Daily News

Posted May 31: Engineering alumni share their career experiences with students

Six engineering alumni accepted Engineering Physics' invitation to participate in their tenth annual forum, a panel discussion of work experiences shared with other alumni, students and professors. On the last day of classes, the panel of engineering professionals shared their insight into the career paths they have chosen since graduating with an engineering degree from McMaster. Graduates of the Engineering Physics program have a wide variety of job experiences, ranging from the telecom industry (Nortel and Bell Canada) to the nuclear and service industries. The alumni representatives stressed that there is a need to have on-the-job presentation and writing skills to succeed in the job market. The panel also emphasized the importance of demonstrated leadership and teamwork qualities as well as time management skills. They highlighted problem solving abilities and a broad, general knowledge base as assets in the workplace. Each panel member discussed their current careers and provided anecdotal comments to help connect the audience to their "real-world" experience. When asked to cite those courses that were most useful in preparing them for their careers, the responses were varied. Panelist Pete Aspros said his English course proved invaluable to his daily communication at Nortel Networks. Steve Tritchew, a strategist in new product development at Wescam, works half time in marketing, applying budgets and presentations --he finds he is continually learning. Tritchew suggested developing a solid base for understanding fundamentals and principles in math and materials applications. All agreed that a broad-based engineering education affords flexibility in the workplace. Dave Kingdon, safety & licensing analyst, Atomic Energy Canada, noted that at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), more general engineering applications are used. Kingdon adds that the most interesting aspect of his job was the challenge of problem-solving. While the focus of the forum was to share career experiences, Dan Turow, senior director of marketing at Genesis Microchip Incorporated, noted there is another, equally important dimension. "Work and dedication is important in the workplace," Turow explains, "You must learn to put balance in your life, as a personal choice." PHOTO: Panel particants Dan Turow, Steve Tritchew, Ian Craig, Pete Aspros, Rash Patnaik and Dave Kingdon

Posted May 31: Alumni Gallery celebrates 20 years with 12 new inductees

Alumni Weekend 2002 marks the official launch of the Alumni Gallery's twentieth year. Started by a group of alumni to recognize the achievements of other Mac grads, the Alumni Gallery has become the most widely recognized honour offered by the McMaster Alumni Association. Alumni Gallery members exemplify how McMaster alumni positively affect and contribute to society. This year's inductees are business leaders, innovators in the creative arts, scientists, health sciences researchers, and policy makers. 2002 Alumni Gallery Inductees William Cody '46, B.A. Faculty of Science A botanist with the National Research Council of Canada, Willliam Cody has focused his research on the flora and fauna of Northern Canada and he is widely considered to be Canada's foremost expert on Canada's northern flora. His studies led to the publication of five award-winning books, including Flora of the Northwest Territories in 1996. Harold Cowie '62, B.Div. Faculty of Divinity (posthumously) Harold Cowie's diverse and interesting career took him all over the globe. His work included archeological digs in Israel; teaching in Jamaica; helping coordinate ophthalmic treatment for people in Asia, Africa, and South America in his capacity as Associate Director, Overseas Development for Operation Eyesight Universal; as well as serving as a minister at various churches in Ontario. Hertzel Gerstein '89, M.Sc. Faculty of Health Sciences Hertzel Gerstein is an associate professor, director of the division of endocrinology & metabolism at McMaster, and director of the diabetes care and research program for Hamilton Health Sciences. He currently leads the Diabetes Reduction Approaches with Rampril and Rosiglitazone Medications study (DREAM) which tests the possibility that certain drugs may prevent Type 2 diabetes. B.Connor Johnson '33, B.A., '34, M.A. Faculty of Science (posthumously) Connor Johnson's discovery that vitamin K is an integral part of the clotting mechanism opened the investigative world for vitamin K. Until his death this past March, Johnson continued his research work, most recently on obesity, caloric intake and life span. Bartha Maria Knoppers '72, B.A. Faculty of Humanities Bartha Maria Knoppers is a professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Montreal and Senior Researcher and Counsel to the law firm Borden, Ladner, Gervais. She was a member of the International Bioethics Committee of the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization that drafted the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights. Currently, she is Chair of the International Ethics Committee of the Human Genome Project. Michael Lee-Chin '74, B.Eng. Faculty of Engineering Although his degree is in Engineering, Michael Lee-Chin made his career in financial services and mutual funds. Currently chair and chief investment officer of AIC, Michael Lee-Chin shares his good fortune with the community by supporting such diverse causes as Ronald McDonald House, the Black Community Achievement Awards, Joseph Brant Hospital and the Burlington Art Gallery. Karen Maidment '81, B.Com. Faculty of Business When Karen Maidment accepted the position of executive vice-president and chief financial officer with Bank of Montreal in 2000, she became one of the highest-ranking women in Canadian banking. Despite her busy career, Maidment continues to be active in her community, including acting as treasurer for the Cambridge Winterhawks Junior B Hockey Team. Basanti Majumdar '87, M.Sc. Faculty of Science As a professor of nursing at McMaster University, Basanti Majumdar is instrumental in bridging the University and ethnocultural communities. As well, she has committed her professional research and personal pursuits to community health care throughout the world with a focus on both the empowerment of women and the HIV and AIDS crisis. Dawn Martens '86, B.A. Faculty of Humanities Dawn Martens is an educator with a passion for opera. As the artistic director of the Buchanan Park Opera Club, Martens has not only fostered an appreciation of opera in the over 400 individual students who have taken part in annual performances, she has also used these performances to help raise $11,000 for McMaster's Children's Cancer and Leukemia Fund. Thomas Mason '90, Ph.D. Faculty of Science Through his research, Thomas Mason earned an international reputation for his groundbreaking work in the underlying origins of superconductivity. He is now the director of the spallation neutron source project in Oakridge, Tennessee. Mason continues to be involved in his community by lecturing on the role of science to student, church and seniors' groups. Dermot Nolan '69, B.A. Faculty of Humanities Dermot Nolan is a former professional actor with the Stratford Festival who has practiced law in Hamilton for 26 years. He is a former president of both the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Hamilton Law Association. His volunteer work includes membership on community boards of Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Peter's Hospital. Miriam Stewart '67, B.Sc.N. Faculty of Health Sciences In 1999, Miriam Stewart was awarded the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Health Senior Scholar Award. She is currently professor of nursing and in public health sciences, faculty of medicine at the University of Alberta. She has served on numerous national and provincial foundations, government committees, and community groups on health research and policy. The Alumni Gallery reception and induction ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday June 1 in Convocation Hall.

Posted May 30: May@Mac a success

Hundreds of staff, faculty and student volunteers welcomed almost 5,500 visitors to campus for May@Mac, the University's spring open house. The not-so-spring-like weather didn't deter prospective students, their families and friends from enjoying the full slate of activities offered across campus. "This is a unique opportunity to showcase the University from one end of campus to another--visitors were travelling from the Ivor Wynne Centre to the Institute for Applied Health Sciences and enjoying all the activities between and beyond those areas of the University," says Bonnie Crocker, student liaison officer. There were 18 checkpoints across campus, manned by volunteers who offered assistance to those visitors who chose a self-guided tour or helped direct others to various events. University volunteers were the key to the success of the open house--serving at displays, doing lab tours, presentations and encouraging hands-on participation from prospective students. "The success of May@Mac was the result of the cooperation and participation of so many people across campus," says Crocker, and this success was reflected in the comments from those who attended the open house. "The feedback indicated that our visitors were pleased with how well-organized we were, how much there was to see and do, how much fun they had and how great our campus looked," notes Crocker. "Whether it was climbing the stairwells in University Hall or sitting in the lobby of the new student centre, they were impressed with McMaster." (End of story)

Posted May 31: New McMaster residence proposals

A McMaster staff team has been assembled to review and consider several innovative proposals for additional university student residences. Committee chair Roger Trull, vice-president of University Advancement, acknowledges the value of additional housing to serve McMaster students and potentially ease the impact on the neighbourhoods surrounding the University as our student body continues to grow. Under Trull's leadership, the committee is currently reviewing a number of residence proposals. One such proposal includes a potential partnership with a private sector developer who has received support from the City of Hamilton to build a residence in the downtown core that would accommodate senior undergraduate and graduate students. The proposal provides an opportunity to achieve the potential benefits of addressing student housing requirements while supporting the City's downtown redevelopment initiatives as well as the business interests of the developers. But such potential benefits must be balanced with the University's priorities of providing adequate and reasonably priced housing options that meet the needs of our students. Despite the potential benefits of the downtown residence proposal and recent media reports about the City's approval to provide an interest-free loan to the developers to support the project, the proposal is far from the approval stages at McMaster. The staff team will continue to review this proposal as well as others, and will work towards developing recommendations to the appropriate internal committees by the fall of this year. "The committee appreciates the support that the City of Hamilton is providing to the project developers' initiative to partner with McMaster in a unique student housing proposal for the downtown core," says Trull. "Absolutely no commitment has been made to date to proceed with the proposal, but the committee will give it serious consideration along with the other potential proposals. We'll be requesting the input of various McMaster committees who need the opportunity to review and comment, and then we will aim to present final recommendations to the Board of Governors." The staff team dedicated to reviewing the student housing proposals includes the following McMaster representatives: Roger Trull, chair, vice-president, University Advancement; Fred A. Hall, vice-president academic; Andrea Farquhar, director of public and government relations; Pat Harris, student liaison; Cathie Miller, director of housing and conference services; Jennifer Kleven, co-ordinator of off-campus housing; Evan Mackintosh, president, McMaster student union; Shano Mohan, inter-residence council president; Gina Robinson, director of student services, student affairs, Lilian Scime, assistant vice-president, administration; Marc Filion, grad student association; and Linda Axford, University planner. (End of story)

Posted May 30: Straight 12s earns drama student Governor General’s medal

She has received straight 12s in all four years of study at McMaster. This distinction has earned Beth Zdriluk the Governor General's Academic Medal this year, making her the top McMaster undergraduate student. A McMaster Scholar, Zdriluk graduates from the Faculty of Humanities on June 5 with a combined honours BA in drama and psychology. Her academic record is impressive. She had held numerous awards and scholarships: H. L. Hooker Entrance Award, Amelia Hall Scholarship, University Scholarship, Sears Canada Scholarship, Dofasco Scholarship, Drama Book Prize, and the Eleanor Dornbush Marples Prize in Drama. She will study for her PhD at the University of Toronto this fall. "I applied for their MA program, but then was offered to go straight into their PhD program," she says. Although unsure now of what she will study, Zdriluk is interested in Canadian theatre. Her scholarship is complemented by a host of volunteer and community activities. She has been a volunteer in both drama and mathematics for high school students in Burlington for several years. She has worked with students to help develop their natural talents in performance, design, music and theatre, recently serving as co-director and musical director of the student production, Godspell. She has lectured to high school students on the Canadian, Greek and Elizabethan theatre as well as several of the major theatrical styles and movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. She plans to continue her work with high school students after graduation, assisting with drama studies and providing some tutoring. Since June 1995 Zdriluk has been heavily involved in the Centre Stage Productions Community Theatre Group. In May 2000 she travelled to Nova Scotia as a performer in a show chosen to represent all of Ontario at the Liverpool International Theatre Festival. She has also been a member of the Sears Drama Festival Organizational Team in Halton since 1993. She is also a member of the Front of House Crew. Her work has covered all facets of the theatre industry. She was costume designer for the fall 2000 production at McMaster of Pericles, Prince of Tyre. She has served as both a performer and designer for Centre Stage and earned awards for performance, set design and vocal arrangement at the Sears Drama Festival (1994-98). At McMaster she has been a TA for Drama 1AA3, worked as a research assistant on a study of Victorian Hamilton and been a volunteer for patients in Ward 3A at Hamilton Health Sciences. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honours Society. In addition to the Governor General's medal she also receives the Amelia Hall Gold Medal and the Dean's Medal for Excellence in the Humanities. (End of story)