. Other members are Alison Cowie, research technologist; Ismael Hernandez-Lucas, postdoctoral candidate; Kim Wong, master's candidate and Patrick Chain, a recent M.Sc. graduate. (End of story)

July 27, 2001

Athletics & Recreation in partnership with Human Resources is conducting an assessment of what programs and services are available to enhance employee wellness at work. The goal of the new initiative is to determine what is available on campus to help employees be healthy and create a University profile of health and wellness needs. Once an inventory of programs is compiled and analyzed, both groups will make a recommendation for a direction for a comprehensive employee work site wellness program. "Wellness touches every aspect of an employee's life on campus and outside the work environment," said Therese Quigley, director of the Department of Athletics & Recreation. "We don't have a good assessment of what is in place. We need to get a baseline and discover what we do well and what we don't have that people might want and would be beneficial." Simon Ouellet, director of benefits, compensation & staffing, said the study will indicate the awareness level of employees about the advantages of a healthy lifestyle. "Many employees are aware that a healthy lifestyle has long term benefits at work and at home," Ouellet said. The project received $25,000 from the 2000-2001 allocations of the McMaster University Futures Fund (MUFF). Several initiatives to support employee wellness were approved for MUFF funding by the Board of Governors this year. They include a one-year pilot project through Student Health Service that ensures a physician is available on campus to address employees' health and wellness needs. Staff physician Finola Foley distributed a questionnaire to employees this week asking for input on what health and wellness services interest them. (See July 19 Daily News story Student Health Service opens door to employees.) Buffett Taylor & Associates Ltd. is conducting the needs assessment study on behalf of Athletics & Recreation and Human Resources. The consulting company will use a variety of tools to collect the data, build the inventory and obtain feedback about employee health and wellness. The firm will conduct interviews with internal and external stakeholders and review the results of the Reacon staff survey pertaining to employee morale, stress, job satisfaction and work/home life balance issues. Ouellet said any information that is collected or statistics that are gathered from health, disability and Workplace Safety & Insurance Board records will be generic in nature, will not identify individuals and will be treated with complete confidentiality. The needs assessment and a final report should be completed by November with plans for a report to go to the Board of Governors in December. Employees who wish further information about the project may contact Debbie Marinoff, manager of recreation services at marinof@mcmaster.ca or Wanda McKenna, human resources officer (benefits) at mckenna@mcmaster.ca. (End of story)

July 26, 2001

At Venture engineering and science camp, they're making remote control cars and pinball machines. At Adventures in engineering computing camp, they're designing Web pages. At Sport Fitness School they're biking, learning to bunt or striking soccer balls. At Mini-U, "just the facts" of journalism and the human body in motion or kinesiology are some of the topics campers are tackling. And the beauty of it all is that for campers this is fun. Summer camps are in full swing with about 3000 children enrolled in a variety of camps offered on campus this year. About 850 children are enjoying hands-on projects at Venture engineering and science camp and Adventures in engineering computing camps operated by the Faculty of Engineering. This week is all-girls week at computer camp with 22 girls from grades 5 to 10 learning about computer design. Karen Zuccala, assistant co-ordinator for Mini-U, says about 550 children ages 10 to 15 are studying subjects like chemistry, physics, the arts and psychology. Mini-U campers also enjoy a sleepover in residence on their second last day at camp and take part in a no-fire campfire and canoe trip at Princess Point. The counsellors, as well as the children, learn while they have fun. "The people are great and it's a fun atmosphere," said Zuccala, 23, who graduated from McMaster this spring with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in business. She's off to the University of Windsor this fall to pursue a post-graduate degree in sports management. "People think it's school but it's all hands-on. A lot of people want to go to teacher's college so this is a great opportunity for them to work with kids and see if they really like it and want to continue on." Tim Louks, program co-ordinator of Sport Fitness School (SFS), said the counsellors, who are all university students, make SFS as successful as it is. The 24-year-old sports camp this year added its 24th sport, cycling, and boasts 85 staff. "The strength of our program is the counsellors," Louks said. "Our ratios are 1 to 5 and 1 to 8 in sport group making it one of the best around." About 1600 children will rotate through three sports, trail running, cardio funk and daily swimming during their two-week camp sessions. SFS has been at capacity the last three years with registration beginning Feb. 1 and closing in early May. BUILDING FUN: Venture engineering and science campers Adam Burt, 9, (front left), Geoffrey Lawson, 10, and Ali Lawson, 13, worked with counsellors David Colangelo (engineering physics) and Kelli Celeste (mechanical engineering & management) creating machines this summer. Photo by Shelly Easton

July 26, 2001

First-year McMaster students who enrol in a Student Send-Off event in their local community get a head start on their university experience. The Office of . . .

July 25, 2001

He's won McMaster's and the province's top teaching awards. Now Miroslav Lovric, an assistant professor of mathematics & statistics, has another award for his dossier -- the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship. It is Canada's only national interdisciplinary fellowship and recognizes teaching excellence as well as educational leadership. This year the fellowship was awarded to 10 university teachers from across Canada. Award winners attended a three-day retreat at Chateau Montebello in Quebec where they had the opportunity to share their teaching experiences and discuss new ideas. Last year Lovric received a Teaching and Academic Librarianship Award from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. In 1999 he received the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching at Spring Convocation. Since he began lecturing at the University in 1991, students have nominated him every year for a McMaster Students Union Teaching Award. In 1994 he won the overall teaching award at McMaster. Students praise their mathematics professor for his ability to simplify complex concepts to an understandable level. In addition to teaching, Lovric actively promotes mathematics through competitions. He has developed and significantly improved several math courses and has written a textbook called Vector Calculus. (End of story)

July 24, 2001

Ahmed Ghobarah has been appointed to the Joe Ng/JNE Consulting Chair in Design, Construction & Management of Infrastructure Renewal in McMaster's Faculty of Engineering. Ghobarah has served in the Faculty for 19 years. Ghobarah has contributed significantly to innovative research into structural strengthening, rehabilitation and upgrading strategies and techniques. He is a recognized world leader in earthquake engineering and design. "The appointment of Ahmed Ghobarah builds on our current reputation as one of Canada's most research-intensive engineering Faculties," said Mo Elbestawi, dean of engineering. "I am confident that under the leadership of Dr.Ghobarah, our Faculty will continue to be at the forefront of research in infrastructure renewal." After completing his M.Eng. and PhD degrees in civil engineering at McMaster, he worked for 12 years in the international consulting engineering industry before joining the engineering Faculty in 1982. He has to his credit more than 300 journal publications, conference presentations and industrial research reports. As the Joe Ng/JNE Consulting Chair, Ghobarah will focus on leading-edge research in design, construction and management of infrastructure renewal. He will also provide liaison between the consulting engineering sector, government and academia. (End of story)

July 22, 2001

You can't judge a book by its cover. -- a traditional proverb Many visitors don't heed that advice when appraising McMaster's campus and their first impressions aren't always favourable. Urban Strategies Consulting is working with internal and external stakeholders to develop an updated campus plan due to be unveiled later this fall that addresses those views. The goal is to develop a plan that takes into account feedback from neighbours, students, University employees and community representatives about what people like and dislike about the way the campus looks and works. What the consultants have heard so far is that while the interior parts of campus are generally embraced by users, the University's exterior is considered by many to be uninviting. "We heard about 'the moat' that surrounds campus," said Cindi Rottenberg-Walker, an Urban Strategies consultant who is helping create a draft campus plan. Visitors have the impression, especially from the "entrances and faces" of campus that buildings are inward facing, there is no sense of arrival and pedestrian walkways are poorly organized and not well connected to the surroundings, she said. There is also room for improvement on the edge of campus where open space is fragmented and there is conflict between pedestrians and cars. The core campus "works well," she added. A draft plan will be drawn up this summer and presented to the public at a September open house. CAMPUS PLANNING: Earlier this year about 60 people spent a day discussing their visions for how the campus should look. Photo: Shelly Easton

July 20, 2001

The 52 McMaster Shad Valley students that travelled from all over Canada and Scotland to spend July learning more about the fields of science, engineering and business are starting to see the fruits of their labour. Three weeks ago the senior high school students were split into four teams and presented with the challenge of brainstorming, designing, constructing, marketing, presenting and writing a full business plan for a product or service that would assist people with disabilities. "It's been a real challenge," admitted Edwin Li from Vancouver, B.C. "It's not something that you think about every day and most of us have never used the types of products that we're designing - it's really opened our eyes." The four products designed by the student teams cater to a variety of physical disabilities. The "Pop-A-Lid" serves as a lid and can-opening device to assist people with weaknesses in their hands or fingers, shifting stress away from the hand and allowing people to use their whole arm as a lever. A specialized cane with features that allow for greater independence in cane users includes a second handle to assist the user in standing from a seated position and a belt clip holster to free up hands while the cane is not in use. The "Easy Handle," a portable and adjustable device for converting door knobs into door handles, will ease discomfort experienced by individuals suffering from arthritis. Finally, a reaching aid for people in wheelchairs will assist individuals in obtaining items that would otherwise be inaccessible. Presentations of these devices and the accompanying business plans will take place Monday, July 23 from 2 to 4 p.m in the John Hodgins Engineering building, room 264. Several individuals from the community will provide expertise in engineering, business and disability awareness while serving as judges of the competition. Everyone hoping to learn more about Shad Valley is invited to attend. The winning team from McMaster University will go on to compete at the Royal Bank Shad Entrepreneurship Competition held in Toronto in October.