Daily News

Acting dean of humanities aims to build on Faculty’s strengths

A faculty of golden retrievers would be a dream come true for Howard Jones. They are intelligent, loyal, agreeable creatures. And they don't smell, laughs the newly appointed acting dean of humanities. Jones, who has a strong affection for golden retrievers, has been appointed to his new position for a six-month renewable term beginning July 1. I consider it a distinct honour to assume the office, even for a short time, says the Department of Classics chair, who has served under five deans of the Faculty of Humanities since its founding in 1968. Humanities has a record of excellence in teaching and scholarship of which it is justly proud, says Jones. As custodian of the faculty, he sees one of his roles as assisting in consolidating new initiatives, which have been established over the past three years. He also hopes to help attract top students and faculty to its programs. I see the faculty building upon its proven strengths in traditional areas and, as part of a university with a reputation for innovative approaches to learning, becoming a leader in emerging new disciplines, he says. Howard is an experienced administrator, having served as chair of classics for five years, says provost and vice-president (academic) Ken Norrie. There has been wide consultation on this matter and there is unanimous agreement that this is a most appropriate appointment. Jones received a BA from the University of London, and an MA and PhD from the University of Indiana. He has published on the classical tradition, examining the influence of the classical period on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and is a past winner of the McMaster Students' Union teaching award. Currently, he is training his golden retriever Dickens as a therapy dog and hopes to take him to hospitals to assist with the emotional health of patients. Jones, who says he will fill the position until a new dean is appointed, replaces Daniel Woolf. Woolf, who has served as dean since July 1, 1999, is taking on a new post at the University of Alberta as dean of arts. He leaves McMaster at the end of June.

Smog advisory issued: McMaster spares the air

McMaster is doing its part to fight the war on smog. During smog days, Physical Plant puts away lawnmowers and tree trimmers, in an effort to cut down on pollution. The Ministry of the Environment and Energy has issued a smog advisory for the Hamilton region today. Machines with two-stroke motors, generally found in lawn and garden equipment, are avoided on smog days, says physical plant service coordinator Len Van Hoffen. Two-stroke engines produce a lot of pollution, he says. In two-stroke engines, oil mixes with gasoline, resulting in the combustion of oil. This can lead to machines emitting clouds of oily smoke, according to Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works. Conversely, four-stroke motors, commonly found in cars and trucks, do not mix these fuels. On smog days, physical plant staff are assigned to other tasks, such as garbage pick-up and campus clean-up, Van Hoffen says. During a smog alert, there are a number of actions one can take to help spare the air. Air Quality Ontario advises: leave the car at home - walk, cycle, carpool or take public transit tele-conference instead of driving to meetings limit car trips by doing all errands at once, and do not let the engine idle keep car well tuned, check tire pressure and drive at moderate speeds A smog advisory means that there is a strong likelihood that there may be poor air quality within the next 24 hours due to ground-level ozone and particulate matter.