Daily News

Posted on March 4: Three McMaster researchers awarded $434,448 in CFI funding

Three more up-and-coming McMaster researchers are the latest recipients of the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) New Opportunities Funding program. A total of $434,448 will provide world-class labs and facilities for the newly recruited faculty members to undertake leading-edge research in their first full-time academic appointment. The funding is part of more than $17.7 million awarded to 97 of the nation's emerging research leaders at 26 Canadian universities. McMaster's recipients are: Paulin Coulibaly, assistant professor jointly in geography & geology and civil engineering, was awarded $207,490 to research high-resolution soil moisture, through measurement, characterization, modeling and hydrologic applications. Geoff Werstuck, assistant professor of medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was awarded $132,719, to study molecular mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus promotes the development and progression of atherogenesis. Yiping Guo, assistant professor of civil engineering, received $94,239 for field research for the control of non-point source water pollution.

Posted on March 4: McMaster, Mohawk, Hamilton Police launch sign amnesty program

McMaster Security Services, in partnership with the Hamilton Police Service and Mohawk College Security, is launching a new Community Road Sign Amnesty Program. The kick-off will take place Wednesday in the McMaster University Student Centre at 9:30 a.m. From March 5-31, anyone in possession of a street sign can drop it off at any Hamilton police station, McMaster Security Services or Mohawk College security office. "The program will enable those in the community who are inadvertently in possession of any street signs, such as road or traffic, the opportunity to return them without fear of prosecution," says Cathy O'Donnell, McMaster's sergeant of crime prevention. "This Program is designed to educate the public about the costs and possible serious consequences of road sign theft." The cost of replacing signs in the City of Hamilton is approximately $300 per sign. The program does not negate criminal charges if a person is found in possession of a sign during this period and is not making a concerted effort to turn it over to the police. The punishment for possession of property obtained by crime is a jail term of up to two years. If a fatal collision was to occur, which was directly due to a sign being stolen, the involved thief could face a charge of criminal negligence causing death, increasing the punishment of jail time. The program was first developed and implemented in 1993 by constable Dave Milsip of the Hamilton Police Service.

Posted on March 3: Shaping McMaster’s future

The future shape of McMaster is the subject of three upcoming open sessions held on campus. As part of Refining Directions, the University's strategic planning process, University President Peter George and Provost Ken Norrie are holding open meetings. The first meetings were held in December to introduce the community to the process. A second set of meetings are planned for this week and next. The first meeting will be held at the Downtown Centre today (Tuesday) from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 216. Other meeting dates and times are: March 12: 8:30 to 10 a.m., McMaster University Student Centre, Room 319, and March 13: 2 to 4 p.m. Health Sciences Centre, Room 2J36-ABCD. The focus of this set of meetings will be on themes and recommendations emerging from reports submitted by six Work Groups on key areas of the University: undergraduate education, research and graduate education, external activities, internal community, planning and managing, and branding. The Work Groups have been meeting since last fall. In mid-February they presented their reports to the Refining Directions Steering Committee. The reports are currently being consolidated into a comprehensive planning document. For more information about this process and the Work Groups, visit Refining Directions.