Daily News

Works of celebrated Hamilton artist enhance learning experience

The Faculty of Health Sciences has graced its educational environment with the works of a well known Hamilton artist. E. Robert Ross, a celebrated artist in Hamilton for more than 25 years, unveiled his most recent work, En Trance, at a celebration in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The painting is of the entrance to the City of Hamilton over the McQuesten Bridge. Two other pieces of Ross's art, Cootes Paradise and Blue Shadows, are currently on view in the Faculty. Ross's work is in addition to 13 other paintings on loan to the Faculty from the private collection of Wynne and Bill Benson. The work enriches the Faculty's physical environment, bringing art and culture to the learning and working experience of students, staff and faculty. Ross's realistic landscape paintings are in many private, corporate and public collections such as those of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Dofasco, Stelco and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. (End of story) Photo: E. Robert Ross with his painting En Trance, a depiction of the High Level Bridge (McQuesten Bridge)in Hamilton. Burlington Bay and Hamilton are on the left, and Princess Point and Cootes Paradise are on the right. The Niagara Escarpment and Hamilton Mountain are in the distance. The acrylic-on-canvas piece was completed in May 2002. Photo credit: Hank Balfoort.

Inquiry experience draws academics to McMaster

It is Canada's premier conference for higher education. It draws premier minds in post-secondary education and it is coming to McMaster. The 22nd annual Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference begins tomorrow and runs till Saturday. Co-chairs of the organizing committee, Dick Day and Sylvia Riselay, from the Centre for Leadership and Learning, hope that this year's theme will be particularly memorable and relevant. Explains Day, "All of the conferences have themes, but they haven't related strongly to conference events." McMaster's theme, Fostering the Spirit of Inquiry, shapes many of the presentations being given over the four-day event. Organizers have encouraged participants to submit proposals that address the theme of inquiry. Along with the sessions, this STHLE conference is offering a new experience for certain participants - a chance to participate in the inquiry experience first hand. Applicants had the opportunity to sign up to participate as inquiry students. "Inquiry students will be meeting together in groups based on their primary interest in education, and they will form an important question about an issue in education, and will use conference sessions and lecturers to answer that question," Day explains. "We're showing, not telling. It's hands-on experiential learning at its best."Nearly half of the conference's participants, 177 people, signed up for the inquiry experience. When McMaster University last hosted a STLHE conference in 1988, 234 people participated. This year, more than 400 people are registered to attend, and there are nearly 200 sessions.

Posted on June 11: University Advancement team wins five medals for excellence

Two gold. One silver. Two bronze. Not Canada's medal count from the last Olympics, but McMaster's medal count from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) Prix D'Excellence annual awards program. The Prix D'Excellence is an Olympic event of sorts for the CCAE, honouring "outstanding achievement in alumni affairs, public affairs, development, student recruitment and overall institution Advancement." The Prix D'Excellence awarded medals in 33 categories this year and McMaster's tally of five medals placed the University's Advancement team among the top six universities in the country. "Winning the Prix D'Excellence awards only confirms what I've always known to be true about the group of people who work so hard to advance McMaster University. Our University is known for its innovation and commitment to excellence and the University Advancement team reflects this commitment in the communications we produce, the events we host and our Web innovations," says Roger Trull, vice-president, University Advancement. McMaster garnered medals in the following categories: Gold Best E-Innovation in Public Affairs, Marketing and Communications Daily News Electronic Calendar of Events Best Brochure Alumni Stories Silver Best Alumni Event Alumni Day (2001) Bronze Best Alumni or Volunteer Recognition Profiles Best Special Event Changing Tomorrow Today Campaign Celebration