Daily News

Posted on May 21: Police chief honours McMaster security staff with special commendation

Less than three minutes. That's all it took for McMaster security officers to rescue a female student from an attempted sexual assault on McMaster's campus last fall. The quick response time prevented serious injury to the victim. Within the community, a crime was prevented and a dangerous offender was apprehended. The quick work of the McMaster security officers and dispatchers in the early morning hours of a mid-November morning last year was praised and commended May 12 at special ceremony to honour Hamilton police officers. On Nov. 17, 2002 McMaster dispatchers Tony Hansford and Shelly Mayhew were monitoring the security surveillance cameras when they observed a male suspect straddling a female. The female was walking to her parked car when she was attacked. Security units were immediately dispatched and McMaster Officers Mike Ashley, Chris Clement, Bryan Drury and David Noble responded, under the direction of Sgt. Dave Jenkins.The suspect fled and was pursued by officers for some distance before being apprehended, through co-ordinated efforts. "The diligent efforts of Tonya Hansford and Shelly Mayhew in recognizing an assault and taking action can be credited to preventing severe injury to this victim. With less than 3 minutes response time, the commitment and professionalism of Sgt. Jenkins, Officers Drury, Ashley, Clement and Nobel helped not only stop a crime, but also helped apprehend this offender," says the commendation from the Hamilton Police Service.

Posted on May 21: Hike raises funds for leukemia research at McMaster

The second annual Friends of Glen (FOG) Hike for Leukemia Research is taking place Sunday, May 25, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. Named for Glen Ferguson, a dedicated and proficient hiker, the hike supports the McMaster University Bone Marrow Transplant/Leukemia Research Fund. Glen was a leukemia patient at the McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) in March 2000 when he died, one day before his bone marrow transplant. Since then, Hope Kamin, his wife, has been gathering friends and hiking the local Bruce Trail in memory of Glen. In 2002, she decided to turn the spring hike into a fundraiser for the Bone Marrow Transplant/Leukemia Research Fund. The venture was successful. In its inaugural year, the FOG hike attracted 51 participants and earned $13 500. This year, Kamin is looking to expand the hike among the McMaster community. McMaster University is a renowned centre for bone marrow transplantation and for research into leukemia and other blood disorders. The McMaster University Bone Marrow Transplant/Leukemia Research Fund was established approximately 15 years ago and receives funding entirely through private donations. Since its inception, the FOG hike has become a major contributor to the fund.

Posted on May 20: Student research projects investigate child nutrition, suburban growth, HIV/AIDS in media aimed at women

McMaster students in the Faculties of Social Sciences, Business and Humanities are integrating research and learning this summer with their involvement in the Undergraduate Student Research Awards. The awards are co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President (Research & International Affairs) in partnership with the Faculties and provide students with the opportunity to develop skills, gain experience in the research field and develop a positive working relationship with a faculty member. Twenty research grants of $5,000 were awarded to students in the three Faculties for the summer term. The award winners were selected based on their research proposals and opportunities that they had created with their faculty sponsors. This year, students will undertake research projects involving topics such as representations of HIV in the media, the access of women into political parties, nutrition, and international labour standards. "This program is a great example of the Faculty's commitment to experiential education," said Alan Harrison, Faculty of Social Sciences dean. "The students who participate enjoy a wonderful opportunity to experience research first-hand and are able to relate this experience to their future studies." The number of available awards has doubled since the inaugural program launched last year. This year, the Faculty of Social Sciences received 10 awards, the Faculty of Humanities received six awards and the School of Business received four awards.