posted on May 29: President’s student leadership award winners announced

Five McMaster students — including two from engineering and two from the Arts & Science Program — are the recipients of this year's President's Awards of Excellence (Student Leadership).

The five awards are the highest number ever given out since the awards were introduced. The award acknowledges the contributions made by sutdents who play a significant role in improving and developing the intellectual, social, cultural and/or athletic fabric of the McMaster community. Third or fourth-year students who are in their graduating year are eligible for the award.

This year's winners are:

Karinne Chan (Chemical Engineering & Society) was actively involved in the McMaster Engineering & Society student association, serving as its president last year. She was a member of the McMaster Engineering council and represented her Faculty on McMaster's Undergraduate Council. She served as Kipling co-ordinator for the Faculty's iron ring celebration. She was a Welcome Week representative for a campus residence, a peer helper and academic outreach co-ordinator for McMaster's Centre for Student Development, and a teaching assistant. She held many awards including the National Research Council's Women in Engineering and Science Program and the Ashbaugh Scholarship.

Alex Mazer (Arts & Science and Political Science) served McMaster students as a writing clinic tutor for the Centre
for Student Development, a residence program assistant and a teaching assistant. He was a reporter and freelance
writer for Incite Magazine and copy editor and typesetter for The Silhouette. Mazer is also a talented musician, artist and
photographer. He came to McMaster on a national award for the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation and served as
McMaster's chapter representative for the foundation. He received the Ontario-Rhone-Alpes Scholarship and spent his
third year studying in Grenoble, France. He is the lead guitarist and songwriter for the group Toothpaste/Dentifrice.

David Sandomierski (Arts & Science) was captain of the Marauders varsity cross-country and indoor track teams and
was twice named Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union Academic All-Canadian. He won the national award for the
Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation in 1997 and has since been a committed volunteer for the foundation. During
his third year he studied at the Universiti Lumihre in Lyon, France on an Ontario-Rhone-Alpes bursary and was the
lead runner for the Universiti Lyon II at the French national championships. He has been a teaching assistant and a
residence program assistant at McMaster and a volunteer for a youth drop-in centre in Hamilton.

Meaghan Stovel (Commerce) co-chaired the successful 22nd McMaster World Conference for the Michael G.
DeGroote School of Business. As co-ordinator of the McMaster Student Union Information Centre, she managed a
staff of seven undergraduates. She served as the University undergraduate representative to the Board of Governors for
the past two years. Stovel produced the sold-out production of Shakespeare's Pericles: Prince of Tyre and was actively
involved with the McMaster Drama Club during her four years on campus, serving as president during her third year.
She was also academic chair for the MSU Clubs executive council and a teaching assistant for the commerce
program.

Wai-Yin Shum (Computer Engineering & Management) placed first in an Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering (IEEE) Computer Society international design competition in Washington, D.C., for his team's “Heart
Mate” invention, a warning device for high-risk heart patients. A Dean's List scholar, Shum voluntarily introduced,
developed and taught more than 15 IEEE courses to about 1,000 engineering students. He chaired the committee for
the McMaster Student Professional Awareness Conference. He introduced and organized the McMaster Industry Wine
and Cheese to help connect students with potential employers, and he created the first Web service on campus for students to host their Web pages.