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posted on August 9: Power outage darkens campus

The McMaster campus plunged into darkness this afternoon (Thursday) after a construction crew at the site of the new residence building hit a power line. No one was hurt in the incident. It took crews until almost 9:30 Thursday evening to restore power. The outage affected the air circulation system and left only emergency lighting in place. The hospital was also impacted by the loss of power but was able to use its back-up generators. Exams that were to be held Thursday evening were cancelled and will be rescheduled.

posted on August 9: Biology student is a future leader in sustainable development

Christopher Somers, a graduate student in the department of biology, has been awarded a 5NR Science for Sustainable Development Postgraduate Scholarship Supplement. The $4,500 supplement is being offered by five federal government departments with the objective of encouraging young scientists to pursue research in environment-related sciences. Somers is one of ten high-caliber students from universities across Canada who are receiving the supplement this year. The supplement will help Somers, a PhD student, carry out his research on the rate of mutation in families of herring gulls on the Great Lakes. His research explores the results of the interactions between organisms and complex chemical mixtures in the environment. Somers will be receiving his award certificate at a ceremony on August 16 in Toronto as part of the Federal Public Service Youth Career Fair. His award is being offered in the name of Dr. Andrew Gilman, a Health Canada research scientist and Director of Health Canada's Sustainable Development Office. Dr. Gilman is a winner of the 5NR Science Awards to Leaders in Sustainable Development. He is being honoured for his work on the control of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the effects of those contaminants on Canada's Aboriginal population. The 5NR Scholarship Supplement and the 5NR Science Awards combine to recognize the importance of present and future generations of scientists devoted to sustainable development. They also aim to strengthen the links between the university and government science communities, while providing mentoring opportunities for gifted young researchers. The 5NR scholarship supplement is offered by Agriculture Canada, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, and Natural Resources Canada. This program is done in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). (End of story)

posted on August 8: The myth of Europa a passion for graduate scholarship winner

The Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are awards that McMaster's graduate students compete for with students from across the province. For each scholarship, universities are required to provide one-third of the $15,000 award, with the government providing the rest. The following is a profile of an OGS recipient: When Bridget Day learned she had been awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) she felt "incredible relief." "I started crying. I was so relieved," she says. "For me to receive the OGS means I don't have to apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) this year. I can pay my own way." Day has a $45,000 student loan debt. "Every time I have to apply for OSAP again it is just heart-wrenching, When I received the OSAP renewal form it was great to be able to toss it out. It was the greatest feeling." In addition to financial relief, the OGS award also gives Day "a sense of personal accomplishment. I feel I've come into my own in my academic career. To have recognition is a wonderful feeling." Day is a PhD student in classics, the study of ancient languages. She received her first McMaster undergraduate degree in psychology, but a passion for "everything about antiquity in the Greek and Roman world" led her to obtain a second undergraduate degree in classics. She has two master's degrees from McMaster, both in classics. She is writing her doctoral thesis on the myth of Europa, kidnapped by the god Zeus, as it has been told in ancient Greek and Latin mythology over the course of 900 years. "I just love the story," she says. "Part of the fascination is how different poets have treated the story." Day's ability to understand ancient Greek and Latin means she can read the poems as they were originally written and does not have to rely on an English translation. Day defines classics as the study of the history, art and archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds. Part of her fascination is "the puzzle of trying to discover what kind of a life it really was. There is always some new way of looking at a different angle of this puzzle and coming up with new ideas. Being a part of collecting a couple of new pieces for the puzzle is very exciting." (End of story)

posted on August 7: Basic science captures graduate student’s imagination

The Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are awards that McMaster's graduate students compete for with students from across the province. For each scholarship, universities are required to provide one-third of the $15,000 award, with the government providing the rest. The following is a profile of an OGS recipient: For Hendrik Nieuwland, a McMaster graduate student in biochemistry, his Ontario Graduate Scholarship award represents recognition of the importance of basic science. "It's nice to be recognized for doing good work, especially in basic science," he says. While clinical research often captures the public imagination, Nieuwland says people tend to forget that basic research makes the clinical work possible. "You can't design the therapeutic research until the basic research is completed." For Nieuwland, the $15,000 award also means he won't have to take another part-time job to pay the bills. That will give him additional time to work in the lab and time to write articles on politics for a Hamilton arts magazine. Nieuwland received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from McMaster and is now working towards his master's degree. He admits to a fascination for "the molecular aspects of biological systems." To describe his graduate work, Nieuwland first begins by explaining that chemotherapy triggers cancer cells to undergo cell death. However there are some proteins that, when brought to a specific location inside a cell, prevent cell death. Some human cancers contain high levels of these anti-death proteins, thus rendering chemotherapy ineffective. These anti-death proteins belong to a specific family of proteins called "tail-anchored proteins," which are the focus of Nieuwland's research. No one knows how these proteins arrive at their specific location within the cell. If researchers are able to discover the factors involved in taking these tail-anchored proteins to their specific cellular locations, this information could have profound implications for cancer research and therapy in the future. Nieuwland is studying a tail-anchored protein named Sss1p. He is working to set up a genetic screen in yeast to identify the factors that target the Sss1p protein to a specific location in the cell called the endoplasmic reticulum, a site where some anti-death proteins function. Yeast has many proteins that are also found in the human body. "If I can find a protein that targets Sss1p in yeast, then maybe I can find the protein in humans," says Nieuwland. (End of story)

posted on August 7: New director of public relations appointed

McMaster has a new director of public and government relations. Andrea Farquhar was appointed to the position effective July 16. Farquhar, who has been associate director of public relations, succeeds former director of public relations Gillian Howard. Howard left the University in April for a position at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Following a national search, we are pleased to announce Andrea's appointment to the position, which has been expanded to include the government relations portfolio," says Roger Trull, vice-president, University Advancement. "Andrea's experience at McMaster and in her previous career has prepared her well to lead this important function at McMaster. She has the respect of the McMaster community as well as the local and national media and I know she will do an excellent job building on the success we have had in this area." Farquhar joined McMaster in 1996 as a co-ordinator of external media relations. She was assistant director of media and community relations for two years before being named associate director in the fall of 1999. Prior to joining McMaster, Farquhar was a news anchor at CFRB Mix 99.9 in Toronto and a reporter and assignment editor at CHML/Y95 in Hamilton. "One of the best parts of my time at McMaster has been getting to know the people and areas that comprise the University. I'm looking forward to building on those relationships and to working with the public relations team to promote McMaster and to successfully serve the University's communication needs," says Farquhar. Born in Burlington, Farquhar is a graduate of the University of Toronto in English and history. Her father, Ben Firth, is a McMaster alumnus. She and her husband, Craig, a high school teacher, reside in Hamilton with their son, Cavan, who is almost two. (End of story)

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posted on August 9: Power outage darkens campus

posted on August 9: Biology student is a future leader in sustainable development

posted on August 8: The myth of Europa a passion for graduate scholarship winner

posted on August 7: Basic science captures graduate student’s imagination

posted on August 7: New director of public relations appointed

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