Daily News

posted on Jan. 4: McMaster Library receives collection of Icelandic sagas

The Viking Icelanders first set foot in North America 1,000 years ago. The occasion was marked at McMaster last month with the presentation of a special collection of Icelandic sagas. Outlaws, rogues and champions. Regional feuds, horse fights and love stories. These and other sagas are presented and told in a beautifully illustrated and bound five-volume collection given recently to the McMaster University Library by the people of Iceland. The volumes contain 40 Icelandic sagas and 49 tales that have been translated, for the first time, into English from Icelandic. Titled The Complete Sagas of Icelanders: Viking Age Classics, the collection published by the Leifur Eriksson Publishing Limited, is one of 500 sets of the famous sagas that are being distributed throughout North America as a cultural gift from the people of Iceland to the people of Canada. Saga literature has been a national treasure in Iceland for centuries, although it remained unknown elsewhere until it began to be printed in the 17th century. The stories describe the events surrounding the discovery and settlement of Iceland, and became an endless source of knowledge and wisdom, entertainment and brilliant language.

posted on Dec. 21: Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from the Daily News. The University will be closed from Monday, Dec. 24 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, reopening on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Classes resume Monday, Jan. 7. Most campus services are closed for the holiday period. Go to Hospitality Services for a listing of dining facility operating hours. Go to the Library Web page for hours of operation. Security will be on duty throughout the holiday period, providing services 24 hours a day. Officers will be patrolling campus, answering alarms and monitoring security systems. For assistance, call security at ext. 24281. The Daily News returns Wednesday, Jan. 2. Photo by Kelly Curwin

posted on Jan. 2: New provost takes up duties today

Ken Norrie, Prairie-born and Alberta raised, today begins his post as McMaster's provost and vice-president academic. Norrie's five-year appointment officially began Jan. 1. Born in Saskatoon, Norrie, 55, was educated at the University of Saskatchewan where he obtained an honours degree in economics in 1967. He completed his master's and PhD at Yale University, graduating in 1971. His dissertation was titled The Canadian National Policy and the Wheat Economy. Norrie said he expects to continue broadening his knowledge, learning about disciplines in engineering, science and health sciences in his new role. "That's what I'm really looking forward to," he said. Norrie said he was attracted to McMaster's "notion of a planning culture," its commitment to an academic plan, mission and vision and the integration of teaching and research and emphasis on interdisciplinary work. The challenges of his new position are easy to list, he said. "This is a whole new environment, a new university, a new culture and a new government to work with," he said.

posted on Dec. 20: First recipient of new staff award in Faculty of Engineering honoured

Faculty and staff in the Faculty of Engineering yesterday celebrated the awarding of the new Veronicka Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service. Dean Mo Elbestawi announced that the inaugural recipient is Anna Sciascetti, administrative assistant in the dean's office. Sciascetti has been a full-time employee for the past 12 years. The staff award was formerly launched last spring by former engineering dean Mamdouh Shoukri, in memory of Veronika Czerneda, administrative co-ordinator in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, who died in July 2000. Engineering faculty spearheaded a fundraising campaign to create an endowment for a staff award that would be given in honour of Czerneda's many years of service. The award is to go to a staff member who made an outstanding contribution to the Faculty. Three of the eight nominations received this year nominated Sciascetti. As well as a framed citation, Sciascetti received $500 from the interest earned on a $10,000 endowment fund established from the fundraising campaign. Eighty-four donors, including alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends, contributed to the endowment fund. Sciascetti's 14 nominators wanted her to know her work and her approach to the job are highly valued. "We see it only fitting to honour Anna in this very special way and to send a message to her that her efforts have definitely not gone unnoticed," one nominating letter said. A second letter noted, "Anna is blessed with an exceptionally cheerful disposition and it's always uplifting to pass her in the hallways as she goes about her responsibilities." Award Winner: Anna Sciascetti and Phil Czerneda hold the plaque marking the new Veronicka Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service. Photo by Barb Owen (End of story)