Daily News

Posted on July 4: Wash your hands before you go

Remember your mother always telling you to wash your hands or else you'd get sick? It turns out she was right. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care says that hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The recent Ontario outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has made hand washing of paramount importance, especially for people visiting or working in health care facilities. Screen, Clean & Go, a new campaign launched in response to SARS, is designed to make everyone aware of the important role they play in infection control and preventing the spread of SARS. Everyone who enters the McMaster University Medical Centre or other health care facilities in the city are being asked to follow three simple steps before coming into the hospital. "People need to be prudent and take a common sense approach," says infectious diseases expert Mark Loeb. "The current SARS situation is under control, but programs such as Screen, Clean & Go will help us continue to fight against another outbreak."

Posted on July 3: Museum presents province-wide focus on water in art

This summer, the McMaster Museum of Art presents ArT=H2O, as part of a province-wide water project organized by the Ontario Society of Artists. The exhibition features art from the permanent collection in which water serves as the primary subject or inspiration. It includes significant Canadian art by Jack Bush, Kenojuak, William Perehudoff and York Wilson, as well as works by Utagawa Hiroshige, Ernst L. Kirchner and J.M.W. Turner. The Ontario Society of Artists was founded in 1872 and has long been involved in ecological and environmental issues. O.S.A. Lake in Killarney was dedicated to the Ontario Society of Artists in recognition of their efforts to save Ontario's scenic La Cloche Range from being logged in 1932, a crusade that resulted in the creation of a nature preserve. Now the O.S.A. is focusing on another important natural resource and major environmental concern. This July, more than 70 arts organizations across Ontario, including public and private galleries, artist-run centres and societies will be mounting exhibitions with a common theme and title water.

Posted on July 2: Four new Canada Research Chairs study diverse topics

Modern Jewish thought and government funding policies for education are some of the diverse areas of study for McMaster's newest Canada Research Chairs. The newly-appointed social and health scientists will also examine the migration patterns of health-care workers in and out of Canada and the social and economic policies that affect children's health. McMaster's newest Canada Research Chairholders are Dana Hollander, assistant professor of religious studies, Canada Research Chair in Modern Jewish Thought; Abigail Payne, associate economics professor, Canada Research Chair in Public Economics; Ivy Bourgeault, assistant professor of sociology and health studies, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Health Labour Policy; and Michael Boyle, professor of psychiatry & behavioural neurosciences, associate member of clinical epidemiology & biostatistics, Canada Research Chair in the Social Determinants of Child Health. This round of chairholders brings McMaster's total number of Canada Research Chairs to 41.

Posted on June 30: Alumni Memorial Hall to close for renovations, upgrades

Alumni Memorial Hall will close in July and August while it undergoes approximately $1.6 million in renovations and building upgrades. The renovation project will make the building accessible to persons with disabilities, and bring it up to current building codes. The project will also create an appropriate setting for the University Club as a showcase dining and function facility. "Renovation of Alumni Memorial Hall is a significant step towards ensuring a sustainable future for the facility," says Graham Hill, president of the University Club, which occupies most of the building. "Since February, two key events have occurred. First, the University's Board of Governors approved the $1.6 million renovation project and second, a new club manager was hired." During the closure, heating, cooling, water and hydro will be unavailable. Under the City's public health code, the demolition of the washrooms early in the project precludes the operation of a food service facility during the renovation.

Posted on June 27: Two more McMaster professors inducted as Fellows in Royal Society of Canada

McMaster professors Christopher Wood and Marnie Rice have been named Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Fellowship in the RSC is considered Canada's most prestigious academic accolade to which scholars and scientists aspire. Wood, a biology professor and Canada Research Chair in Environment and Health, is a world leader in the areas of fish physiology and aquatic toxicology. His research involves studying the impact of waterborne pollutants, particularly metals on the biology of fish. He has been inducted into the Royal Society's Academy of Science. Rice, a part-time professor in psychiatry & behavioural neurosciences, is one of the world's most prolific and innovative scientists studying criminal behaviour, human aggression, sexual offending and psychopathy. Rice has been inducted into the Royal Society's Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences.