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posted on July 4: New lounge space for employees in Arthur Bourns, Burke Science

Still missing that lounge you liked in the basement of the Arthur Bourns Building or, years ago, on the second floor? Well, here's some good news for employees who once enjoyed these facilities -- the large room on the second floor (Room 273) will be converted back into an employee lounge. Karen Belaire, vice-president administration, says the Leadership Committee for the Staff Survey implementation has fully endorsed a proposal from the Employee Lounges Implementation Team to restore lounge space in the Arthur Bourns Building and to create new, dedicated lounge space for employees in the Burke Science Building. "As everyone knows, space on campus is at a premium, so finding adequate lounge space is not easy. But we understand that it is important for employees to have areas dedicated for their use and enjoyment. Restoring and creating this lounge space in Bourns and Burke Science will, we are certain, help to strengthen our community by creating an environment for increased communication and by addressing important concerns expressed by employees," says Belaire. The lounges in ABB were popular gathering places for faculty and staff alike. They were lost a few years ago, to the disappointment of many, with the conversion of one space to a testing centre and the other to accommodate the expansion of the Faculty of Engineering's computing & software engineering programs. The relocation this year of the engineering programs to the newly restored T-16 Building means at least some of this space will be restored as a staff lounge.

posted on July 3: Highlights from the June 15 Board of Governors Meeting

Highlights from the June 15 Board of Governors meeting: 2001-02 operating budget approved The Board of Governors approved an operating budget of nearly $200 million . . .

posted on July 3: Sutherland serves as acting provost and vice-president academic

Dean of Science Peter Sutherland has been named acting provost and vice-president academic. The appointment was approved last month by Board and the Senate Committee on Appointments and was effective July 1. His appointment could be for a few months or up to one year depending on how soon a new provost is in place. "Peter brings a wide range of experience to the position and his understanding of the University's success and current priorities will be important to McMaster's ongoing operations," said University President Peter George. Sutherland has informed the Board and Senate that he would not be a candidate for the position. A search is currently under way for a new provost to take up the post. See Search for new provost underway in the Worth Mentioning section of the Daily News for more details. John Drake, director of the School of Geography & Geology, is acting dean of science. (End of story)

posted on June 29: McMaster’s solar car ready to soar

As one observer noted, it looks like something out of the Jetsons. A group of McMaster students and graduates are feverishly putting the finishing touches on the University's first solar car. Some of the team who've worked on the car that looks like a miniature blue-paneled spacecraft unveiled it Wednesday at the Faculty of Engineering's second annual summer barbecue. A team of about 10 plan to race the No. 13 Fireball in this summer's American Solar Challenge, a race that will follow historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. The first test will come July 8 when the car is entered in a qualifier event held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. If it meets the requirements there, then the team will head to the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago for the July 15 kickoff. The solar car race is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and will feature about 40 solar-powered cars built by university teams -- including at least eight Canadian university teams -- and companies and clubs from around the world. The McMaster solar car has been in development for the last four years and made its inaugural debut in the annual solar car race in 1999. That time the car wasn't ready. Team drivers and contributors include Jeff Winter, Tom Rodinger, Ben Zimmermann, Andrew Baerg and Bob Maharaj. They're convinced this summer their pet project -- built with many in-kind donations that would total about $400,000 -- is going to fly. They have spent days without sleep and hundreds of hours assembling the car's components and meticulously placing about 800 small solar cells on the car's body. "We think the top speed could be about 100 kilometres an hour but the average speed for the race will be about 60 kilometres," said Rodinger, a biochemistry graduate and one of the team's three drivers. The team will use the engineering Fireball van to haul the car to the race but they still need two other vehicles to travel with the car on the race route. And they could use some sponsorship so they can eat along the way. And what if the race route through the desert isn't sunny? "We'll go slow and conserve energy," said Rodinger. The car is equipped with a battery that can also juice up the blue machine. SOLAR CAR TEAM: (L) Bob Maharaj, Andrew Baerg, Ben Zimmermann, Tom Rodinger, Jeff Winter UNDER THE HOOD: (L) Jeff Winter, Tom Rodinger Photo: Shelly Easton

posted on June 28: Campus beautification projects include plans for a town square

McMaster will soon have a "town square." That's the term used by physical plant staff to describe one of the campus beautification projects under way this summer. "Everything's coming out," says grounds co-ordinator Len Van Hoffen, referring to grounds area around the University flags. "All the asphalt will be ripped out from the Burke Science Building to the sidewalk, the flower beds, everything except for the flag poles." The plan is to replace the asphalt with grey-patterned concrete that will be set off with lines of white concrete. The raised bed in the Gwen George Garden that often shows the McMaster "M" in flowers will be three times as large and the overgrown junipers behind the raised bed will be replaced with perennials. The garden, which lies empty now following the removal this spring of the shrubs and plants that were there, will be 2.4 metres (eight feet) wider. Van Hoffen says eventually tall fountain grasses, hostas and day lilies will be planted with annuals along the side. Mums will probably be put in first so there will be flowers by early fall. The memorial rock for Gwen George has been removed temporarily while the work is being done and it will be replaced once the garden is refurbished, says Van Hoffen. Eight ironwood trees have already been moved from Hedden Hall and are now on either side of the garden. The large concrete rectangular space between the garden and the Burke Science Building will have new benches. "It will be like a town square where people could make announcements with the garden behind them," says Van Hoffen. The funding for this project is coming from the McMaster University Futures Fund (MUFF). Tenders are being prepared and work will likely begin by early July, Van Hoffen says. Elsewhere on campus trees are being planted thanks to MUFF funding. Van Hoffen says he would like to establish an arboretum walk where people could stroll around campus to look at a variety of different trees. This season he's planning on putting in Amur cork trees, European walnuts, many different varieties of oak, service berries, tulip trees, sycamore and red buds. In addition to the planting of new trees, already established trees are being moved around. A Japanese lilac was moved from behind Matthews Hall to the front of the engineering building. And the Nootka tree in front of Burke Science was moved a bit to the south to make room for the ironwoods. "We take them out with a 10-foot high tree spade," says Van Hoffen. "The 101-inch root ball helps the tree to establish itself and then we give it over 100 litres of water per week and special shock fertilizer." Twenty-five McMaster students are working this summer to keep the campus beautiful. Van Hoffen has divided them into three different crews: mowing, gardening and tree-planting. "We couldn't run without them," says Van Hoffen. Other projects planned to make the campus more beautiful include the hanging of flower baskets along University Avenue and the planting of a variety of different types of day lilies around Thode Library so there will be blooms all summer long. GREEN THUMBS: Fourth-year kinesiology student Jennifer Viveiros (L) and fourth-year chemical engineering student Jessica Pigeon are part of the campus landscaping crews this summer. Photo: Shelly Easton

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posted on July 4: New lounge space for employees in Arthur Bourns, Burke Science

posted on July 3: Highlights from the June 15 Board of Governors Meeting

posted on July 3: Sutherland serves as acting provost and vice-president academic

posted on June 29: McMaster’s solar car ready to soar

posted on June 28: Campus beautification projects include plans for a town square

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