Daily News

Posted May 30: Putting McMaster into perspective

Stop the presses! Today marks the official launch of Perspectives - a new electronic newsletter written by and for McMaster employees! The objective of Perspectives is to provide a bridge between employees at all McMaster locations, to encourage opportunities for employees to learn more about one another, to recognize individual achievement, and to act as a forum for constructive discussion. It is an electronic publication with limited print copies that are available to employees who do not normally have access to computers. Perspectives is managed by an editorial board consisting of 10 members from various locations, departments, bargaining units and employee groups. Board chair Joanne Kehoe states that "Perspectives provides all employees in the diverse and far-flung McMaster community with the ability to communicate about and with one another. It is very much grassroots in nature, and to that extent, it offers a fresh approach to communication and collegiality at McMaster." The newsletter was created based on a recommendation from the staff involvement work group as part of the staff survey follow-up process. An employee newsletter task team was then formed to assess need and niche, and then work out various details of the new newsletter involving content, authorship, readership, format, production, cost, and frequency.

Posted May 29: Ajzenstat, Coleman, Weerasekera win honours

One is described as a walking university. One already holds several awards for educational leadership. Another is a leading figure in developing educational programs for outpatient psychiatry. They are this year's winners of the President's teaching awards and each has made a significant contribution to educational excellence at McMaster. Philosophy professor Sam Ajzenstat, political scientist William Coleman and psychiatry professor Priyanthy Weerasekera take home this year's awards for Excellence in Instruction, Excellence in Educational Leadership and Excellence in Course or Resources Design. Established in 1993, the award provides the opportunity for McMaster to recognize outstanding contributions to education. Each winner receives a citation and memento at Convocation and a $5,000 honorarium. Their names and photographs will be included on McMaster's Wall of Recognition in Gilmour Hall. "I am delighted to extend my congratulations to each of you for this well-deserved honour," says University President Peter George. "McMaster has been well served by your continuing efforts on behalf of teaching and learning, and our University is very fortunate to number you among our most celebrated colleagues."

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)

McMaster researchers awarded $12.6 million in research grants

Twenty-seven new researchers are among the 96 McMaster faculty who have been awarded more than $12 million over five years for research in business, engineering, health sciences, science and social sciences. The $12.6 million in grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) 2002-03 competition are for research, equipment and infrastructure needs. The McMaster grants are part of more than 2,900 new research grants worth $361 million over five years awarded to Canadian university and college professors at 62 Canadian post-secondary institutions. The new University researchers were awarded almost $3 million over a four-year period, the largest number of new McMaster researchers ever funded in a NSERC competition. The average grant for a new researcher increased 11 per cent, from $23,547 in 2001-02 to $26,000 in 2002-03. "Once again the excellence of our research community has been recognized at the national level," said Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president research & international affairs. "We've made significant strides and excelled in a number of areas." Fifty-five McMaster researchers were also awarded $9.63 million over a five-year period in renewal research grants, making this one of the most successful competitions for NSERC funding in the last 10 years. For a complete list of McMaster researchers and their awards, please click on NSERC grants 2002-03. (End of story)

Posted May 28: Three models of student leadership praised, recognized

Not one model of student leadership, but three. This year, University President Peter George is awarding his student leadership awards to three individuals whose exemplary scholarship and service to community provide models of leadership for their fellow students and all members of the McMaster community. Mary-Melinda Gillies (nursing), Arif Manji (Arts & Science) and Leila Salehi (biology) are this year's recipients of the distinguished awards, given to McMaster students in their graduating year who exemplify leadership. The students will receive their awards at Spring Convocation. For biographical information on each winner,