Daily News

Posted on Jan. 22: Grant supports language and literacy skill development

McMaster's Laurel Trainor was awarded $50,000 to help further Canada's goal of improving children's language and literacy skills. The professor of psychology received the grant Tuesday from Stan Keyes, MP for Hamilton West, on behalf of the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network. The Network is part of the Government of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. Entitled "A Longitudinal Study of the Relation Between Pre-Linguistic Temporal Processing and Language Ability," the study investigates a method of identifying infants who might be at risk for future language and reading problems. Findings suggest that language delay and reading impairment are linked to the brain's difficulty to quickly process sound. The research project will measure the electrical brain responses of six-month-old infants as they listen to different lengths of sound. The children will then be followed to study how the processing of sound develops. It is hoped that measures at six months of age might be able to predict future reading success. "If the predicted relation between brain processing and later reading ability is found, we hope to be able to use this test to identify infants at risk for future reading difficulties, and thus provide early intervention," says Trainor. "The Network's research activities focus on early child development because language and literacy deficiencies are best addressed and prevented early in life. The solutions to these problems require collaboration between many scientific disciplines, practitioners and private and public partners. The Network was created to build these linkages and exchanges," said Keyes.

Posted on Jan. 22: Environmentalist David Suzuki opens student engineering conference

Renowned environmentalist David Suzuki is coming to McMaster University as the keynote speaker for a student engineering conference that is focused on the theme of sustainability. Members of the public, including area high school students, are invited to hear Suzuki speak on environmental sustainability on Friday, Jan. 31 at 9:30 a.m. The talk by one of Canada's most recognizable figures in environmental education will take place in the Ivor Wynne Centre gymnasium. Suzuki's Web of Life talk is the keynote address for a two-day gathering of engineering students taking place at McMaster Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The ninth annual Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Student Conference on connections between civil engineering and environmental issues will also include talks on sustainable communities by McMaster engineering professors Brian Baetz and Cameron Churchill.

Posted on Jan. 22: The boy in the box

For three days, he will let his imagination run wild. Secluded in a box, there will be no one to talk to. No influence from the outside world. No media will be allowed to penetrate his mind. Just two video cameras, four walls, a ceiling, a few cans of paint, brushes and some light. James Ruddle, a third-year fine arts student, walked into a box in the atrium of the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) at 2:30 p.m. today. He will only come out for washroom breaks until his final departure from the box on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. During these 72 hours, he will paint the walls and ceiling. "By being segregated from society and secluded for a period of time I hope to create something unique and personal to me that has not been influenced by the media," he said, moments before entering the box. He had no idea what he was going to create, anticipating an idea would come to him once he was inside. The 21-year-old obtained the necessary permission he needed from Risk Management, McMaster Security and MUSC administration. His progress can be viewed live via a television set hooked up to two video cameras. Photo caption: At top, James Ruddle gets ready to paint the walls on the inside of the box. Below, he can be seen live through a television set situated in front of the box. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay

Posted on Jan. 21: Faculty of Engineering appoints new associate dean

The Faculty of Engineering has announced the appointment of Peter Smith to the Office of Associate Dean as of Dec. 1, 2002. McMaster has been home to Peter Smith for the past 25 years, since arriving from Brazil in 1978. He was in the first class to receive the B.Eng.Mgt. degree in computer engineering and management, in 1983. He continued on at McMaster to complete his M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering, in 1985 and 1988, respectively. He joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McMaster in 1987. Smith brings to the office a broad perspective and interest on issues that affect undergraduate students in engineering. He was director of Engineering 1 at McMaster between 1996 and 1999, during a period of rapid expansion to the undergraduate engineering program. He was the student activities chair for the Canadian Region of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) between 1995 and 1997, and has participated in numerous other student-focus programs and activities. He is one of the leading experts worldwide on surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, a subject on which he has co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and for which he was awarded the R. A. Ross Medal by the Engineering Institute of Canada. He has provided leadership as head of the Microwave Acoustics Laboratory at McMaster since 1989. Smith is a senior member of the IEEE and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. Smith replaces Philip Wood who on July 1, 2002 accepted the position of associate vice-president, Student Affairs. Smith has been acting-associate dean in the Faculty since Wood's departure. "Dr. Smith is truly an exceptional educator and scholar who has gained the respect of the engineering student body. He is extremely qualified to provide the necessary leadership for our undergraduate engineering program," remarked Mo Elbestawi, dean of Engineering.

Posted on Jan. 21: Water main break impacts campus

A major water main break in West Hamilton this morning left the University without any water for a short time. Although the water is now back on, director of Physical Plant, Tony Cupido says the temporary shut down has left some offices colder than usual. Water pressure is also a problem in some areas particularly on upper floors of some buildings. If possible it's best to use washroom facilities in the lower floors. "The air in the lines has left us with some problematic areas. We're checking all of the systems and we hope everything will be operating normally by early afternoon," says Cupido. If anyone is concerned about the temperature or water pressure in their area or if there are any other concerns staff, faculty and students are encouraged to call the Physical Plant service desk at ext. 24740.