Daily News

Posted on Sept. 9: Pat Quinn kicks off alumni luncheon series

Pat Quinn, head coach of Canada's gold medal winning men's ice hockey for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and general manager and head coach of The Toronto Maple Leafs, will open McMaster's fall luncheon series Thursday. McMaster alumni are invited to go one-on-one with Quinn as he talks on his career, his Olympic memories and the drive to bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto. Steve Milton, sports writer for the Hamilton Spectator will facilitate the interview session with Quinn. The event will be held at the Hamilton Convention Centre, Chedoke Room and begins at 12:15 p.m. with a reception, followed by a lunch at 12:45 p.m. Suggested questions for the Pat Quinn luncheon should be forwarded to alumni@mcmaster.ca and indicate in the subject line Pat Quinn Luncheon Questions or fax to 905-524-1733. The MAC (McMaster Alumni Community) Committee will review the submissions. The MAC Luncheon Series has developed into one of the McMaster Alumni Association's marquee events, attracting business and community leaders as well as alumni and friends of the University with its attention to topical issues presented by high calibre speakers. The committee is expanding the series to include a dinner event to be held at the University. In addition to the Pat Quinn luncheon, the series fall line-up includes: Oct. 2 -- Ajon Moriyama, partner, Moriyama & Teshima Architects and designer of the McMaster University Student Centre, discussing the process behind designing a building that will become the focal point of an already developed campus. Oct. 22 -- Paul E. Kenyon, co-chair, Commercial Production Association of Toronto and president, Absolute Location Support Services discusses Hollywood North: Fact or Fiction. Nov. 7 -- Kevin Smith, president and chief executive officer, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton will take a look into the future of healthcare as he discusses new technologies, disease trends, the impact of gene research as well as other important issues. For more information on the series, to suggest a future speaker or for ticket information call 905-525-9140 ext. 23900, alumni@mcmaster.ca or visit www.mcmaster.ca/ua

Posted on Sept. 9: Researchers research resources, results

Those seeking information on research funding should make a point of stopping by the new University Student Centre Tuesday. McMaster's Office of Research Services is hosting a Research, Resources and Results Fair on Sept. 10 in the student centre market place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thirteen research sponsors, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Centres of Excellence -- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology and Ontario Innovation Trust will be on hand to answer questions and provide students and faculty with research material and information. "Faculty can expose themselves to potential funding opportunities at the research fair," says Emmi Morwald, director of research services. "Students can also talk to sponsors who might have opportunities for them when they graduate." The fair will expose faculty to potential funding opportunities they may not otherwise have pursued, adds Donna Burns, assistant director of grants, in the Office of Research Servives. "It will also provide a forum for them to obtain information about funding opportunities, guidelines for applications and meet representatives of the sponsoring agencies." The fair also benefits sponsors, she adds. "It gives sponsors an opportunity to advertise their funding programs and network directly with faculty and the University's administrators," she says.

Posted on Sept. 6: Museum of Art features aspects of everyday life

Car lot tinsel, unraveled sweaters, discarded snapshots and a fense post is art in the eyes of the latest exhibitor at the McMaster Museum of Art. The museum presents Canadian artist and independent curator Germaine Koh, who brings unnoticed aspects of everyday life into sharp focus. In her exhibit, Open Hours, Koh has created a new site-specific installation which will be complemented by her piece Knitwork and various interventions within the museum building and on the University campus. Among the eight works in this exhibition, which runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 20 are: 4w 2d a/c -- a dense pattern of silver car lot tinsel is strung beneath the gallery ceiling to reveal the hidden currents of air. This work is inspired in part by the museum's intensive overhaul of air filtration systems last year Knitwork -- a growing length of knitting (now at 60 meters), reknit from discarded sweaters, serves as a sublime and absurd monument to everyday tasks and an index of time Sightings -- a series of postcards created from snapshots found by the artist in public places commemorates individual experiences Counter -- a numerical counter embedded in a wall can be pushed at will to record a history Since 1990, Koh has exhibited extensively across North America. She is currently featured in an exhibition at the Power Plant in Toronto. As a complement to Open Hours, weaving stations will be installed in the museum so that visitors may contribute their own handiwork to the exhibition. The museum is also hosting beginners knitting classes for adults and children in September and October. This program is presented as a complement to the Germaine Koh exhibition. Classes will take place on Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 20 and 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. There is a daily, nominal fee. A lunchtime talk will take place Sept. 11 and 25 at 12:30 pm and a public reception will be held Oct. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. (Artists will be in attendence). For free parking and an invitation, contact the museum at 905-525-9140 ext. 23081 or e-mail: museum@mcmaster.ca

Posted on Sept. 6: Practice makes perfect at McMaster’s new clinical learning centre

Health sciences students starting school this week at McMaster University will have a unique set of simulated clinical experiences at their disposal in a new Clinical Learning Centre, where they can practice everything from interview skills to minimal access surgery without going near an actual patient. "Just as airline pilots practice over and over with flight simulators, our students will be able to repeat and practice their clinical skills in a risk-free environment," says John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty. "McMaster is known for having its students work with real patients from the very beginning of their program, and that's not going to change. But at the Clinical Learning Centre, for instance, a medical student can practice laparoscopic suturing 20 times in a row if necessary -- something that's not possible with a live patient." The $1.1-million Clinical Learning Centre (CLC) will be used every day, providing approximately 840 health sciences students with the opportunity to train in programs such as medicine, nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The centre, a 4,700-square-foot facility located in the lower level of McMaster's Health Sciences Centre, includes 12 examination rooms equipped with two-way glass for observation by instructors and other students. It also includes a lab where computer simulation will be both developed and tested, forming the basis of electronic problem-based learning - the next generation of the world-famous McMaster method.

Posted on Sept. 5: Shoppers Drug Mart commits $750,000 to McMaster University research chair

Shoppers Drug Mart today announced a $750,000 donation to McMaster University to endow a research chair in molecular medicine. Arthur Konviser, senior vice-president, corporate affairs, Shoppers Drug Mart, announced the creation of the John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine at a news conference at McMaster University. Contributions from the University and other donors bring the total funding for this chair to $2 million. The health and well being of the community has always been an integral component of the Shoppers Drug Mart philosophy. "As members of the community healthcare team, we are pleased to support a healthcare initiative of this magnitude," said Konviser. "By working together, Shoppers Drug Mart and McMaster University will make a difference in lives of others suffering from debilitating diseases. The 30 Shoppers Drug Mart stores in the Hamilton area were instrumental in helping us make this responsible contribution." McMaster University is well positioned to lead the world in the development of important biotechnology inventions. The John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine allows for the continuation of research into the development of gene-based medicines that will be used to treat acquired diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and asthma, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Jack Gauldie, chair of McMaster's Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, is the inaugural chair holder. Gauldie is a world-renowned expert in the field of molecular regulations of inflammation and immunity. He coined the term "gene therapeutics" to describe his innovative combination of immunology and gene therapy that is used to stimulate the immune system and fight diseases. Gauldie's team is the first in Canada to use this approach.