Daily News

Posted on May 6: McMaster Alumni Association recognizes student achievement

At a recent small ceremony in the University Club, Ian Cowan, president of the McMaster Alumni Association, presented fifth-year medical and health physics student Kara Schnarr with the Albert Lager Prize for Student Alumni Relations. The Albert Lager Prize for Student Alumni Relations was created by the Alumni Association to recognize the efforts of students in fostering a relationship between students and alumni, and in sharing the goals of the Alumni Association with students. Schnarr has been involved with the Alumni Association since co-ordinating the 20th anniversary reunion event for the Emergency First Response Team (EFRT). On at least two occasions, she has gone out of her way to bring together alumni and current students. In 2001, Schnarr was the co-ordinator of the National Conference for Campus Emergency Responders (NCCER) at McMaster. One of the priorities with the conference was to highlight the contributions of McMaster's students and alumni to the development of emergency response services. The program featured presentations by McMaster students and alumni, including Eddie Wasser '86, '89. Waser is the founder of the emergency response program at McMaster, the very first program of its kind in Canada. In planning the 20th Anniversary Celebration of EFRT at McMaster, Schnarr made outstanding attempts to include both students and Alumni. She solicited McMaster Student's Union support and helped to foster a lasting partnership between the MSU and the MAA. She also made special arrangements for non-paying guests to attend after dinner to ensure current students, no matter their means, would be able to share in the joint student-alumni event. In the end, the EFRT 20th Anniversary Celebration brought together more than 70 alumni and students to celebrate a uniquely McMaster achievement.

Posted on May 6: Examining the past to discover the future

Current and future directions in Canadian archaeology will be explored at the Canadian Archaeological Association's 36th annual conference hosted by McMaster May 7 to 10. Topics will range from research at national historic sites of Canada, archaeology of health and forensic anthropology. Archaeologists from across Canada will attend the three-day conference, hosted by McMaster for the first time. "There will be a very wide range of topics discussed," says conference co-ordinator Aubrey Cannon, associate professor of anthropology. Topics will span North American archaeology from 12,000 years ago to the recent historical past to archaeology of the future, he says. Hence the conference title, "Current and Future Directions in Canadian Archaeology". "Individuals coming to the conference will take away a wide range of the current thinking in archaeology and the current directions of Canadian archaeology," Cannon says. The conference will be particularly beneficial for students, he notes. "It is important to get students involved because they will set the future directions of archaeology." The conference will open with a reception in the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) marketplace on May 7 at 7 p.m. Conference sessions will take place May 8-10. Click here for the session schedule. Conference attendees may register for daily passes at the registration desk in the lounge area on the third floor of the MUSC each day from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For further details visit http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/caa2003/.

Posted on May 5: Ontario universities ready for double cohort students

McMaster University will do its share to accommodate double cohort students who want to attend an Ontario university this fall. The University expects to enroll about 5,100 first-year students in September. McMaster has committed to the Ontario government that 4,330 of the first-year class will be from the Ontario high school system. "McMaster has always been committed to doing our part to ensure the double cohort class is accommodated this fall," said President Peter George. "Our decision on how many students McMaster can accommodate has always been guided by the importance of maintaining a quality education experience. "The Quality Assurance Fund announced in the recent provincial budget will help us to ensure students continue to receive the educational experience they expect. Faculty and staff have worked hard to successfully accommodate increased enrolment this year with the fast-tracker students and we will continue to work together to provide quality education and support services for students." McMaster will be ready to accommodate the additional students with an additional temporary classroom building that will be in place until September 2004 when the new Centre for Learning & Discovery opens. The University recently received $11.3 million in SuperBuild funding from the government for the construction of the building. Dianne Cunningham, minister of training, colleges and universities and presidents of Ontario universities confirmed Friday that plans are in place to accommodate 70,000 Ontario high school graduates at Ontario universities this September. "Beginning with our plan for students in the double cohort, we have clearly put Ontario at the forefront in Canada in building a postsecondary system that will prepare our students fo the opportunities of the 21st century," said Cunningham.

Posted on May 5: Meagan Haney takes over reins of women’s rugby program

McMaster's Department of Athletics and Recreation announced the appointment of Meagan Haney as head coach of the women's rugby team. A graduate of The University of Western Ontario, Haney brings both a strong coaching and playing background to the Marauder Women's Rugby program. Haney has coached with the Ontario Women's Under 19 team on three separate occasions (2000, 2002-2003) and has coached at Mentor College in Mississauga since 2001. She has also coached at a number of rugby clinics throughout the golden horseshoe. As a player, Haney was a three-time team MVP (1995-97) while at The University of Western Ontario. She has continued to compete at the club level winning numerous provincial and national championship titles since graduating from Western. Haney has also competed as a member of the Canadian Senior Women's National team since 1999 having participated in such events as the Tri-Nations Tournament in New Zealand and the CanAm event in Saranac Lake, New York. In addition to her involvement with amateur rugby, Haney volunteers with a number of charitable organizations such as Special Olympics Canada. Manager of athletics Tim Louks commented, "We are very excited Meagan has accepted the position of our women's rugby program. She is a great choice to build on what has been done in the past and to move the program ahead immediately. We believe that this program can be a CIS contender with dedication, energy and patience. Meagan Haney will bring all that and more to the program." Haney is currently employed at Mentor College as a teacher and rugby coach. She currently resides in Burlington.

Posted on May 2: McMaster leads first study to track West Nile virus in Canada

McMaster researchers are partnering with the Ontario government to conduct the first Canadian study that will help protect the public from West Nile virus. Tony Clement, Ontario minister of health and long-term care and Colin D'Cunha, Ontario commissioner of public health were at McMaster today to announce the study that will determine the extent of community exposure to West Nile virus, in an area of Halton Region where the virus was known to be prevalent last summer. About 1,500 people are involved in the study, conducted by McMaster's medical geographers John Eyles and Susan Elliott and Mark Loeb, an infectious diseases specialist. This is the first study in Canada to track the prevalence of West Nile virus. Their study, conducted through the McMaster Institute of Environment and Health, is focused on residents of southern Oakville, who had the highest rates of confirmed cases in Canada last year. The objective is to gather information on how many people were infected by the virus last summer but did not exhibit serious symptoms of the illness. Participants have already been surveyed about their attitudes and behaviours toward the virus, and a blood sample will be taken to determine if there is a presence of the West Nile virus antibody. Blood sample collections will be completed in early May and results of the tests will be completed by mid-June and made available to the people who participated in the study. The announcement is part of the government's new seven-point action plan to combat West Nile virus, in which they are investing $100 million over five years.