Daily News

posted on Jan. 14: Nobel laureate speaks about technology, tolerance and terror

Nobel laureate John Polanyi will present the J. W. Hodgins Memorial Lecture Tuesday on How Discoveries are Made and Why it Matters: Technology, Tolerance and Terror. The lecture is Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Health Sciences Centre, Room 1A1. Polanyi is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. His research is on the molecular motions in chemical reactions in gases and at surfaces. Educated at Manchester University, England, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University and the National Research Council in Ottawa. His awards include the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London and some 30 honorary degrees from six countries. Polanyi was a founding member of both the Committees on Scholarly Freedom of the Royal Society and an international human rights organization, the Canadian Committee for Scientists and Scholars. He is the current president of this committee. As well, he was the founding chair of the Canadian Pugwash Group in 1960 and has been active for 40 years in International Pugwash. He has written extensively on science policy, the control of armaments and peacekeeping. Polanyi is the co-editor of a book, The Dangers of Nuclear War and was a participant in the recent Canada 21 study of a 21st century defence posture for Canada. The J. W. Hodgins lectureship was established by the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 and supported by donations from corporations and friends, as a memorial to J. W. Hodgins, McMaster's first dean of engineering. The focus of the lectureship is on the engineer in society. (End of story)

posted on Jan. 10: Centre for Continuing Education celebrates new downtown learning space

The Centre for Continuing Education is celebrating its new downtown teaching and learning space on the second floor of the former courthouse. The centre is holding an open house today from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at its new location at 50 Main St. East. The opening marks the first time McMaster has held classes in downtown Hamilton, with winter classes starting today. The City of Hamilton donated the former Wentworth County courthouse property to McMaster for 10 years as a leadership gift to the Changing Tomorrow Today campaign. "It's a win-win situation for McMaster and Hamilton and the surrounding community," said Dale Schenk, director of the Centre for Continuing Education. "McMaster's downtown presence contributes to the ongoing revitalization project and we are fortunate to have such a wonderfully well-equipped facility in which to hold our courses." The former courtrooms, replete with wood panelling, have been transformed into classrooms and some of the centre's program co-ordinators occupy former judges' chambers, equipped with private washrooms. The centre features three state-of-the-art computer labs, 13 classrooms, a high-tech training lab, a student lounge and instructors' rooms. Visitors who attend the open house can take a tour of the new facility, learn more about the centre's 15 certificate and diploma programs and numerous general interest courses and be eligible for prizes. (End of story)