Battle of the Bugs / Living Life at 24 Frames Per Second / McMaster & WWI
THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
SPRING 2014
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Features A week in the life of McMaster Battle of the bugs McMaster at war: 1914-1918 Then & Now
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News
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$24 million in major auto research
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Suzanne Labarge as new Chancellor Mac’s new 3M National Teaching Fellow Poinar unlocks mystery of the plague
Regulars
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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.
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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.
Battle of the Bugs / Living Life at 24 Frames Per Second / McMaster & WWI
On the Cover It’s a different world in higher
education today, and McMaster’s reach extends well beyond the classroom. Here’s a glimpse into what
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can happen in any given week – on campus, in the community and THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
SPRING 2014
around the world.
Contributors Andrew Baulcomb ‘08, Colin Czerneda ‘05, Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary), Karen McQuigge ‘90, Allyson Rowley, Mark Stewart ‘06 & ‘10,
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Jemma Wolfe ‘13.
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; Don Simpson ‘79, member-at-large; Erin Robertson ‘07, member-at-large; David Feather ‘85 & ‘89, member-at-large; Stephanie McLarty ‘03, Cert no. SW-COC-2113
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member-at-large.
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;
Dennis Souder ’70
David Lazzarato ’79; Bill McLean ‘90; Howard Shearer ’77
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VOL. 29, NO. 1 - SPRING 2014
contents
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.
2015 McMASTER ALUMNI AND FRIENDS TRAVEL SHOWCASE
SAVE THE DATE – Thursday, April 24, 2014. Get a sneak peak on where the McMaster Alumni and Friends Travel Program will be heading in 2015!
Upcoming 2014 Featured Trips: ✈ Waterways of Russia | August 7-20 ✈ Italy: Piedmont, Italian Riviera, Tuscany | September 8-18 ✈ Lifestyle Explorations in Spain | Sept. 20 - Oct. 14 ✈ Village Life in Dordogne | Sept. 25 - Oct. 3 ✈ Iberia | Sept. 26 - Oct. 4 ✈ Normandy: 70th Anniversary of D-Day | Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 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
The University and the digital age D JD HOWELL
riven by the primordial instinct to dominate our environment and the coincident desire to dominate each other, human beings have pursued technology rather surprisingly to and beyond an achieved capacity for self-annihilation. Indeed, replacement of man by the man-made has been both the dark fear and obscure fascination of our culture at least since the start of the industrial revolution. We see it in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), as much as in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) or James Cameron’s Terminator (1984). Such anxiety has until recently been absent from the field of higher education. But it is one of the most interesting consequences of the advancing digital revolution that questions are now being posed about the future of unmediated, human-focused forms of education. Will Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other forms of e-learning, it is now frequently asked, spell the end of higher education as we know it? There is a discernible urgency to the question when it is posed on campuses such as ours because of the implied Darwinian consequence of getting the answer wrong: no one wants their university to go the way of the Yangtze River Dolphin. Undoubtedly education at all levels is undergoing dramatic and far-reaching change. Clerical command over the archiving and transmission of knowledge, which was the foundation of academic authority and influence at the time the first universities were founded, has been decisively overthrown in the age of the internet; and it is undoubtedly true that institutions need to find a very different raison d’etre if they are to survive very far into this century. It is also certain that as technology evolves to enhance the forms of e-learning with higher levels of interactivity—thereby making it a more plausible simulacrum for the forms of real human interaction—it will increasingly supplant established institutions of a certain kind. Whether or not this process could continue until all traditional institutions are obsolete is probably unlikely but certainly open to debate. That such an outcome might be possible is an opinion not exclusive to computer boffins; we also find it adopted largely for rhetorical effect by critics of higher education who have other reasons for wanting radical change. In government, for example, concern about the financial sustainability of what I have called the “human-focused” model of education has predisposed officials to espouse the virtues of e-learning and to see online education as the solution to a large range of practical problems, notwithstanding what research may say about its actual cost when done well, and the potentially negative impact on quality of education when not done well. If the quality of education is our main concern, however, it is interesting to notice that in the apocalyptic scenario, “human-focused” education is imagined to be overthrown when technology effectively and perfectly replicates what human interaction can provide. Even the most vehement advocates of e-learning still see human fulfillment as the ultimate goal: despite the claims sometimes made that digital technology is forcing cognitive change in our children, there is ultimately surely no desire to see the latter replaced by technology. So even at its technology-positive extreme, this current discourse on technology and education reaffirms, rather than repudiates, the human dimension—even if it does so by paradoxically postulating the achievement of humanity as the ultimate goal of the machine. There is a need to consider these questions in a less alarmist and apocalyptic atmosphere. 2001 came and went and the supercomputer in Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey failed to supplant human beings as masters of their own destiny. That universities will cease to exist as they are rendered redundant by digital technology is no more likely than that to happen—if, that is, they keep in sight both the profoundly humanistic goal of all education, and the brilliant new opportunities which emerging technologies provide for the achievement of that goal.
Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary) President, McMaster University dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
JD Howell
Sincerely,
University News The University has entered into partnerships with Chrysler, the federal government and other auto industry leaders, to develop energy-efficient, high-performance electrified and lighter weight vehicles. The $24-million partnership includes federal funding for several McMaster projects through Automotive Partnership Canada (APC). APC is a five-year, $145-million initiative that supports research and development activities benefiting the Canadian automotive industry. “McMaster is truly excited by the opportunities this funding creates,” said McMaster President Patrick Deane. “It allows our researchers to focus on developing the automotive technology that will enable more sustainable, efficient, and safe travel, as well as promote greater economic stability.” The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology), outlined the details during an event at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) in October.
JD Howell
UNIVERSITY NEWS
McMaster receives $24M in major auto research partnerships
Suzanne Labarge installed as new Chancellor JD HOWELL
Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology), made the announcement at McMaster.
NEWSLINE What has happened since the last issue...
McMaster’s 2013 Fall Convocation saw a new but familiar presence assume the role of Chancellor, as Suzanne Labarge ’67 & ’11 (honorary) was formally installed during the proceedings. The esteemed McMaster alumna and dedicated philanthropist began her three-year term on Sept. 1, succeeding longtime Chancellor and fellow alumnus Lynton “Red” Wilson ‘62 & ‘95 (honorary). Labarge graduated from McMaster in 1967 with a degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences (Economics). She worked for the Royal Bank for 14 years before spending a decade with the federal government in several senior positions, including deputy superintendent of financial institutions. Labarge later returned to RBC, and retired in 2004 as vice-chairman and chief risk officer. In 2012, she donated $10 million to the University to establish the Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative.
NOVEMBER 2013
On Nov. 15, hundreds of red tags were placed around campus during a lively campaign known as “Tag Day.” The tags mark the spaces and resources that have been made possible through various donations. These donations are made by students, alumni, friends, faculty and staff, and ultimately help McMaster thrive as a worldclass institution of teaching and learning.
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DECEMBER 2013
The McMaster Marching Band shared the stage with three-time Juno Award-winning singer Serena Ryder during a New Year’s Eve concert in Niagara Falls, Ont. The band backed up Ryder during a performance of her hit song “Stompa” in front of more than 50,000 people.
M cM AS TE R RA NK S HIGH IN 2013
Indigenous Studies Program celebrates 20 years Members of the McMaster and Hamilton communities gathered in Council Chambers to celebrate the landmark 20th anniversary of the Indigenous Studies Program (ISP) in 2013. The event featured a number of key players in the development of ISP during the late-1980s and early-1990s, including former University president Alvin Lee ’89 & ’93 (honorary), former provost Arthur Heidebrecht ’02 (honorary), professor emeritus Harvey Feit, current program director Rick Monture ’89, ’91, ’96 & ’10, professor William Coleman and longtime associate professor Dawn Martin-Hill ’88, ’91 & ’95. As part of the proceedings, Martin-Hill was officially named the inaugural holder of the Paul. R. MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies. Since its inception, the ISP has focused on three main objectives: to recruit and assist Indigenous students in obtaining a University degree; to increase awareness of Indigenous culture and issues; and to work in collaboration with Aboriginal community partners on a variety of academic projects and events. Today, the program offers more than 25 unique courses involving Aboriginal history, language, politics, health and culture. Regardless of the topic, each class emphasizes the value of community engagement in education.
92nd Times Higher Education World University Rankings 140th QS World University Rankings OVERALL 1 of 4 Canadian schools listed in the Top 100 in the world - Shanghai Jiao Tong University 6th Maclean’s University Rankings (Medical Doctoral category) 6th Research Infosource (Top 50 Research Universities) A- Quality of Teaching and Learning The Globe and Mail (Canadian University Report 2013) A- Most Satisfied Students The Globe and Mail (Canadian University Report 2013)
McMaster has received a $3-million gift for the Fine Arts — the largest ever made to the program — from philanthropist and McMaster alumnus Robert Fitzhenry ’54 & ’09 (honorary). The gift was announced during a special event on campus, and was made to honour Fitzhenry’s late wife, Andrée, who was an accomplished painter specializing in landscapes. “We are very grateful to Robert Fitzhenry for his tremendous vision and commitment to the arts,” said McMaster President Patrick Deane. “This critical investment will have an impact on the entire campus, altering the way our students learn and creating an environ-
JANUARY 2014
The Student Success Centre hosted the Connect to Careers Job Fair, the largest of its kind in Hamilton, at the Careport Centre. The free event offered an opportunity for students and alumni to network with potential employers and explore new and exciting career opportunities in a variety of fields.
ment that can support all their artistic endeavours.” The plan is to transform and expand the existing studio space into a vibrant learning environment for aspiring young artists. When construction is complete, the atrium will cover an existing outdoor courtyard workspace, enlarging the display area and studio footprint of the building’s lower level by 1,700 square feet. The atrium will also function as a reception area with the façade facing Stearn Drive, where campus visitors, students, staff and faculty will be able to witness the art-making process.
FEBRUARY 2014
McMaster chose the heart of Hamilton for relocating its downtown classrooms and offices from the current Downtown Centre. The move will allow 200 staff and 4,000 students to remain in the city’s urban centre. The University is leasing the whole building at 1 James North.
MARCH 2014
The McMaster Library and the Office of Human Rights & Equity Services hosted a “Human Library” event in the Lyons New Media Centre of Mills Library. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions to the living books (guest speakers) to learn more about that individual’s culture, faith, gender identity, disability and/or life experience. dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
MIKE LALICH
‘Critical investment’ for Fine Arts at McMaster
AWARDS & HONOURS New Fellows enter Royal Society of Canada
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Four McMaster faculty members were inducted into the Royal Society of Canada during a ceremony in Banff, Alberta: Christine Wilson, John C. Weaver, Dr. Stephen Collins ‘78 and Stephen Walter. All four were all named Royal Society Fellows in September. The Royal Society of Canada promotes learning and research in the arts, humanities and the natural and social sciences, and the total number of McMaster-affiliated Fellows in the Society is now 67.
Provost recognized by U of T Alumni Association McMaster provost David Wilkinson was recognized by his alma mater for his contributions to the field of engineering and his impact on society. Wilkinson was inducted into the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinction. Held annually, the awards banquet recognizes U of T engineering alumni who have made significant contributions and impact in their profession and/or communities.
Bedside bronchitis test wins Grand Challenges Canada award A simple test for identifying bronchitis received a $100,000 grant from the federal Grand Challenges Canada’s global health care program. Dr. Parameswaran Nair ’03 & ’04, Canada Research Chair in Airway Inflammometry, is developing a paper-based diagnostic test to detect infective and allergic bronchitis in both adults and children in developing countries. Nair wants to print a protein onto a strip of paper that can be dipped into phlegm. The resulting colour of the paper would indicate the presence or infection, which may eliminate the need to send tests to labs. The study also involves John Brennan, professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster, as well as collaborators in India and Brazil.
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Pioneer of evidence-based medicine named Canada’s top health scientist Dr. Gordon Guyatt ‘77 & ‘83, a professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, was named the 2013 Canada Health Researcher of the Year. The prestigious national award is presented annually by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and recognized Dr. Guyatt’s efforts as a pioneer of evidence-based medicine. He received the honour from David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
and engineers under the age of 40. The prize is awarded to an individual who has made notable contributions to research in Canada, and is administered by the Trustees of the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fund — a private foundation dedicated to the advancement of science and engineering in Canada. “Like all honours of this type, it really is a team prize. It reflects the hard work of the amazing students and post-doctoral scientists who work with me at McMaster, as well as the help I’ve received from my distinguished collaborators from abroad,” said Ayers.
Henry Schwarcz named AAAS Fellow In December, professor emeritus Henry Schwarcz ‘10 (honorary) was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The world’s largest scientific society elevated Schwarcz to Fellow for his pioneering development and application of stable isotope analysis for environmental Earth sciences, geoarchaeology and the reconstruction of human history.
McMaster professor named president of Canadian Mathematical Society Lia Bronsard, a professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, will oversee more than 1,000 academic members from across the country during her four-year term as president of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). As part of her new role, Bronsard will help guide the general direction of the CMS while liaising with other prestigious math societies around the globe. She’ll also assist with the coordination of a number of major events and projects throughout the year. Founded in 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress, the CMS strives to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics at all levels. The organization serves as a communications and networking hub for many of Canada’s top educators and researchers, and publishes two prominent research journals: Canadian Journal of Mathematics and Canadian Mathematical Bulletin along with a world-renowned problem solving journal, Crux Mathematicorum.
Theoretical chemist wins prestigious Steacie Prize Professor Paul Ayers was honoured with the coveted Steacie Prize — widely recognized as Canada›s most prestigious award for scientists
Mac chemistry prof named 3M National Teaching Fellow Assistant professor Pippa Lock ’93 & ’01 has been named a 3M National Teaching Fellow for 2014, an honour announced by 3M Canada and The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The 3M fellowship is the only panCanadian, cross-disciplinary recognition of educational leadership and excellence in university teaching. Lock is one of 10 educators across Canada to be named fellows for 2014, joining 13 McMaster faculty members to have been named previously to the honour since it was created in 1986. Canada now has 278 3M National Teaching Fellows, representing a broad range of disciplines, from more than 80 universities. Lock’s introduction-to-chemistry classes are big on interaction and participation, and even include skits where students act out chemical equations. Whatever it takes to foster knowledge and love for the subject, Lock is ready to try it, whether with large groups or in smaller sessions with Integrated Science students.
RESEARCH NEWS
Moving to the beat helps music lovers understand a song’s structure
Unlocking the evolution of cholera
While we don’t fully understand why music compels movement, a pair of researchers working in McMaster’s MAPLE Lab (Music, Acoustics, Perception & LEarning) have found that it can improve our sense of timing and result in a better understanding of a song’s structure — even for those with little or no musical training. Assistant professor Michael Schutz conducted the research alongside Fiona Manning ’11, a graduate student in the McMaster Institute for Music & The Mind with an interest in exploring music, movement and perception. Participants were asked to tap along with a simple beat during one round of trials, and sit perfectly still during another. Towards the end of the musical sequence, listeners heard a few seconds of silence before the final note. At the conclusion of the trial, listeners were asked to identify whether the final tone was early, late or right on time. Moving to the beat helped both trained musicians and casual listeners recognize when the final tone was off.
Working with a nearly 200-year-old sample of preserved intestine, researchers at McMaster and the University of Sydney successfully traced the bacterium behind a global cholera pandemic that killed millions – a version of the same bug that continues to strike vulnerable populations in the world’s poorest regions. The team, including graduate student Alison Devault ’08 and evolutionary geneticists Hendrik Poinar, Brian Golding and Eddie Holmes, mapped the entire genome of the elusive 19th century bacterium. The findings are significant because, until now, researchers had not identified the early strains of cholera, a water-borne pathogen. The discovery significantly improves understanding of the pathogen’s origin and creates hope for better treatment and possible prevention. Researchers have now confirmed the first of two types of cholera, known as classical, was likely responsible for five of the seven devastating outbreaks in the 1800s, all of which most likely originated in waters of the Bay of Bengal.
Contrary to popular belief, fever-reducing medication may inadvertently cause more harm than good.
Scientists reveal cause of one of the most devastating pandemics
When it comes to hip surgery for the elderly, faster may be better The speed of surgery after a hip fracture may have a significant impact on outcomes for older patients, say Dr. P.J. Devereaux ’94 & ’06 and Dr. Mohit Bhandari ’99, ’00 & ’02. In Canada and many other countries, wait times for hip surgery can be 24 hours or longer, mainly because of pre-surgery clearance procedures and lack of operating rooms. For seniors, hip fractures can cause serious complications that may result in death or admission to long-term care facilities. During the study — which involved 60 people aged 45 or older in Canada and India — half received accelerated hip surgery within six hours, and half received the standard care of surgery 24 hours after diagnosis. Among patients receiving standard care, 47 per cent suffered a major complication of death, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, blood clot or major bleeding. However, only 30 per cent of the patients in the accelerated surgery group suffered one of these complications.
An international team of scientists, including McMaster researcher Hendrik Poinar, discovered that two of the world’s most devastating plagues — the plague of Justinian and the Black Death, each responsible for killing as many as half the people in Europe — were caused by distinct strains of the same pathogen, one that faded out on its own, the other leading to worldwide spread and re-emergence in the late 1800s. The findings are dramatic because little has been known about the origins or cause of the Justinian Plague– which helped bring an end to the Roman Empire — and its relationship to the Black Death, some 800 years later. “The research is both fascinating and perplexing, it generates new questions which need to be explored. For example: Why did this pandemic, which killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people, die out?” questioned Poinar, associate professor and director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre and an investigator with the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. Using sophisticated methods, researchers from many universities including McMaster, Northern Arizona University and the University of Sydney isolated minuscule DNA fragments from the 1,500-year-old teeth of two victims of the Justinian plague, buried in Bavaria, Germany. These are the oldest pathogen genomes obtained to date. Read the full story and watch behind-the-scenes video at dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Fever-reducing meds may actually spread the flu
New research from McMaster has discovered that the widespread use of medications that contain fever-reducing drugs may lead to tens of thousands more influenza cases, and more than a thousand deaths attributable to influenza each year across North America. These drugs include ibuprofen, acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid. “When they have flu, people often take medication that reduces their fever. No-one likes to feel miserable, but it turns out that our comfort might be at the cost of infecting others,” explained lead author David Earn, an investigator with the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) and professor of mathematics at McMaster. “Because fever can actually help lower the amount of virus in a sick person’s body and reduce the chance of transmitting disease to others, taking drugs that reduce fever can increase transmission. We’ve discovered that this increase has significant effects when we scale up to the level of the whole population.” The study was co-authored with McMaster professors Ben Bolker, of the Departments of Mathematics & Statistics and Biology and the IIDR, and Paul Andrews ’78 & ’88 of the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.
Living life at 24 frames per second By Andrew Baulcomb ‘08
M
MEET McMASTER
artyn Burke ’64 is an acclaimed novelist, journalist and filmmaker who divides his time between Toronto and Santa Monica, California. He earned a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Social Sciences, and has spent the past five decades trekking to the far corners of the globe in search of his next great story. Burke’s latest documentary, Under Fire: Journalists in Combat, received a 2012 Peabody Award for significant and meritorious achievement in electronic media and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.
Who were your earliest influences in film and literature? I was blessed at McMaster, because I was exposed to two different influences that helped shape my career: Stanley Kubrick, who was making all kinds of great films at the time including Dr. Strangelove, which I loved. Also, and this is almost a cliché these days, but Albert Camus was a big influence as well. When I took French at Mac I read a lot of Camus, and I knew right then and there I wanted to be a writer. Why did you choose to study at Mac? I was born in Hamilton and had some family in the area, and I was attracted to the aesthetics and the atmosphere of the University. I went down from my home in Toronto to look at the campus, and I spoke to some of the students and faculty. It was just one of those things where you sense something is right in your life. You can’t really articulate or quantify it; it was just right. You played on the Mac football team. What did you enjoy about it? I played middle linebacker, and I learned a lot from other guys who were better than I was (laughs). We had an amazing coach, Bobby Dawson, and we won just about everything we could during the early-1960s, including three Ontario Intercollegiate Football Conference championships. I went to our team reunion at last year’s homecoming, and the memories came flooding back. Can you describe your experiences in Vietnam as a young freelancer? After graduating from Mac, I wanted to see the world. I sold my old car and flew overseas
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with a pair of blue jeans, and not much else. I was in the battles in Vietnam; I was on jet fighters during bombing raids; I was on combat missions. I was starving over there, and I used to go out into combat because the troops actually got fed. I was filing stories for the old Toronto Telegram. In those days the newspapers would send you a cheque, but of course I was never able to cash them. I was living on pennies, but I also got my first novel out of that experience, Laughing War. How did you transition into filmmaking? The big thing in Canada at the time was the CBC. I noticed there was a vacuum for hourlong documentaries, and I barged into that opportunity like a freight train. I started making films at a very young age, and I had unbelievable freedom. For example: I was sitting in a bar in Toronto one night, and there was a news item about an earthquake in Peru. Two days later, I was in the mountains of Peru. It was astonishing. Eventually, I decided to try my hand at making feature films as well as documentaries. What was your first Hollywood experience? I had just published my first novel, Laughing War, and there was a call on my answering machine from area code 213, which is in Los Angeles. The message was to call “Mr. Hoffman,” and it turned out to be Dustin Hoffman. He basically said, “I want your book, I want you to write the screenplay and I want you to come to L.A.” I went down for four months, and lived in a beach house in Malibu that Dustin found for me. It was incredible. I still live in Santa Monica part-time, but my heart and soul is here.
Your documentary Under Fire: Journalists in Combat won a 2012 Peabody Award. What was the greatest challenge in completing the film? The most difficult thing was somehow capturing the emotions of tough-minded people; those who did not feel comfortable talking about their experiences and would much rather have been on the front lines. These are combat journalists who would rather have a tooth pulled than talk about themselves. I was very lucky, because they trusted me and knew I had been through something similar. What explains McMaster’s proud film legacy? My theory is that Mac encourages you to find out who you really are. I would wager that fellow alumni like Martin Short ‘72 & ‘01 (honorary), Eugene Levy ‘69 & ‘05 (honorary) and Ivan Reitman ‘69 & ‘05 (honorary) started on one path, and Mac gave them the reflective time and space to figure out what they really wanted to try. I’m forever grateful for that space as well. It was a great environment to learn and discover your true passions. What advice do you have for aspiring documentarians? Back when I started in the field it was just, “go do it.” But nowadays, it’s so different and so much more dangerous – especially for war correspondents. The first thing I would do is find other freelancers or filmmakers who have already been where you’re going, and gather some advice before leaving. You’ve got to take chances in your career, but you also need to be well-prepared for anything.
Mac encourages you to find out who you really are ... It was a great environment to learn and discover your true passions.
MEET McMASTER JD Howell
All smiles. McMaster alumnus and celebrated filmmaker Martyn Burke ’64 shares some insight into his long and storied career. dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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Come back this spring! Alumni Gallery Induction & MAA Awards WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2014 Ceremony & Dinner, 6:00 p.m. Convocation Hall Join in the celebration of the accomplishments of fellow alumni and current students including these outstanding 2014 Alumni Gallery inductees: Andy Knight ‘83; Scott Lowrey ‘85; Michael Madesker ’51, ‘64; Kalpana Raina ’79 and Peter Szatmari ’74, ’76, ’80 ‘87
Alumni Reunion Day SATURDAY JUNE 7, 2014 Calling all Classmates! Members of the classes of 1934, 1939, 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, & 1964 are invited to celebrate the anniversary of their graduation. Enjoy a delightful day reacquainting with classmates and the campus. Don’t miss an entertaining talk from acclaimed writer, director, film-maker, Martyn Burke ’64. Brochures will arrive by mail in April, or contact the Alumni Office for details.
McMASTER HOMECOMING!
SE SAT PT UR 27 DA , 2 Y, SATURDAY, 01 4 SEPT 27, 2014
SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2014 McMaster Marauders vs. Queen’s Gaels Enjoy pre-game fun & food with fans, friends and family! For all Alumni event details visit:
alumni.mcmaster.ca
Contact: alumni@mcmaster.ca, 1.888.217.6003 or 905-525-9140 ext. 23900
Mc M McMaster Q u vsast vs. e e e . Queen’s n’s r
Bachelor Health Science 03/04 10-year Reunion: A special evening is planned to celebrate this inaugural class!
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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.
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McMaster now has a total student population of almost 30,000.
One week at a time, McMaster is making a difference. Here’s a glimpse into what can happen in any given week – on campus, in the community and around the world.
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cross the campus, across the city, across the globe, you’ll find McMaster. Whether it’s a student exploring a new subject in a new way, a faculty member partnering with fellow researchers from other institutions, or a staff member volunteering in the community – McMaster is making a difference as a leader in higher education, research and service. And with more than 164,000 alumni in 140 countries, Mac’s reach is truly global. It’s a different world in higher education today. The way students are learning has changed. Education often takes place outside the classroom. Students plan their own active learning. They work in co-op positions. They contribute to the community and take part in service learning. They study abroad. “These are very important parts of the modern student experience,” says President Patrick Deane. “At the same time, they are simply the modern forms of the longstanding intellectual interaction that’s always been part of university life.” Timeless and timely, here’s a look at what can happen in a week in the life of the research-focused student-centred enterprise that is McMaster University.
Photography: Andrew Baulcomb, Colin Carmichael, James Clark, Colin Czerneda, Jon Evans, Mallory Fitz-Ritson, Véronique Giguère, Sarah Hasselman, JD Howell, Sarah Janes, Andrea Phair, Rose Anne Prevec, Allyson Rowley, Whyishnave Suthagar, Matt Terry, Alexander Young
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A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF McMASTER
1: A student has coffee in her residence and sends an essay online. 2: Douglas Ashton and Si Hua Su spruce up their Mac friends before customers arrive at the Campus Store (formerly “Titles”). 3: (L to R) Heather Ferguson, a second-year sociology student, and Colleen Vothknecht, first-year social sciences, plan their week in a quiet nook of the student centre. 4: The Allen H. Gould Trading Floor in the DeGroote School of Business is already humming with activity. 5: Varsity rower Mary Rao, a third-year sociology student, takes a studio art class. “You can learn so many different things at Mac. It’s cool,” she says.
On January 29, everyone in the Mac community was invited to submit a photo that showed their day, no matter where they were in the world. Students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends pulled out their smartphones and started snapping photos. Here are a few of the best: As part of “A week in the life ...” dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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McMaster students hail from 87 countries besides Canada.
Tuesday:
A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF McMASTER
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1: Mac student Mary Tantcheva teaches French at St. Eugene Elementary School in Hamilton, as part of McMaster’s “French as a Second Language” course. 2: Nursing students spend time in the community as part of their McMaster training. 3: Rodrigo Narro Perez, a fourth-year earth and environmental sciences student, takes temperature measurements to see how the surface water and groundwater are interacting in Georgetown, Ontario. 4: Med students Jessica Ladouceur, Victoria Archer and Alexandra Carter work with patients at the Niagara campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. 5: Ruth Simmons volunteers for “1BB3 Aging and Society,” a course offered by the Department of Health, Aging and Society.
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Wednesday:
The average entering grade of a McMaster undergraduate is 86.8%.
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1: Third-year chemical engineering student Blair Morgan gets to work on building a better contact lens. 2: No Wednesday at Mac is complete without stargazing, led by a post-doctoral research fellow and McCallion Planetarium manager, Robert Cockcroft. 3: Theatre & Film Studies students participate in a full-year performance course that is researching how to define success. 4: Kelly Biagi, a master’s student in environmental science, hangs out with penguins on a 16-day research trip to Antarctica.
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Mac’s full-time faculty hail from 64 countries besides Canada.
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1: Mera Qamar, a fourth-year art history student, is a docent and co-curator of the Baroque art exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art. 2: Anthropology student Helena Ramsaroop. 3: Who knew there could be so many leaves on one patio? McMaster managers take part in a day of service in Hamilton. 4: McMaster’s Indigenous Studies Program hosts a seminar on creating space for indigenous knowledge. 5: Research technician Uma Sankar works in the Robert E. Fitzhenry Vector Lab of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine.
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McMaster is home to more than 80 research centres and institutes.
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A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF McMASTER
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1: Second-year student T.J. Poplar takes part in an environmentally responsible studio course, which asks students to explore bamboo as an alternative, sustainable material. 2: Thinking about the world outside our own borders. 3: More than 1,300 student-muggles enjoy the Harry Potter-themed “Yule Charity Ball,� which has raised more than $240,000 for Hamiltonarea organizations during the last 15 years. 4: Changing the world, one student at a time. First-year social sciences student Lauren McLean volunteers for the McMaster Social Innovation Lab.
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Saturday:
Mac participates in more than 70 international exchange agreements around the globe.
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1: Social media research class at the Centre for Continuing Education. 2: Mac student Lyndsey Merry helps build an all-girls school in Kenya with the McMaster branch of Free the Children. 3: Not just a hole in the ground. The L.R. Wilson Hall will be home to the liberal arts when it opens in 2015.
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1: The “After Office Hours� student video group. Their YouTube series profiles the lives of Mac professors. 2: Second-year Arts & Science student Emily Fong travels to India for an internship at a school for autistic children. 3: The McMaster University Choir rehearses for its next performance. 20
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If you graduated from McMaster in the last 10 years,
is for you.
Mac10 delivers engaging and informative programs to fulfill the professional, intellectual and social needs of McMaster's graduates of the last decade, in Hamilton and beyond.
Social For everyone from the shy guys to the social butterflies Mac10Social has brought young (and young at heart) alumni together for films and food, gallery tours and cooking classes, and sporting events and sunny patios. We offer a regular series of affordable events so you can reconnect with old friends, make new contacts and have a little fun!
Professional Support for the next step Did you know McMaster has an alumni career coach? It's true! She works at the Student Success Centre and partners with Mac10Professional to offer targeted workshops and webinars designed to help alumni who are actively seeking work or exploring career options.
Intellectual Learning for fun Mac10Intellectual connects McMaster's most engaging and groundbreaking researchers with young alumni in a social setting - never in a boring lecture hall and always with good food! We've hosted researchers across disciplines from psychology to fine art to bioarchaeology, with many more incredible talks to come.
mac10.ca for event information.
Meaningful science
BATTLE OF THE BUGS By Allyson Rowley
doesn’t happen in the silos of traditional university departments anymore. This is the way we’re going to solve big problems like antibiotic resistance.
Thanks to the Michael G. DeGroote
BATTLE OF THE BUGS
Institute for Infectious Disease Research, we’re a lot closer to winning the battle against bacteria, viruses, parasites and other creepy things trying to take over your body
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t was supposed to be a short business trip, followed by a vacation in Paris and Venice with his wife. But two days into the trip, Gerry Wright had eaten something that didn’t taste quite right. Now he was lying in his hotel room, feeling really sick. “I travel a lot,” he says, “so I knew this was something more serious.” After a few more days, his wife urged him to go to a hospital. He refused. “Don’t you know about the drug resistance problems?” He should know. A professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster, Gerry Wright is scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research – and an expert on antibiotic resistance. Dubbed a “major health security challenge of the 21st century” by the G8, antibiotic resistance is a global problem created over the past 50 or 60 years from the misuse and overuse of existing antibiotics, along with a dwindling supply of new ones. For years, antibiotics have been mistakenly prescribed for everything from flu to colds to sore throats. Antibiotics are fed to the livestock we end up eating. They are used to treat acne, and their use (and overuse) is widespread in seniors’ residences and hospitals alike. All of which has led to one serious drug resistance problem. It’s a simple matter of survival of the fittest. The susceptible bacteria die off, but the strong resist and reproduce. Bacteria have been
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around for some four billion years, and they can reproduce every half hour. “There isn’t an antibiotic for which bacteria cannot develop a resistance,” says Wright. The trouble is we can’t have modern medicine without antibiotics. You couldn’t go in for surgery, you couldn’t get a hip replacement, you couldn’t be treated for cancer. Even a cut or a scrape could be fatal, because of the risk of bacterial infection. Wright flew home and survived – after another tense two weeks, when an antibiotic was finally found that worked on his particular germ, a type of salmonella. And equally fortunate is the fact that, in 2007, the Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) was launched with a $10-million gift from philanthropist and businessman Michael G. DeGroote. Unique in Canada, the IIDR spans three faculties and eight departments. It houses three state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Centre for Microbial Chemical Biology, which Wright characterizes as “our own drug discovery company down the hall.” Most importantly, the institute harnesses the collective passion, talent and brainpower of 32 principal investigators – from clinicians to biochemists to immunologists to mathematicians. “Meaningful science doesn’t happen in the silos of traditional university departments anymore. This is the way we’re going to solve big problems like antibiotic resistance.” Last fall, Wright’s lab was in the news for discovering a new way to zero in on naturally occurring antibiotics in soil bacteria. Most of today’s antibiotics were discovered between 1940 and 1960 – penicillin and many anti-cancer drugs were discovered this way. However, over the years pharmaceutical companies have become much less interested in developing new antibiotics. Wright lists three reasons. First: money. “Are you going to invest a billion dollars in a drug that will be used for only a week to 10 days, or in one that patients will need for the rest of their lives?” The second reason: regulation. Unlike 50 years ago, drugs must now undergo largescale clinical trials, which are costly and time-consuming. The third reason? The scientific brainpower needed to discover the new drugs. “And that’s where we can help,” says Wright. “We can do everything from drug discovery to clinical work to population analysis to genomics to fundamental microbiology. You name it, we can do it all.” To this day, Wright keeps the bug that infected him in a freezer in his lab. “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” he says with a grin. You could say salmonella has picked on the wrong guy.
A Shot in the Arm for Infectious Disease Research Here’s what a few of McMaster’s leading researchers have to say about the IIDR:
“Ultimately, it’s the collaboration at the multidisciplinary level where the magic happens.” Biochemist Eric Brown, one of the IIDR’s founding members, led a team that discovered a new way to target the cell membranes of the bacteria called MRSA.
nism for us to get ha ec m a d te ea cr s ha r te as cM “M her’s research. together and talk about each ot It’s been amazingly helpful.” BATTLE OF THE BUGS
tee, has ber of the IIDR executive commit Mathematician David Earn, a mem actually increase use of fever-reducing drugs may measured how the widespread the spread of influenza.
“The best thing about the IIDR is its philosophy – the idea that wonderful things happ en when you bring like-minded people together. ” Immunologist Dawn Bowdish runs Cana da’s only age-related lab facility, looking into how to keep the elderly healthy and infection-free.
“My involvement has made me far more fascinated with the evolutionary dynamics of infectious disease. We use the same models – but we’re looking at pathogens, rather than mammoths!” Evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar and his team mapped the genome of the Black Death and also traced the bacterium behind a 19th-century cholera pandemic.
“We look at what the whole world need s
– and
we all share in everyone’s successes.”
Fiona Smaill ‘89 a ‘98, a clinician and medical microbiologist, led research that developed a new tuberculosis vaccine, the result of 10 years of research.
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‘The world’s free heart beats high because of you’ McMASTER AT WAR JD Howell
1914-1918 By Andrew Baulcomb ‘08
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t became known as the war to end all wars, and McMaster was thrust into the fray without much of a choice. When Britain formally declared war on Germany in August, 1914, the University was plunged into a developing global conflict that went against every aspect of pacifist Baptist teachings the institution stood for. Still, campus leaders had little choice but to observe Canada’s colonial ties to England, and braced for the First World War to touch their growing campus – at the time still located on Bloor Street in Toronto. “The events in Western Europe had a profound effect on both faculty and the student body at McMaster,” writes University historian Charles Johnston ’49 in his remarkably vivid tome, McMaster University I: The
to the Maps Room at Mills Memorial Library. “Many of them would have been military eligible.” Many servicemen from McMaster would eventually see combat in Flanders; a battle-scarred region of Western Europe straddling the borders of France and Belgium. Before the war was over, a total of 22 servicemen with ties to the University would die in uniform, including aspiring poet and writer Bernard Trotter ‘15. This year, countries in all four hemispheres will mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. McMaster students and alumni served overseas during the bulk of the campaign, and the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice remain enshrined on an
“In terms of the First World War, we probably have the best hard-copy collection of maps other than the National Archives.” - Gord Beck, McMaster map specialist Toronto Years. “Any apathy lingering there about the larger questions facing the civilized world was quickly dispelled by the crisis that threatened the world in 1914.” Faculty members such as Stewart Wallace, R.W. Smith and William McNairn pushed for McMaster’s burgeoning campus to serve as a training ground for military officers, as more and more students signedon to serve overseas. By 1915, the University’s enrolment had plummeted by a full 25 per cent, and a planned expansion of campus was put on hold indefinitely. “The University had begun conferring degrees in 1894, and by 1914 it had several generations of graduates,” says Johnston, during a recent visit
Honour Roll tablet inside Alumni Memorial Hall. A quote from one of Trotter’s 1914 poems can be found at the bottom of the First World War memorial tablet: “Not vain your sacrifice nor lost your work, the world’s free heart beats high because of you.” Today, McMaster is known as one of the country’s leading authorities on First World War maps and archival documents. Over the past four decades, the University has acquired an extensive collection of material from the Great War, including some 500 aerial photos of France and Belgium circa 1917 and 1918 (hundreds with hand-written notes) along with more than 1,400 heavily-detailed maps of Western Europe with titles such as “trench map,” “artillery map” and
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McMASTER AT WAR
Bringing history to life: McMaster alumnus and celebrated historian Charles Johnston ’49 has written extensively about the University’s involvement in both the First and Second World War. He visited the campus earlier this year to discuss McMaster’s connection to the Great War. Visit dailynews.mcmaster.ca to watch a video interview with Johnston in Mills Memorial Library.
McMASTER AT WAR
Andrew Baulcomb
Left: Gord Beck, map specialist at McMaster, examines an aerial photo collage of Béthune, France from May, 1918. This early example of a photo mosaic features German and British front lines in the surrounding region. Top and bottom right: a special insert in the Montreal Star highlights where Canadians served overseas. Both are included in the University’s extensive First World War collection. “officer’s planning map.” The physical collection resides in the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections in Mills Memorial Library, and an extensive digitization project is currently underway. University map specialist Gord Beck hopes all of the maps and photos will be online in time for summer. “Our digital presence is the largest in the world, which is why institutions such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and The Australian War Memorial routinely direct researchers to our online site,” says Beck. “In terms of the First World War, we probably have the best hard-copy collection of maps other than the National Archives in Ottawa.” The University is also home to a robust collection of songs from the First and Second World War, including nearly 60 from Canada and many others penned in Britain, the United States and Germany. Many reflect a sense of duty among young Canadian men, including McMaster students, to serve the Crown in England. One such tune from 1915, “Boys from Canada,” includes the chorus: “We’re the boys from Canada, glad to serve Britannia.” Another from the same year, “By Order of the King,” features a chorus telling of the time for many in English Canada: “By order of the king (God bless him) we’ll win or die.”
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Pride and patriotism aside, the young men of the colonies could never adequately prepare for what awaited them on the battlefields of Western Europe. Indeed, many thought the conflict would be resolved by Christmas, 1914. “Ultimately, nobody expected the kind of war that it did become, in terms of its scale and scope,” says Martin Horn ‘87, assistant professor in McMaster’s Department of History. “Canada did not have an independent foreign policy at the time, and had to follow London’s lead. But it was up to Canada to determine what the size of its contribution would be. When war came in August, 1914, it’s conceivable that Prime Minister Robert Borden was thinking in rather modest terms.” On Nov. 11, the names of those who fell will be read aloud during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony on campus. As the McMaster community pauses to reflect on distant lives and past conflicts, it will also imagine those names as classmates, friends, sweethearts, family members and fellow alumni with ambition and dreams – gone, but not forgotten. McMaster at War: 1939-1945 will be published in the Fall 2014 edition of the Times.
Alumni Album 1960s Bob Williamson ’62 devoted a great deal of his time and energy working on the War of 1812 Bicentennial. Williamson’s activities included writing and unveiling three heritage plaques (Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Confederation Park in Hamilton and HMCS Star in Hamilton), and acting as master of ceremonies for the Hamilton Scourge memorial service on Lake Ontario. The latter took place on board the CCGS Griffon, and included Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina along with various 1812 re-enactors, MPPs and diplomats.
1970s
Susan Searls Giroux, McMaster’s associate vice-president (Faculty), delivered a talk entitled “The Civic Function of Intellectuals Today” at the College of The Bahamas in Nassau, Bahamas. Several Bahamian McMaster alumni attended (left to right: Sandra Clarke ’72, Marilyn Zonicle ’72, Searls Giroux (seated) Pamela Burnside (Jones) ’72 and Felicity
Barry Dicks ’75 has been elected as a signature member of the Society of Canadian Artists. The SCA is a national, non-profit artists’ organization dedicated to expanding the visibility and stature of the visual arts. His landscape paintings are carried in Muskoka by the Oxtongue Craft Cabin and Gallery in Dwight, Ont. and at Quinn’s of Tweed Fine Art Gallery in Tweed, Ont. Dicks is a graduate of the Faculty of Humanities. Ralph Meyer ’78 & ’84 was appointed as the new president and CEO of Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton. Located on the Hamilton Mountain, the fullservice general hospital is home to one of the region’s top cancer treatment facilities and is well-regarded as a leader in orthopedic care. Meyer is a twotime graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences. His wife, Jane Meyer ’04, is a McMaster alumna from the Faculty of Social Sciences.
MacServe alumni group gets to work in Costa Rica
A group of 14 McMaster alumni from across Canada recently traveled to Costa Rica to participate in a service trip. The spirited team spent a week volunteering at the Santa Elena Nature Reserve in Monteverde, while also exploring the surrounding area. The group convened in San Jose, Costa Rica and took the fivehour journey to Santa Elena de Monteverde the following day. The group spent the first day at Santa Elena nature reserve working on beautifying a path through the lower portion of the reserve. The remaining working days were spent clearing important connecting roads between Santa Elena and another nature reserve, helping to replenish a path in the reserve and helping one of the local guides with bird tracking. Alumni participants also took part in a number of planned activities designed to help reveal the local area. One afternoon, for example, the group enjoyed a tour of a nearby coffee plantation and some enjoyed a ride on a traditional Costa Rican oxcart (which is a UNESCO-designated heritage piece).
1980s Scott Lowrey ‘85 recently completed his Ed.D. studies in Educational Administration at OISE/University of Toronto. Lowrey is currently an elementary school principal in Hamilton, and was honoured by Canada’s Outstanding Principals (COP) in 2005. He is also a former recipient of McMaster’s Lloyd Reed Prize (1985). Foundationally, Scott’s doctoral journey began at McMaster while earning his undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Linda Francis ‘86 was appointed Faculty Head - Applications for
triOS College in Ontario. Linda has served as an instructor with the college since February 2009, and has worked tirelessly to achieve her new position. She is a graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, with a degree in English. She currently resides in Oshawa, Ont. Lynda Redwood-Campbell ’88 & ’92 served as team leader with the Canadian/Norwegian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit team that responded to Typhoon Haiyan. The Red Cross set up a temporary hospital outside the Ormoc District Hospital that had been severely damaged by the typhoon. The temporary hospital cared for many babies, children dailynews.mcmaster.ca
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ALUMNI ALBUM
Peter Calamai ’65 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Science Writers’ Association during a June, 2013 ceremony in Montreal. Calamai, a well-respected reporter and journalism lecturer, was one of the founders of the association and served on the executive for many years.
Humblestone ’03). The group presented Searls Giroux with a copy of a book entitled I Come To Get Me, written by McMaster alumna Arlene Ferguson ’72 and edited by Burnside. Searls Giroux’s husband, Global Television Network Chair Henry Giroux, also headed a forum on critical pedagogy the following day.
and pregnant women. The temporary Red Cross hospital had surgical and labour and delivery facilities as well. RedwoodCampbell led the team that served the most vulnerable populations. This was the only public hospital in the city of Ormoc. RedwoodCampbell continues to work and do research into the areas of immigrant and refugee health, as well as the complexities of the humanitarian response after sudden-onset disasters and during complex humanitarian emergencies.
ALUMNI ALBUM
1990s Lauren McKinley Renzetti ’94 has been working diligently as an art instructor at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Art Works Art School for more than 13 years. For the past seven years, she has also had the honour of serving as Artist-in-Residence at Unicamp of Ontario. An active member of Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, she has recently moved into the role of the organization’s curator, coordinating art shows in their sacred space. Renzetti’s personal art career is still a large part of her daily life.
Geordie Rose ’94 is the founder and CTO of D-Wave: The Quantum Computer Company. Founded in 1999, the company is striving to make practical quantum computing technology a reality. D-Wave currently owns more than 90 granted U.S. patents, and has more than 100 pending applications around the world related to quantum computing and superconducting electronics. Rose is a graduate from the Faculty of Engineering, and was a member of the University’s 1994 CIAU championship wrestling team. Rob Sawyer ’94 was one of 60 teachers to receive a 2013 Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, in recognition of his outstanding dedication to his students. Sawyer works as a Grade 5 teacher at Kingsway College School in Etobicoke, Ont. and lives in Toronto with his wife Alexis and daughters Stella and Beatrice. He earned a degree in Physical Education from McMaster. Carly Kuntz ’95 and husband Michael Kuntz ’95 recently founded Hockey for Fun – a community initiative in Kitchener, Ont. that offers one
hour per week of “beginner, fun, co-ed hockey for boys and girls aged 8-11.” The program is tailored for children and families who don’t want to commit to a hectic full season of hockey, but still enjoy the game and get some exercise while learning how to play. Carly and Michael are both graduates from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Kate Drummond ’98 has enjoyed a successful acting career since graduating from McMaster with a degree in Kinesiology. Most recently, she starred as lead female Anna Grímsdóttir, better known as “Grim,” in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist video game. Among other roles, Drummond can also be seen as Beverly Hillcroft in the scifi TV mini-series CAT. 8; as Jane Jenkins in the TV movie Clara’s Deadly Secret. She has also appeared in several TV series such as Being Human and Sweet Tart’s Takeaway, and Drummond is the creator and host of the online reality cooking series, A Jock’s Guide.
2000s
Theresa Hale-Charters ’01 and husband Mathew Charters, along with daughters Aisling and Danielle, welcomed Joseph Mathew Charters on June 3, 2013. Joseph was born at McMaster Hospital, and weighed 11 lbs., 11 oz. Hale-Charters is a registered nurse with the Hematology-Oncology Program at Juravinski Hospital, and husband Matthew also works for Hamilton Health Sciences. Mike Picheca ’02 & ’09 and his wife Annie Poirier celebrated the birth of second child, Victoria Shirley Picheca, on Oct. 1, 2013. Big sister Sophia is extremely proud. Picheca earned a degree in Computer Science and an MBA from McMaster. Vidya Anderson (Viswanathan) ’03 and Ricardo T. Anderson welcomed their second
Meet the Pixar animator behind Woody, Buzz, and Sulley By Jemma Wolfe ‘13 Allison Rutland ’02 spent her time at McMaster as many do: She lived in Hedden Hall in first year, submitted comics to Incite Magazine, went frequently to the Downstairs John and made “a lot of fun memories just hanging out with people from my class.” But the career she pursued after graduation is rather extraordinary. Rutland is a character animator at Pixar’s animation studios in Emeryville, Calif. After graduating with a degree in Fine Arts and Multimedia in 2002, Rutland went on to Sheridan College to pursue a diploma in animation. It wasn’t long after that she found a home base, first at a studio in Toronto, and then across the pond at a studio in London, England. There, she worked on visual effects for such well-known films as Where the Wild Things Are and The Tale of Despereaux. But Pixar was always at the back of her mind. “A couple of friends of mine had got in [during Ratatouille], and they’d been at Pixar for about two years, and I thought, ‘Ah, you know what, I think I wanna try’ and I applied,” said Rutland. She then flew from London to San Francisco to compete in an intensive interview process. It paid off in the end, and Rutland made the move from English rain to California sun in 2009. Since then, her life has been a dream come true. As a character animator, she has worked on Toy Story 3 (she animated Woody and Buzz), Brave and most recently, Monster’s University. For Monster’s University, Rutland was the primary character
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animator for Sulley, the huge blue and purple monster voiced by John Goodman. “I did a couple of shots at the beginning of the show that the animation directors liked, so they kind of kept giving me Sulley animation, so I ended up with a big chunk of Sulley’s shots,” she explained. “You have to be willing to be constantly learning,” she said. “I think animation’s one of those things that you don’t ever really feel like you’ve totally mastered it.” Her work as a character animator can also be seen in Pixar’s forthcoming feature Inside Out , due for release in 2015.
child, Jaya Gita Anderson, on Oct 14, 2013. Older brother Ajai, 5, is thrilled to have a new member of the family. A graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, Anderson works as a broker and freelance journalist in Chicago, Ill. Ashley Beattie ’04 & ’08 is part of a team that recently launched the Kiwi Move – a WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled piece of “wearable tech” that can take voice notes, control home appliances, record motion and workout data and even communicate with the Internet using a series of hand gestures. The device has been profiled by the BBC, Forbes, Toronto Star, CBC Hamilton, Mashable and several other international news outlets.
Carmen Charlton ’10 has been certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM). Certification with the ABMM is the highest credential that a doctoral-level clinical microbiologist can earn. Charlton earned a PhD from the Faculty of Health Sciences. Adrianne Pieczonka ’10 (honorary) received a Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award in January, 2014. The biennial awards honour the achievement of Canadian artists in keyboard artistry, singing and art photography, and are administered by the Ontario Arts Council. An internationally acclaimed and Juno Award-winning opera singer, Pieczonka has graced stages all over Europe and North America. Otis Kryzanauskas ’12 was profiled in an extensive feature on CBC News last December,
Adriano Paonessa ’13 has embarked on an exciting new career in music under the stage name Dre Pao. To date, he has written the guitar parts and lyrics to more than 50 songs, and made his official YouTube debut on Dec. 3, 2013 with a cover of the Xuso Jones song “Megaphone.”
‘An Evening of Gospel Music’ with Karen Burke By Colin Czemeda ‘05 Students in the McMaster Choir had an experience like no other when they performed alongside the Juno Award-winning Toronto Mass Choir (pictured) and its alumna director Karen Burke ’83 in January. The 35-member choir delivered “An Evening of Gospel Music” at Westdale United Church, as part of the University’s year-long Spotlight on the Arts festival. Burke, who graduated from the Faculty of Humanities with a degree in Music, co-founded the Toronto Mass Choir with her husband in 1988. As a student, Burke studied piano under well-known classical pianist and former associate professor Valerie Tryon ’00 (honorary), although her roots lie in gospel singing. She participated in the McMaster Choir and later became its president, taking on conducting responsibilities. “The great thing about the McMaster music department was that you could focus on your own interests,” said Burke. “I really appreciated that it was a smaller and more personal program.” Her experiences at McMaster and later the Royal Conservatory of Music allowed her to combine her earlier years performing gospel music with that of her formal training. “McMaster gave me the language to be able to show what I know,” she explained.
ALUMNI ALBUM
Tal Dehtiar ’05 celebrated a milestone last fall, when his footwear company Oliberté was officially named by Fair Trade USA as the first Fair Trade Certified shoe factory in the world. The announcement followed months of audits, reviews, and factory checks against more than 250 compliance requirements.
and billed as “Canada’s lone male midwife.” The 26-year-old from Hamilton has delivered between 300 and 350 babies since becoming certified, and is the sole certified male among roughly 1,000 midwives in Canada. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Music to my ears: Career advice from alumni in the arts Students looking to work in the arts took part in a successful networking session at Convocation Hall with a focus on breaking into their chosen field. The event, part of the year-long Spotlight on the Arts festival, gave students the opportunity to ask questions and learn from a number of alumni, including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Diana Weir ’08; the Hamilton Arts Council’s Stephanie Vegh ’03; Jeffrey Remedios ’98, co-founder of Arts & Crafts Productions; and Michael Keire ’08 (pictured). “Art is hard, but you can’t give up because life isn’t always easy,” said Keire, a local music producer and owner of Hamilton’s Threshold Recording Studio. “I wake up doing, thinking and researching music and I go to sleep doing, thinking and researching music.”
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In Memoriam 1930s Agnes Roulston ’35 died July 8, 2013 at Christie Gardens at the age of 99. A graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences with a passion for travel, Roulston led a full and accomplished life as a teacher and guidance counsellor at East York Collegiate Institute for more than three decades. Roulston was also a lifetime member of the President’s Club at McMaster, in recognition of her ongoing philanthropic efforts at the University. She will be dearly missed by family.
IN MEMORIAM
1940s J. Ross Husband ’48 died Dec. 19, 2013. Born in Montreal, Husband went to McMaster after he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He practised law in Hamilton for more than 50 years, with a particular love and focus on his extensive corporate practice. He was still practicing at the time of his passing. Husband was a graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is survived by his loving wife, Jean.
1950s Lillian Marie McKee (McDonald) ’50 died Aug. 17, 2013 at Alta Vista Manor in Ottawa, Ont. Born in Weyburn, Sask. in 1929, McKee enjoyed a successful career with the Children’s Aid Society for more than 20 years. A proud McMaster graduate, she earned a degree from the Faculty of Humanities. McKee is survived by her husband of 43 years, Ken. Elva Carrol ‘51 died Jan. 20, 2014. A graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Carrol was inducted into the McMaster Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 and made a member of the McMaster Alumni Gallery in 1984.
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Carrol was a longtime member of the board of the Hamilton Automobile Club and of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, where she was a four-time Ladies Champion. She also earned a Hamilton District Golf Championship. Carrol is lovingly remembered by her nephew Christopher, family and friends. Michiko “Midge” Ayukawa (Ishii) ’52 & ’53 died Oct. 24, 2013. Born in Vancouver in 1930, she was interned at Lemon Creek during the Second World War. Following the war, the Ishii family moved to Hamilton where Michiko later earned two degrees from McMaster’s Department of Chemistry. She later taught chemistry at Carleton University and the University of Victoria after the family moved to Sooke, B.C. in 1980. She was inducted into McMaster’s Alumni Gallery in 2007. She will always be remembered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and academic. Bernard Pelletier ’53 died May 20, 2013 at Valley Stream Manor in Nepean, Ont. Born in 1923, he joined the Saskatoon Light Infantry and served overseas for the duration the Second World War. He earned a graduate degree in Geology from McMaster’s Faculty of Science, and enjoyed a long and distinguished career that included many adventures in the field. Pelletier was predeceased by his beloved wife Judy (Lamb), and is missed by family. Edna Joan McKinnell ’54 died Feb. 11, 2013. Born in Hamilton in 1931, she was a promising student from a young age and skipped two elementary grades, entering high school at age 11. McKinnell went on to study French and German at McMaster and earned a degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences. She later obtained a master’s degree in Education and joined the Etobicoke Board of Education. She is
survived by her loving husband, Ashton, and is missed by family. Donald Beaumont ’57 died Aug. 28, 2013 in Mississauga. A graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Beaumont played a leading role in the Canadian retail market for 49 years, including 20 years with Eaton’s, 13 with Towers Department Stores and five years as president and CEO of Kmart Canada. Beaumont was predeceased by his wife Lynne, and will be sadly missed by his partner Penny Ecclestone. Gail Korhonen (Buchanan) ’57 died Sept. 21, 2013 in Mississauga, Ont. She was an outstanding student with a keen thirst for knowledge, and was heavily involved in campus activities during her time at McMaster, including cheerleading. Korhonen, who
earned a degree from the Faculty of Humanities, was a loving wife and friend to Ed for 52 years.
1960s Wayne Elvins ’66 died May 27, 2013 at the age of 78. A longtime teacher at Scott Park Secondary School in Hamilton, Elvins earned a degree in Geography from the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is survived by his wife Naomi, daughter Sarah along with several wonderful grandchildren and extended family.
1990s Elsie Silverthorne ’93 died in October, 2013. She was a graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, with a degree in English.
Right Said Fred Had the Right Idea KAREN MCQUIGGE ‘90, Director, Alumni Advancement An annual indulgence for theatre and Shakespeare lovers, this incredible program offers access to eight performances, expert lectures and discussion groups along with delightful social opportunities including welcome reception, included lunches and two special dinners. To access the program information booklet visit alumni. mcmaster.ca - Learn & Explore – Stratford Seminars or contact Kathleen D’Amico at damicok@mcmaster.ca or call 905-525-9140 ext. 27909.
Saturday, June 7, 3 p.m. All McMaster alumni are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting as we elect the next Slate of Officers. The brief AGM will be followed by an entertaining lecture by Martyn Burke ’64, acclaimed writer, director and film maker sharing stories from his fascinating career. Contact alumni@mcmaster. ca or visit alumni.mcmaster.ca - events for details.
Dr. Patrick Deane will be embarking on a multi-city journey in 2014. Each event on our trip will feature a panel discussion with experts from the academic, business and technology fields exploring the challenges and opportunities facing universities in the 21st century. The panels will examine some of the key issues transforming teaching and learning and preparing students to be leaders in this changing environment. Stops on the tour include New York, Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco, Vancouver and Calgary. Watch your mailbox wVictoria, orinbox ld oforudetails and t t for the date in your city.
hen I graduated from Mac, it was not a good time for music. Just months after I earned my degree, a British band named Right Said Fred (I’m not making that up) hit the top of the charts with the immortal “I’m Too Sexy (For My Shirt).” If you’re not familiar with it, the song is somehow even worse than the title. I started thinking about Right Said Fred today because I found myself saying the following sentence out loud in a meeting: “Insurance is sexy.” Actually, I was more enthusiastic than that. I really said, “Insurance is sexy!” Why the enthusiasm? Because the McMaster Alumni Association (MAA) offers its members the opportunity to enrol in life, health and disability insurance with Manulife Financial as well as in home and auto insurance with TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. Between the two programs, more than 17,000 Mac alumni, students, faculty and staff are taking advantage of these services. With incredible retention and customer satisfaction ratings, there are 17,000 members of the McMaster community who know that these programs provide fantastic service. What a lot of people do not realize, however, is that the revenue these programs and others generate for the MAA has allowed the Association to have an amazing impact on the McMaster community. The Association has donated more than $1.4 million to the University to create scholarships and bursaries and to help build the McMaster University Student Centre and the David Braley Athletic Centre. The MAA also contributes more than $25,000 annually in sponsorships to student initiatives like CFMU, Welcome Week, the Charity Ball, the Horizons conference for incoming students, Kin Games, iSci Graduation, the BHSc Fashion Show, TEDx sessions and the McMaster World Congress. Of course, the Association also invests in its own programs, so when you come to Homecoming, take part in our young alumni programming, visit our website, connect with one of our digital programs or attend an alumni event outside Hamilton, that’s an example of those insurance dollars at work. Sexy indeed.
46,000 Days MARK STEWART ‘06 & ‘10 President, Alumni Association
The #MyDayAtMac campaign on January 29, 2014 captured a slice of life at McMaster, frozen in time through an amazing diversity of photos. During 126 years, McMaster has experienced a lot of days – more than 46,000! As a former student and more recently as president of the McMaster Alumni Association, I’ve is a lot o only been a part of a small subset of the many people, f orr y-fre e events, and days of McMaster. However, these experion amo convenience h e r e to se ng like -m an inded tr d value of ex e , ences contained, like all of the McMaster days over the years, the intangible essence clusive avellers a r e you c group to . urs aro o und the that is truly McMaster. m i n world, g? while s haring y 2015 M our The maroon pride, the collaborative spirit, the commitment to academic excellence. cMAST ER ALU AND F I can’t exactly put it into words, but just like you, I know what being a part of R MN I SAVE T IENDS TR A HE DAT VE L S H McMaster feels like. I’ve been privileged to engage with alumni on different life paths, E – Thu Get a s O W CASE rsday, A nea pril 24, and Frie k peak on wh at different ages, and across the world, from Trinidad to Paris. My fellow alumni have 2014. ere the nds Tra McMas Program ter Alum StayvelTuned! Open House deeply inspired me and motivated me. As my term as president comes to close, I take wGrand ill be he Opening n i ading in Feature 2015! d Trips with me a strengthened conviction to continue my lifelong relationship with our alma and Concert at the LIVE Lab – a unique : Russia |A rations ugust 7-20 ✈ mater. I hope your own McMaster journey continues to enrich your life, and that you It in Spain aly: Pie dm centre and performance space | Se research - Oct. 4 honour your McMaster relationship by taking what you’ve learned to keep making a ✈ Norm pt. 20 - Oct. 1 ont, Italian R iviera, 4 ✈ Vil andy:will TuscSeptember 70th be held on 27 lageSaturday, any | S on on a Anniv Life in difference in the world. eptem ersary ny of Dord
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ALUMNI DIRECTIONS
Passport to the Future:
W
THEN & NOW
JD HOWELL
THEN&NOW
Reading between the lines: Former CBC and BBC producer Margaret Lyons ’49 swapped stories with Jemma Wolfe ’13, executive editor of The Silhouette, during a meeting at the University’s Lyons New Media Centre. Lyons was a reporter and editor at the student newspaper during the 1940s.
‘Then & Now’ profiles two students from different eras, and highlights how their experiences differed. For this issue, meet former BBC and CBC producer, Order of Canada inductee and esteemed McMaster alumna Margaret Lyons ’49 & ’96 (honorary) and aspiring writer Jemma Wolfe ’13. Both have held senior editorial positions at The Silhouette undergraduate newspaper, with Wolfe currently serving as executive editor.
By Andrew Baulcomb ’08 32
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J
ournalists like meeting other journalists. It’s a proven fact. When Margaret Lyons and Jemma Wolfe sat down for a conversation in McMaster’s Lyons New Media Centre last winter, the discussion quickly shifted to writing headlines, editing copy and spending long hours poring over each weekly edition of The Silhouette. More than six decades after her first byline, Lyons still looks back on her time at the campus paper with great fondness. “The first thing I did when I started at the University was to look for the newspaper,” says Lyons, who graduated with a degree in Political Economy before joining the BBC in 1952. Returning from England in 1960, she signed-on as a producer with the CBC and was later named vice-president of CBC English Radio. According to Lyons, it was her well-rounded foundation at McMaster that set the tone for her career.
“We did everything at that newspaper, and we left it to the editor to assign stories. It was very informal … I became sort of a general ‘gofer’ of all kinds of things that nobody else wanted to do. Women were also very dominant at The Silhouette during those days. Virginia Hunter ’48 was always my immediate boss, and she was a real power on McMaster’s Board of Publications.” For Wolfe, the newspaper offered a chance to connect with like-minded peers and engage with the campus community in new and interesting ways. Hers was a path that touched nearly every section in the weekly broadsheet. “I started off volunteering at The Silhouette during my first and second year, mostly writing opinion pieces,” says Wolfe, a native of Ancaster, Ont. who earned a degree in English and Theatre & Film Studies. “A vacancy opened up at the last minute so I stepped in as assistant news editor, and then I switched into arts and culture before working my way up to my current role as executive editor. I love my job, and I want to inspire other women at McMaster to get involved in campus media.” The finished product may be similar, but producing a weekly edition of The Silhouette has changed dramatically in recent years. When Wolfe and her colleagues sit down to craft a newspaper in the basement of the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC), they do so using a sophisticated fleet of computers equipped with the latest in design software and technology. Cropping photos, editing copy and rewriting headlines have become entirely digital tasks. “We make the pages using a piece of software called InDesign, and essentially email the finished pages to a printer in Guelph,” says Wolfe. “Our techniques may have changed, but fundamentally it’s still the same process.” The paper also has an online home at thesil.ca, which features breaking news and additional content.
For Lyons and her colleagues, production was a lot more hands-on when The Silhouette was still housed in a “grungy basement office” in Hamilton Hall, she says. Newspaper staff would spend long hours cutting and pasting typed stories onto large layout sheets before driving the entire mock-up to the printing house. As layout editor, it was Margaret’s future husband, Edward Lyons ’49, who was often tasked with the latter – rain or shine. “We didn’t have all of those electronic devices back in those days. So far as I can recall, those were innocent times,” says Lyons. “We didn’t set type, but we would write the copy, lay it out by hand and send everything to a place in Grimsby.” In terms of generating content for the paper, Lyons recalls a time when the focus was largely on campus and local news. Stories related to University politics, sports, social activities were always popular with students, along with content about labour strife in the Hamilton area. “Looking back between 1945 and 1949, those were important international years. But very little world news was represented in our papers,” says Lyons, who credits popular McMaster professor Chester New for sparking her lifelong interest in Canadian history. “However, I don’t think the Second World War veterans at McMaster expressed any views on what we covered. They were anxious to get on with their lives, and you have to keep in mind that these men were quite a bit older.” The more things change, the more they stay the same. For current Silhouette staffers, campus news is still paramount. “Because students are able to access national and international news through various platforms, whether through their phones or their computers, we want to give them what they can’t easily find on Twitter,” explains Wolfe. “Our focus is McMaster-related news, so that’s generally what we try to cover. In terms of covering larger international stories, there’s usually a way to connect it back to campus.”
cce
McMaster Centre for Continuing Education
www.mcmastercce.com
Discover. Advance.
Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Web Analytics, Health Information Management, and more.
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Across the generations:
“
Y
ou could say that McMaster runs in my family,” says Bosa Zagorac. After her parents immigrated to Canada from Serbia, her father graduated from McMaster in 2002. “He is so proud of his alma mater, and my brother and twin sister followed in his footsteps. I knew McMaster would be my choice, too,” says Bosa, now a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, with twin minors in Health, Aging and Society and in Biology. Last year, Bosa was one of 30 McMaster students to receive the Anne and Harold Chalk Memorial Bursary. Harold Chalk ‘26 and his wife Anne made the decision to support McMaster in their estate plans. When they both passed away in 1996, their bursary was established. Since then, their generosity has supported more than 320 students. “I am so thankful that I and many others have benefited from this bursary,” says Bosa. The financial support has given her time to focus on her studies and continue working with Save the Children and other volunteer activities. Her goal is to study medicine and become a neurosurgeon. “I wish I had the chance to thank Anne and Harold in person, but they are always here in my heart. I feel they are right here rooting for me and it pushes me to do better.” Please consider remembering McMaster University in your estate plans. A gift of any size will make a big difference to a student like Bosa. “McMaster was the perfect choice for me. Every single class has changed my perspective on life,” she says. Bosa hopes one day to pay it forward with her own gift. “It feels good that someone has planned ahead to support you.”
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Harold Chalk ‘26 created a bursary that has supported many students like Bosa
To learn more about leaving a gift in your will, please contact: Kelly Trickett Senior Development Officer University Advancement McMaster University Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 21990 Email: tricket@mcmaster.ca
JD HOWELL
From one family to another
Remember when you had no cares in this world?
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