July 7, 2000

Level I acceptances to McMaster University are up significantly over last year. June 29 numbers supplied by the Ontario Universities' Application Centre show that first-year . . .

July 5, 2000

As part of the Office of the Registrar's efforts to add flexibility to the scheduling of undergraduate courses, and to address the prospect of increased . . .

July 5, 2000

Photograph (l-r):University President Peter George and work team chairs David Kidney, Gillian Howard (vice-chair), Jennifer Wesson-Howe and Lynn Hruczkowski. McMaster will be hiring an external organizational change consultant and asking individual members of the community who possess expertise in particular areas to assist with the implementation of some 21 recommendations aimed at improving and enhancing the work environment for staff. I have the time, will and desire to make things better here...to make McMaster an employer of choice, said University President Peter George at the opening of the first of two town-hall meetings held on campus last week to roll out the recommendations, made by four committees comprised of staff volunteers. George said many of recommendations will be relatively easy to implement but some will require a cultural shift and attitudinal change by many people.

July 4, 2000

A memorial service will held on campus this Friday for Ezio Cappadoccia, professor emeritus, Department of History, who died yesterday at St. Joseph's Hospital. Cappadoccia . . .

July 2, 2000

A proposed revision to the Student Code of Conduct will have a major impact on the student appeals process. The revision, presented to Senate on June 15 by Mary Keyes, associate vice-president of student affairs, attempts to streamline the hearing and appeals process for disciplinary matters. According to Keyes, when a student is charged with an alleged offense under the code, the University has to hold a hearing. However, the existing hearing and appeals process takes much too long, she says, adding that it is not unusual for it to take six months or more at the appeals stage. The major change being recommended is to eliminate the second appeal.

June 30, 2000

The Faculty of Social Sciences will receive an additional $100,000 in continuing reallocation funds to operate and expand its first-year Inquiry Program. The funding, recommended by the University Budget Committee and recently approved by the Board of Governors, is being made to acknowledge the program's success. Alan Harrison, dean of social sciences, says the funding was requested "to bring the level of core funding in line with reality." The program, established in 1998, has been extremely successful and was already spending more than had been budgeted for, he notes. The three-unit course, which is taken in conjunction with a student's program of study, uses content as a vehicle for skill development, Harrison explains. Over 250 students took one of 11 sessions offered during the 1999-2000 year. "We expect an increased enrolment this year and we expect to be offering 14 to 16 sessions."

June 30, 2000

A team of five engineering and computer science students competing in the first Computer Science International Design Competition (CSIDC) has won top prize with their device, Heart Mate. The team, consisting of Ajay Arora (electrical engineering), Chris Lambacher (computer science), Joshua Capogna (engineering physics), Mona Kohli (computer engineering) and Wai-Yin Shum (computer engineering and management), was supervised by assistant professor of medicine Markad Kamath. The McMaster entry was one of 10 finalists in the competition, sponsored by the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society, and held in Washington D.C. on June 26-27. The students win a total of $15,000 (US), while the University receives $10,000 (US).

June 28, 2000

General Motors of Canada Limited is investing $500,000 in McMaster University to support the institution's cutting-edge research in metal-forming and machining processes and to provide scholarships to women who pursue careers in mechanical engineering. "McMaster University's reputation for providing world-class research in machining and metal-forming processes is second to none. This partnership between GM and McMaster solidifies a long-time relationship that has existed between our two institutions. It also signals GM's commitment to sustaining and enhancing the Canadian automotive industry and to supporting women who choose careers in engineering," says Tayce Wakefield, vice-president of corporate and environmental affairs for GM of Canada.

June 28, 2000

Imagine a “designer” smart cell that scientists can implant in the human body. It secretes a cancer-fighting molecule that can target tumour cells and stop . . .

June 27, 2000

Is McMaster's recycling program dead? The absence of many of the blue recyling bins, which have come to symbolize the University's commitment to the 4Rs, has many members of the community questioning the status of the program. No, the recycling program is not dead. But it has been dealt a severe blow and needs the participation and support of the entire community in order to recover, say Dave Tucker, director of risk management services, and Jan Callfas, senior manager of operations, physical plant. Dozens of the blue recycling bins have been removed from hallways in buildings across campus following orders issued by the Hamilton Fire Department in November. Tucker says the bins were removed to be in compliance with guidelines for recycling in schools. "This is the first time we have had to deal with enforcement of these guidelines, which state that there is to be no recycling containers in hallways." Tucker says the fire department is concerned about the recycling bins for two reasons: combustibility of contents and obstruction of hallways (which may interfere with safe exit). Where possible, the blue bins have been relocated to other acceptable areas in campus buildings. But this means that faculty, staff and students may have to look for them and walk a little farther to deposit their recycling materials into a central bin.

June 27, 2000

Town hall meetings are being held today and tomorrow to present the reports of the staff survey work groups and the plans for implementation. Staff are being encouraged to attend one of the meetings, and supervisors have been requested to arrange for release time for staff to attend one of the meetings. Meeting times and locations:Tuesday, June 27 11 a.m.-12 noon, Health Sciences Centre, Room 1A6, and Wednesday, June 28,3-4 p.m.,Convocation Hall University Hall(Second floor) The latest information will be available on the McMaster Staff Survey Web site http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/staffsurvey.html

June 27, 2000

McMaster University and St. Joseph's Hospital have announced the appointment of Deborah Cook as the first McMaster University/St. Joseph's Hospital Regional Academic Chair in Critical Care Medicine. In her new position, Cook will establish an academic program in critical care, with a focus on research on clinical interventions and ethical issues relating to intensive care treatment decisions. "Dr. Cook has established an international reputation for excellence with her contributions to critical care research and education," said Russell Joffe, dean and vice-president of health sciences at McMaster. "We're pleased to be able to recognize her invaluable work with this appointment."

June 27, 2000

"From Crime Scene to Courtroom," a compelling seminar examining the context, methodology and the validity of forensic science in criminal investigations, continues on campus today and tomorrow. The workshop features a unit of top forensic science and legal professionals -- all equipped to share the techniques and technologies used to solve some of the world's worst crimes. The three-day educational seminar gives participants an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in archeological techniques of crime-scene recovery, analysis of skeletal remains for forensic anthropology, odontology, basic forensic pathology and interpretation of DNA evidence - all of which contribute to the building of an infallible legal case. Police officers from across the province, a private investigator, mystery writers and anthropology students are among those enrolled in the workshop. Yesterday, students excavated a simulated crime scene using archeological techniques and learned how forensic DNA evidence is analyzed and interpreted. Two evening lectures, one tonight and one tomorrow night, are open to the public. "The Red Baron's Last Flight: The Contribution of Forensic Pathology to the Solution of a World War I Controversy" tonight (Tuesday, June 27, 7 p.m., KTH-B135), and "A Decade of DNA Profiling" (Wednesday, June 28, 7 p.m., CNH-104). There is a $20 fee for each lecture.

June 26, 2000

The Board of Governors has approved an alternate location for the new student residence, based on a recommendation of the Planning and Building Committee. The west campus site, known as Site Z, was approved at the Board's June 15th meeting. One of three proposed locations, Site Z incorporates much of the existing parking lot at the back of Matthews Hall and stretches south across Scholar's Road. The dining wing will be build perpendicular to the residence and take in Scholar's Road, extending as far as (but not abutting) the Clarke Centre smoke stack. (Site X was the area between Bates Residence and the President's house; Site Y took in the entire parking area behind Matthews Hall.) Previously, it had been suggested that the residence portion of the facility be built in the existing Clarke Centre parking lot but this space is needed for a proposed expansion to the Clarke building itself to meet the future heating and cooling requirements for the campus. Instead, the residence, which will be six or seven storeys high, has been flipped over, positioning it behind Matthews Hall.

June 26, 2000

The third annual McMaster University Fair will be held on Thursday, July 13 from 3 p.m. until dusk. The tents and the food are ordered, . . .

June 22, 2000

The infamous unsolved cases of Jack the Ripper, the Green River Killer and the Black Dahlia might be cracked today by the crime-stopping capabilities of forensic science. "From Crime Scene to Courtroom," a compelling seminar examining the context, methodology and the validity of forensic science in criminal investigations takes place on campus June 26-28 and features a unit of top forensic science and legal professionals - all equipped to share the techniques and technologies used to solve some of the world's worst crimes.

June 22, 2000

The following valedictory address was given by MSU President and commerce graduate Marc Marzotto (shown at left) at the School of Business Convocation in May. Marzotto's speech began with a McMaster version of the popular "I Am.Canadian" beer commercial. His address garnered warm applause from an appreciative audience of fellow graduates, proud parents and guests. We are posting his version of "I Am," along with an excerpt from his full address, for readers of the Daily News.

June 21, 2000

The School of Rehabilitation Science's staff and faculty have finally settled into the new Mohawk-McMaster Institute for Applied Health Sciences. “We were teaching classes a . . .

June 21, 2000

A $2-million infusion of funds to a McMaster University research team will help bring to fruition major developments in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Jeffrey Weitz has been awarded the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario/J. Fraser Mustard Chair in Cardiovascular Research at McMaster University, providing perpetual funding for this important work. Unlike a one-time research award, the endowed chair consists of a $2- million fund, from which investment income will generate continued financial support for the chair. The chair is named in honour of Dr. J. Fraser Mustard, who helped establish at McMaster the medical school with its radically different curriculum. After 16 years at McMaster, he created and established the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a network involving over 160 researchers around the world in the study of complex problems in the sciences and social sciences. Fraser Mustard has received many awards for his work, including the Order of Canada, Order of Ontario and the Gairdner Foundation International Award for Medical Research.

June 21, 2000

The Mactron stays, but in a revised, more community-friendly format. The Board of Governors has approved recommendations that will make the controversial video board's giant . . .