The New World of Work / McMaster & WWII / Then and Now
LIFE SAVER
How McMaster’s nuclear reactor (and the iodine-125 it produces) helped save the life of Alan Switzer ’72
THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
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VOL. 29, NO. 2 - FALL 2014
contents
Features 14 21 24 32
Life Saver The New World of Work McMaster & World War II Then & Now
6 6 8 9
$50 million gift from DeGroote
14
Cruikshank named Dean of Humanities Yusuf inducted into Medical Hall of Fame Scientists find kryptonite for superbugs
Regulars
10 26 30 31
MEET McMASTER ALUMNI ALBUM IN MEMORIAM
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10 McMaster Times is published two times a year (spring and fall) by the Office of Public Relations in co-operation with the McMaster Alumni Association. It is sent free of charge to University alumni and friends. Non-alumni subscriptions are available at $15 (Canada and U.S.A.) and $20 (foreign). Please make cheques payable to McMaster University. Ideas and opinions published in the McMaster Times do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, the McMaster Alumni Association or the University. Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed. National and local advertisers are invited.
30%
Publisher Andrea Farquhar
Editorial Assistant Andrew Baulcomb ’08
Editor Gord Arbeau
Advertising Sales Office of Public Relations 905-525-9140, ext. 24073
Art Director JD Howell ’04
ALUMNI DIRECTIONS
McMASTER WRITES has been moved to a new home on the Daily News. Visit dailynews.mcmaster.ca to view the latest group of alumni authors.
The New World of Work / McMaster & WWII / Then and Now
On the cover
McMaster alumnus Alan Switzer, a prostate cancer survivor, examines a
LIFE SAVER
vial of iodine-125, a medical isotope
How McMaster’s nuclear reactor (and the iodine-125 it produces) helped save the life of Alan Switzer ’72
produced at the McMaster Nuclear
Editorial Communications 905-525-9140, ext. 23662 mactimes@mcmaster.ca
Reactor and used in Switzer’s treatment. Story on page 14 THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
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Contributors Andrew Baulcomb ‘08, Colin Czerneda ‘05, Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary),
Michelle Donovan, Wade Hemsworth ‘87, Karen McQuigge ‘90, Allyson Rowley, Sandra Stephenson ‘78. Officers, Alumni Association Mark Stewart ‘06 & ‘10, president; Bill McLean ‘90, past-president; Sandra Stephenson ‘78, vice-president; Don Bridgman ‘78, financial advisor; Brian Bidulka ’87, member-at-large; Elaine Kunda ‘95, member-at-large; Brad Merkel ‘85, member-at-large; Krishna Nadella, member-at-large; ‘02 Don Simpson ‘79, member-at-large; Jennifer Mitton ‘99, member-at-large; Erin Robertson ‘07, member-
Cert no. SW-COC-2113
at-large; Norm Schleehahn, member-at-large; Chedo Sobot ‘85, member-at-large; ‘91 David Feather ‘85 & ‘89, member-at-large; Stephanie McLarty ‘03, member-at-large; Tanya Walker ’02, member-at-large.
The wood in this product comes from well-managed forests, independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.
Representatives to the University Senate
Representatives to the University Board of Governors
Ian Cowan ‘71 & ‘76; Peter Tice ‘72; Suzanne Craven ’73;
Quentin Broad ’86, ‘88; David Feather ‘85 & ‘89; Brad
Dennis Souder ’70
Merkel ’85; David Lazzarato ’79; Howard Shearer ’77; Mark Stewart ’06.
dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
News
discoveryourmac adventure.ca
Connect to great services and benefits The McMaster Alumni Association is proud to offer a range of services, benefits and special offers to our alumni. Our affinity programs and partners are carefully selected based on reputation, customer service, and the significant savings or exclusive opportunities available to our grads. Take some time to explore our home and auto insurance, health, dental, life and critical illness insurance, credit card, career services, travel partners and special offers. When you take advantage of the benefits available from our affinity partners, revenue is generated enabling the Alumni Association to enhance the experiences of today’s and tomorrow’s students, at no additional cost to you. Our affinity partnerships have allowed us to make contributions such as a $600,000 gift to the McMaster University Student Centre, a $500,000 donation to the David Braley Athletic Centre, ongoing funding of student bursaries and support of many student-run clubs and initiatives. If you’re already participating in our affinity programs, thank you. If not, wouldn’t you rather your insurance or credit card choice make a difference? We invite you to learn more about the services and benefits available to our alumni by visiting our website.
alumni.mcmaster.ca
Across the Full Spectrum T JD HOWELL
his Fall the Global Network of Research Universities, with which McMaster recently became affiliated through its membership in the Canadian U15, will meet in the Netherlands to draft and sign a declaration on the critical importance of the humanities and social sciences as fields of study and as the necessary frame for understanding human activities of all kinds. Because the Global Network includes most of the world’s pre-eminent postsecondary institutions—those of the Russell Group in Britain, the Association of American Universities, the League of European Research Universities, the China 9 association of leading Chinese universities, the Australian Group of Eight, as well as the U15—this will be an event of considerable significance. It should also be no surprise. A movement to bring the humanities and social sciences back into meaningful relationship with the natural and health sciences, technology and business has been gathering momentum across the globe in recent years, driven in part by the recognition not only of educators, but of governments and private sector leaders as well, that a technocratic orientation to society and to its institutions—including the economy— condemns us to a future of unrealized potential and frustrated ambitions. Any problem we confront, no matter how arcane, specialized or technical, is by virtue of that confrontation a human problem, and we will address it best if we are thoughtful, deliberate and informed in the way we approach the human or social dimension. In this vein, schools of business and engineering in North America and Europe are starting to require students to broaden their academic base with courses in the humanities and social sciences, and that is undoubtedly a good thing for what has been called the “rehumanizing” of our society. Since 1945 the progress—indeed the survival—of peoples and societies around the globe has been understood to be inextricably linked to their command of technology, and few would deny that in consequence the arts and humanities have increasingly found themselves isolated and relegated to the margins of public policy and discourse. Now there is welcome evidence of a growing acknowledgment that some sort of correction is required. But we must take care not to replace one Manichean error with another. What is required now is not that science and technology be repudiated or subordinated to the arts, but rather that we escape dualism altogether, recognizing that humanity expresses and strengthens itself in activities across the full spectrum from the narrowly technical to the expansively artistic, and never more so than when the two tendencies are manifest together.
dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
JD Howell
Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary) President, McMaster University
University News Ken Cruikshank appointed Dean of Humanities
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Ken Cruikshank is McMaster’s new dean of Humanities. Both the Board of Governors and Senate confirmed his appointment to a five-year term, effective July 1. The professor of history had previously served as acting dean for one year. “Ken has performed admirably as acting dean and brings outstanding leadership to the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster,” said provost David Wilkinson. Cruikshank joined McMaster’s history department in 1993. He has served in a number of senior roles at McMaster including as chair of the Department of History, as a member of the University’s budget and planning committees, co-chair of the committee to recommend a president and chair of the transition committee for the president-designate.
Glen Grunwald named director of Athletics & Recreation
NEWSLINE What has happened since the last issue...
for Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine It was no ordinary oath ceremony for students graduating from McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in May. They were surprised when the benefactor of the School, Michael G. DeGroote ’92 (honorary), took to the stage to announce a magnificent new $50 million gift. The 200 students, their parents and friends leapt to their feet and grabbed their phones to take pictures and tweet the good news as DeGroote shared why he was renewing his commitment to the University, the School’s success and the future of health care. “Not only have the people here achieved great things, but other donors have told me that my gift has helped inspire them to give, and that is very important to me. As you move forward in your exciting new careers as doctors, please know that I am proud and humbled to have played a small part in your education at McMaster. It is a real privilege to share this moment with you.” The gift will support increased focus on national and international health leadership, including developing stronger ties and alignment with McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business as well as partnerships that focus on biomedical advances. The most exciting component is the creation of a new fund to seed the very best medical research within the Faculty of Health Sciences. The fund will reflect DeGroote’s passion for innovative and creative risk-taking to support the most promising discoveries, move them from the lab to commercialization and ultimately create new jobs and businesses in Hamilton. Read the full story and watch video clips at dailynews.ca. JD HOWELL
Glen Grunwald, a sports and business leader with more than 30 years’ experience, is McMaster’s next director of Athletics & Recreation. “Glen brings a wealth of experience to McMaster. He shares our commitment to providing the best athletic and recreation opportunities for all McMaster students, while ensuring our teams are ready to compete at the highest levels,” said Sean Van Koughnett, associate vice-president, students and learning, and dean of students. Grunwald joins McMaster from his most recent position as executive vice-president and general manager of the NBA’s New York Knicks. He has served as president and CEO of the Toronto Board of Trade, senior vice-president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors and as a member of the board of governors of George Brown College.
$50 million gift will mean even greater heights
APRIL 2014
How do Mac students relieve stress during exams? Therapy Dogs, of course. The Student Health Education Centre teamed up with the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA to bring a pack of friendly, stress-relieving dogs to Mills Memorial Library. The lovable pups were just one aspect of the University’s anti-stress initiatives during the spring exam period.
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MAY 2014
On Bike to Work Day, McMaster staff geared up for a different kind of commute. A group of University staff members participated in the annual pedal-power commuter challenge, which also kicked-off Bike Month across Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area.
New funding to help fight Alzheimer’s The first hints of Alzheimer’s disease in older Canadians may be caught earlier thanks to new biomarkers being developed by McMaster neuroscientist Jennifer Heisz ’04 & ’09 — and a financial shot in the arm from the federal government. Heisz’s Neurophysiology and Fitness Laboratory, based at McMaster’s state-of-the-art Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), was one of 149 facilities at universities across the country to benefit from federal investments through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund. During a visit to McMaster, Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) announced more than $30 million in funding for research infrastructure at 32 universities across the country. Heisz will be using $100,000 for an EEG and setting up sound isolation rooms and an analysis suite just steps away from PACE.
Boris Clinic ‘setting the gold standard’ for health care McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences opened the first phase of a new outpatient clinic that will provide innovative care for adults by placing several medical specialties under one roof within a clinical teaching unit. The goal is to deliver patient-centred health care that is timely and easy to navigate. The Boris Clinic, located at the McMaster University Medical Centre, is funded by Hamilton’s Boris family as part of their $30 million gift to the University in 2012 (benefactor Jackie Work is pictured). A total of $6 million was dedicated to this unique facility, which will enable patients with complex health problems to see several specialists and have related tests during one visit. The inaugural medical director for the clinic is Dr. Akbar Panju, who will also hold the Boris Family Chair in Education and Internal Medicine.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Construction underway at Fitzhenry Studios and Atrium Ground was broken earlier this year at a facility that will reinvigorate and revolutionize McMaster’s fine arts community — the Dr. Robert & Andrée Rhéaume Fitzhenry Studios and Atrium. Once complete in early 2015, the atrium will increase existing classroom, studio and display areas by more than 1,700 square feet. The versatile space will also function as a reception area, with a stunning glass façade rising above Stearn Drive in front of Togo Salmon Hall. “To say this project is close to my heart would be an understatement at best,” said McMaster president Patrick Deane. “We’re celebrating today the beginning of the real work, and we’re also celebrating in anticipation of the future.” The project was made possible thanks to a $3 million gift from alumnus Robert Fitzhenry ’54 & ’09 (honorary) — the largest ever donation to McMaster’s Fine Arts program. Fitzhenry made the gift in honour of his late wife, Andrée, during a ceremony last November.
JUNE 2014
Could this be the first selfie taken while crossing the stage at convocation? New grad Joey Boukhers ’14 paused to take a quick photo with McMaster Chancellor Suzanne Labarge ’67 & ’11 (honorary) just before receiving his degree. More than 5,000 students graduated from McMaster during this year’s spring convocation ceremonies.
MacServe Engage: ‘One of the best decisions I ever made’ Earlier this year, 27 students took part in MacServe Engage service-learning excursions at sites in Hamilton, Costa Rica and the M’Chigeeng First Nation community (pictured). MacServe challenges participants to live in, learn about and critically evaluate issues in a host community. The goal is for participants to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their communities through service experience, cultural workshops and reflection. Learn more at studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca.
JULY 2014
They came, they sautéed, they conquered. McMaster chefs won gold in two out of three categories at the Canadian College and University Food Service Association’s “Uncorking Creativity” competition in Niagara Falls, thanks to a unique menu inspired by early 19th century Canadian cuisine. dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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AWARDS & HONOURS Former McMaster president recognized for work in the arts
UNIVERSITY NEWS
President emeritus Alvin Lee ’89 & ’93 (honorary) received the lifetime achievement award at the 2014 Hamilton Arts Awards. Lee served as McMaster’s president from 1980 to 1990, and was integral in the development of Mills Memorial Library into the renowned facility it is today. He is a prominent literary critic, known for his academic work on the poem Beowolf and his study of the works of fellow literary critic Northrop Frye. Lee began teaching at McMaster in 1960, and is the author of a number of books on Old English literature. He was elected as a member of the Royal Commonwealth Society in 1962. The award was presented during a ceremony at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton.
Salim Yusuf inducted into Medical Hall of Fame Salim Yusuf, director of McMaster’s Population Health Research Institute, was recently inducted into Canada’s Medical Hall of Fame. The induction comes hot on the heels of Yusuf winning the prestigious Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, presented annually to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science throughout his or her career. Yusuf ’s epidemiological work has benefitted millions of people by producing substantial changes in guidelines for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The large trials he has conducted with colleagues around the world have led to more effective treatments for acute heart attacks, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities and chronic heart disorders.
Mac medical professor earns Harris Fellowship Lynda Redwood-Campbell ’88 & ’92 received the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship. The award is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary more than a century ago. The Fellowship was established in Harris’ honour in 1957, to express appreciation and recognition for a contribution of $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Recipients of a Paul Harris Fellowship Award set an example for many through their volun-
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teer work and community contributions. The Rotary Club of Dundas recognizes these efforts, and will make a donation to the Rotary Foundation in the name of the award recipient. Redwood-Campbell is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and recently served as team leader with the Canadian/Norwegian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit that responded to the devastating Typhoon Haiyan.
Order of Honour welcomes Ross Judd Ross L. Judd ’63 has been named an Officer of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Order of Honour. He was inducted into the order during a gala ceremony in Niagara Falls. The Order of Honour pays tribute to individuals who have rendered conspicuous service to the engineering profession. He is a professor emeritus in McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering, and remains an active and engaged faculty member. In 2001, the year of his retirement from McMaster, Judd was appointed Bedel — the person responsible for leading the academic processions during McMaster’s convocation ceremonies.
DeGroote School of Business honours one of its own In June, the DeGroote School of Business conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on one of its own alumni, Rob Burgess ’79. Now on the Board of Directors at Adobe — which purchased Macromedia in 2005, and other tech companies in the Silicon Valley area — Burgess looks back on a successful career as a “turnaround CEO” and credits his time at McMaster with starting that trend. As a student at McMaster, Burgess took over management of Breadbin, the campus grocery store. After making a number of changes, the store soon began making money rather than losing it. Burgess had no grand design for being a turn-around CEO. “I never had the ambition of being CEO until I was one,” he says. “I never really applied for a job – one thing just led to the next.”
JoAnn Corey recognized for teaching excellence JoAnn Corey ’96 & ’00, director of the Residency Program in McMaster’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, is the 2014 recipient of the John C. Sibley Award for Excellence in Education for Part-Time Faculty. The prestigious award, in recognition of her contributions to the educational mission of the Department
and the Faculty of Health Sciences, joins an impressive list of awards and accolades she has received over the course of her career at McMaster, including a Jock Cleghorn Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award and a Clinical Skills Teaching Excellence Award from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
Paul Allison feted during Evening of Accolades This year, the DeGroote School of Business presented the 15th annual Wayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award to Paul Allison ’80 & ’81. The award honours a DeGroote graduate whose personal accomplishments, reputation and character have served to enhance the reputation of McMaster. Allison’s impressive career path since graduating has included roles at Imperial Oil, Prudential-Bache Securities and Nesbitt Burns Inc. In 2001, he joined Merrill Lynch Canada where he worked as vice chairman and executive vice president, as well as co-head of the company’s investment banking business. Allison is currently serving as chairman and CEO of Raymond James Ltd.
RESEARCH NEWS New study offers ‘tremendous hope’ for allergic asthma sufferers A novel treatment for those suffering from allergic asthma has the potential to dramatically improve lives, according to new research from McMaster. The study found that giving a mild allergic asthma patient an antibody — which blocks a specific protein in the lungs — significantly improves symptoms such as wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing after patients had inhaled an environmental allergen. Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects roughly 300 million people worldwide and is expected to grow by more than 10 million each year, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Currently, 250,000 worldwide deaths are attributed to the disease each year. The research was led by Paul O’Byrne ’82, executive director of the Firestone Institute of Respiratory Health and chair of McMaster’s Department of Medicine, and Gail Gauvreau ’98, associate professor of medicine at McMaster.
Skeleton found in Mexican cave yields clues about first human movement in Americas
Researchers and staff at the McMaster Health Forum played a key role in the Ontario Medical Association’s recently announced strategy to improve end-of-life care and encourage advance care planning among physicians and citizens of Ontario. The OMA has released a comprehensive strategy on end-of-life care that aims to increase the number of citizens who engage in advance care planning, increase the knowledge about advance care planning and palliative care, improve access to palliative services and supports, and make dialogue about death and dying a more normal part of health care discussions. The McMaster-led forum organized a stakeholder dialogue focused on improving end-of-life communication, decision-making and care in Ontario.
Great Lakes researchers gather to discuss lake levels, pollution and invasive species
McMaster professor awarded $2.5M for autism, Fragile X syndrome research Laurie Doering received $2.5 million to lead a team researching new treatments for social disability disorders, including autism. Through a public-private partnership, the Brain Canada Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation and the Chagnon Family are funding research projects to discover new treatment and prevention strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fragile X syndrome, and Alzheimer disease and related disorders. “The research will help determine ways to counteract the consequences of intellectual and social disabilities associated with autism,” says Doering, professor of pathology and molecular medicine in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. “Our research will use different biological and genetic techniques to determine the effects of astrocyte-specific molecules on brain function in an attempt to correct the communication patterns in models of autism and Fragile X.”
Scientists find Canadian dirt containing kryptonite for superbugs A fungus living in the soils of Nova Scotia could offer new hope in the pressing battle against drug-resistant germs. A team of researchers led by McMaster has discovered a fungus-derived molecule, known as AMA, which is able to disarm one of the most dangerous antibiotic-resistance genes: NDM-1 or New Delhi Metallo-beta-Lactamase-1, identified by the World Health Organization as a global public health threat. “This is public enemy number one,” explained Gerry Wright, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster. “It came out of nowhere, it has spread everywhere and has basically killed our last resource of antibiotics, the last pill on the shelf, used to treat serious infections,” he said. Discovering the properties of the fungus-derived molecule is critical because it can provide a means to target and rapidly block the drug-resistant pathogens that render carbapenem antibiotics — a class of drugs similar to penicillin — ineffective. “Simply put, the molecule knocks out NDM-1 so the antibiotics can do their job,” said Wright. Chemical biology PhD candidate Andrew King ’09 (pictured) was co-author of the study.
Meet Canada’s most influential scientist
Even as some longstanding threats to the Great Lakes are being resolved, emerging problems threaten the massive, yet fragile ecosystem. More than 600 researchers from Canada, the U.S. and beyond shared information and debated how to cope with the newest problems at the International Association for Great Lakes Research conference, hosted by McMaster in May. “Some things have improved, but other things have not improved and are getting worse,” said Patricia Chow-Fraser, a professor of biology at McMaster and conference site chair. “We’ve managed to stop some of the legacy contaminants and keep them from getting transferred up the food web, and we know a lot more about our ecosystem, but there are a lot more things now that we didn’t know were as bad as they are.”
McMaster cardiologist Salim Yusuf is being celebrated in national media as “Canada’s most influential scientist” based on citations. Yusuf, director of the University’s Population Health Research Institute, has had nine of his studies among the world’s most cited in recent years. The Globe and Mail broke down the numbers contained in a new report, which tries to estimate who is making the biggest impact in science worldwide. The report, compiled by data and media company Thomson Reuters, not only indicates Yusuf ’s influence, but that of others at McMaster. Earlier this year, Yusuf was named recipient of the prestigious Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, given to outstanding leaders in Canadian medicine.
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
The stunning and dangerous underwater caves of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula have yielded a remarkable find that could provide clues to the early movements of mankind — a fully intact skeleton of an adolescent girl, dating back some 13,000 years ago. The remains of the girl, known as Naia, have provided rich genetic information, extracted from a molar, which will help to end a longstanding debate about the origin of the first people to inhabit the Americas and their possible connection to native people today. A team of international scientists, including McMaster geography and earth sciences professor Ed Reinhardt, reported the findings in the journal Science. They believe the girl met her fate when she ventured into the elaborate cave system, which was dry at that time in human history, and fell approximately 160 feet into a subterranean pit, which would have become an inescapable natural trap.
McMaster Health Forum key contributor to OMA strategy on endof-life care
A champion for the student experience By Allyson Rowley
“T
MEET McMASTER
he sense of community at McMaster is incredible,” says Sean Van Koughnett, who joined the University in August 2013 as associate vice-president, students and learning, and dean of students. His portfolio oversees the entire student experience outside the classroom, from recruitment, registration and financial aid to student residential life, athletics and recreation and the Student Success Centre. It’s a wide reach, but the former varsity basketball star — who measures in at just under 6’7” — knows how to keep his eye on the ball.
I hear you still play basketball? There aren’t too many deans who can say that. In summer 2012, I played on one of three teams that represented Canada at a qualifying tournament for the world three-on-three championships. I was 41 at the time. I still try to play competitively, but injuries get in the way as I get older and more brittle! People ask me how basketball relates to life. It’s all about working in teams, knowing when to lead, when to follow. It teaches you there’s a process to success – you have to work at it day after day. And it teaches you how to work with other people, since your own success depends on how well your teammates are doing, too. What inspired you to take this position at Mac? When I was offered the opportunity to join one of the best universities in the country, there really was no choice but to accept. I felt there was a great fit between my 12 years’ experience at the University of Waterloo and the direction McMaster is taking. I was really inspired by president Patrick Deane’s vision in his 2011 letter to the community, Forward with Integrity. McMaster recognizes that “learning” takes place not only in the classroom, but also during all the activities a student takes part in. That’s where my role comes in. Even my title reflects this. By including the words “and learning,” we’re saying that everything in the student’s journey is about learning.
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Your own career path reflects this kind of ongoing learning, doesn’t it? Yes, I began my career as a fundraiser, I became an assistant registrar, and then I ran a business unit and started a program for student entrepreneurs, called Velocity. Most recently before joining McMaster, I launched and ran a student success centre. When we talk about lifelong learning, we often associate that with taking a course. That’s great, too, but part of the reason I accepted this position was for the learning opportunity — to learn about a new institution and take on new challenges. What are your key priorities in the job right now? One big area we’re focusing on now is how we can improve our support systems for student mental health. We’re already doing lots of great things at McMaster, but there’s a lot more we can do. Another big project is a new “living-learning” centre, a combination residence, classroom and administrative building that will foster a holistic, integrated approach to the student experience. And another important initiative is promoting student entrepreneurship. This fall, we’re launching a co-curricular program geared to students from all disciplines and all years to give them experience as entrepreneurs. You’ve also been busy hiring some new senior staff. Yes, we’ve said goodbye to two very important, longstanding employees: Jeff Giles, Director of Athletics and Recreation, and Cathie Miller, Director of Housing and Conference Services. We’re sad to see them go, but at the same time
it’s an opportunity for new ideas to emerge with new leaders. Mike Porritt, who has nearly two decades’ experience at a number of universities, has come on board as McMaster’s new director of housing and conference services. And we’ve just welcomed Glen Grunwald, the former GM of the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks, as our next director of athletics and recreation. And you’ve moved to Hamilton! Yes, this summer my wife and I moved with our kids to a great neighbourhood. When we were house-hunting, we saw so many different areas in Hamilton that would be great to live in and raise our kids. So many family-friendly things to do and areas of nature we’re interested in exploring. I’ve lived my whole life in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, so it was hard to leave. But any growth requires change and I felt it was time for a change. Change seems to be the constant in your life. Yes, and with three of our five kids now university age, I have my own personal sample of the student experience! It’s a time of enormous change. I honestly don’t know how any 17-year-old can be certain what to do with the rest of his or her life. At McMaster, we don’t require students to specialize in their first year to the extent that some universities do. And the out-of-classroom environment here is so vibrant and full – we have more than 300 clubs. McMaster really excels at integrating in- and out-of-classroom learning. That’s the glue that keeps students at a university and keeps them engaged.
“McMaster recognizes that learning takes place not only in the classroom, but also during all the activities a student takes part in.”
MEET McMASTER JD Howell
It’s a slam dunk for the student experience at McMaster with Sean Van Koughnett overseeing the game plan as the University’s new AVP, students and learning, and dean of students. “My life is work, family and basketball. It keeps me happy.” dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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MacServe Day of Service: Saturday, October 4, 2014 MacServe Day of Service is an annual nation-wide initiative that offers students and alumni the opportunity to connect with local community organizations. Last year the McMaster community spent time volunteering with 25 community organizations in Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. This year on October 4 we hope to have McMaster alumni from coast to coast participate in our Day of Service. Join us for a fun-filled day giving back in your community. Our 2014 MacServe cities include:
If you are interested in joining on October 4, or would like to see another city added to this list in the future, contact Lori Moulden lmoulde@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140, ext. 27255 to get involved.
• Vancouver
• Toronto
• Calgary
• Ottawa
• Edmonton
• Montreal
• Brantford
• Halifax
• Hamilton
• Boston
• Mississauga
As alumni, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience that when shared will benefit a student in a profound way. Over a cup of coffee or a delightful lunch, enjoy some time with the next generation of the McMaster family. To participate in the Alumni Engagement Program, please contact Sarah Thurlow by e-mail at thurlos@mcmaster.ca or by phone at 905-525-9140 ext. 20404.
If you graduated from McMaster in the last 10 years,
is for you.
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L FE SAVER It produces life-saving medical therapeutics. It helps date ancient archeological artifacts. It’s used to inspect the turbine blades in most of North America’s commercial aircraft. But the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) is perhaps best-known as a major supplier of the radioisotope iodine-125, used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Just ask Alan Switzer. By Allyson Rowley
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The MNR is not a power plant that produces electricity. It’s a research reactor that produces neutrons.
LIFE SAVER
A
JD HOWELL Science Media Lab
s a young boy in the fall of 1957, he and his pals would play baseball on the west side of the McMaster campus. Their curiosity was piqued by a 15-sided hole in the ground. “It was the new reactor,” recalls Alan Switzer ’72. Over the next year, he watched the structure take shape, barely a half-kilometre from his family home, sometimes daring to look over the edge of the construction site when work was done for the day. “It was quite something.” Officially launched on April 10, 1959 by then-prime minister John Diefenbaker, the McMaster Nuclear Reactor was the first university-based research reactor in the British Commonwealth. It was a remarkable feat for the time, but McMaster was undeniably the right place. The Nuclear Research Building had been built in 1951 – it housed the first radioisotope lab of its kind in a Canadian university – and McMaster was already a hub of nuclear talent. Chief among this talent was a professor of chemistry named Harry Thode. He and his colleagues convinced government and industry funders that a research reactor was vital for Canada’s scientific and economic progress. Thode, who had made a mark for himself and his McMaster team during the war effort, also reassured
Every year, up to 2,500 visitors tour the McMaster Nuclear Reactor to learn about nuclear science and to observe the blue glow of the reactor core. Designed as a multi-purpose research facility, the MNR is used for medical, industrial, scientific and educational purposes. One of its main products is iodine-125, so named because it has 53 protons and 72 neutrons.
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concerned citizens that the University had been safely conducting nuclear research for more than 15 years. “We must remain in the forefront of medical research and, most importantly, we must train research workers capable of utilizing and developing the potentialities of nuclear energy,” said Thode, who would go on to serve as McMaster’s president and vice-chancellor from 1961 to 1972. Fifty-five years later, Thode’s vision remains intact and then some. The McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) is the largest research reactor at a Canadian university and the centrepiece for an impressive range of interdisciplinary learning and research across medicine, engineering, science and the What’s so great social sciences. about neutrons? This past July, the MNR celebrated the renewal of its Neutrons are sub-atomic license by the Canadian Nuparticles with no electric clear Safety Commission. The charge. They are useful unprecedented 10-year period as non-destructive tools for the new license is a vote of to probe the microscopic confidence in the MNR’s safety structure of materials. record, its highly skilled personnel and its teaching and research mandate.
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LIFE SAVER
JD HOWELL JD HOWELL
“When people come for a tour of the planetarium and then the reactor, we tell them they’re going from outer space to inner space,” says Chris Heysel (left), McMaster’s director of nuclear operations and facilities, with Alan Switzer ‘72.
The reactor is, in fact, only one of a number of facilities on campus that collectively employ more than 1,000 people licensed to safely undertake radiation work. Associate vice-president of research Fiona McNeill notes that McMaster is home to a unique array of research facilities, including hot cells, a cyclotron and three linear accelerators. “We are a world leader in nuclear research,” says McNeill, a professor of medical physics and applied radiation sciences. Now a fully self-supporting operation, the MNR offers products and services to academic, medical and industrial clients around the world. “We run it like a for-profit business – but our ‘shareholders’ are our students and researchers,” says Chris Heysel, director of nuclear operations and facilities, who oversees the reactor’s 35 staff members. He estimates that, in any given year, 100 researchers and graduate students use the reactor and about 25 undergraduate labs take place. “Another big part of our job is reaching out to the community,” says Heysel. Up to 2,500 high school and college students tour the facility every year. The tours offer a glimpse into the inner workings of the reactor, including the pool of water that serves to both moderate and cool the reactor core. One of the myths he dispels is that the MNR is a power plant. “We produce neutrons, not electricity.” Some of those neutrons made their way into the medical isotope that would save Alan Switzer’s life. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in the fall of 2005, Switzer made sure to do his research. He opted for brachytherapy, a form of internal radiotherapy that implants “seeds” to
The MNR is licensed to operate up to 5 megawatts, whereas a reactor at a power plant would be licensed to operate up to about 2,000 megawatts.
LIFE SAVER JD HOWELL
Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005, Switzer did his research. He opted for brachytherapy (from the Greek brachys, meaning short distance), a form of internal radiotherapy that implants “seeds� to target the diseased tissue with enormous precision.
Mac alumnus Alan Switzer points to his childhood home, barely a half-kilometre from where an intriguing 15-sided structure was taking shape. It was the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, which produced the medical isotope that would help save his life almost 50 years later.
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Mr. Isotope of Canada
LIFE SAVER
Harry Thode (1910-1997) led the transformation of McMaster University from a small liberal arts college to the globally ranked research university it is today. As a chemist and nuclear scientist (whose work earned him the moniker “Mr. Isotope of Canada”), he was the driving force behind the building of a reactor, which established McMaster as a major research centre. As McMaster’s second president and vice-chancellor, he oversaw the expansion of graduate programs and played a key role in the creation of the Faculty of Engineering, a new Arts complex and the Health Sciences Centre.
target the diseased tissue with enormous precision. A health physicist determined his exact dose, Switzer explains, and the procedure was mapped out to the millimetre. “It’s quite a science,” he says. The MNR produces the iodine-125 and ships it around the world to processing facilities, which encapsulate the liquid into titanium seeds about the size of a grain of rice. The seeds are then sent to cancer treatment centres. Heysel estimates the MNR produces enough I-125 to treat up to 100 patients a day. It’s all about harnessing the natural radioactive decay properties of matter, explains Andrea Armstrong, a research scientist at the MNR, who is working on developing new medical isotopes for other cancer treatments. “The fact that radioactivity is a naturally occurring phenomenon is often the first thing I talk about when I’m lecturing,” she says. REA CTO R Six months after Switzer’s M 9Ma.s£er U niv ersity surgery in 2006, he was Van T ops N U CLEAR functioning normally again, REAC Last Year R PLANS A N N OT O and eight years later he’s in UNCED Ready By 1958 remission. He works as a — Or. Gilmour consultant, plays golf and is a keen supporter of Movember Holiday (see sidebar). “It’s important Offered N ew m an Club D ine — Dan ce to pay attention to prostate Summer DebaterSF w aRo£he BWI To ur ster cancer, which is something Planned Professor Irving of a poor cousin,” he says. To Speak Here He was pleasantly surprised to learn that his alma mater ' played a role in his successful treatment. “Yes, it’s First Night Sm “Teach Me Ho ash For rather ironic,” says Switw To Cry” Reactor Heads Floats zer. “Things have come Expansion Move Planned full circle.” VOL. 27
23rd, 1956.
No. 10
One-quar ter of the total gross to the WUSC internatio nal work goes viding: Youth pro Hostels and medical facilities across tional seminars, the world, interna and emergenc to Hungary through y aid the Canadian Red
McMaster’s Nuclear Reactor summer of 1958. This was announc will be in operation by Tuesday night the ed by Presiden when he addresse t Gilmour last for the work d the Hamilto will be given n Club. Contrac to were selected ts after various A MF A tomics (Canada) Ltd., decision was' who based on factorsfirms had been considered and the of design, price and delivery date. Cost of ment A gencies, the reactor will be borne by several Ontario the Hydro-E lectric Commis Federal and Govern industries. sion of Canada and
GREY CU P ON TV
. Accordin g to Dr. Gilnjour the Mc Master reactor will a research facility be the nucleus of which will have the dual purpose of acting as a for industrial nuclear tool a training laborator research and as y for nuclear gineers. Chief en item in a new $5,000,000 expansion The Students University, the programm e for the Recreatio reactor and its n Centres Committe e has sory equipmen acces planned a winter t will cost The Newman ing in Massechu setts for Mac out bourhood of $130,000. in the neigh will take place Club Dinner-D ance dents. stu Cathedra l High Novembe r 25 in As the reactor At 9 p. m.. New is of j-ool type M ain and EmeraldSchool com er of sign, Year's de water is the night a bus will leave McMaste streets (boys sec tion). r with 40 happy ment. It will be main shielding ele holidayers. It housed in large will arrive at teen thir Dinner will commenc sided concrete Oak Spruce Lodge, ’n building e at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Renalli will usetts mid-morn South Lee, Massach size will make it the dominant whose ing the next day. of the Universit feature on Psychoso matic speak to the Club rest of the day The y’s cam pus, Disease. Afterwar “.Resolved that there will be ds themselves with students can acquaint will adjoin the present Nuclear and: it dancing to records. ing. discontin ue direct the U.S.A. should Debating the resort. Build Tickets may be obtained from Tournam ent next economic aid The Lodge offers to executive. week-end. j the foreign countries ” will Representing skiing (skis may AFM Atomics be the topic McMaste be rented at $2.50 debated at the (Canada) for three days), Rocheste r Invitation Ivan Cody, and Adrian r will be ■ bagganing and to- American Company , AMFLtd.. sister holding the affirmativ Peetoom up- i As was skating. A sleighride Atomics Inc, is one of mentione d in e, and David the more active Ross, and Rodger an earlier is followed by square dancing : sue of the Silhouette United has been States organization Inglis taking planned for Wednesd , the NFCUS negative. the planning in the ay night. Atomic energy field. It is a six week tour has The above students Thursday , the of one research reactoralready completed students will be who will debate Indies. This tour is a result the West to at Rocheste r were amuse in left of Y i i a u u i i received the vitation an themselve U.S. in has i chosen v and contracts to s, with snow scul last Monday Patterson t v n t u from u vi i i Mr. by Dr. Shepherd m i . "P. » . J." j. pturing search reactors build five other re . of a trip to a nearby ski area. sics Departme , Heal of the Clas Undergra , on behalf of the Guild of i ... . nt. Dr. Shepherd actor in the U.S.and one power re i P 1 ? , 1 e v e n , n 8 .. duates of the University commenting on , in lege of and abroad. Col Following thist h e ar e W l 1 > b e a m o v “ the West Indies, the trial debating On campus on speeches upon Mona, Jam provide dance music.small group will; ; The Installatio aica. Mr. Patterson which he based n at McMaste will be Professor Monday, Nov. 26th year tenure his de year’s attended this be the first Canadian r will at Princeton University cision, said that he was National Congress The Friday morning happy to see ian of "Science And John Irving, author and experienc university re , fewer debaters actor and furthermo of Canad of outdoor agenda e as head of the University Students Values” and some ment re, it will be activity. The group consists fifth university time radio-tele D epart written notes. depending so much on ober of Philosoph y held in the vision panelist Oct at will be Sir George Williams homeward bound reactor on the CBC. Professor of University of British and Psychology at Friday afternoon American continent North College, Mr. Cody is Montreal, and Irving is now at the Columbia before . a veteran debater extended the invitation and the seventh o ria College in Vict coming east to The head chef in the world. at to seven university Toronto where Toronto Universit McMaste r. Starting out has planned three Professor of as Intra-M ur across students from types of meals y al Debating Social Philosoph he is and Victoria College. His Canada. for epicurean Champio n, Much of the work contribu President Ethics and head y and tions have been ment: a good old-fashio enjoy of on the McMaste chiefly in the of the Debating he became ned New The work of raising reactor of Social Philosoph Mr. Irving will the departme nt. field Union and money to send land supper, an Italian dinner, Eng operatingwill be done by Canadian r deliver a public arly y, through schol represented McMaste r at these students lecture titled: a famous s and articles in academic two inter and from Port Hope, national The Newer Learning partial committe organizin g an im has plannedAmerican steak dinner. He which is Ontario journals, Rocheste debating conferenc es more popular and Society in the site of the e to too, more appetizing at writings, public the Library Theatre co-operat company ’s lectures, he was r and Montreal. Last year, dents who will attend select the stu night snacks. at 4:15 P.M. mid own nuclear research ive research and, The lecture is was mandated lab will be construct laborator y. This of course, Commiss elected NFCUS Debating to the McMaste r NFCUS sponsored by the Philosoph y jointly his books. It ed Committe ioner. should by AM F At the same time, be emphasized omics e. D ment and the Complete informati An interestin g served on the that the their (Canada) Ltd., as a result A t he Philosoph y Club epart sidelight to his on on the inability to .ski Varsity Debating feel that this acad of obtaining a contract who emic career came will not curtail Team. is not, as . yet, available. The tour subject should Mr. during the last a good fabricatio time at this outing. committe e is general interest be war comer Peetoom is a comparative n of fuel elements for the awaiting this from local but partilucar ly of when Prof. Irving worked Skiing 'is by no Chalk new for the those students Mr. means the only River reactors in a re This to McMaste r Debating Circles. (Continue d on VOL.with pursuing interests to search capacity, NRX and NRU. winter sport. 27the Committe Page 5, Column year, however, This installatio th e social sciences. HAMILTON, in on 3) he defended the (Continue d on n will be staffed ONTARIO, e Pelvia School of Morale for the OCTOBER Page FRIDAY, Canadian by 7, Column 3) Philosoph y during 1956. s who will 26th, armed forces. Prof. Irving’s also do work He is the Parliame ntary academic backgrou McMaste r’s building. also active in No. 6 on debates on Presley’s includes Trinity nd 1 the journalistic field, Ph.D. With a brilliant from which he College, Cambridg e being a member of Denton Massey, the editorial board analysis of ‘Houndog philosophical graduated , an general manager eight of Saturday night. of the Company governme nt victory. ’, he assured a And is also Treaicularly pleased said “We are part (Continue d on Page 7, Column of being selectedto have the honour 2) significan t contract, to negotiate this for it not only is an importan t milestone in vancemen t of Canada’s plan the ad the peaceful to put atom benefit of humanity to work for the but also consti tutes the second my company in m ajor participation of this programm e. by Emrys I've just come Jenkins productio ns. In this part she gives opening performa from seeing the of her best one Pat Lang and performa nces. nce of the MDS’ Elizabeth Parker This productio n of small complime “Teach Me How nt, for in her is no both shone in two of the C ry” directed minor roles. t® roles she has been past Their presentat by Mrs. G . G . a constantly good ions of two and I am favourabl Gordon performe teen-agers was typical r. not overdone and play was handled y impressed. The Peggy Webster thus by the cast with another familiar convincin g. finesse of profession the face The other walk-on als. They trans with on the McMaste r stage, left formed a play parts were me ably filled by the impressio n that had impressed Mary Wingfield pass that she really Wingfield as too full o f me was the nasty , Don tensions , Fred young Polly. into a more believable and subtleties Sim. Don WingfieldLee, and Marilyn Shelagh McCullou productio n. It added is a play worth Tradition will gh provided Plans for a nuclear reactor, first unit in little relief to a music with his saxaphon backgrou nd seeing. a proposed five the dramatic as regards the be forgotten , at least e and that The difficult built up by million dollar expansion programme, were tension definiately added to by F. when it is held McMaste r Formal, the announced T u e sd a y . Centigrade w as played by part of Melinda G rant same time the principals play. and at the Royal With regard Joyce Howe with added some herself.at the naught Hotel ConThe Swimming Pool type reactor, which will be started realism that she such a young girl on For typically m odemto the set which was in early she All played Mac’s the only is it being Novembe r 30. Not1958, is the only unit of this chilluns gonna I live. Joyce gave m ade the character the older cheet! would part expansion which has definite plans say of quires a great it re Mrs.Starting Hendersowith the first time butheld off campus forlaid. The n to perfec sary tension and to the part the neces tion. a germTheofthree an idea deal o f imagination. rest of the expansion will bring facilities it is also being fear that it needed, basic scenes were first term. for courses in held bringing out week, a grand andstage Marjorie last glorius on the A pplied and Engineering sciences. the at the pep Stibbards , who same time and with just the right new found feeling from a few rally has risen the appar parade has entreally confusion Music for the lines in and degree of emphasis taken The reactor, which will cost $1,300,000, last year’s French that could have If a word is dance will be . play to a larger by the near impossibi arisen is hold. to be financed needed to describe sup plied part as by character ization Miss Robson, out jointly by the Federal Government, the M art Kenney’s lity of blacking her gave a creditable of Melinda it The whole thing Province of Ontario, and orchestra . began attwo while action is thesets Also the Deep OAC would be “great”. Greg Hughes performa nce. private industry. The present radioactive going on in the other River Boys, a gamepresented in Guelph, was overcome where isotope well the John Taylor, work aggies a known shaky will be rather coloured quartette, players’ ability by the performa nce but who played the staged a parade improved of Will Henderso have beenextended when the new source is added. of home-made part later scenes and Various aspects of en floatsto focus the attention hired to provide in fully on their actions. The all probability, workshop intermission entergineering and medical research will be a breath o f life. n brought to the play be well settled forwill, thein home-coming week-end. under drama set up as well as training Altainment. His performa nce by the second serves great praise the direction de for graduates to work in nuclear energy tthough Bruce Stock crude,showing. Gerald that they showed of played Brace Brocktheare worthy and gives projects such as power ance of greater Mitchell praise The decoratio n of high spirit ncy was othere, performa nces to assur with the flamboya generating something that for seems their theme for the f a natural. come. As the popular Joan K err, as even Encouragement such a difficult ability to construct ing is Spring in to have Mrs. Henderso youngbeen the last fewset. for this project has reactor in Canada. Winter and flowers High lacking already a fam n, is leader his character School at These iliar figure in in come from The profusion have comment s add here at isMac. M.D.S. confident andgames ization Atomic Energy of been promised both thing and up During the past ten years, a steady believable by the Canada that is that the to one The WUSC Treasure committe e in charge. M ort Paterson . called (Continue Limited, the National Re and rapid expansion of a meeting of play is the scientific mark as a vigorous Van opened Tuesday on Page 5, Column representatives of all the clubsd and search Council and’ the Defense Re productivity of advertisin g campaign and sales topped last 4) Tickets for the the University and the year’s dance cost five organizations on the campus, to find the G reat HaU. brought record crowds dol- search Board. Preliminary discussions range of subjects has taken place. to I lars and may be obtained H ie out whether they were in favour of a from mem- have already been held with an Ad opening of the I bers of the M.S.B. Nuclear Research sim ilar show. The meeting decided executive:. visory Committee of the Atomic Building in 1951 and See the Grey tomorrow in theCup Game on TV service is broughtG reat HaM. This Students Recreatio to you by the n Centres Com mittee.
M arj Stibbards from this year’s (1), Joyce Howe and Joan Big Play, TEACH Kerr are seen in a scene ME HOW last night in the Daiewood School TO CRV, which opimed auditorium .
m e
advancement of Canada’s plan to put the peaceful atom to work for the benefit of humanity….” The nuclear reactor was big news on campus in 1956:
Some of the steps in the production of iodine 125, used in cancer treatments around the world. The MNR produces enough I-125 to treat 100 patients a day. PHOTO CREDITS: MIKE LALICH dailynews.mcmaster.ca
ONTA RIO, FRIDA Y, NOVE MBER
Seven hundred last year's total, dollars, one-half of Cross. The remainde was netted on r is for the cost of materials and first day of the WUSC Treasure the transporta tion. ■which was opened After the official Van by Mrs. G. P. ribbon-cu tting, m our before G il guests were served many faculty tea and cakes members the girls, while and guests. by Mrs. Lloyd Jackson presided over Mrs. Gilmour the tea-table. cut the ribbon start the sale, which was covered to Patrons of the Treasure Vai;: TV , radio and by President and H artley thanked newspapers. Bruce Mrs. G. P. Gilmour Dr. and Mrs. the 50 students the co-directo rs and H. M ayor and Mrs. G. Thode the sale. Hartley who were aiding in Dean and Mrs. Lloyd D. Jackson Ethel Mulvaney then introduce d Mrs. H. S. Armstron Dean and Mrs. g chief figure behindthe promoter and A. H. Patrick Dean (Mrs.) J. sales, who explainedthe Treasure Van Edgar Bates the purpose of Mrs. H. A. Ricker the Van. On this particular Pouring tea: trip, the Treasure Van, in 27 days, Mrs. Lloyd D. has visited 21 Jackson versities and Mrs. H. A. Ricker gained $35,784 uni the sale o f goods from Miss M. Martin from Japan, Jordan, India. Israel, Miss M. Stock. Mexico, Malaya and Canada.
“… An important milestone in the
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SEARCH GROWS Formal Dance Planned Nov. 30 A t The Connaugh t
the Physical that an attempt should be made to o r Energy Control Board, which body is Sciences Building in ganize a parade, and chose Gord authorized by the Federal Govern extensive renovations1954 as well as to Hamilton Boles, Ian Gordon, and Don Bender ment to approve and license nuclear Hall last year are the visible results as the executive committee to make reactors in Canada. However, final of the planning taking place behind the necessary organizations. approval from the Atomic Energy the scenes. The Board of Governors Since then m ore and more people Control Board must await detailed believes the nuclear reactor is the havS been climbing on the band specification. In this regard tenders next logioal step in helping McMaster wagon. Nine organizations have de for the design and construction of the play its role in the expansion of finitely committed themselves to ent reactor have been called for and it is Canada’s atomic energy programme. er floats, and several others have ex hoped that contracts can be let soon. The reactor will be built to the pressed interest. Plans have been out Plans call for a swimming pool south of the Nuclear Research Build lined to have the parade proceed type of reactor which is particularly ing, where it will block off the road through Westdale, ending up at the flexible and useful for University and leading from the Physical Plant to field. research Industrial research and which the highway. The proceedings will start off with is known from tests to be completely News of the plans concerning th e ' a bang next Friday evening at 9 p.m., safe. A similar type of reactor was reactor was first released over the when everyone gathers behind the operated for the public in Geneva Canadian Press on Tuesday at noon. buttery for the torchlight parade. The Switzerland last summer at the United D. M. Hedden, asistant to the Princi group, including the cheerleaders and Nations International Conference for pal Dr. H. G. Thode, Principal of Hamilton of Hamilton College, said that it College is shown examining the model part of the band will move around Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Also has new nuclear reactor. One of Canada's been in the definite planning stage foremost scientists, Dr. Thode, wiH direct of McMaster’s Edwards, through the parking lot to several other such reactors are in for eighteen operations of the first reactor to be built on a university campus months. i» Canada. the University building and thence operation o r under construction in Work on the building, third m ajor down the road to the Drill hall. Here America and European universities. campus science addition since 1951, is the Members of the football team McMaster University has actively expected early in 1958. Most of th t will be introduced and the Carleton engaged in nuclear research since the apparatus connected with the reactor football team will be burned in ef last war when the National" Research will be housed underground. The figy, to the tune of the Mac song and Council established a laboratory at parft above ground, shaped like an. assorted yells led by the cheerleaders. the University for atomic research. inverted soup bowl, will hold the McMaster, therefore, because of its water. On Saturday, at 12:30, the parade Plans for a water source have will leave from the drill hall, moving special interest in and facilities for not been officially given but it is ‘A lthough Scotland has given a atomic research down University to King Street, down and with its close known th^t a search was great deal to the commonwealth, there association carried out King to Sterling, back to the East Visiting the McMaster Campus in Montreal. with the large industrial this summer to find an alternate is a great deal which the common community of campus and thence to the football next week-end will be students from Hamilton and District source on the oampus Invitations were extended to Buck- wealth can give to Scotland". in case of a field. The floats will parade around Carleton College, Ottawa, and Buck- nell With is considered by the Board of Gov failure in the and Carleton to send ten stu these words of John Buchan, City of Hamilton mains. the field and line up at the north nell University, Lewisburg, Pennsy dents the Earl ernors of Hamilton College to be the For this each to our exchange week-end, of Dundee concluded purpose a water diviner was end of it. The Parade will be led by lvania. The McMaster a talk which logical site for the first University hired to search the immediate vicinity NFCUS Com which will start with -Supper in the he gave in Convocation Hall, the Mac band (TWENTY-FIVE) Wed of the Nuclear building for an undets. mittee has organized this exchange Refectory on Thursday, November 1, nesday, October 24, TH EY CLAIM? W ILL BE OUT) and on “Scotland’s ground stream. and end with dinner on Sunday. Place in the Commonwealth”. three majorettes, who will put on the week-end which is a part of the new In view of recent occur The week-end was planned to fall Plans for the new engineering emphasis on student understanding half-time show. The speaker of the afternoon was ences, it is necessary to remind faculties will be released from time at the time of the McMaster—Carle (Continued on Page 3, Column 4) outlined at the national conference ton football residence girls especially of to tim e ais they are finalized. Prob game, our last game of introduced to the students and faculty the season. Thus, the McMaster com by President Gilmour, who pointed able site for this new biulding is the warnings issued last year. mittee feels, the students from Carle out that the Earl was from the United A ny girl leaving residence south of the Physical Sciences Build ton will have an added reason for Kingdom Information Service. At the after dark for any destination ing. present time he was employed on a coming. off campus should he accom speaking tour throughout Canada. Two exchanges with Bucknell Uni panied. In particular, no one versity have been held in the past. Before this assignment Lord Dundee should use the cinder path past Last year twelve McMaster students had served in the House of Commons the powerhouse after dark. went to their campus, and the pre and was under secretary of state for Joyce McMenemy has been ap When returning from the vious year students from Bucknell Scotland. He had been an officer in pointed Chairm an of the McMaster the famous Black Watch regiment and city in the evening, all girls visited McMaster. Committee of the National Feder The Treasure Van will be here on had also served in diplomatic mis should be sure to telephone to November ation of Canadian University Students Irene Kauhanen, McMaster NFCUS sions to China 21, 22 in the G reat Hall and Turkey. the residence and ask to be of the Alumni following former Chairman Dave Exchange Week-end Commissioner, Building, met at the bus-stop by two sponsorship of W.U.S.C. under the A s an introduction to this remark H offm an’s recent election to the post and her committee, have made exten A few years o f Head of the NFCUS Debating As girls. sive plans for this weekend. These the Earl stated the place which Scot ago the idea of the Treasure Van was sociation. Hoffman will advise the plans include a tour o f the Stelco land held in the Commonwealth and conceived by Mrs. Mulvaney, an local committee in an ex-office cap plant on Friday afternoon, a banquet in the British parliament. He stressed enthusiastic supporter of W.U.S.C. acity. on Saturday night following the foot the fact that the place of Scotland Through her financial backing, works ball game, which the guests will be was more than equal to that of her The accension to Chairman culmin of art have been accumulated from attending, and a student seminar on English neighbour. The Scots people ates an active college life in NFCUS such countries as Greece, India, are represented by 70 members of Saturday morning. Japan,, the (West Indies and Canada. activities for Miss McMenemy. In 1954-55 she was Freshman represent These pieces o f art include carved The exact time and subject of the parliament and have their own sec ative on the local council. Last year seminar will be announced on the retary of state. He mentioned the Principal F. C. A. Jeanneret will articles, filigree displays, pottery, she was exchange weekend commis silk-work and brass-work. bulletin boards, and all students and growing tendency to have those af address McMaster’s annual Fall Con sioner while she served as co-vicePeople who are starting their faculty of McMaster are invited to fairs which are mainly Scots trans vocation to-night in the Drill Hall. Christmas ferred from Wesminister to Edin Chancellor chairman this year. attend. shopping, buying a birthday R. Kellock will confer an The main project to which the Signs Will be placed on the various burgh. honourary degree on him as well as gift o r merely looking for something unique will bave a fine selection of 1956-57 M cMaster Committee will bulletin boards asking for students to Scots feel, said the Lord that al on Robert M. Riddell, D irector of beautiful articles from which to ‘channel their energies is the financing volunteer to act as hosts fo r the visit though their contributions are not Education for Hamilton. and administrating of the tour of the ing students. Irene Kauhanen asks Principal Jeanneret, from Univer choose. The proceeds from the Treasure British West Indies which seven C an that all interested should apply, as a large in quantity, they do have great sity College in Toronto, will be speak Van will be used adian university students will make to provide scholar good response from M cMaster stu quality. In this connection he men ing to eighty-one graduates and fri ships fo r students this summer. In addition to this na in other lands, aa dents is necessary to assure a succes tioned the excellence of Scots breed ends o f the University. The scholar well as to support many tional ‘ undertaking, the local council sful week-end. student or ing cattle, Scotch whisky and Scots ship and Prize list has also been re ganizations. In the past the Treasure will direct the various contests spon leased. The G overnor G eneral’s Medal religious disputes. These three things sored by N FCUS on the McMaster played in the M cMaster Concert O r will be presented to Gordon R. Vich Van has been a great success mainly because o f the efforts of Mrs. M ul are what comprise the bulk of Scot ert by Principal campus in art, photography, short chestra for two years. Jeanneret. This med With the Board of Publications, Contributions for the literary land’s economic contribution. story writing and debating. The ex al, given annually to a fourth year vaney and the W.U.S.C. Committee. The committee hopes that all Mac magazine the Muse will be change weekend with Bucknell Uni Joyce was typist in 1953-54. typing Scots spirit, in the more recognized senior for academic and extra-cur students, their parents j|upervisor in 1954-55 and News accepted beginning next week and friends versity will also be arranged. ricular excellance during his first Editor in 1955-56. — poetry, prose, fiction, line sense, is also one of her principle three years, is the only prize pre will take advantage o f this excellent Joyce McMenemy is at present in A fter a Preliminary Year spent in opportunity to view the artistic works the Maroon Key Society and is A s Science cuts — submit all entries to exports. The Earl mentioned that he sented personally during the cere of Studies, she changed to Arts other countries. sociate Editor of the Silhouette. She and is now Muse Editor, Board of Pub had noticed with delight the preval mony. Its presentation however, in her final year, prior to WUSC will is an accomplished musician, having a teaching ence of Scots names and societies to serves as recognition to all the prize International be holding its annual lications. career. Night on Monday, winners. be found in Canada. The convocation starts at 8:30 p.m. October 29 at 8:00 p.m., in the Rec (Continued on Page 4, Column 4)
N FCUS Exchange W ith Ottawa> U.S.
Scot Tells Scot’s Part
McMenemy New Head Of NFCUS Committee
W U S C Sponsors Treas. Van Soon
Degrees Conferred
Nobel-winning research
LIFE SAVER
Last fall, McMaster staff participated in a fundraising campaign for Movember, the global men’s health charity that encourages men to grow a mustache during November, while raising money for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. The McMaster Nuclear Reactor is a major supplier of the radioisotope iodine-125, used in the treatment of prostate cancer. They produce enough I-125 to treat “100 Dads a day.”
CHRIS HEYSEL
Mustaches for Men’s Health
Bertram Brockhouse (1918-2003) was a Canadian physicist who conducted pioneering research into neutron spectroscopy and neutron scattering techniques (important for understanding the atomic structure of a material). A professor of physics at McMaster from 1962 until his retirement in 1982, Brockhouse received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1994, shared with American physicist, Clifford G. Shull (1915-2001). Brockhouse’s memory lives on at McMaster in Brockhouse Way and the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Science, an interdisciplinary research powerhouse founded in 1969.
Nuclear alumni Many McMaster alumni are leaders in nuclear research, working in the health care sector, academia and government. Here are only three: Bruce Gaulin, PhD ’86. Director of McMaster’s Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, a McMaster professor of physics and astronomy, and the Brockhouse Chair in the Physics of Materials. Thom Mason, PhD ’90, DSc ’13. Laboratory director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. John Valliant, BScH ’93, PhD ’97. Professor of chemistry at McMaster and CEO of the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, a not-for-profit company located on the McMaster campus that is developing molecular imaging probes (these allow physicians to non-invasively see the molecular processes that lead to disease).
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Across the generations:
A simple gift, a powerful impact B
orn and raised in Hamilton, Mildred Hodgson Gulliver had dreams of studying nursing at McMaster but was unable to complete her degree due to unforeseen circumstances. Instead, she devoted herself to the Hamilton community by volunteering at St. Joseph’s and her local church. When she passed away in 2009, she followed in the footsteps of her late father, by bequeathing funds to a number of organizations important to her. Mildred’s estate included a special gift for McMaster. Throughout her life, Mildred read voraciously, with a particular interest in medical research. Thanks to her bequest, two student awards have been created in perpetuity to support bright young researchers in the study of infectious diseases. PhD student Andrew King ’09, is the 2013 recipient of one of these scholarships. Much like Mildred, he is making his own impact behind the scenes. “I love the discovery that comes with science, and the fact that you can make a difference in people’s lives,” says Andrew, whose PhD supervisor is Gerry Wright, scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR). The Wright lab is working to find solutions to the global antibiotic resistance problem. “I feel fortunate to be part of Gerry’s lab and the IIDR. There are so many opportunities here to do great research,” says Andrew, who has already co-published two papers in scientific journals as well as a comprehensive antibiotic resistance database. The funds from Mildred’s scholarship have provided him with much-needed equipment for his research. A bequest is a simple, affordable and tax-effective way to support the area of your choice. It’s also a deeply meaningful way to establish your own personal legacy, as Mildred did. A gift of any size will make a tangible difference to students like Andrew. “I really needed that support,” he says. “It was perfect. I’m very thankful.”
“I love the discovery that comes with science, and the fact that you can make a difference in people’s lives.”
- Andrew King
McMaster PhD student Andrew King ’09, is the 2013 recipient of a Mildred Gulliver Graduate Scholarship in Infectious Disease Research.
To learn more about leaving a gift in your will, please contact: Kelly Trickett Project Team Leader University Advancement McMaster University Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 21990 Email: tricket@mcmaster.ca
ALUMNI, FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON NAVIGATING THE NEW WORLD OF WORK By Andrew Baulcomb ’08
I
t’s a strange world of work out there. Long gone are the days of choosing a traditional discipline, mastering it and transferring those skills into a long and singular career with clear goals and expectations. More than ever, students are expected to blend critical thinking, advanced research, technology and experiential learning into their academic development. They need to excel as both leaders and followers — able to take charge when called upon, and eager to learn from others in diverse and dynamic workplaces. They need to be flexible, and open to travelling far afield to land a job. And most importantly, they need to be well prepared for a career that may not even exist yet. For employers, the challenge is no longer finding a “good” candidate. Most want the best, and competition is stiff. In a working world increasingly defined by short-term contracts and internships, those who want to stand out need to do so in a big way. Thankfully, McMaster students are well prepared to handle the demands of today’s shifting economy. It’s early summer at the University’s Student Success Centre, and manager Gisela Oliveira is already preparing for next year’s Hamilton Employment Crawl — a unique partnership between the University and the City of Hamilton. The first of its kind in Canada, the annual spring bus tour introduces McMaster students to the “hidden job market” in Hamilton, and quite literally places them on the doorstep of some of the city’s top employers.
“The event is designed to promote Hamilton as a place to live, work and play,” says Oliveira. “One of the goals is to retain McMaster students in Hamilton after they graduate, so we can help the city grow and also help its economy.” During its initial run in 2012, more than 120 students signed on to tour some of the city’s largest employers, including ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Hamilton Health Sciences and The Hamilton Spectator. Last year’s tour focused on smaller companies in the Hamilton area, while the 2014 event emphasized student entrepreneurship. Next year’s event will offer a blend of all three themes. The Employment Crawl is just one aspect of the Student Success Centre’s efforts. In January, roughly 4,000 McMaster students, alumni and community members attended the Connect to Careers Job Fair at Hamilton’s sprawling Careport Centre. In September, hundreds of eager upper-year students will once again pack the Student Centre Marketplace for the annual Fall Career Fair, which offers a chance to meet representatives from Chrysler Canada, Cisco Systems, Proctor & Gamble, Target, L3-Wescam and dozens of others. “These events are invaluable, because they help you create a network of professional contacts,” says Oliveira. “Most companies are looking for the full package, and that includes being ambitious.” For Wayne Lewchuk, a Labour Studies professor at McMaster, the challenge for employers is offering enough incentives to attract and retain top talent. dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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THE NEW WORLD OF WORK
THE NEW WORLD OF WORK
THE NEW WORLD OF WORK
Participants travel around the city for the annual Hamilton Employment Crawl, which helps introduce students to a wide variety of local career opportunities.
“Employers need to make a commitment to good employees if they want them to stick around,” says Lewchuk. “When you hire a 20-yearold, you still want that person to be with you at age 50. That doesn’t happen when employers are too focused on the short-term.” According to Lewchuk, students should resist the temptation to jump from contract to contact, and take a good hard look at a company’s track record before signing on the dotted line. “Getting a foot in the door is valuable, but is there a long-term future at the firm you’re at? I think students should keep one thing in mind when trying to navigate their career path — it’s not all about, ‘how much can I make this year?’ The real question should be, ‘how much will I be making in 20 years?’” Some, like recent engineering graduate Matthew Gardner ’14, are simply taking matters into their own hands. In February, while still a McMaster student, he launched Videostream — a Kitchener, Ont. based company that already boasts five full-time employees. Just weeks after its debut, the Smart TV streaming service had more than 180,000 users. For Gardner, who gave the valedictory address at his spring convocation, being able to control his own destiny started with the academic freedom and advanced training he received at
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McMaster. “A lot of universities make you choose your major during first year, and I wanted to try a little of everything,” said Gardner. “Having a common first year at McMaster was a huge advantage. You could try all of the disciplines, and figure out exactly what you wanted to do.”
“A lot of universities make you choose your major during first year, and I wanted to try a little of everything. Having a common first year at McMaster was a huge advantage.” While completing his undergraduate degree in Mechatronics Engineering, Gardner also took Master’s level classes in the McMaster Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEEI) program. Through MEEI, Gardner studied everything from financial planning and environmental sustainability to accounting for small businesses, and learned how to take his startup to the next level. Whether it’s founding a successful startup like Gardner’s or finding a place at one of Hamilton’s top employers, young alumni from McMaster are ready and willing to step into the future.
There is a lot of world out there to see, are you coming? Enjoy the worry-free convenience and value of exclusive group tours around the world, while sharing your dream vacation among like-minded travellers. Upcoming 2015 Featured Trips: Panama Canal & Costa Rica ✈ Jewels of Southeast Asia ✈ Tanzanian Safaria ✈ Sri Lanka Polynesian Paradise ✈ Waterways of Holland and Belgium ✈ Village Life in Dordogne In the Wake of Vikings ✈ Swiss Alps & Italian Lakes ✈ Ireland ✈ Great Journey Through Europe Baltic Marvels ✈ Grand Danube Passage ✈ Canada’s Northwest Passage accompanied by McMaster’s Dr. Nancy Doubleday, Hope Chair in Peace and Health, Aug. 23 – Sept. 5 ✈ Spain’s Costa Verde ✈ Greek Isles Odyssey ✈ Italy’s Amalfi Coast ✈ Voyage of Antiquity ✈ Peruvian Amazon & Machu Picchu ✈ Mekong ✈ Isles & Empires of the Adriatic ✈ Patagonia’s Chilean Fjords ✈ Holiday Markets ✈ Expedition to Antarctica
✈ ✈ ✈ ✈
For more information on any of our trips or to join our alumni travel mailing list, please contact: ✆ 905.525.9140 ext. 24882, or 1.888.217.6003
✉ mactrav@mcmaster.ca discoveryourmacadventure.ca
McMASTER & WORLD WAR II 1939-1945 McMASTER & WORLD WAR II
By Andrew Baulcomb ‘08
‘They were keen to learn, and they took no nonsense from anybody’ F
or those in the boats, the anticipation was terrifying. Crossing the English Channel shortly before dawn on June 6, 1944, tens of thousands of Allied troops shivered and braced to make landfall on the treacherous and heavily fortified beaches of Normandy. As day broke over the northern coast of occupied France, Operation Overlord was officially underway. Many, including several with McMaster connections, would barely wade out of the surf and onto shore before being wounded or killed. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the landings that changed the course of the global conflict. McMaster students and alumni served overseas for the war’s duration, and the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice remain enshrined on a pair of Honour Roll tablets inside Alumni Memorial Hall. Charles Johnston ’49, now a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Humanities and well-known author, was a young alumnus when the second memorial tablet was unveiled in 1951 by former Spitfire pilot and McMaster alumnus William Olmsted ’46. In addition to researching the University’s long and storied history, Johnston has spent the past decade documenting the lives, careers, and families of McMaster’s 35 fallen WWII servicemen. The resulting online database, known as Dr. C.M. Johnston’s Honour Roll Project, is available at alumni.mcmaster.ca. “Not long after the war broke out, the University formed an officer’s training corps,” says Johnston. “All male students had to register and serve in that unit, unless they were declared medically unfit. Some actually went in for officer’s training, while others went in for a kind of militia training.”
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Active soldiers with ties to McMaster were concentrated mainly in Western Europe during the height of the war. Many were stationed in England for several years prior to the D-Day invasions of 1944, while others, such as local teacher Charles MacDonald ’42, were sent to the Italian front. Of the 35 men on the University’s Honour Roll tablet, two were killed during the initial 24-hours of the D-Day invasion. John Douglas Young (a continuing education student at McMaster who earned an MBA from Harvard in 1940) died while storming the beach in Normandy on June 6. Alumnus Robert Dorsey ’41 died during the invasion’s second day, while digging in on the Allied beachhead. A third soldier from McMaster, alumnus Nairn Boyd ’41, served in a front-line Sherman tank during the Normandy invasions, and was killed during the Allied effort to take the French city of Caen the following month. Roughly 500 soldiers with McMaster connections served during the war. Some fought all the way from Normandy to Germany over a period of 11 months, and celebrated the end of the war in Europe on V-E Day, May 8, 1945. Others perished while training in the United Kingdom, and never saw the front lines. Gord Beck, map specialist in Mills Memorial Library, recently oversaw the digitization of 3,000 topographical maps of Britain, Europe, Africa and Hong Kong, produced during the Second World War by the British War Office and the U.S. Army Map Service. The extensive collection is available for free online, which has
Opposite page: Canadian and British troops, as well as French civilians, were buried side by side in this small village in Normandy. This photo, dated July 6, 1944, is now part of McMaster’s permanent collection. Left: McMaster is home to a rare and sizable collection of material related to the top-secret ‘Mulberry Harbours’ initiative from the Second World War. The plan involved the design and construction of portable floating harbours, used to transport Allied troops and equipment into France following the D-Day invasions.
McMaster at War: 1914-1918 was published in the Spring 2014 edition of the Times.
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McMASTER & WORLD WAR II
Author, historian and professor emeritus Charles Johnston ’49 attended the University with a number of Second World War veterans during the late 1940s. Johnston visited campus earlier this year to discuss McMaster’s connection to both the First and Second World Wars.
prompted calls from academic researchers, historians and even Hollywood set designers eager to tap into the vast trove. “McMaster has the best digital war maps collection in the country. I get so many reference questions from scholars in England, France, Australia and other countries, because a lot of big institutions simply haven’t got around to digitizing their own collections,” says Beck. Unique to the library’s WWII material is a rare cache of artifacts from the top-secret “Mulberry Harbours” project. The collection includes documents and cardboard models detailing the construction and implementation of portable floating harbours, used to transport more than 2 million Allied troops and 500,000 vehicles into France following the D-Day invasion. McMaster archivist Renu Barrett says the collection may be the only one of its kind in Canada, and certainly one of few remaining in the world. “We have a surviving record of the planning of this invasion, which is quite rare,” offers Barrett. “These documents were produced in very limited numbers and many of them are marked ‘secret.’ A lot of people have never even heard of the Mulberry Harbours research project, which was authorized by Winston Churchill prior to the D-Day landings.” Following the war, those returning to McMaster were eager to forget the horrors of armed combat. They simply wanted to get an education, and get on with their lives. “The campus was very lively and vibrant during the post-war years, because they were dominated by the presence of the veterans, the people who served overseas or served on the home front,” says Johnston, who studied alongside older veteran soldiers and 18-year-old “civvies,” alike. “The veterans were already mature when they returned from the service. They literally knew where the bodies were buried. They were keen to learn, and they took no nonsense from anybody, including the instructors. If they didn’t think an instructor was making a point, they would stand up in class and say so. And they certainly didn’t take any nonsense from us younger students.”
Alumni Album 1960s
ALUMNI ALBUM
Brydon Smith ’61, curator of contemporary and modern art at the National Gallery of Canada from 1967 to 1999, received the 2014 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for his outstanding contributions to the contemporary art world. National Gallery director Marc Mayer says, “Brydon Smith is a pioneer in the field of contemporary art . . . He’s one of the most important curators of modern, contemporary art anywhere.” He graduated from the Faculty of Science.
Clifford M. Will ’68 moved to the University of Florida in 2012 after 31 years at Washington University in St. Louis. Will, a distinguished professor of Physics at the University of Florida, was recently appointed to a second five-year term as editor-in-chief of the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity. Published by the Institute of Physics Publishing in the UK, CQG is the leading international journal in the field of gravitational physics.
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1970s
Simon Paul ’71 has been accepted as a member of the Order of Orange-Nassau, for his service to the conservation of Gregorian Chant (nationally and internationally), and for his tireless efforts for the active practice of Gregorian Chant. He received the medal from mayor Mieke Blankers-Kasbergen in the Municipality of Ouderamstel, Netherlands, where he has resided since 1984. Paul earned a degree in Economics.
Konrad Eisenbichler ’73 & ’74 was inducted into the Knights of St Mark, the chivalric order of the ancient Republic of Venice. As the official commendation indicated, the knighthood was conferred upon him for “having actively promoted, in his many prestigious positions, the history, culture, and literature of Venice and of Italy in the world.” The induction ceremony was held in the knights’ church of San Francesco della Vigna in Venice, Italy. Eisenbichler (left) is seen here with H.I.H. Prince Karl von Habsburg.
Mac grad named president of UWinnipeg
The University of Winnipeg has named McMaster alumna Annette Trimbee ’84 as its seventh president and vice-chancellor. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Trimbee previously served as deputy minister in Alberta’s provincial government, and worked on multiple portfolios throughout her remarkable career. She also served in the ministries of Environment, Health and Wellness, Treasury Board and Finance, and most recently worked for Service Alberta. She’s renowned in the public sector for her strategic thinking, innovative leadership and relationship-building abilities. Trimbee earned a PhD in Biology from McMaster in 1984, and specialized in the study of blue-green algae and the nutrient dynamics of lakes during her time as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta.
Randolph W. Ross ’73 & ’76 taught at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, from 1976-2002 before taking early retirement. He purchased Hughes Travel in 2009 with wife Lynda, and has since travelled to dozens of countries around the world.
Colin Yeo ’74 was recently awarded an Honorary Life Membership in APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta). He was born and raised in Dundas, Ont., and graduated from McMaster with a degree in Geology and Geography.
1980s
Harris Goldberg ’84, an acclaimed Hollywood writer and director, returned to campus for an in-depth conversation with Theatre & Film Studies professor Peter Cockett, followed by a screening of Goldberg’s award-winning 2007 film, Numb. Unlike his earlier comedic output (including feature films such as Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigalo, Without a Paddle and The Master of Disguise), Numb offers a frank and forthright look at one man’s struggle with depersonalization disorder, inspired by Goldberg’s own experiences with the condition. Goldberg’s latest project, a romantic comedy called The List starring Jennifer Morrison, is slated for release this year.
Jacqueline Maria Dias (Soares) ’91 was presented with the prestigious Aga Khan University Award of Excellence in Education. Throughout her 27-year career, Dias has been able to translate her keen interest in education and knowledge into practice. Since 2010, Dias has been leading the development of AKU’s Blended Learning Post-RN BScN program — an exciting innovation that involves the application of e-learning methodology for the delivery of courses online and a wholesale restructuring of pedagogical methods.
Shauna J. Carr ’99 has furthered her career advancement by becoming the executive director of the Sarnia Lambton Workforce Development Board. This upward trajectory in her career has built on successful advancements made while working for the Province of Ontario, Tourism Sarnia Lambton and most recently as the primary policy analyst with the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce.
2000s ALUMNI ALBUM
John Pecman ’83 was appointed commissioner of competition for a five-year term at the Canadian Competition Bureau. Prior to his appointment, Pecman held the position of interim commissioner from September 2012 to June 2013. As interim commissioner, he provided stewardship for the Bureau’s continued investigation and litigation of significant merger cases, deceptive marketing practices and other important criminal and civil matters. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, with a degree in Economics.
1990s
Devon (McInnes) Baldry ’01 and her husband Matt, along with big sisters Findley and Hayden, welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Maclean Michael Douglas, on March 26, 2014. Baldry earned a degree in Kinesiology from McMaster.
Alumni join forces to make a splash in Toronto advertising world A degree in Communication Studies prepared five McMaster young alumni for an exciting career in advertising. Madison Papple ’08, Jamie Umpherson ’07, Adam Ferraro ’09, Owen Hurst ’10 and Alisa Pellizzari ’09 work together at “john st” — an award-winning creative advertising agency in Toronto — alongside science grad Leianne Vergara ’08 (second from left). The company uses a variety of digital, social media and advertising skills to make their clients’ brands original and “unignorable,” and are unified in their hunt to understand the cultural nuances that brands have to navigate in order to speak to the right people. “The Communication Studies program is really helpful because you learn to speak a lot of languages,” says Pellizzari, noting that the degree allows her to speak to everyone from broadcasters to coders in their specific vernacular.
Carmen Miranda ’04 and Nael El Shawwa ’06 welcomed the birth of their daughter, Elena El Shawwa, on Feb 11, 2014. Based on that outfit, Elena may also be a future McMaster alumna!
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flixels.” The latter has been downloaded more than 20,000 times, and became the numberone app in 80 countries.
Mark Pavlidis ’04 & ’06 is the co-founder of Flixel Photos Inc. The company offers a unique suite of programs for creating flixels — unique moving images that are half photo, half video. Since launching in March 2012, the company’s family of apps has earned more than 500,000 downloads. Earlier this year, the team received a prestigious Apple Design Award for Cinemagraph Pro, described as “the only professional tool specifically designed for the creation of
Gerald Lam ’06 proposed to the love of his life on Jan. 18, 2014. Currently based in Hong Kong, Gerald and Heidi recently visited the campus in May to take engagement photos and relive their memories of where they first met. Their wedding is anticipated
to be in October 2015. Lam is currently the chairman of the McMaster Alumni Association (Hong Kong Branch) and works as a lawyer, specializing in construction contracts and commercial dispute resolution. Jodie Alich ’07 is mortgage broker who recently started her own business called Mortgage Experience, based in Fonthill, Ont. The company’s role is to assist clients with mortgage financing and make it a stress free experience.
Laura Marotta ’07 brought her non-traditional art (inspired by pre-fabricated and modular housing) to the McMaster Museum of Art earlier this year. Marotta’s show also included the Iceland-born, Hamilton-based Svava Thordis Juliusson. Both artists are known to make use of non-traditional materials in their work. The award-wining Marotta was recently featured in Hamilton Magazine as an arts scene “mover and shaker.”
ALUMNI ALBUM
Education the key to independence for South Sudanese Engineering grad By Wade Hemsworth ’87 When Paul Khat ’14 graduated with a degree in Engineering and Economics, it was an inspiring triumph over adversity. Born into conflict in South Sudan, he spent his childhood on the run from danger. All the while, he remained focused on education, the key to achieving independence, as his family had taught him. Studying through informal open-air classes, he and his peers had to learn on the run. Children often taught other children, using whatever materials they could find. A series of events, including illness, led Khat across the border to a refugee camp at Kakuma, Kenya. There, he continued elementary school without interruption or setback, though he did not speak Swahili, the language of instruction in Kenya. Determined to keep up with the lessons he did not fully understand, Khat learned Swahili at night, and rose to the top of his class, earning one of only a few spots to attend high school, outside the camp. A painful eye condition made it impossible for him to read for any length of time, and he was forced to leave the school to seek diagnosis and treatment on his own. If he was unable to find treatment, he knew he would lose his coveted spot in the school. A kind uncle helped him secure the medicine that let him return to finish high school. Again, he rose to the top of his class, qualifying for support by the World University Service of Canada, which made it possible for him to study at McMaster. He credits collaboration with his peers and mentors for helping him complete his undergraduate studies, and he is now planning graduate work in engineering. “Every time I see someone I don’t know, I see a potential friend,” he says. Watch a video interview with Paul on dailynews.mcmaster.ca.
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Philosophy professor concludes 46-year career at McMaster By Colin Czerneda ’05
Alexis Liddell ‘08 and her brother Chris Benoit ’06 developed an iPad app designed to improve visits with loved ones living with dementia. Dubbed Promenade, the app was the brainchild of Liddell, who works with dementiasufferers daily as a therapeutic recreationist. “Communicating with those we love is a daily struggle for so many sons and daughters of dementia sufferers,” Liddell explained. “Our hope is that Promenade can make visits more enjoyable for everyone involved.” The app combines high-resolution photos with sensory-based conversation questions in a way that makes it easier for those with dementia to reminisce about past life events and experiences.
ALUMNI ALBUM
The year 1968 saw many notable moments — the Civil Rights Act was signed, rock band Led Zeppelin performed its first live gig, Pierre Elliott Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada, and Apollo 8 launched into history as the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit and circle the moon. It was also a year that saw professor David Hitchcock ’64 appointed in his first lecturer position at McMaster in the Department of Philosophy. A McMaster alumnus with a degree in Philosophy, Hitchcock would go on to serve the McMaster community for 46 years as a professor, chair of the Department of Philosophy (1989-1992), acting dean of the Faculty of Humanities (1977-78) and as an active member of the McMaster University Faculty Association and dozens of other university committees. He published three books on critical thinking and logic, and received numerous awards and honours throughout his remarkable career, including being named honorary president of the International Association of Greek Philosophy and earning a Dedicated Service Award from the Canadian Association of University Teachers. An open-house reception in honour of Hitchcock’s years of service was held at Convocation Hall.
Eric Chong ’13 can officially call himself a MasterChef. But what does he cook when he only has an hour to work with? A three-course meal consisting of crispy pork belly appetizers, poached lobster on egg noodles and Asian banana split with green tea ice cream for dessert, of course. That’s the meal that the won chemical engineering alumnus the first edition of MasterChef Canada, a televised reality cooking show that regularly draws in around two million viewers. With the win, Chong also collected a $100,000 prize. He told The Canadian Press that winning MasterChef was a “dream come true.” Jessica Mango ’13 bought her first home in March 2014, nine months after her graduation from McMaster with a degree in Music. The home also doubles as an office space for her growing business, the Mango Academy of Music, which offers beginner and advanced piano lessons.
This project is supported at McMaster University by the Arts Research Board; Forward with Integrity, Office of the President; and Research and International Affairs. an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
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In Memoriam
IN MEMORIAM
FACULTY Frank Jones ’08 (honorary) died May 22, 2014, in his 96th year. Born in Montreal, he served for five years in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. After the war, he completed his BA and MA degrees in sociology at McGill University, and earned his PhD at Harvard University. Jones arrived at McMaster as an assistant professor of Sociology in 1955, becoming an associate professor in 1959 and a full professor in 1964. He was part of the first wave of professors recruited to McMaster to establish the University’s sociology program, which was founded formally in 1958. He became a professor emeritus in 1986. Throughout his career, Jones earned a national and international reputation for his studies of education, occupational status, social mobility, immigration, professions and organizations. He was a member of both the University Senate and the Board of Governors, and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by McMaster in 2008. Predeceased by his loving wife Jean, Frank is survived by his daughter Dilys (Ian), son David, daughter-in-law Marilyn, grandson Travis, sister Ruth (Earle), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
1930s Patricia Sullivan ’38 died Feb. 13, 2014, one month shy of her 97th birthday. She was a beloved aunt to 13 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews, and is dearly missed by family. Sullivan always enjoyed attending her class reunions at McMaster.
1940s Irene Bell (Cloke) ’46 died March 5, 2014 in her 88th year. A lifelong learner with a passion for educating young children, she worked as a kindergarten teacher in Hamilton for 23 years after earning a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Columbia University. Her loving husband Lawrence Bell ’50 and three daughters Martha MacDonald, Ruthanne Bell and Susan Alway ’82 survive her.
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Dr. John “Jack” Macnamara ’47, ’49 & ’51 died April 29, 2013 in Sault Ste. Marie at the age of 88. Born and raised in Hamilton, Macnamara moved to the Soo in 1951 to begin work in the chemistry lab at Algoma Steel and retired in 1990 having achieved the position of Chairman of the Board and CEO. He is survived by his wife Maryjane, four sons, nine grand children and six great grand children. He was inducted into the McMaster Alumni Gallery in 1982. Rudolph Dyck ’48 died Apr 3, 2014. Born in Memrick, Russia, his family immigrated in 1924 to western Canada, where he grew up. Rudy attended McMaster and graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1948. He went on to have a long career with GTE Corporation in the U.S., where he managed a materials analysis lab for over 30 years. Dyck was active in several professional societies; he also enjoyed golf and participated in a variety of community activities. After his retirement in 1986, he lived in Florida and Texas, where he made many new friends and continued to learn, grow and contribute to his communities. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Hilda, their children and grandchildren. His family and many friends will miss him.
1950s Robert Jones ’51 died April 29, 2014 after a year-long fight with cancer. At McMaster, Jones played football and distinguished himself as editor of the campus newspaper, The Silhouette. He completed his law degree at Osgoode Hall and was called to the Bar in 1955. He married Agnes Marilyn Duff on July 4, 1954, and they were married 60 years. His beloved wife, Marilyn, and his many children and grandchildren survive Jones. Richard “Dick” C. Hughes ’51 died May 1, 2014 in Winnipeg at the age of 82. He graduated from McMaster in 1951 with a degree in Chemistry and worked for more than 35 years in the computer industry. He was a very proud graduate of McMaster, and read the McMaster Times with great interest. Claire, his wife of 39 years, survives him.
Dorothy Gwendolyn Laurie (Gilmour) ’53 died July 20, 2014 in her 82nd year. Born in Hamilton, she was the daughter of former McMaster chancellor and president George P. Gilmour, and her involvement with the University was lifelong. Laurie was a woman of enduring faith, strong convictions and many interests. She was passionate about her family and community, service to her church, choral music and sunsets at Snug Harbour. Julia Cadbury ’54 died Aug. 12, 2013 at the age of 81. After graduating from McMaster, she traveled to the Middle East and later worked at the United Nations in New York City before settling in Albany, New York. Described as a “volunteer guru,” her life’s work was the decades she spent as the volunteer administrator for the New York State Theatre Institute, now known as the Theatre Institute at Sage. Friends and family dearly miss her. Helen Moyra Fischer (Bisset) ’54 died June 4, 2014, in Corcelles, Switzerland, only a few weeks after her husband Gaston. An honours Political Economy graduate, she worked for several years in Ottawa before following her husband abroad, finally settling in French-speaking Switzerland in 1972. While raising her family, she was very active in the local church and community. Later she became a much-beloved English teacher, also working as a volunteer with prison inmates. Her four children and eight grandchildren dearly miss her. Robert Cameron Reynolds ‘56 Reynolds retired in 1985 as senior product metallurgist, coated products, following 38 years at Stelco. He was an avid collector of Ho Gauge model train engines, and while his sons were growing, built a cottage on Colpoy’s Bay that he enjoyed with friends and family for many summers. In his retirement, Reynolds and his wife Mary kept warm during winter at their Florida home, and enjoyed many trips throughout Canada and abroad. During the years of 1989-1990, Robert and Mary lived in Cilegon, West Java, Indonesia, where he was employed by UEC, USX Engineers and Consultants Inc. as manager of metallurgical and quality control CRMI project.
Reynolds is survived by his beloved wife Mary F. Dawson, and his family — Robert (Diana), David (Carole), John (Susan) and grandchildren Clinton, Katelyn, Dane, Robert, Avard and William. William Branko Pribac ’57 died Jan. 30, 2014. In the summer of 1962 he met his wife-to-be Amy Imkje Terpstra in the old McMaster Drill Hall. Since December 1962, he has resided in the U.S. He travelled to all seven continents but always came back to his roots in Hamilton. Two sons, five grandsons and one granddaughter survive him. Nigel Hedgecock ’59 died July 31, 2013. Hedgecock spent more than 30 years as a professor of physics with the University of Windsor. He was a member of Friends of Turkey Creek and enjoyed travelling around the world. Nigel was a musician with the Early Music Ensemble of Windsor, enjoyed cross-country skiing and hiking. Loving husband of Hanni, he is dearly missed by family.
1960s Donald Allan Young ‘60 died July 23, 2014. He was an outstanding varsity athlete (track and field and football) during the late ’50s and early ’60s. He was a Friend of Marauders Football, an Adopt-an-Athlete sponsor and a regular attendee at Marauders games up until the time of his illness.
1970s Lloyd Dalton Molson ’74 died May 27, 2014 in Oshawa, Ont. After finishing his Master’s in Engineering Physics, Molson went onto a 40-year career at Atomic Energy Canada and Ontario Power Generation. Wife Maureen, children Michael (Krista) and Mindy (Cameron) and dear grandchildren Kayleigh and Avery survive him.
1980s Margaret Abouhaidar ’80 has died. She was a graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, with a degree in French.
Alumni Directions If I had a genie... KAREN MCQUIGGE ‘90, Director, Alumni Advancement
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For young grads – and more older ones than you’d expect – a big part of their Mac connection is the online experience. The McMaster Alumni Association (MAA) is excited about our redesigned website at alumni.mcmaster.ca. It’s a cleaner design with more information at your fingertips and it’s set up in responsive design so it will work as well on your smartphone or tablet as on your desktop computer. The same things are true of impact.mcmaster.ca as well, our new website for McMaster donors, potential donors and people who just want to read and watch the great stories from McMaster’s wonderful history of philanthropy. On the other hand, if you like your Mac connections to be more traditional than digital, you’ll probably want to join me in thanking the members of the Class of 1964 for their 50th anniversary gift … a beautiful new garden at the southwest corner of University Hall. The garden is the home of a McMaster Alumni Association-commissioned sculpture of Senator William McMaster. The garden is already one of my favourite spots on campus, so maybe I’ll see you there and don’t be surprised if I’m with Bruce McLean from the Class of ’33.
The rent you pay SANDRA STEPHENSON ‘78 President, Alumni Association
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he same man who proclaimed, “I’m so mean, I make medicine sick,” also said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Which Muhammad Ali quote to use as my personal motto was an easy call for me; I think I made the right decision in selecting the latter. My McMaster student experience has played a big role in shaping my legal and community volunteer careers. Now that I have the honour of serving as the McMaster Alumni Association’s president, I feel this is an opportunity for me to help Mac students and alumni maximize the philosophy of service that is so important in the McMaster culture. Our University’s history, in fact, began with Senator William McMaster and his wife, Susan Moulton McMaster, working for years to align the support necessary to build the institution of higher learning that was their vision. They were our first role models of service and since then, generations of McMaster students, staff, faculty and alumni have enriched that legacy. That’s why I’m so pleased that the McMaster
Alumni Association – as part of the University’s 125th anniversary in 2012 – commissioned a sculpture of Senator McMaster that we unveiled September 3rd in its place of honour in the Class of ’64 Garden in the historic core of our campus. To help extend the tradition of service that the statue represents, I look forward to using my time as the Association’s president to expand, among other projects, alumni participation in the University’s MacServe Day of Service. This year’s Day of Service is October 4th and we are looking to build on the terrific alumni participation we’ve had in the past in locations including Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. Visit us at alumni.mcmaster.ca for more information or to register to serve your local community as part of the Mac alumni volunteer team. I am extremely proud to represent my fellow alumni and serve the McMaster community as the McMaster Alumni Association’s president. The more connected and involved I become with our alma mater, the more rewarding the investment of my time becomes. I encourage you to get involved in whatever way makes the most sense. I know it will be worthwhile.
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ALUMNI DIRECTIONS
ruce McLean is ruining my life. For the last few years, he’s been lurking in the back of my mind, but since the President’s Luncheon on Reunion Day in June, Bruce has been inescapable. Every time I want to hit the snooze button or become a couch potato, I think of Bruce and suddenly, being sedentary is no longer an option. Bruce McLean, you see, is a member of the McMaster Class of ’33 and at 103 years of age, he is Mac’s oldest living graduate. He was a member of the first class that attended McMaster after we moved to Hamilton. He graduated six years before the start of the Second World War and in the same year that Franklin D. Roosevelt became president of the United States. Bruce’s attendance at the President’s Luncheon was only remarkable because it meant he wasn’t golfing. His eight decades of involvement with his alma mater are an inspiration. If I stumble onto a wish-granting genie, I’ll wish for all McMaster alumni to stay as connected as Bruce does.
THEN & NOW
JD HOWELL
THEN&NOW
Federal crown prosecutor Ruth McGuirl ’95 (right) swapped stories with Michael Forsyth ’14, a recent graduate from the DeGroote School of Business, during a meeting at Convocation Hall. Both women were McMaster valedictorians, and McGuirl was one of the first in University history.
Then & Now profiles two students from different eras, and highlights how their experiences differed. For this issue, meet crown prosecutor and migrant smuggling/human trafficking expert Ruth McGuirl ’95 and Michael Forsyth ’14, a recent graduate who is beginning her marketing career at PepsiCo this fall. Both women served as valedictorian during their respective convocation ceremonies — a relatively new tradition at McMaster that began in McGuirl’s final year.
By Andrew Baulcomb ’08
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uth McGuirl’ 95 knows how to thrive under pressure. The federal crown prosecutor and McMaster alumna still remembers her meeting with the University’s first-ever valedictorian selection committee like it was yesterday — remaining calm and composed in the heat of the moment, while trying to keep her emotions in check. “When I walked into the boardroom, there was one tiny little chair at the end of a very long table, and you had all these scholarly-looking individuals sitting around it and staring right at you. It was definitely nerve-wracking,” recalls McGuirl, who graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1995 with a combined honours degree in Political Science and Psychology. “That being said, when the interview process was over I was honoured to be selected as one of McMaster’s first valedictorians, and also pleasantly surprised. I felt a real sense of commitment to my peers, and I wanted to do a good job.” Although convocation is a rich and hallowed tradition at McMaster, it took more than a century for the University to develop and approve
For McGuirl, the speech-writing process began the day she heard the good news, and never really stopped. She remembers using a pen and a shaking hand to revise her notes mere moments before she stepped up to the microphone. “I spent a long time on my address,” she says, letting out a big a laugh. “I recall working on it from the time I was told I’d be delivering the valedictory address until a few moments before I went on stage. I have a habit of correcting, editing and changing speeches and presentations right up until the last moment.” In terms of preparing for their future careers, both women credit McMaster with inspiring them with a desire to succeed and challenge conventions along the way. “The courses I took in politics and political philosophy greatly influenced my thinking and aspirations to be in this field of work,” says McGuirl. “My studies at McMaster prepared me for the critical and analytical thinking I would need as a lawyer. Many of the friends I had in university had travelled outside of Canada, so that is what piqued my interest in international travel.” Forsyth, who is only just beginning her professional career as an assistant marketing manager, feels that her educational experience was well-rounded in the best possible way — offering valuable experience through programs such as MARS Apprentice, a five-week experiential learning program that challenges students to address and solve complex business problems. “What I love about the last four years is that McMaster and the DeGroote School of Business really gave me a solid foundation,” says Forsyth. “I now have a toolkit of not only fundamental knowledge of the business world, but also the soft skills that will help me adapt and grow as a leader. I had so many opportunities to take what I learned in the classroom and apply it in a real-world setting. McMaster was the perfect choice for me.” Watch videos of this year’s valedictorians at dailynews.mcmaster.ca.
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THEN & NOW
a formal system for electing class valedictorians. The idea was initially broached by MSU vice-president Ann Goldsmith during the early 1990s, and made its way through the Senate Committee on Ceremonials & Insignia before finally being approved by Senate. McGuirl, along with four other graduating students from the Class of 1995, was part of the first wave of valedictorians at McMaster. In the years since, her legal expertise in human trafficking and crossborder crimes has taken her to the far corners of the globe to deliver presentations and offer training sessions for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to various investigative agencies and prosecutors. She’s based in Toronto, and recently returned to campus to meet and share stories with fellow valedictorian Michael Forsyth ‘14 — a softspoken Commerce graduate from the DeGroote School of Business with a budding career in marketing at PepsiCo’s Mississauga office. During a rendezvous in historic Convocation Hall, the pair swapped photos and flipped through dusty yearbooks while sharing the words of wisdom that made their speeches unique and memorable. Saying “yes” to the selection committee was the easy part. However, both women recall the personal pressures that came with drafting the perfect valedictory address. In addition to their regular commitments with schoolwork, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs, both spent countless late nights slumped over a keyboard — striking out long sentences, adding flashes of humour and insight and trying to distill four years of diverse experiences into one all-encompassing speech. “I spent a good couple of weeks working on my speech. I’d spend a few days on it, leave it alone for a while and then come back to it with entirely new ideas,” says Forsyth, a Hamilton native who also served as valedictorian during her high school and middle school graduation ceremonies. “For me, the most daunting aspect of everything was having to present our speech as part of the interview selection process. I basically had to have it written and perfected before finding out if I was even named valedictorian.”
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