Daily News

Posted on May 14: New Faculty of Humanities dean appointed

Nasrin Rahimieh will join McMaster July 1 to assume the post as the new dean of humanities. She comes to McMaster from the University of Alberta where she is a professor of comparative literature and former associate dean of the Faculty of Arts for Humanities. "We are fortunate to have found a candidate for this important position who is so closely aligned with McMaster's goals to build on strong, innovative teaching and research programs, and to bring the benefits of research into the classroom," says provost Ken Norrie. "Nasrin is an accomplished scholar who has been recognized by students as a great classroom teacher, a supporter of graduate education, and a strong administrative leader." A graduate of Dalhousie University and the University of Alberta, Rahimieh joined Alberta's department as an assistant professor of comparative literature, religion, film/media studies in 1989. She specializes in the study of modern Iranian fiction, writing by Iranian and Middle Eastern women, and literature of exile and displacement. "I have always been energized by the experience of working across different disciplines and the interdisciplinary nature and innovative programs for which McMaster is so well known are a perfect fit," Rahimieh says. "I'm looking forward to becoming more familiar with the departments and programs in the Faculty and to getting to know the faculty, staff and students and their goals for moving forward." Rahimieh replaces Daniel Woolf who moved to the University of Alberta last year to become dean of arts.

Posted on May 13: History students sweep colloquium awards

It was history repeating itself for McMaster students at the second annual History Undergraduate Colloquium at the University of Waterloo. First, third-year honours history student Sarah Linfoot won first prize for her paper entitled "Representations of Women." Then, fourth-year honours history student Bronwen Margrath won first prize for her paper on, "The French Resistance: Myth and Reality." And in the third and final category, fourth-year honours history student Laurie Jacklin won first prize for her paper, "Crime, Violence, and Mental Disorder at the Rockwood Lunatic Asylum, 18801900." The three McMaster history undergraduate students, who competed against students from the University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University, the University of Guelph and The University of Western Ontario, each won $100 in Chapters/Indigo gift certificates, donated by the University of Waterloo. The theme of the colloquium was "What Does the Past Mean to You?" This was the second event in an ongoing series of annual colloquiums where undergraduates from McMaster, Western, Guelph, Waterloo and Laurier are invited to present the work produced in Level III or Level IV undergraduate classes. "I am really pleased about our successes at the colloquium, and I think it reflects positively on the History Department at McMaster," says Margrath, president of the McMaster Undergraduate History Society. "I think it is important to note that the academic excellence at McMaster goes beyond the more well-known areas of health science and engineering." McMaster assistant history professor Karen Balcom assisted the students in their submissions. "Karen Balcom really got behind and supported the students entering the competition, with her characteristic non-stop enthusiasm and dedication," said Jacklin. "She freely gave of her own personal time and made, what first seemed to be, a very daunting process into something that we students could manage. Our results directly reflect the standards of excellence of the professors in the History Department, as exemplified by Dr. Balcom."

Posted on May 13: Thirty-one to receive degrees at Divinity College Convocation

Divinity College will confer degrees on 31 McMaster graduands at its annual Spring Convocation ceremony today (Tuesday, May 13). The graduation will be held at 8 p.m. in Convocation Hall. Honorary degrees will be presented to Neil Snider, president of Trinity Western University and Leonard Cullen, a Canadian horticulturist and long-time member and supporter of the Baptist Church. R. Neil Snider, Doctor of Divinity Neil Snider has been president of Trinity Western University in British Columbia since 1974. Born in Alberta, he received his theological training at Briercrest Bible Institute (now Briercrest Bible College) in Caronport, Saskatchewan. He received his BA in 1962 from the University of Winnipeg. He went on to study psychology and educational administration at the University of Manitoba, receiving his B.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees from the university in 1967 and 1970. He completed his PhD at the University of Oregon, where his main areas of study were higher education and educational administration. In addition to having special interests in higher education and educational administration, Snider has also studied the sociology of complex organizations and organizational theory. Prior to joining Trinity he was dean of faculty, dean of students and acting president of Winnipeg Bible College. His duties at Trinity are complimented by a rigorous speaking schedule that takes him to churches and conferences across North America. Snider will give the Convocation address. Leonard Cullen, Doctor of Divinity Leonard Cullen, president of Cullen Gardens, has devoted a lifetime to horticulture and the Baptist Church. Born in Toronto, he started working for landscape gardener John Weall when he was 17. Five years later he purchased Weall's business. Cullen has been involved in the Baptist Church for most of his lifetime, serving as second and then first vice-president of the Toronto Baptist Young Peoples' Union in 1946-1947. He became president of the union in 1948, then deacon of Brook Avenue Baptist Church from 1953 to 1957. He joined the Agincourt Baptist Church in 1958 and continues to be active in this church community today. He has given years of service to the Baptist movement as an active fundraiser and supporter of a variety of church initiatives. To raise funds for one campaign, Cullen and his wife, Connie, biked 800 miles.

Posted on May 13: The sky’s the limit for the next Science in the City Lecture

From man's early beginnings, he has been scanning the night sky and studying the stars. Astronomer Ralph Pudritz says that "star formation is one of the great problems in astronomy. It's been on the minds of astronomers for as long as there has been astronomy." Pudritz, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy will explore the origins of the stars in a free lecture entitled Lighting up the Cosmos: The Origins and History of Star Formation in the Universe . The lecture is the fifth of six in the Science in the City lecture series, a series sponsored jointly by McMaster University and the Hamilton Spectator . In an interview with the Spec (May 12), Pudritz notes that the Orion nebula cluster "is a major laboratory for us to study how star formation works in detail. In cosmic and astronomical terms, it's very rapid but you won't see it zip together in your lifetime." Join Ralph Pudritz tonight (May 13) in the Spectator Auditorium for a journey through time that will take you back to the conditions that may have lead to the formation of the very first stars that lit up the cosmos. This Science in the City lecture will be held at the Hamilton Spectator Auditorium, 44 Frid Street in Hamilton and begins at 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm). The lecture is free and all are welcome.