Posted on Sept. 4: New staff will bring human rights out of the shadows

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BY Lisa Caines

September 4, 2003

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/mark_walma_200.jpg” caption=”Mark Walma”]A new name and a new face will put human rights issues at McMaster in a different light, with the recent appointment of a director for Human Rights and Equity Services (HRES), formerly known as the Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Office (SHADO).

Mark Walma, a Hamilton native and McMaster alumnus, joins the University after earning a law degree and recently serving as the acting director of Equity Services at The University of Western Ontario where he also chaired Western's New Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee.

“I'm very excited to have the opportunity to return to my hometown and, even more so, to be able to pursue my passion for human rights at my alma mater,” says Walma. “I have very fond memories from my undergrad and graduate work here and look forward to being able to give something back to the McMaster University community.”

Walma's appointment arrives on the heels of a recent decision to officially change SHADO's name to one that's more inclusive of the breadth of human rights issues the office currently tackles, such as racism and other forms of discrimination.

“We're pleased to welcome Mark as a dedicated, successful human rights administrator to McMaster,” says President Peter George. “Mark's expertise will help emphasize the University's strong commitment to proactively addressing human rights issues and giving the office a heightened presence on campus.”

Walma will replace former SHADO director Cindy Player, who recently moved to a new position as a human rights consultant at the City of Hamilton.

Two weeks after Walma's appointment, he'll be joined by Vilma Rossi, incoming HRES program co-ordinator. She has more than two decades of volunteer and paid work in the anti-violence movement. Rossi is the current director of the Sexual Assault Centre for Hamilton and Area.

For more information about Human Rights and Equity Services, visit their new office in the University Student Centre, Rm. 212, or www.mcmaster.ca/hres/.