spring 2008 mcmaster times

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McMaster Times

Exploring McMaster’s water-related research

Olympian effortsLeading by moral compass

Weall live

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McMaster Times - Winter ‘08 3

Molecular imaging centre .............................................. 8

Canada Research Chairs ................................................. 8

Health Sciences Library receives award .................... 8

Preferred Burlington site announced ........................... 9

Alumni Association gift to athletic centre .................. 9

Funding supports campus improvement ...................... 9

Research chair for human health resources ............... 9

Millennium Scholars recognized. ................................. 9

Joint program targets skilled workers ........................ 9

Libraries awarded top honour...................................... 10

Scholarship for family medicine ................................. 11

Statue takes math to new heights ............................... 11

Humanities journal wins award .................................. 13

PhD program in Health Policy launched .................... 13

Research news ............................................................... 13

University News

$2-million gift to Faculty of Engineering ...................... 6

Gift supports research into workplace injuries ........ 6

Dobson named CEO of the Year...................................... 7

Profile of Gillian Cooper .................................................. 7

Paying it forward .............................................................. 7

Campaign News

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR................................................. 4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ................................................. 5

ALUMNI DIRECTIONS .................................................... 31

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES ...................................................... 32

ALUMNI ALBUM ............................................................. 33

IN MEMORIAM................................................................ 36

McMASTER WRITES ...................................................... 37

THE LAST WORD ............................................................. 38

Departments

“It is time for us to understand the magnitude and

consequences of the silent crisis of

sanitation and bring the full force of our

resources, technology and human compassion

to overcome it.” Dr. Zafar Adeel,

director, United Nations University’s International

Network on Water, Environment and Health.

See page 38

Meet McMaster .............................. 17 Howard Shearer ’77 describes how he steers his life with a moral compass.

We all live downstream ................ 18 An exploration of the water-related research being conducted at McMaster and alumni whose careers involve different facets of water. Profiles include:

Lynda Lukasik ’89 on reclaiming the waters of Hamilton harbour. ................................... 20 Stephen Collins ’78 and Kristen Hallett ’95 on the lessons of Walkerton.................................... 21 Jesse Lumsden ’08 and Colleen Cupido ’91 on the healing power of water. ............................... 22Douglas Hallett ’70 on the tribulations of the Great Lakes ................................................................. 23 Emad Elsayed ’75 on harnessing water’s power ............................................................ 25Pierre Côté ’86 on the technology of clean water. ........................................................... 25

Olympian efforts.............................. 26

Engineering looks forward ........... 28

Winning year for Marauders ........ 29

Features

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“Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel Prizes – one for peace and one for science.” John F. Kennedy. See page 18.

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A woman washes pots in a polluted river in Kathmandu, Nepal.

4 McMaster Times -Winter ‘08

ContributorsSusan Bubak, Peter George ’96, Jason Jones, Mike Lalich, Karen McQuigge ’90, Joseph A. Stephen ’84.

Advertising SalesSandra EtheringtonOffice of Public Relations 905-525-9140 ext. 24073

Officers, Alumni AssociationJoseph A. Stephen ’84, president; Kathy Chittley-Young ’96, past-presi-dent; Elizabeth Webel ’84, first vice-president; David Adames ’92, second vice-president; Don Bridgman ’78, financial advisor; Sheila Smith ’90, executive councillor, volunteer management; Anne Plessl ’79, executive councillor, alumni outreach; Cameal Sinclair ’07, executive councillor, student relations. Ex officio members: Lou Cafazzo ’06 (associate director, Alumni Advancement); Karen McQuigge ’90 (director, Alumni Advance-ment); Ryan Moran ’07 (president, MSU), Branch presidents.

Representatives to the University Senate:Earl Cochrane ’64, Lily Fong ’83, Jay Graydon ’71, Maureen Harmer ’66.

Representatives to the University Board of Governors: Quentin Broad ’86, Doug Lord ’73, Ellen Malcolmson ’83, Howard Shearer ’77, R. Peter Washburn ’73.

McMaster Times is published three times a year (January, April, and September) 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.

Editorial communications: The Editor, McMaster Times, Public Relations Office, Chester New Hall, Room 111, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9. Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 23662Fax: 905-521-1504 E-mail: [email protected] www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/times/Canada Post Publications Mail 1473638Postmaster: Send all returns to McMaster Universityc/o Advancement Services, T-27Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8

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The wood in this product comes from well-managed forests, independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

PublisherJudith ChopraEditorJean Burrows

Assistant EditorChantall Van RaayArt DirectorJD Howell ’04

Letters to the editor Regarding the article “Six buildings receive heritage desig-nation” (McMaster Times, Winter ’08): Only five of the “six original buildings” on campus received heritage designation: University Hall, Hamilton Hall, Wallingford Hall, Edwards Hall and the Refectory. The sixth, the President’s Residence, was unmentioned in the article. It opened in 1930 as did the Hamilton campus’ other five founding buildings. The Alumni Memorial Building (not Alumni Memorial Hall), the other building granted heritage designation by the City of Hamilton, was opened in 1951, not 1950.David Moore ’00Thanks for the clarification, David. Ed.

I’d like to correct an error in the McMaster Times, Winter ‘08 issue. I am in fact the author of The Drone War. The book is by K.V. (not Kevin) Johansen. K.V. (Krista) Johansen MA ’04Please accept our apologies and thank you for the correc-tion. Ed. In the third paragraph of the Editorial of the McMaster Times, Winter ’08 issue, the correct spelling should be “Médecins Sans Frontières”. I must say that it saddens me greatly when I see, all too often, even the simplest of French words that are improperly written. It saddens me even more when I see this in a Uni-versity publication. Could this reflect on a general level of indifference to-wards anything French in our so-called bilingual country?Paul-André Larose ’70

On the Cover“We all live downstream” expresses the concept that all human actions are inter-related. We can no more ignore the effect others’ actions have on us than we can the effect our actions have on others. This is especially true when it comes to issues surround-ing the supply, safety, and sustainability of our water supply. McMaster is already a powerhouse of research into water-related issues. This issue explores some of our faculty’s research, along with profiles of alumni whose work involves water. The photo-graphs that illustrate the cover and the related articles that begin on page 18 are by JD Howell ’04, art director of the McMaster Times.


“But when I am alone in the half light of the canyon all existence seems to fade to a being with my soul, and memories. And the sounds of the Big Black Foot River, and a four count rhythm, and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.”

~ A River Runs Through It ~ Norman MacLean

Like the fly-fishing father in A River Runs Through It, I, too, am captivated by water. It has been a constant in my life, from my days growing up on Toronto Island to my annual fishing trips on the opening week-end of trout season with my son, Michael, now joined by my grandsons, and occa-sional trips with friends near and far. As the water flows gently around my feet, and a fish occasionally tugs at my line, I find peace within myself and I’m able to consider my innermost thoughts and ideas on life. I find new perspectives. My thoughts clear. My mind opens to ideas, innovations and potential new adventures, for both my own life and that of the University. In fact, I was once inspired to write an article entitled “Everything I Needed to Know About Being President, I Learned From Fly Fishing” which was pub-lished in Currents, the magazine of Trout Unlimited Canada. Michael once asked me, as we cast our lines into the Ganaraska River, what I

thought was the meaning of success. I replied that it isn’t only about being president of McMaster University, but how I turned out as a person – that I hoped to have been a good father, husband, brother, grandfather, friend and contributing mem-ber of the community. Conversations like these flow easily between us when we are knee-deep in clear water. The peace of it allows us time to reconnect, discuss our future plans and reminisce about our past. Fishing with my son is undeniably one of my most pleasur-able pastimes – and as many of those close to me know, rarely do I miss the opening of trout season. It was on the water that I came to real-ize how inextricably water drifts through our lives. It is certainly true of my own life. Like my mother before me, I was born on Toronto Island. We lived on Hanlan’s Point, with sand dunes outside the front door, beaches, a cinder path, and a three-room schoolhouse. My maternal grandfather was the lighthouse keeper. I continue to spend time on the water whenever I can. My wife Allison and I regularly spend summer weekends at our family cottage on the water, canoeing there and in Algonquin Park. In June, I usually go salmon fishing in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Throughout my life, water has been about family, community and healthy play. But I have been more fortunate than most: for the vast major-ity of the human community, water is not primarily about play but more often about

economic necessity, scarcity, contamination and environmental disaster. Quintessentially, water is responsible for life on earth. Two thirds of the earth’s surface is covered by water and the hu-man body is 75 per cent water. Historically, civilizations settled around bodies of water. They provided a means of transporting goods and people easily and efficiently, and provided inspiration for nation- builders, artists and storytellers. Hamilton, like many great cities around the world, owes its origins to its waterside location. Hamilton harbour gives our city strength and identity. A recent documen-tary created by McMaster’s history depart-ment called “The People and the Bay: The Story of Hamilton Harbour” affirms the harbour’s importance and character and the role of humans in exploiting, ruining and recovering its promise over more than a century and a half. The rejuvenation of our harbour is one of Hamilton’s most spectac-ular recent success stories. Interestingly, the film relates to other cities in North America, such as Toronto Vancouver and Boston, which, like Hamilton, have struggled to balance indus-trial and recreational uses while sustaining a healthy environment. It teaches us that water is a precious resource we cannot live without. No one can take it for granted.Safe, secure supplies of clean water are everywhere under challenge. The study of water is a fundamental part of the University’s research mission; I am pleased, too, that the United Nations University decided to locate its only North American site, dedicated to the International Network on Water, Environment and Health, at McMaster. My own scholarly interests have not been devoted to the study of water, but I do have a keen appreciation of its importance and of the work my colleagues in the areas of water and water-related environmental and health issues. Water provides a wealth of scientific challenges and opportunities, personal excitement and inspiration, relax-ation and tranquility, as you will see in this issue of the Times.

President’s Message

Peter George, President,McMaster University


Workplace injuries affect hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers each year. Students in McMaster’s rehabilitation sciences program hope to reduce this number and will be one step closer with a $100,000 gift from the Canadian National (CN) Railway Company. The donation will support endowed graduate scholarships and fund research focusing on the prevention of work-related injuries. “Graduate students in our program are not only looking at how to prevent injury, but also how to prevent re-injury,” says

Mary Law ’85, associate dean of health sciences, rehabilitation science. “Through the Work Function Unit, students are work-ing with experts to examine methods to prevent injury in firefighters, are researching how to prevent computer-related injuries, and are assessing workers who sustain up-per arm injuries.” CN’s donation will establish a scholar-ship fund that will award $10,000 graduate awards to students studying the prevention of work-related injuries. Such a fund will al-low the Work Function Unit to attract some of the brightest minds to study at McMaster.

For John Mayberry, supporting autism re-search is personal. When his six-year-old grandson was diagnosed with mild autism as a toddler, trying to get meaningful infor-mation and recommended treatments was a bit of a jungle, he says. Mayberry, a member of McMaster’s cam-paign cabinet and former chief executive officer of Dofasco Inc., has pledged $400,000 to support autism research at McMaster. “Mr. Mayberry is supporting critical areas of autism research that will help us in our quest to better understand the disorder and improve diagnosis and treatment for patients and their families,” says Peter Szatmari ’74, a world-renowned expert in autism and head of the Division of Child Psychiatry and director of the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster. Mayberry’s gift will support two critical research projects at McMaster, including The Pathways Project, a groundbreaking study following 400 children with autism beginning from the point of their diagnosis at ages two to four years, to integration into the primary school system at Grade 1. This is a cross-Canada study with families from Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton, Edmonton and

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Walter Booth ‘62 announced his gift of $ 2 million at a reception on Feb. 14, 2008.

Given a chance, he’s giving back chances

A donation from the heart

Walter Booth ’62, chairman of the Timber-land Group of Companies, has donated $2 million to McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering, the institution he acknowl-edges helped to set him on a path to global success. “John Hodgins, the dean of the Faculty at the time, and Jim Siddall, a professor of mechanical engineering, allowed me to enroll in the engineering program even though my qualifications did not strictly meet the admission criteria,” Booth said. “They took a chance on me and this is a way for me to thank them. It also allows me to help provide a chance for others to advance their engineering education.” After working as a designer at Stelco

in Hamilton for several years, he applied to McMaster’s engineering program. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1962 and returned to complete a master’s degree in 1965. He joined Timberland full time upon graduation. To acknowledge his contribution, McMaster’s School of Engineering Practice is to be named after Walter Booth. The School’s space in the new engineering building under construction will also carry his name. This is the second major donation Booth has made to the Faculty and the School. In 2003, he donated $1 million to establish the Walter G. Booth Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Gift supports research into workplace injuries

Mike Lalich

Jason Jones


the province of British Columbia. The funds will also support The Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network (CAIRN), a national network rep-resenting scientists, parents, early child-hood educators, psychiatrists, pediatricians, nurses, occupational therapists, speech/language pathologists and policy mak-ers who are working together to develop effective, evidence-based early diagnostic methods and treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders. The funds also will support the CAIRN website – a tool that provides one-stop-shopping for anyone interested in finding out the newest, most clinically relevant and evidence-based infor-mation on autism spectrum disorders. Also funded are two post-doctoral fellow-ships, to be named in honour of John’s wife, Susan Mayberry as the “Susan Mayberry Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Autism Re-search.” Autism is a complex developmental disor-der affecting roughly one in 165 children, making it the most common form of any childhood neurological disorder or severe developmental disability. Those affected can exhibit severe impairments in recipro-cal social interaction and communication, and a preference for repetitive, stereotyped behaviours.

Dobson named CEO of the YearWhen McMaster campaign cabinet member David Dobson ’86 was informed he had been selected CEO of the Year by the Ottawa Business Journal, he nearly declined the recognition. The head of Corel Corporation explains, “In the three years since I’ve been with Corel and in the four years since it’s been taken private, we’ve worked to totally trans-form the company and have set a very high bar of expectation that we felt we had not always met. We thought we’re not nearly where we want to be as a company so I thought it was actually very premature to be awarded this.” But with the early success he and his team have achieved he felt the recognition was not only for him, but for the entire Corel team. Dobson joined Corel in 2005 after a 20-year career with IBM. Dobson attributes his success as a CEO to the education he received at McMaster. As a student in the engineering and management program, he gained a solid understanding of both business and engineering.

Paying it forward She’s 43, operates her own multi-million dollar business and is in the market to purchase a medieval ruin in Italy. P.J. Ferguson ’87 says she would not be where she is today without the skills acquired as a history student at McMaster. This is why she funded an academic grant at McMaster – a gift she hopes will provide similar opportunities for history students in financial need. “I believe people should have the time and opportunity to open their minds, expand

their boundaries and challenge their vision of the world,” she says. Ferguson recognizes the importance of helping someone in need. “In my business, there are so many people who are working their way through university and need some other assistance to realize their goals. Also, I have been fortunate to have had wonderful mentors in my own journey and I believe that it is both an honour and an obligation to share knowledge and offer support to others.” For the past three years, ABL Employment has made Profit Magazine’s Profit W100 and Canadian Business Magazine’s list of fastest growing companies.

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Member Profile

enthusiastic,” she says. “The University has such a huge support network and fabulous staff and I have yet to meet one person who has not been absolutely delightful.” Cooper’s connection to McMaster began at the age of 30 when she enrolled as a mature student in art history. “At the end of my first day, by the time I parked my car, enrolled, got my books, found my classroom, I had never been more exhausted my whole life, I thought, give me my BA now, I’m out of here!” But as she participated in her courses, her love for McMaster blossomed. In fact, it transformed her. “In high school I was a bit of a disturber,” she admits, “but when I came to university, I became a bit of a nerd. I sat in the front row taking notes, raising my hand and often answering every question, right or wrong. I had gained a different perspective about school and when I got an assignment I ran right over to Mills Library to grab every book I could carry and take home with me.” Cooper joined McMaster’s campaign cabinet because she feels she has much to give back, a feeling she hopes to instill in McMaster’s students. “One thing I really like about most American colleges is how the students always give back and I think we really have to instill that in our university students. It’s a hard job. McMaster is a very diverse campus. But we have to establish a bond with students. The only way you can do that is by giving back yourself and by getting involved. The more you give, the more you get.”

McMaster keeps Gillian Cooper a busy bee. But her alma mater is the honey of her life, which could be the reason she remains so dedicated to the University. Her latest role, as a member of McMaster’s campaign cabinet, is just one of her connections to the University. She is also chair of the McMaster Museum of Art and the President’s Club, a member of the Board of Governors and Senate and sits on various committees. “It’s the people I’ve met at the University who have kept me so involved and

Gillian Cooper

JD Howell


McMaster adds three Canada Research ChairsMcMaster’s latest Canada Research Chairs are three young researchers who weren’t even born when their respective fields were first explored by pioneering scientists dur-ing the 1960s. Today, their areas of research are the sub-ject of headlines and the focus of scientists the world over –a reflection of the potential and promise of the fields of paleogenetics and human stem cell biology. Hendrik Poinar, an associate professor in the departments of anthropology and pathology & molecular medicine, is now a

Canada Research Chair in Paleogenetics. Poinar is perhaps best known for mapping the genome of the wooly mammoth. Christopher Wynder, an assistant profes-sor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, is a Canada Research Chair in Epigenetic Control of Stem Cells. Sheila Singh ’97, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, neurosurgery divi-sion, is a Canada Research Chair in Human Cancer Stem Cell Biology. Both Singh and Wynder are scientists in the McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCCRI).

Earlier and more accurate diagnosis for pa-tients will be just one of the impacts from the new Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) at McMas-ter. The federal government’s Networks of Centres of Excellence program awarded CPDC $14.9 million to establish a centre that will be a world leader in the development and commercialization of medical isotope probes.

Because changes in biochemistry often oc-cur before disease reaches advanced stages, the development of molecular imaging probes allow for earlier and more specific diagnosis thereby improving treatment out-comes for patients. The CPDC is the world’s first research centre designed to address every compo-nent of probe development. Its mandate is to advance the next generation of molecular imaging probes for a wide range of diseases. John Valliant ’93, acting director of the McMaster Institute for Applied Radiation Sciences is the science director for CPDC. He says, that while Canada has a number of centres working on creating the next generation of probes, the problem is moving those promising probes from the research lab to the clinic. “Bridging the gap between research and commercialization is essential if we’re to

capture the true economic, social and health benefits of the research being done her at McMaster and throughout Canada’s research universities.” “Translating our research discoveries into applications that will benefit our commu-nity and our society is a core priority for the Faculty,” says John Capone ‘83, dean of the Faculty of Science. “The new centre is an outstanding vehicle to make this happen and our success in this competition speaks directly to the value of recruiting and retain-ing exceptional young scientists like John Valliant.” The $14.9 million from the federal Net-works of Centre of Excellence program has leveraged a further $10 million from a vari-ety of industry and provincial government agency partners. Major partners include The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, GE Healthcare Canada, The McMaster Nuclear Reactor, Cancer Care Ontario, Pfizer Inc. and VWR. Mo Elbestawi ’76, McMaster’s vice-pres-ident of research and international affairs says, “The CPDC’s eventual presence at the McMaster Innovation Park will act as a magnet for related bioscience business and research and development companies. It will be a catalyst for growth for the Hamil-ton community.” The CPDC was one of only 11 Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research announced by federal Industry minister, Jim Prentice.

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McMaster receives $14.9-million for molecular imaging centre

McMaster University’s newly renovated Health Sciences Library is a popular place. Not only is it a busy resource for students, faculty and health care professionals from across the city, it has won the City of Hamilton’s Urban Design and Architecture People’s Choice Award. The award was voted on by the general public through the City of Hamilton website. A month earlier the Health Sciences Library took the city’s Award of Excellence for Architecture in a juried competition. McMaster earned two of four awards of excellence. The Department of Family Medicine’s Stonechurch Family Health Centre on Upper Ottawa Street won for adaptive reuse for its innovative renovation of a former insurance company space in a suburban strip mall environment.

Health Sciences Library receives second award

Ron Scheffler

Pat Causey and John Valliant use remote manipulators during the production of a new molecular imaging probe derived from medical isotopes produced at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.


Joint program targets skilled workersMcMaster and Mohawk College have received $16.5 million from the Ontario government for a joint technology program that will help meet Canada’s high demand for skilled workers. In the Bachelor of Technology – or BTech – program students choose one of three specializations – automotive and vehicle technology, biotechnology, or process automation technology – that will equip them for careers in information technology, manufacturing, civil engineering and energy. The program will also help internationally trained professionals find jobs in Ontario. Graduates of the program will receive both a McMaster University degree and a Mohawk College diploma. The program starts taking students this fall.

Research chair to study human health resourcesThe Ontario Research Chairs program has contributed $3 million to establish the McMaster Chair in Health Human Resourc-es. McMaster will also contribute more than $200,000 per year to support the chair. The new chair will strengthen the behav-ioural foundations of human resource planning in healthcare, within a systems approach. The proposal calls for someone with strong training in economics to es-tablish a research program to increase the understanding of how workplace, economic and social factors affect the careers and work choices of health professionals.

Millennium Scholars recognizedAs if getting good grades isn’t enough, McMaster’s Millennium Scholars somehow manage to fit volunteer work, sports and other extra-curricular activities into their busy schedules. They were honoured for their achievements at a reception in February. Millennium Scholarships recognize student achievement both inside and outside the classroom. They are awarded on the basis of academic success, community involvement and leadership. Twenty Mc-Master students received national in-course awards, 49 received new entrance awards and 28 had their entrance awards renewed.

Preferred site announced for Burlington campusMcMaster has identified a nine-acre site on the South Service Road of the Queen Elizabeth Way west of Appleby Line as the preferred site for its proposed campus in Burlington. “With its high level of visibility, ease of ac-cess and close proximity to needed hotels and other businesses, this site uniquely meets the University’s needs,” says Ilene Busch-Vishniac, provost and vice-president academic. McMaster plans to locate the DeGroote School of Business’ MBA program at the new campus. The campus will also provide new executive education courses aimed at business people from the Greater Toronto Area. “Now that the preferred site has been identified, the University looks forward to continuing its partnership with the City to finalize the project’s planning,” Busch-Vishniac says.

The University expects to present its plan to the Board of Governors for approval in May. Planning for the academic programs continues within the DeGroote School of Business. The site is privately held and McMaster is continuing discussions with the landowner.

Province supports campus improvementsMcMaster will be able to make improve-ments to campus thanks to significant new capital funding from the provincial govern-ment. The University will receive $9.1 million of a $200-million investment in campus renew-al projects at the province’s universities and colleges. The province has targeted the new funding to projects that will help institutions increase energy efficiency, improve safety and security systems, and renew existing infrastructure to maintain and repair existing facilities.

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The McMaster Alumni Association made the second of two major gifts to the David Braley Athletic Centre when it announced a $500,000 donation to the athletic complex in March. The atrium of the Centre will now be known as the Alumni Atrium. The gift is another crucial step forward in achieving the target for the Athletics and Recreation Centre Stadium Campaign. The donation was announced by Joe Stephen ’84, president of the Association, on behalf of 131,000 graduates of the University. Two years ago, the Association gave $250,000 towards the Alumni Field located adjacent to Ron Joyce Stadium. Combined with this recent gift, the Association has donated more than $1 million over the last two decades, supporting everything from student bursaries to the McMaster University Student Centre.

The David Braley Athletic Centre and the soon-to-be-opened Ron Joyce Stadium are two of the largest athletic projects undertaken on a Canadian university campus. The facilities are able to host everything from intramural league games, varsity competitions and personal fitness regimens to national and international championships and Olympic hopefuls. In the two years since the Centre opened, individual memberships have increased to more than 10,000 students, a jump of 22 per cent. As well, participation in intra-mural sports is up 30 per cent. “We know how important athletic and recreation facilities are to the life of the University and the community that surrounds it,” says Stephen in his announcement. “The McMaster Alumni Association is proud to be part of bringing a new standard of excellence to current and future students.”

Alumni association gift targets athletic centre Joe Stephen announces the McMaster Alumni Association’s gift.

Susan Bubak


families at the provincial, national, and in-ternational levels. MacMillan is a child psychiatrist and a pediatrician, and holds the David R. (Dan) Offord Chair in Child Studies at McMaster University. She is a professor in the depart-ments of pediatrics and psychiatry & behav-ioural neurosciences, and a member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies based at McMaster.

Professor wins advocacy awardDr. Harriet MacMillan ’94 has been named the 2007 recipient of the Paul D. Steinhauer Advocacy Award, presented annually to a member of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CACAP). It recognizes exceptional contributions in advocacy for children, adolescents and their

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If you find yourself standing under the east light well in Hamilton Hall, look up and you’ll meet a historical figure –a sculptural version of the third century Greek math-ematician Anatolius. The figure is part of a three-piece sculpture installed in Decem-ber 2007 to complement the interior of the James Stewart Centre for Mathematics. “The idea of the project was to try and reach out to the community, so we wanted to avoid internal artwork that only spoke to mathematicians,” said Bradd Hart, chair of the Department of Mathematics & Sta-tistics. “The statue includes a community touch by incorporating graffiti of math-ematical equations, varying in complexity, written by everyone from children to Mc-Master’s own professors.” “We like the idea of having a human-centered sculpture because we wanted to present math as human-centered instead of being abstract,” said Bryce Kanbara ’70, who created the statue with Brian Kelly. Both are Hamilton artists. The massive sculpture took more than two and a half years to complete, entail-ing much collaboration within the faculty and with the artists. The figure stood in a corner of the artists’ studio for some time, while professors visited to record their own mathematical equations on the figure. The sculpture hangs in three parts at the top of the light well, with Anatolius slightly larger than life size. Anatolius’s robe is covered in mathematical graffiti to symbolize the development of the subject from classical times to the present day. A small globe hangs above his head, repre-senting the contributions of mathematics to astronomy and the origins of geometry. A cherub on a concrete beam just below the skylight appears to be drawing Anato-lius upwards into the sky.

Statue takes math to new heights

McMaster libraries awarded top honour McMaster University Libraries have won the prestigious Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. McMaster is the first Canadian aca-demic library to receive the award, granted yearly by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). “Receiving this international recognition stands as tribute to the hard work and dedication of the staff here at the McMaster University Libraries,” says Jeffrey Trzeciak, university librarian. Previous winners of the award include Georgia Tech University, the University of Virginia and Cornell University Library.

JD Howell

Solveiga Pranaityte, a second-year medical student at McMaster, is the 2007 recipient of the Nycomed (formerly ALTANA Pharma) Family Medicine Scholarship. Each year, this fund gives a medical student from each of the medical schools across the province a $5,000 scholarship if they pursue family medicine as their specialty. She is the third from McMaster to receive the award. According to a new study released by The College of Family Physicians of Canada, 14 per cent of the population or approxi-

mately five million Canadians are without a family doctor. With 31 per cent of Ontar-io’s doctors expected to retire in the next five years, incentive programs are consid-ered an important step in helping to culti-vate the next generation of family doctors. “Family medicine is a very diverse, re-warding and fulfilling specialty, and I’m looking forward to serving my community,” says Pranaityte. “With medical school being so expensive, this scholarship program will help me make this goal a reality.”

Scholarship helps MD student pursue family The Nycomed Family Medicine Scholarship was awarded to Solvega Pranaityte, centre.

Three students receive RBC scholarshipsThree of nine students from across Canada who have been awarded RBC Royal Bank Scholarship Awards are from McMaster. The scholarships are awarded based on com-munity involvement and written responses to six essay questions. McMaster students received awards in each of the three categories: Janice Joo, a third-year bachelor of health sciences student, received the $5,000 gold award; Amanda Thompson, a fifth-year co-op stu-dent in science and biochemistry, received a $3,000 silver award; and Stephanie Tom, a fourth-year student in arts & science and biochemistry, received a $2,000 bronze award.


interdisciplinary program which will begin in September 2008. For more details, go to www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/hpphd/. University N

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Humanities journal awardedThe Council of Editors of Learned Journals has awarded Eighteenth-Century Fiction the runner-up Best Special Issue Prize for War/La Guerre in the CELJ annual competition. Co-edited by Julie Park and Peter Walmsley, professors in McMaster’s Department of English & Cultural Studies, and produced by managing editor Jacqueline Langille, the quarterly humanities faculty journal is in its 20th year of publication. War/La Guerre was organized by Park, who wrote a preface to the volume, and was co-edited by Walmsley. The special issue features a bold new design created by Park and Langille that uses eighteenth-century military images. War/La Guerre was selected from 40 submis-sions for the Council’s most competitive award. For the complete table of contents, visit the journal’s website at www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~ecf/v19.html.

Ashley Gluchowski is a model student – literally. After being crowned Miss Southern Ontario 2008 in December 2007, the mas-ter’s student in pharmacology and physiolo-gy will compete for the title of Miss Canada Globe in August. When Gluchowski isn’t preparing for the pageant, she is studying neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comparing them with those of asthmatics to see how their cells differ in the hopes of developing better treatments. The Miss Canada Globe competition will be her first pageant.

Grad student competes in Miss Canada

Research News Naomi Cermak ’04, an elite cyclist and a

doctoral student in kinesiology, won the Graduate Student Award at the Ontario Exercise Physiology meeting for her study addressing a controversial topic in athletic circles, namely, whether adding protein to a typical carbohydrate sports drink im-proves performance. Some sports nutrition companies have heavily marketed protein-laced sports drinks as the next magic bul-let, but Cermak’s research disputes such claims.

Aggression, testosterone and nepotism don’t necessarily help one climb the social ladder, but the support of a good female can, according to new research on the social habits of an unusual African species of fish. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, highlights the complex relationship between social status, reproductive physiology and group dynamics. Lead researcher is John Fitzpatrick, a graduate student in the Department of Biology.

A new study sheds light on the relation-ship between women who smoke while pregnant, or are exposed to second-hand smoke, and an increased risk of SIDS to

their babies. McMaster researchers have found a mechanism that explains why an infant’s ability to respond to oxygen depri-vation after birth – a hypoxic episode – is dramatically compromised by exposure to nicotine in the womb, even light to moder-ate amounts. “While cigarette smoke con-tains many different compounds, we found there is a direct impact of one component, nicotine, on the ability of certain cells to detect and respond to oxygen deprivation,” says Josef Buttigieg ’02, lead author and a PhD student in the Department of Biology. “When a baby is lying face down in bed, for example, it should sense a reduction in oxygen and move its head. But this arousal mechanism doesn’t work as it should in babies exposed to nicotine during preg-nancy.” The findings are published online in the journal Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and will appear in the May 2008 print issue.

Diagnosing a nasty cough is now a lot easier thanks to a new test developed at McMaster, which has just been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States. This new test simultaneously detects the most prevalent respiratory viruses, including flu

and the common cold. It was developed by McMaster virologist Dr. James Mahony, in conjunction with Luminex Molecular Diagnostics (formerly TM Biosciences).

A team of researchers that includes Mc-Master’s Dr. Peter Szatmari ’74 has taken another major step in unravelling the mysteries of autism with the discovery of numerous chromosomal regions containing genes that confer sus- ceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Szatmari, is director of McMaster’s Offord Centre for Child Studies and head of its Division of Child Psychiatry. “Our finding that in seven per cent of families we find chromosome changes in ASD chil-dren not seen in their parents has impor-tant clinical implications,” said Szatmari. Application of these new microarray-based genome scanning tests may serve to focus clinical examination in a search for un-detected syndromes leading to ASD.” As well as having potential clinical diagnostic importance, the findings further explain why autism develops and what parts of the brain are involved. These advances can lead to better diagnostic tests, and eventually, more efficient treatments, said Szatmari.

PhD program launched in Health PolicyMcMaster has launched a new PhD program unique in Canada to train leaders in the field of health policy. Students will study theory and empirical methods for framing, investigating and answering crucial questions about health policy. The program represents a collaboration of the Faculties of Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Science and Humanities, as well as the DeGroote School of Business and the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. The program has a special relationship with CHEPA (Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis), which provides an established environment for health policy education and scholarship. Graduates will be qualified for academic appointments in fields ranging from com-munity and public health to management and administration. They will also be prepared to seek leadership and research opportunities in industry, government, research institutes and health care organizations. The Health Policy PhD is now accepting applications for the

Total Membership: 1,824

In 2007, 1,824 alumni and friends were members of The President's Club. We are proud to thank all of our donors for their generosity and commitment to McMaster University.

It is with great pleasure and immense gratitude that we acknowledge the generous contributions of our President’s Club members. Since this club was formed in 1980, membership has grown steadily. We are proud to report that 1,824 alumni and friends belong to this exceptional group of people who share a common belief in McMaster and what it can offer the world. Gifts from President’s Club members have had a tremendous impact on our university. For example, contributions towards scholarships, bursaries and academic grants have helped thousands of talented students realize their dreams and go on to become successful in their chosen fields. President’s Club donations also help fund other significant projects and priorities, including those established through The Campaign for McMaster University. As we mark the midpoint in our historic Campaign, we are gratified and inspired by the contributions we’ve received – each one is a tangible show of support and demonstrates the pride and confidence our graduates, friends and benefactors have in McMaster. Whether you have been a long-time member or are new to this esteemed club, we extend sincere thanks to each and every one of our President’s Club members. Your leadership and commitment continue to inspire us as we work to achieve our ambitious goals.

Warmest personal regards,

Peter George

President and Vice-Chancellor

Your generosity and commitment are an inspiration


How old were you when you moved to Canada from Jamaica? What was the greatest challenge you faced when making the transition at that age? I came here when I was 21, to attend university. I had friends who were already students here. It was a real challenge being away from home but I enjoyed the freedom that university offers. Especially the opportunity to make friends – I encourage students to meet and get to know as many people as possible. Just yesterday I heard from Eddie Taw ‘77, a friend I’d made in a study group at McMaster. I ran into him while on a business trip to Singapore in 1986, but we’d been out of touch other than that. Then he tracked me down through James Lau ’80. Now we’re making plans to meet up again. So the friends you make at university can last a lifetime. What is your best memory of McMaster? I have three. One is the friendships I formed. The second is that I found the community of Westdale very welcoming to students – I lived off campus. And the third is that McMaster is so well regarded as a world-class university that it’s been a passport to success.

What is your motto? Carpe diem. The opportunity to do something always exists today. I encourage people to make every effort to seize the opportunities that are in front of them and not to wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring its own opportunities. Where do you draw inspiration? You have to have a moral compass. That’s critical, especially in business. It becomes your brand, how people know you. It’s not just giving my word, it’s keeping my word that’s important. I draw inspiration from my team members. I know I can trust them to go off and do the work that needs to be done and they know they can trust me to provide leadership. I compare it to a relay race – everyone has to complete the leg of the race that’s been assigned to them so the team can cross the finish line. It just doesn’t have to be me who carries the baton across the line. What living person do you most admire? I have to say my mother. She dared us to imagine what is possible. That’s crucial. I absolutely admire the Aga Khan. He established a moral compass in terms of

his teaching and his commitment to social responsibility – for contributing to society. What are your favourite books/writers? I tend to like biographies of leaders who have faced challenges, like Churchill. I just finished reading Jack: Straight from the Gut about GE chairman Jack Welch – I’m interested in reading about corporate leaders who have had experience taking their teams across the finish line. Where and when are you at your best? I try to be consistent in my approach, whether in business or in my personal life. I’ve had success in managing the stresses of business life, which isn’t easy with business operating 24/7. I’ve not succeeded in balancing my business and personal life, but that’s my goal. I do have hobbies. I like to cook – I picked that up while living off-campus – and I like to garden. I golf, although I tend to do that with business associates. And I do like getting into nature, walking in the woods, things like that.

Leading by a moral compass

Meet McMaster


What is most important to you in your career? It’s crucial to have a moral compass. I strive to live by that and also to create opportunities for others to flourish. As president and CEO, I have responsibility to the shareholders, but in the execution of those responsibilities, I have to meet my social responsibilities. How can I give back to the community? It’s absolutely why I chose to join McMaster’s Board of Governors. McMaster has given me a lot – in fact Canada has given me a lot – and for that I’m deeply grateful. What is most important to you in your life? The most important thing to me are the friendships I’ve made over the years. I have friends from my early years in Jamaica, when I had the time to sit and talk and play and really get to know them. They remain friends to this day, even though we’re scattered around the world. Then I have friends I met at university – people with whom I had a common purpose and common interests. The working world is not as kind, time-wise, to capture the same breadth and depth of friendship, so I have some friends from business, just not as many.

When you graduated, did you imagine your career would lead you to the presidency of a company like Hitachi? I had not a clue of where I was going when I graduated. I had to reach out and find opportunities – there are always opportunities waiting. As one of a small group of senior executives who are black, do you feel a responsibility to serve as a role model/mentor for others? My responsibility is to be the best that I can be. I accept that I have a responsibility as a member of a visible minority to seize every opportunity to act as a role model. But it is most important at the end of the day to deliver. So in that way, I see myself as a CEO who happens to be black. What do you want to be remembered for? It would be for the contributions I’ve made to others. It’s not about me; it’s about inspiring and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Howard Shearer ’77, president and CEO of Hitachi Canada Ltd. and a member of McMaster’s Board of Governors, talks of the importance of seizing opportunities as they present themselves and of creating opportuni-ties for other people to flourish.

Leading by a moral compass

Meet M

cMaster

JD Howell

We all live downstreamIntroduction by Jean BurrowsProfiles by Chantall Van Raay

Photography by JD Howell


We all live dow

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Environmentalists use the phrase “We all live downstream” to explain that all human actions are interrelated. We can no more ignore the effect that others’ actions have on us than we can the effect that our actions have on others. This is especially true when it comes to issues surrounding the supply, safety, and sustainability of our water supply. Given the truism that human life cannot exist without water, these issues are the focus of many McMaster faculty members’ research. “Hybrid research provides opportunities for tremendous understanding,” says Lesley Warren, associate professor, School of Geography and Earth Sciences. “McMaster, we can bring various strengths to bear – expertise in basic science, modelling effects of climate change and community design on water supply and delivery, remediation and policy development.” She and 15 other researchers across campus are developing a Canada Foundation for Innovation proposal for Rocks to Life, a world-leading facility that will enable integrated geophysical,

contaminant and molecular microbiological assessment of environmental samples. “Water fingerprints where it’s been and what’s influencing it now,” she says, adding that a greater understanding is needed of the interplay and effect that environmental pollutants and water-borne bacteria have on the quality of our water supply. She is leading a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council strategic project that includes Gerry Wright, professor of Biochemistry and Biochemical Sciences, to characterize environmental relationships amongst microbes, antibiotics resistance and water quality, leading to new diagnostic indicators for public health. “People haven’t come to grips with the issue of what happens to antibiotics that are shed into the sewage system and pass into the water supply (most existing water treatment facilities in North America are not equipped to filter antibiotics),” Wright says. “They likely increase antibiotic resistance within microbes in the environment. And these antibiotic-resistant microbes are in the same water that supplies hospitals, day care centres and seniors residences, along with your home.” The project will evaluate water in several locations around the province during the

next three years, with a focus on Lake Ontario and Hamilton harbour. Joanna Wilson ’94, assistant professor of Biology, is already studying Prozac levels in wastewater effluent and this fall will begin a study on pharmaceuticals. Prozac, which is widely used and can be easily identified, provides a good parameter for research. Results can then be extrapolated to native species and humans. “Each wastewater treatment site is discharging into its own ecosystem, so we need to be able to extrapolate data and identify commonalities across systems,” she says. Hamilton harbour has faced many challenges to its water quality over the years. “It is the watershed of 500,000 people living within 500 sq. km. emptying into a contained area with highly urbanized, industrialized buildup on its shores; we see a magnification of results we’d find in other areas,” says Brian McCarry, chair of Chemistry. He is involved in a long-term project to study water quality before, during and after the

major remediation project to cap off Randle Reef, in a 9.5- hectare enclosure next to the coking pier of a major steel producer., “A big issue is that the public thinks the main source of pollutants in the harbour is coal tar-contaminated sediments and that once you get rid of the coal tar, the problem of harbour contaminants is solved,” he says. But based on his initial results, McCarry says roadway runoff from vehicles is and will remain a major source of contaminants to the harbour. “This is a wake-up call for the general public, because they don’t feel their vehicle-based lifestyle affects the harbour at all.” McCarry also explored the effect that that air-borne contaminants (which accumulate on surfaces such as windows) have when they are washed off and carried into the harbour by the sewer system. Issues of water management have global implications, says Susan Elliott ’87, dean of Social Sciences. Elliott, who is also an adjunct professor with the United Nations University – International Network on Water, Environment & Health (housed at McMaster), has applied for a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant to conduct a five-year comparative study of two communities in both the Laurentian

and the African Great Lakes. Its aim is “not to provide safe water, but to work with the local community to develop an integrated water management system so that people can figure out how to provide safe water for themselves,” says Elliott. “The anticipated outcome? Increased access to clean water and reduced incidence of infectious disease.” This, in turn, has a direct impact on reducing poverty in a region. Without access to safe water, there is a very high incidence of infectious disease and “sick people can’t work and help build the economy,” Elliott says. “In Africa, fetching water is a task for children, but if 10-year-olds have to spend most of their day searching for clean water, they can’t go to school, they can’t get an education and help build the economy. This compounds the problem, because one situation does not exist in isolation of another.” The same processes will be used in Africa and in Canada. “Near-shore communities in Northern Ontario may not face the same outcomes from organic

pollution and contaminated water as communities in Africa do on a daily basis, but they can affect commercial fishing and recreational use, for example, which influence the local economy.” Water quality and supply directly influence Canada’s economy, says Gail Krantzberg, director of the Dofasco Centre for Engineering and Public Policy, the first master’s program of its kind in Canada, and a professor in the department of civil engineering. “Forty per cent of our gross domestic product originates in the Great Lakes region. The regional sport fishing industry alone is worth $8 billion a year. And we need to consider the value of the natural assets and natural capital that would be accrued by restoring the ecosystem – biodiversity, land value, fisheries, tourism, recreation and shipping would all be affected. “We need to identify the scientific pressures, then ask ‘How does this inform public policy in reaching more sustainable practices ?’, then ‘How do we communicate the role of science and engineering to decision makers who are responsible for designing and implementing the policy?’” says Krantzberg. Researchers at McMaster are working to answer those questions.

“Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel Prizes – one for peace and one for science.” - John F. Kennedy


The activist is not the person who says the river is dirty. The activist is the person who cleans up the river. – Ross Perot

As a young Hamiltonian, Lynda Lukasik ’89 travelled each summer with her family to Parry Sound, Ont., to spend two weeks on the lake. They swam and fished off the shore and at night would enjoy their catch of the day. But when they returned home, the lake was off limits. “As a kid there was this differentiation – you went up north and that was where you could splash in the water and fish and eat the fish that you caught and you didn’t need to think about problems. But when you came home it was always a different experience. I started to think about those things and always wondered why it was that we couldn’t have the same kinds of experiences here.” Since then, Lukasik has been dedicated to helping clean up Hamilton’s water system. The local environmental activist and executive director and founder of Environment Hamilton has contributed to some of the city’s biggest environmental success stories, such as helping implement Hamilton harbour’s Remedial Action Plan (RAP). RAP is a community-based project planned to improve water quality and habitat in Hamilton harbour, its watershed and Cootes Paradise Marsh. The plan identifies what types of pollution enter the harbour, how that pollution will be cleaned up, and who is responsible for the cleanup. It also identifies specific prevention measures so that pollution does not continue to affect the harbour. Lukasik believes the quality of Hamilton’s local water supplies is slowly improving due to watershed improvements through RAP. “If you look at Hamilton even 20 years ago we’re at a better point now than we were then,” she says. Given that we’ve made some progress, if the public continues to pressure and if we have the commitment from all levels of government and industry to make the right thing happen, I’m optimistic that Hamilton’s watershed can be even better than it is now.” Lukasik is just one of several local environmentalists fighting for cleaner water in Hamilton. One of her “environmental mentors,” Ken Hall ’55, who works for the Bay Area Restoration Council, has also helped create public awareness of the problems related to degenerating water quality in the Great Lakes. Hall was instrumental in planning and implementing the new parks and waterfront trails along Hamilton harbour, which he feels have contributed to a growing appreciation of its qualities. He is also a member of the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Committee that was responsible for many successful projects involving clean-up of the harbour.

Hall is passionate about cleaning up Hamilton harbour because he realizes its impact on the overall water quality in the Great Lakes. “Throughout my life I have witnessed a steady decline in our environment. My dedication and drive have come as a result of trying to be involved in projects that might have some impact on reversing that trend. I want the things that I do today to be sustainable enough that they will help improve the quality of life for my grandchildren and for future generations.” Lukasik agrees. “Having fishable, drinkable, swimmable water is something we should be able to enjoy in Hamilton

and that’s been taken away for a variety of reasons,” she says. “It’s really worth putting the energy into, and pushing and doing what needs to be done so we can get back to a point where that balance has been restored – where we can go down to the Bay and enjoy a new beach at Pier 4 park and not have to think twice about whether we want to be in the water. Where we can cast out a fishing line and catch a fish and not have to worry.”

Lynda Lukasik’s interest in water quality was sparked by her childhood experiences.


On Victoria Day weekend in 2000, nearly half of the Town of Walkerton’s population became violently, and some tragically, ill from drinking the town’s water. Not long after, one of Ontario’s worst environmental disasters would unravel into what would be put down in the history books as the Walkerton Tragedy. Stephen Collins ’78, a gastroenterologist, continues to treat patients who to this day suffer the consequences of drinking the town’s water, which was not treated properly for farm run-off contaminants after a storm. Eight years later, nearly 800 residents have been diagnosed with developed post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome, a chronic gastrointestinal condition. Collins, associate dean of research for McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr. John Marshall, associate professor of gastroenterology, are coming to the end of a seven-year study to monitor the gastrointestinal health of those people. It is now known that those who develop gastroenteritis may have up to a 30 per cent chance of developing post-infective irritable bowel syndrome. There is a theoretically possibility that some could develop other conditions, such as Crohn’s disease. “The Walkerton study will be the first to show that developed post-infective irritable bowel syndrome can persist in people beyond eight years and it can become a chronic syndrome,” says Collins. “Physicians in general are unaware of this relationship of infection with chronic diseases.” Kristen Hallett ’95, now a consultant pediatrician and assistant clinical professor at McMaster, also continues to see patients who suffer the consequences of the infection. Hallett, who was working as a pediatrician in Walkerton at the time of the event, was also surprised at the severity of the illness. “Toward the end of the first weekend the illness hit, the medical officer of health told me his investigation led him to conclude that water was the source of contamination. Honestly, I had to think it through. I had expected uncooked meat or unpasteurized milk to be the source, knowing that the area had a large farming community. The concept of contaminated water as a source of E. coli in Canada was quite foreign to me.” In all, seven people died. Although much has been learned from Walkerton, Hallett believes a similar situation could develop. “What struck me about Walkerton was the collective negligence…I still have questions without answers.”

In fact, it did happen again. In 2005, more than 1,000 residents of the Kashechewan First Nation were evacuated from their James Bay reserve for medical care after the town’s water treatment plant poured high amounts of chlorine into the water to deal with a persistent E. coli bacteria problem. “A similar tragedy can occur in part simply because many Canadians have lived very privileged lives,” Hallett says. “Water-borne illness is prevalent worldwide, just not so in most parts of Canada. It isn’t because it couldn’t happen. It is that we are preventing it from happening.”

Collins foresees a tightening in the scrutiny of the purity of water. “I’m sure there are infections that we haven’t yet identified that could cause similar problems.”

“When you drink the water, remember the spring.” – Chinese Proverb

We all live dow

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Stephen Collins continues to track the gastrointestinal health of Walkerton, Ont., patients.


For thousands of years, civilizations have used water to maintain health and prevent disease. In Greece, the term ‘hydrotherapy’ or ‘healing water’ was first coined and Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness. Modern civilizations continue to use water for healing, including hydrotherapy as a treatment for musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, spinal cord injuries and for patients suffering burns, spasms, stroke or paralysis. It is also used to improve fitness. McMaster’s Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre has incorporated pool therapy programs specifically designed to improve neuromuscular and skeletal function using the properties of buoyancy, resistance and temperature. For Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back and former McMaster Marauder Jesse Lumsden ’08, McMaster’s new hydrotherapy pool has been a career saver. By using it just once a week he feels confident he will be back at training camp in May following a devastating injury to his shoulder last October that forced him off the field for the remainder of the season. Without the pool, he doesn’t think that would be possible. “It’s hard to say how long my rehabilitation time would be without access to the hydrotherapy pool,” he says. “But I know that since I started using it a few months ago my recovery has accelerated. When you’re in the water you’re in a low-impact setting that allows for greater flexibility in movement as well as a range of motion extremely difficult to achieve outside of the water.” Like Lumsden, other clients of McMaster’s hydrotherapy pool are noticing impressive results, says Colleen Cupido ’91, physiotherapist and manager of McMaster’s David Braley Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre. “We’re cutting rehabilitation time in half for many of our clients and people are going back even stronger than they were before injury.” Cupido can attest to that personally. The avid runner was stopped in her tracks following a serious hip and upper hamstring injury while playing volleyball in 2006. “I was unable to run for more

than a year, but when I started using the pool I noticed results almost immediately. If I hadn’t had access to the pool, I know my rehabilitation would have been much longer.” Hydrotherapy pool treatment includes specialized exercise programs designed for clients ranging in age from young children to seniors. A unique feature of the pool is the underwater treadmill, which allows clients to work in a safe, buoyant environment, where the weight-bearing load is less than 40 per cent in chest-deep water, resulting in decreased pressure on

the spine and weight-bearing joints and greater flexibility. The first of its kind in Canada, McMaster’s 180-square-foot salt water pool opened in November 2006. While hydrotherapy is one of the more modern water treatments, Cupido predicts it won’t be long before it becomes the norm in rehabilitation. “Predictions call for demand to increase substantially over the next decade as the population ages and more people experience musculo-skeletal pain and chronic injuries,” she says.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back Jesse Lumsden credits McMaster’s new hydrotherapy pool with his recovery from a devastating shoulder injury.

“The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen


Niagara River. He also contributed to the federal regulation of PCBs, mirex, and chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans, mercury and lead as well as to the federal Environmental Protection Act. Today, Hallett operates Hallett Environmental & Technology Group which is involved in environmental investigation and remediation with industries around the globe. His company has recently developed a chemical system to gasify garbage and convert it to clean methane or natural gas. The engineering design shows the value of the methane produced

is greater than the cost of the chemical conversion, he explains. While Hallett remains passionate about the Great Lakes ecosystem, he admits global warming poses a more serious threat to the environment. These two major environmental threats are interrelated, he says. “Ecosystems are very resilient. If we begin to deal with the sources that are causing global warming – that are also depositing toxic chemicals and acid gases into the ecosystems of the world – we’ll begin to remove all three environmental threats at once.

As a child growing up in East Hamilton in the 1950s and 60s, Douglas Hallett ’70 vividly remembers seeing the family car coated with black and red soot and recalls an odour of rotten eggs permeating the air. He didn’t know it then, but Hamilton’s lung cancer rates were the highest in the province. Now an environmental scientist who has dedicated his life to the Great Lakes, Hallett says chemicals, waste, toxins from manufacturing plants, municipal sewage, farming and other activities continue to reduce the quality of the ecosystem. Hallett began his quest to improve the environment as a student at McMaster. While studying statistics and being introduced to epidemiology at McMaster’s new medical centre, he studied the correlation between air pollution and cancer rates in various regions of Hamilton. He was among one of the first to realize that levels of certain cancers were higher in areas of the city where pollutants were being deposited. After obtaining a masters of science from McMaster in ’72, and a PhD from the University of Ottawa in ’75, Hallett joined Environment Canada as a research scientist studying toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes. He became the senior scientific advisor and chairman of the Great Lakes Toxic Chemical Program, which co-ordinated the Canadian effort in support of the 1978 Canada-USA Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The agreement was essential, says Hallett, noting that in 1968 Lake Erie was considered dead – “thick as mud with algae” and the commercial fishery was not operating. From 1975 to 1980, serious wildlife problems affected the Great Lakes basin; herring gulls and mink could not reproduce and the population of raptors such as osprey declined along the shores of lakes Erie and Ontario. “When I was studying the Great Lakes as a pure scientist, we studied the pathways these chemicals took throughout the ecosystem. One day we realized that humans were part of that ecosystem. The same chemicals were in the human food chain. We were looking at human cadavers and found that body fat in Ontario contained the same chemicals in roughly the same ratios as we found in the herring gulls,” he says. Hallett’s work discovered more than 600 toxic chemicals present in Great Lakes fish, sediments and wildlife including the first confirmation of mirex, photomirex, chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans in Great Lakes fish and wildlife caused by industrial discharges and landfills leaking into the

Douglas Hallett’s career has focused on the connection of humans to the ecosystem and the effect that pollution has on it.

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” – John Muir

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Growing up along the shores of the Nile in Egypt, Emad Elsayed ’75 learned early the value of water. “Egypt’s livelihood is dependent on the Nile River as a major source of water for drinking, irrigation and power generation. I was conditioned from early childhood that water is not only valuable, but critical. I’ve carried that knowledge throughout my career.” More than 50 years later, as vice-president of hydroelectric development for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Elsayed continues to use that knowledge by helping Ontario take advantage of one of its own significant sources of water – the Niagara River. Elsayed’s work involves harnessing additional hydro-electric power from the Niagara River to produce new, clean electricity for Ontario – enough power to light some 160,000 homes each year. The Niagara Tunnel Project is a 10.4-kilometer water tunnel that will run under the City of Niagara Falls from the

upper Niagara River to the Sir Adam Beck Power Stations. When it opens early in the next decade, it is expected to be one of the largest tunnels in North America, more than 1 ½ times the diameter of the English Channel tunnels. The project stems in part from an

Ontario government directive to shut down all of the province’s coal-burning power plants by 2014 and replace them with alternative sources of energy. “If Ontario’s coal plants are going to stop burning coal by 2014, the government wants to make sure there are other sources

available to keep the lights on. The tunnel and other renewable projects like it will contribute to that,” says Elsayed, adding that OPG is also expanding existing hydroelectric generating facilities and planning to build new ones in northern Ontario to meet the province’s needs. Harnessing renewable energy from water sources is one of the most effective ways to ensure there is enough electricity for the province, says Elsayed. “Because Canada is blessed with a lot of water resources, hydroelectricity is a good source of generation for our country.” But this is only part of the puzzle, he says. “To ensure there is enough renewable energy in the future, conservation will play a major role. People need to be educated about the limited resources that are available so if we want clean, renewable resources that are good for the environment, everyone will have to do their share in terms of conserving energy and using it wisely.”

“Nothing on earth is so weak and yielding as water, but for breaking down the firm and strong it has no

equal.” – Lao-Tsze

Pierre Côté ’86 was stressed. The new research and development director had just spent nearly $4 million of ZENON Environmental’s research and development budget on a tranverse flow membrane filter that was intended to be the cure-all in water purification. But it didn’t work: at low flow rate the module plugged with suspended solids and at high flow rate the hollow fibres broke! He spent sleepless nights thinking of ways to bring his dream child to life. Until one night it came to him. All they needed was to simplify the process. If they took the small bundle of hollow fibers they developed, dipped them in water and sucked on the permeate side of the membrane instead of pressurizing the feed side, perhaps it could work? Anxious, he came to work early the next morning and summoned his team. “We set out to try it and within about three or four weeks we had a proof of concept,” he said. It was their eureka moment. About five years later the product, called ZeeWeedTM, was ready to be implemented

in the field. Their first client was the municipality of Collingwood, Ont., which at the time was undergoing a parasite outbreak and had instituted a boil water advisory. The ZeeWeedTM membrane proved itself, effectively producing some of

the cleanest water in Ontario, Côté claims. From there, the technology spread and is now used in hundreds of plants around the world, both for drinking water production, water reuse and wastewater treatment. The ZeeWeedTM technology is an ultra filtration membrane made up of hollow-fibre strands which are immersed directly

into the water to be treated and act as a physical barrier to particles, contaminants, parasites and microbes, including potentially deadly E. coli bacteria. The technology produces superior quality drinking water by removing virtually all harmful pathogens and suspended solids. In fact, the membranes can restore wastewater to such high quality that it can be safely discharged to the most sensitive environments or reused in irrigation, industrial processes, or groundwater recharge, Côté explains. The design of the technology also conserves both energy and precious water resources, he adds. Energy savings from a 2.5 million-gallon-per-day ZeeWeedTM membrane bioreactor plant with advanced process aeration controls is equivalent to the annual power use of 21 homes. More than 1.5 million cubic meter per day of wastewater is treated with ZeeWeedTM systems and reused worldwide, the equivalent to the amount of water used by five million people each day, he says.

“The Romans realized, as have every civilized people since, that living in cities is

impossible if the water supply is not reliably clean and fresh.”

– Frank & Francis Chapelle

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Susan Palmer-Komar ’92 participated in the women’s road race of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The former McMaster nordic skier, who was one of a three-member cycling team, has a long list of athletic accomplishments, including placing third at the Road National Championships, 13th at the 2003 World Road Cycling Championships in Hamilton, and second at the 2002 La Fleche Wallone Women’s World Cup Race in Belgium. She also attended the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where she placed 10th. (Photo courtesy Susan Palmer-Komar)

Paul Pottier ’79 competed in the men’s water polo event at both the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Pottier was a member of an Ontario University Athletics Championship (OUA) water polo team in each of the three years he played for McMaster (’76, ’77 and ’78). He was also a member of the Marauder swim team from 1977-79 and finished in the top eight in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) in the 50m freestyle in 1979. He also competed at the national level and was a member of the Canadian Olympic water polo team in 1976 where he was the fourth highest scorer for the tournament. In 1984, he was the captain for the Olympic team. He was recognized by Water Polo Canada for representing Canada in more than 100 international games. He was also named the McMaster athlete of the decade for the 1970s and was inducted into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. (CP Photo/COC/Tim O’Lett)

Chelsey Gotell ’09, a visually impaired swimmer, competed in the Women’s 50m and 100m backstroke finals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, collecting four medals, including gold in the 100m backstroke. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Fred Heese ’65 competed in the 1,000m canoe doubles event in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics with Andy Elbert. The duo had been Canadian champions who had led in this event for several years, made it to the

finals and placed seventh. Heese took a month off from his studies in phys-ed at McMaster to participate in the Games. (Photo courtesy Fred Heese)

Tim Bethune ’95 competed in the 4 x 400 metres relay race at the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. (CP PHOTO/COC/JM)

Alan Nolet ’96 competed in men’s artistic gymnastics at three Olympic Games – Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. Nolet was a balanced gymnast proficient in all disciplines. In 1993/94 he placed first all around at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) gymnastics championships and the team championship at the National University Gymnastics Cup. His dedication to varsity gymnastics resulted in recognition as OUA All-star in 1992/93. He was inducted into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. (CP PHOTO/COC/Tim O’Lett)

Adam van Koeverden ’07 holds up gold and bronze medals after competing at the 2004 Games in Athens. Van Koeverden won gold following the K1 500m and the bronze in the K1 1000m kayak race. Koeverden was also a star in the classroom, having last year been invited to provide the valedictorian address to graduands at the spring 2007 convocation ceremony. In addition to his academic workload, which earned him Dean’s Honour List standing, van Koeverden has won 14 World Cup Championships. He was Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies in Athens. Van Koeverden is currently training in Florida for the 2008 Games in Beijing. (CP PHOTO/COC-Andre Forget)

Barry Ager ’62 (9) and Don McCrae ’63 (5) are McMaster’s only basketball Olympians. They were members of the Canadian basketball team at the 1960 summer Olympics in Rome. It was only the fifth time basketball had been played at an Olympic competition. Ager remains McMaster’s second leading scorer in history on a points-per-game basis. (Photo courtesy Barry Ager)

The late Betty (Taylor) Campbell ’37 participated in two of history’s most complex Olympic games – first in 1932 in Los Angeles and next in 1936 in Berlin, where she captured a bronze medal in the 80m hurdles. As a result of the worldwide economic depression, only about 1,300 athletes, representing 37 countries, competed in the 1932 Games. The 1936 Olympics are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. Campbell was well known as an outstanding track and basketball star during her McMaster years, and was voted Canada’s top woman athlete in 1936. She was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1967 and the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990. (CP PHOTO/COC)

Paula Schnurr ’87 competed as a varsity runner in the 1992 games in Barcelona and 1996 Games in Atlanta. She has also won 28 Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OWIAA) indoor/outdoor championship medals, 18 of them gold, and set two CIAU indoor records in 1988, and was that year’s top athlete at the CIAU track and field championships. She holds two OWIAA records, plus she won a 1987 OWIAA silver medal in cross country en route to being a CIAU All-Canadian. Schnurr was a CIAU All-Canadian five times and McMaster’s female athlete of the year four times. She was inducted into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.Her international career includes a 1994 Commonwealth Games silver medal. She coaches cross country and track at McMaster with husband, Peter Self. (PC Photo/AOC)

Mark Heese ’92, son Fred Heese, has participated in three Olympic Games and has high hopes for the 2008 summer Games in Beijing, for which he is currently training to qualify. Heese won a bronze in Atlanta in 1996, and placed fifth at both the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games. Here he is pictured at this year’s World Championship in Switzerland. (Photo courtesy Fédération Internationale de Volleyball)

Olympian effortsWith the approach of the Beijing Olympics, the McMaster Times looks back at some of our Olympic stars. Thirty-six McMaster alumni have participated as athletes in Olympic Games over the years. McMaster has also produced eight Olympic coaches, two administrators, and two officials.


While celebrating its past with a year-long series of events to mark its 50th anniversary, the Faculty of Engineering is also embracing change as it moves forward. Two significant events occurred in April 2008. On April 1, David Wilkinson became the new dean of the Faculty, succeeding Mo Elbestawi, who became the University’s vice-president, Research & International Affairs at last fall. Wilkinson, who has taught at McMaster since 1979, is one of the world’s foremost experts in the mechanical behavior of materials. He is professor of materials science and engineering, and director of both the GM Canada Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion and the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute. He helped develop the Faculty’s first course in engineering computation in 1981 and, in 2004, he introduced a first-year course on materials that is taught to almost 1,000 students annually. Later in April, a topping off ceremony celebrated the structural completion of the Faculty’s new building, now under construction near the campus’s Main Street entrance. A finishing crew of more than 100 will start moving in to begin work on the exterior and interior of the building. Completion of the building is expected in late spring 2009. The five-storey, 125,000-square-foot (11,670-square-metre) facility will provide much-needed space for both teaching and research. Moving into the new

building will be the School of Biomedical Engineering, the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice (see page 6), research centres, Engineering 1 (the Faculty’s first-year engineering program), and the McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology Partnership. Teaching studios, tutorial rooms, study space, and classrooms will support recent initiatives enhancing the first-year undergraduate experience.

Design of the building allows it to be used as a teaching tool related to engineering, construction and sustainability issues.

In February this year, McMaster and Mohawk College received $16.5 million from the Ontario government for a joint technology program that will help meet Canada’s high demand for skilled workers (see page 9). The institutions offered their first joint program, in manufacturing technology, in 1997. The Faculty started with one program in a new building, now known as the John Hodgins Engineering building, named after the first dean. The building opened in October 1958, six months after the engineering program was approved by the McMaster University Senate. The first class of 25 students graduated in 1961. With five departments established in the first two years – chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering – and engineering physics added later in the 1960s, the Faculty’s goal was to establish a preeminent engineering school with both undergraduate and higher degree programs developing together. The emphasis on research and post-graduate degrees was immediately evident. The first M.Eng. degrees were awarded in 1959 and the first doctoral degrees in 1965. Programs and specializations have been added over the past 50 years as needs and knowledge specializations have evolved. The Faculty offers three unique programs: Engineering and Management, Engineering and Society, and Engineering and International Studies.

Engineering Looks Forward

Design of the building allows it to be used as a teaching tool related to engineering,

construction and sustainability issues.

Susan Bubak

David Wilkinson, dean of engineering, celebrates the structural completion of the new building.


leyball). He became the first Marauder to be named a CIS first team All-Canadian since 1992. The fourth-year middle (below) helped lead McMaster to a perfect 20-0 regular season record and an OUA Champi-onshipship. Men’s volleyball head coach, Dave Preston, was named both OUA and CIS coach of the year and player Josh Lichty was named to the CIS All-Rookie team, as well as the OUA Rookie team. In women’s volleyball, the Marauders won their first OUA championship. Coach Tim Louks was named OUA West coach of the year. Hussan Muhammed (squash) captured the “A” Championship at the Canadian University/College Championship. Doug Hamilton, from the women’s squash team, was named coach of the year. Out of doors, Matt Jacobs from the men’s golf team won the OUA men’s individual championship and Scott Koblyk was named the OUA coach of the year. The golf team took OUA silver. Sarah Van Hoof (women’s rugby) was named CIS All-Canadian and Keegan Selby (men’s ruby) was named the OUA West most valuable player. Jessica Pearo (cross-country) was a CIS second team All-Canadian. In football, Mike Bradwell and Chris Van Zeyl were named CIS first team All-Cana-dians. Rob Serviss was named a second team All-Canadian. Ryan Chmielewski was named the OUA Rookie of the year. Samantha Batten (soccer) was named a CIS second team All-Canadian. Stephen Meyer (cycling) struck gold in the Omnium format in the University Track Cycling Challenge. And hurrah to the McMaster Cheerlead-ing Team – it won first place in the National Championship (Small Coed Division).

As McMaster prepares to open the latest addition to its athletic facilities, the Ronald Joyce Stadium, the Marauders are looking back at a winning year that teams, indi-vidual athletes and coaches recognized for athletic excellence at both a provincial and national level. Lindsay Degroot (above), a basketball guard and McMaster female athlete of the year (team sport), was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West player of the year and first team Canadian Interuni-versity Sport (CIS) All-Canadian. Degroot is also nominated as female athlete of the year for the Jim Thompson Award, part of the BLG Awards. This is a national awards program offered by the CIS in conjunction with Borden Lardner Gervais LLP. Results will announced after this edition of the McMaster Times goes to press – check the fall issue. The CIS recognized Rachel Hart as the nation’s top defensive player (basketball). She also claimed the Tracey MacLeod Award recognizing determination and perseverance. Theresa Burns captured the Peter Ennis Award as coach of the year – a first for McMaster. The team won an OUA

Championship and CIS bronze medal. The McMaster female athlete of the year (individual sport) was Carly Cermak from the McMaster swim team. Cermak captured three medals at the OUA Championship this year. She won a gold medal in both the 400m freestyle and 200m individual, while taking home silver in the 200m indi-vidual medley. The men’s swimming team captured an OUA bronze. Also in the water, Christa Schnarr and Melynda Saunders (synchronized swim-ming) captured the gold in the duet free routine at the Canadian championship and are headed to FINA world championships to be held in Australia. Nora Griffiths (row-ing) captured a gold medal at the Canadian indoor rowing championship in the U-23, 2000m event. Dave Rennalls capped off his fifth and final year as a Marauder with a gold medal performance at both the OUA and CIS Wrestling Championships. He was named McMaster male athlete of the year (individ-ual sport). Sheldon Francis took the silver in the CIS Championship. The McMaster male athlete of the year (team sport) was Nathan Groenveld (vol-

Winning year for Marauders

Photo Action

Cam Dunlop


Best dressed. Best phone voice. Most enthusiastic. It is not every day that one attends an awards luncheon with categories that recognize the most fashionable accessories as well as the most money raised, but that’s what happened at the December event to recognize our phone program student callers. We were there to celebrate another successful year. Many of you will have spoken to one of our more than 70 student callers who work year-round helping the University realize its goals for alumni support. The callers are an enthusiastic group of students who work two shifts a week in addition to completing their academic requirements. It is not an easy job to call alumni for donations, but you wouldn’t know it when you visit the phone centre. Its walls are posted with success stories, funny anecdotes from student calls, as well as details of the latest incentive program.This semester they have been collecting Monopoly money they can then use to purchase items from the Phone Progam store. As I write this, the end of the semester is approaching quickly. It is a sad time for many of us – callers and Alumni Advancement staff alike – as many of them will be leaving us when they graduate this spring. Of course, we are happy to welcome them to the Alumni Association. So, the next time you receive a call from one of our student callers I encourage you to spend some time speaking to them about their experiences, as well as what is

going on at McMaster. When I spend time with the callers it always reminds me of what it was like to be in university. They are wonderful ambassadors for McMaster and are one of our greatest assets. On a sad note, the Office of Alumni Advancement lost one of our greatest friends this winter with the passing of Lillian Miller. Lillian’s brother Albert Abrum Lager ’78 was a McMaster graduate and a great friend to the Alumni Association. When Albert died, the Association began to receive funds from his foundation in support of our continuing education lecture series, which we renamed in his honour. Lillian would join us for our theatre trips each spring and fall and was a lovely lady. We will miss her smiling face from the front of the bus as we head off to Stratford this May. We are beginning to work on a special reunion for the 1946 Veterans Special Session for next spring on Alumni Weekend. This unique group of McMaster graduates entered McMaster at the conclusion of the Second World War and the majority graduated in 1948 and 1949. If you were one of the special session students, please let me know as the volunteer committee is already hard at work planning a weekend of recognition.

By Karen McQuigge ‘90 Director, Alumni Advancement

Alumni Directions

By Joe Stephen ’84McMaster Alumni Association President

JD Howell

Hail and farewell

Recognizing students, past

Alumni Directions

With the school year 2007-2008 quickly coming to a close—and with it, my term as president of the McMaster Alumni Association—this will be my last opportunity to write to you. I must

say that it’s been a true honour to serve as your president and I look forward to staying involved as a proud McMaster alumnus! On March 27, 2008, I had the special privilege of announcing the Association’s latest gift to McMaster in the amount of $500,000 for the Athletics and Recreation Centre and Stadium (ARCS) campaign. This gift brings the Association’s total contribution to ARCS to $750,000. Whether McMaster’s alumni think of their athletics and recreation centre as the Drill Hall, the Ivor Wynne Centre or the David Braley Athletic Centre, we know how important this type of facility is to the life of the University and the community that surrounds it. The Alumni Association is proud to be part of bringing a new standard of excellence to our current and future students. On a closing note, I believe the leadership team of the McMaster Alumni Association is second to none. But continuing success depends on more than just this team. Involvement at the grass-roots level is also critical. I encourage each of you, if you are not already connected to McMaster to get involved with the association. Whether you take part in a local branch event, take advantage of the many services offered (listed on our website http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni) or come back to campus for Homecoming Weekend, I promise you that it will rekindle some precious memories of the time you attended this great institution. As I complete my term as president, my one wish is for more alumni, particularly young alumni, to get involved. With more than 130,000 members and growing, the association will connect you with the McMaster family. I would like to thank Karen McQuigge and her entire team in Alumni Advancement for their support during the past year. This group works tirelessly for the interests of our association and it has been my pleasure to work with them. I would also like to thank the board of the Alumni Association for all of its support and offer special thanks to past-president Kathy Chittley-Young for her assistance. I would like to wish all the best to our next president, Beth Webel ’84 who will be confirmed at our next annual general meeting in June.

Chantall Van Raay


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School of Social Work40th Anniversary Mark your calendars as fall 2008 will mark the 40th anniversary of the School of Social Work and the BA/BSW program. We’re planning an event to mark the occasion – a gathering that will be both a reunion

and a moment to reflect on past and future challenges for social work. Alumni and friends of the School of Social Work will be invited to attend this two-day celebration that will include guest

speakers, time for reunion and mingling as well as campus tours. We’re delighted that Stephen Lewis, professor in Global Health, Faculty of Social Sciences, will give a keynote address on ‘Social Justice – Social Practice’. The reunion will take place Oct. 3 and 4, 2008 at McMaster. It is sure to be an eventful weekend that will reflect on past achievements and predict what the future of the Social Work program may hold! Keep a look out for more information, including registration details, to come!

McMaster Alumni Gallerycall for nominationsAmong the many thousands of living graduates of McMaster are representatives of almost every trade, business and profession. Many of these people have made names for themselves because of their accomplishments. Some are household names; others are not as well known but their lives are just as absorbing. The Alumni Gallery is a photographic and biographical display of some of these alumni who lead interesting lives and make outstanding contributions to society. The Alumni Association invites

nominations for new members of the Gallery. Supporting material must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2008 to be considered for induction into the McMaster University 2009 Alumni Gallery. For more information or a nomination form, please call the Office of Alumni Advancement at 905-525-9140 ext. 23900, 1-888-217-6003, email [email protected] or visit our website at http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua

Events welcome students to McMaster Each July and August, current McMaster students and alumni volunteers welcome incoming students and their parents to McMaster at Student Send-Offs held throughout Ontario and across Canada. The program is designed to give students a sneak peek at what to expect both in the classroom and out when they arrive in September. The Send-Offs are held in Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Barrie, Niagara area, Ottawa, Brantford, Sarnia, Kitchener-Waterloo/Guelph/Cambridge area and Hong Kong. For more information or to volunteer to help out at one of our locations, call 1-888-217-6003 or email: [email protected]


1960s Craig Ashbaugh ’61, a retired educator with a long and varied record of community service in Haldimand County, has been named the first chair of the Source Protection Committee for the Lake Erie Source Protection Region. Jack Darville ’68 has been elected chair of the board of directors of Sherbourne Health Centre in Toronto. Suzanne Labarge ’67 has been appointed director of Coca-Cola Enterprises board of directors. Labarge is a member of McMaster’s Campaign Cabinet and former vice-chairman and chief risk officer of RBC Financial Group. Michael Ruse ’63 presented a lecture at McMaster last fall entitled, ‘Can an evolutionist be a Christian?’ which examined creationism and evolutionary theory. Ruse is an internationally acclaimed philosopher of science and is best known for arguing that human existence can be attributed to both Christian and scientific theory. 1970s William Anderson ’71 has been appointed a trustee with the Cinram International Income Fund. A portfolio strategist for Polar Securities Inc., Anderson had a career in the oil and gas industry as chairman and chief executive officer of Inverness Petroleum Ltd. before joining the hedge fund industry in 1993. Marika Bourque ’76, associate chief information technology officer and executive director for the University of Alberta, has also been selected for

inclusion in the 2007-2008 Princeton Premier Registry, Bourque received a master’s degree in geology from McMaster and lives in Alberta. David G. Chorley ’78 has been appointed director, sales development for Canada, of South African Airways. Chorley, who has more than 25 years experience in the airline and travel industry, will be based in Toronto. Deane Collinson ’77 has been appointed executive vice-president, operations, of Cadillac Fairview Corp. Greg Csullog ’75 has organized a $10K Man Project for the annual Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Csullog, who battles colon cancer, aims to raise $10,000 for the 2008 Relay for Life event in Petawawa, Ont. on June 6, 2008. To support his cause visit http://csullog.awardspace.com/10K-MAN.html Kevin Dancey ’72 has been appointed vice-chair of a federal advisory panel to consider ways to improve the fairness and competitiveness of Canada’s system of international taxation. Dancey is president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and former CEO and Canadian senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Clyde Hertzman ’77 has been appointed president of the Council for Early Child Development. Paddy Meade ’75, deputy minister, Alberta Health and Wellness, Edmonton, placed on the Toronto-based Women’s Executive Network annual list of the top 100 most powerful women in Canada.

Ian McKinnon ’78, the former chief executive officer of Promis

Systems Corp. and Certicom Corp., has been named an independent director of Empirical Inc. Nancy Olivieri ’78, professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Toronto, addressed members of the Rotary Club of Dundas on the topic of Hemoglobal, a medical outreach program that is giving Sri Lankan children with thalassemia “a new lease on life.” Olivieri, executive director of Hemoglobal, said that in North America, children with thalassemia grow up with access to all the treatments they need to grow to healthy adulthood. Hemoglobal is trying to achieve the same results for children in Sri Lanka. Rajendra Singh ’79, D. Houser Banks Professor and director for the Center for Silicon Nanoelectronics at Clemson University, has developed a new process and equipment that will lead to a significant reduction in heat generated by silicon chips or microprocessors while speeding up the rate at which information is sent. Steven Tuck ’70, president of the Okanagan College Foundation, was among 44 British Columbians recognized by the Province of British Columbia as individuals whose efforts have made their communities better. Robert Wright ’77 was named chief financial officer of Tri-White Corp. Stanley Zlotkin ’74, pediatrics professor at the University of Toronto, is the national recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Knowledge Translation Award. Through the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative, Zlotkin is ensuring that children with anemia in rural areas of the developing world receive

Sprinkles, a dry, tasteless, single-serving packet that includes all the nutrients a child or adult needs to fight anemia.

1980s Claire Shelley Barnes ’86 has just completed her fifth year as an assistant professor of vision science at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., and has received her first research grant, from the Veterans Administration. The grant supports her research on “Evaluating Functional Vision Measures for Medical Interventions.” It will investigate the best outcome measures to use in clinical trials involving eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. Judy Bradt ’84 set out on an adventure 20 years ago. She left IBM Canada seeking to make a small difference in a larger world, and won a position with the Trade Commissioner Service at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. As principal and CEO of her consulting firm, Summit Insight, she helps Canadian and global clients to win public sector contracts in the United States. Her 2008 projects include a defense and security initiative in Western Canada, consultation for Canada’s top Aboriginal exporters, and training Quebec companies on top teaming techniques. Anne Brayley ’80 has joined the Toronto Community Foundation as vice-president, professional advisory services. Corey Dalton ’80 has been appointed president of SIR Royalty Income Fund. He will continue as SIR’s chief operating officer. Brad Davey ’86 has been appointed director of sales for Dofasco Inc.

Alumni Album

Alumni Album


Stephen Elop ’86, a 44-year-old software-industry veteran, has joined Microsoft as president of the Microsoft Business Division. David Farrar ’81 has been named provost and vice-president, academic of the University of British Columbia. The senior administrator overseeing UBC’s teaching mission was most recently vice-provost, students, and deputy provost at the University of Toronto, where he spearheaded initiatives to improve the undergraduate learning experience.

Trever Jones ’81 has been named senior general manager of Yaskawa Motoman Canada, Mississauga, Ont. He has more than 23 years of experience in the robotics industry. W.D. (Don) Kenny ’82 has been appointed director, Automotive Sales, NAFTA Region for ArcelorMittal.

Kim McKenzie ’82, executive vice-president, information technology and solutions, Bank of Nova Scotia, placed on the fifth annual list of the top 100 most powerful women in Canada. The awards are given by the Toronto-based Women’s Executive Network. Mike McWatt ’88 has been named a new deputy manager of Butterfield Bank. Gerri Moll ’84, president of Bank of America Southwest Florida, was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s Business Leadership Hall of Fame for professional accomplishments and community dedication. The nonprofit organization trains volunteer business leaders to go into classrooms and teach students from elementary school to high school about how they can have an impact on the world, focusing on entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy.

Scott Murchison ’81 has been named president, North America Glass Containers. Kevin Smith ’86 has been named to the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Board of Directors. Smith is currently president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, chief executive officer of St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener and an associate professor in McMaster’s department of medicine. Mary Ellen Walker ’81 has joined Arctic Cat Inc. as general manager of the parts, garments and accessories business, as well as companywide sales. David Williamson ’83, formerly president and CEO of Atlas Cold Storage and CFO of Clarica Life Insurance, has joined CIBC as chief financial officer.

1990sKarim A. Abdulla ’94 has joined Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, as an associate, expanding the firm’s media and first amendment law practice area. They are located in Buffalo, N.Y. Jonathan Abrams ’95 is the founder, CEO and junior computer programmer at Socializr, an online service for sharing event and party information with friends. Abrams is an award-winning serial entrepreneur who created the pioneering social networking service Friendster in 2002. He also owns a

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U.S. patent for a “System, method, and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks.” Quincy Almeida ’95 has been awarded the prestigious Polanyi Prize for Physiology and Medicine. Almeida’s graduate work was supervised by Laurie Wishart, an associate member of the department of kinesiology from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. After graduating from McMaster, Almeida pursued doctoral work at the University of Waterloo and is now an assistant professor at Wilfred Laurier University where he studies movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. Marie Armstrong ’99 placed second in a CBC trivia test called Test the Nation, which tests players’ knowledge of events since the year 2000. The 31-year-old Wallaceburg, Ont., native works as a proposal co-ordinator for ABB, an engineering firm in Burlington, Ont. Bonnie Brossart ’90 has been appointed chief executive officer of Saskatchewan’s Health Quality Council. Karl DiPelino ’93 and Chris Ragonetti ’91 released an edgy romantic comedy last fall called PIGS. Written and directed by DiPelino and produced by Ragonetti, the film is a tale of how love gets in the way of one womanizer’s quest to become a campus legend. DiPelino has won awards for his short films and recently directed the animated series, Sons of Butcher. Ragonetti continues to practice family medicine in southern Ontario. The pair has also established Bad Monkey Productions, Inc. Darcy Fehlings ’91 is a developmental pediatrician at Bloorview Kids Rehab

in Toronto, and also does research in the area of cerebral palsy. She says botox and video games can be secret weapons to help children with cerebral palsy. Through her work at Bloorview Kids Rehab and the University of Toronto, Fehlings is pioneering the use of botulinum toxin to relax the stiff muscles of children with the disease, which affects two to three people in every 1,000. Sacha Ghai ’99 has been elected a principal of McKinsey & Company’s worldwide partnership. He is based in the Toronto office of the Canadian practice. Ghai serves global private equity and institutional investors as well as financial services firms. Prabhat Jha ’94, director of the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, is the lead researcher on the Million Death Study – a prospective study of one million deaths in India. Jha is researching mortality from smoking, alcohol use, fertility history, indoor air pollution and other risk factors among two million homes and fourteen million people. This is the world’s largest prospective study of health. Robert Kalnins ’97 and Melanie Sellar ’96 were married on campus (where they met as undergraduates) on Oct. 27, 2007. Michelle (Hendriks) Mahovlich ’91, development manager of Three Point Properties of Vancouver Island, B.C., has won the 2007 APEG BC Environmental Award in the Concept and Development category for the Bamberton Revitalization Project. The remediation and sustainable development project involves the massive task of cleaning up thousands of tonnes of cement residuals from a closed Vancouver Island cement plant.

Nagla Rizk ’95, an associate professor of economics at the American University in Cairo, has joined IQsensato’s Research and Strategy Advisory Group. The group will advise IQsensato’s management board on priorities and strategy; development and implementation of projects; and evaluation and assessment of the organization’s research and policy work. Tim Shearman ’94 has been promoted to the position of president of the Canadian Automobile Association. Roger Slack ’97 has been promoted to vice-president of events of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Slack, 33, a native of York, Ont., now lives in Huntersville, N.C. Santee Smith ’94, acclaimed Mohawk choreographer, debuted several dances from her upcoming production A Story Before Time, at

a McMaster event where she opened for Tomson Highway, the internationally celebrated and award-winning playwright. The show was part of Ogwahsróni, a day-long symposium focusing on Native Arts. Corrado Tiralongo ’94 has been appointed chief investment officer and the lead portfolio manager of Counsel Wealth Management. Tatum Wilson ’99 has been hired as a senior policy advisor on poverty reduction for Deb Matthews, minister of Children and Youth Services, and chair of the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction.

2000sKrista Lundy ’00 and her father David Lundy ’71 have opened a chiropractic office together at Kingsdale Health Services in Kitchener, Ont.

Alumni Album

Mark Szilard ’00 appeared as a contestant on Global Television’s Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? Szilard earned $25,000 for answering five questions correctly. The question that finally stumped him was, “Who developed the scale of measurement for the hardness of minerals?” The correct answer is Friedrich Mohs. Szilard, a graduate of McMaster’s chemical engineering program, now works at Line Link Canada, a communications and energy firm based in Concord, Ont. He is currently working with companies undertaking energy conservation retrofits.


Ronald Doren ’81, who died Nov. 23, 2007, was active in student politics as a Commerce representative. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn (Johnston) ’81. Murray Havers ’51, who had a 30-year career as a geologist with Gulf Oil, died Oct. 8, 2007 in New Westminster, B.C.

Vivian Huehn ’47 died Dec. 5, 2007 in Kingston, Ont., at the age of 82. The friendship she made at McMaster with Grace (Cockburn) Sinclair ’47 lasted her entire life.

Beatrice “Jean” (Thomson) Hurson ’34, one of the earliest

graduates of McMaster’s Hamilton campus, died in London, Ont., on June 30, 2007 at the age of 94. Brendan Kosnick ’06 died May 14, 2007. He is survived by his parents, Anne and Frank ’76, and grandmother, Bertha ’72, and his girlfriend Lisa Payette ’07. He is also survived by his sister and brother, Allison and Adam.

After a four-year struggle with ovarian cancer, Margaret Rose (Elliott) Manktelow ’60 died Feb. 2, 2007. As a memorial, her husband Ralph Manktelow ’60 commissioned Saskatoon artist Alexander Gaspar ’60 to create a mural scale painting to be donated to the Toronto General Hospital.

Peter Moes ’52 died in Toronto on June 18, 2007.

David Neill ’68, whose distinguished career at W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind inspired volunteers in an array of health-care organizations and foundations in Brantford, Ont., died from a brain aneurysm that struck him on Jan. 1, 2008. Dr. Derick Paquette ’81 died Jan. 2, 2008 in Guelph, Ont. He was a family practitioner and served as chief of family practice and president of the medical staff at Guelph General Hospital and as coroner for the County of Wellington. Osmond Ramberan ’70 died in Trinidad on Dec. 29, 2007. He taught with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. In addition to his MA, he also earned a PhD from McMaster. He is survived by his daughter Alicia ’95.

E. W. (Wil) Rice ’41, who was a coach and teacher at London, Ont., high schools for 30 years, despite being almost totally blind since 1962, died on Jan. 25, 2008, at age 89. Ruwani Seimon, who earned a B.Sc. in Mathematics (’92) and a BA in Music (’93), died on Nov. 7, 2007, of cancer in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She made her career in music, continuing from her singing activities at

McMaster and coached several choirs in Colombo. Rev. Douglas Sherwood ’68 died in Peterborough, Ont., on Sept. 28, 2007. George Sobering ’63 died Aug. 18, 2007 at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. William John Culbertson Stewart ’49, who died in 2007, is survived by his wife Ruth, daughters Vicki Moore and Peggy Maycher, six grandchildren and his sister and brother-in-law Ina and Vern Turner ’50.

Donald C. Summerhayes ’53 died on Nov. 8, 2007 in Toronto. He was retired from York University. Gordon Vichert ’57 died of Parkinson’s disease on Nov. 12, 2007, in Vancouver. He taught for several years then persued a career with the New Democratic Party in Saskatchewan. Harold F. Vollmer ’46 died at age 89 on Oct. 30, 2007 in Kanata, Ont. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1939-42.

Cecil Yip ’59 died Nov. 27, 2007. He was retired from the University of Toronto.

The McMaster Alumni Association offers condolences to the families and friends of the following:

In Memoriam

In M

emor

iam Marion Bourns, the wife of

former McMaster president Arthur Bourns, died March 4, 2008 at the age of 90 after a two-year struggle with cancer.


Consumer-isms In 12 Easy Steps, by Alexandra Kitty ’94. Disinformation Company, February 2008. Christian Metaphysics and Neoplatonism, by Ronald D. Srigley ’87. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-1753-0. Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies, 2008 Edition, co-authored by Leigh Vyn ’96. Paul Duff ’51 is currently writing his autobiography, which includes a chapter titled “The McMaster Years 1946-1951” Duff’s first book, The Eternal Apprentice is a text-reference for first-year students at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto and Sheridan College. Duff has been a professional painter for more than 50 years.

The OnTarget Board Member: 8 Indisputable Behaviours, by Catherine Raso ’86. Catherine’s husband Joe Raso ’83 is the McMaster men’s basketball coach and they live in Hamilton with their three children. The book is available at www.OnTargetConsulting.com. The cover was designed by J.D. Howell ’04, McMaster Times art director. The Columbia Guide to Central African Literature in English since 1945, by Adrian Roscoe ’65. Columbia University Press, October 2007. ISBN 978-0-231-13042-4 The Way of the Small, Why Less Is Truly More, by Michael Gellert ’79. Gellert is a faculty member of the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles and a certified Jungian analyst in private practice. He is the

author of Modern Mysticism: Jung, Zen and the Still Good Hand of God and The Fate of America: An Inquiry into National Character. For more information, visit www.michaelgellert.com Nicolas-Hays, December 2007. ISBN: 978-0-89254-129-4.

Beyond Window-Dressing: Canadian Children’s Fantasy as the Millennium (Sybertooth 2007) and Treason in Eswy: The Warlocks of Talverdin Book II (Orca 2008), by K.V. Johansen ’94. Johansen received the 2004 Frances E. Russell Award for research in children’s literature from IBBY Canada. For more information about these books visit www.pippin.ca. In the Shadow of the Sun, the first book of poetry by Carol Ramsden Deckert ’81, was recently launched with a book signing at Titles Bookstore. Deckert has published more than 75 articles, short stories, poems and teaching methods in many periodicals. She is also the first winner of Canadian Author & Bookman’s New Poetry Contest. Serengeti Press.

Fun & Games & Higher Education: The Lonely Crowd Revisited, by Randle W. Nelsen ’75. Nelsen is a professor of sociology at Lakehead University. Between the Lines Press, Toronto, 2007.

Did you know that Titles Bookstore stocks more than 600 books written by McMaster faculty, staff and alumni? McM

aster Writes

McMaster Writes

McMaster’s self-directed BScN program laid the foundation for my eclectic and diverse career. While not always knowing where I was headed, I always knew the possibilities were endless.

My husband and I have three children who have had a variety of health and developmental issues over the years, some serious and some not. My health-care background has been instrumental in accessing exceptional and timely care. I have the advantage of being an educated observer of childhood development, speaking the same language as our health providers, and having confidence in my

intuition that something is wrong. Health professionals encourage a collaborative partnership with their patients but we often forget that many parents do not have the knowledge, tools or the confidence to embrace this role. Believing that every child deserves to achieve his or her ultimate potential in health and wellness, I created Your Child’s Health & Wellness Record, a child’s health journal. It is an organizational tool that shows parents what information to record and why; how to communicate with health professionals so your concerns are clearly understood; how to be an educated observer of your child’s development; and the importance of actively managing your child’s health and wellness. One of the most important elements is maintaining complete and accurate records. For most parents, important details end up on scrap paper, if they

are even written down in the first place. Keeping a health journal is easy to do and has far-ranging implications. For example, decisions can be made quickly and accurately in an emergency, patterns of illnesses and developmental delays can be identified early and parents are less likely to be told to ‘wait and see.’ Ideally, you start recording information in pregnancy or when your baby is born. The reality is, however, that many parents don’t understand the importance of records until after a concern has been identified. Whatever your child’s age, it is never too late. Health professionals will appreciate it, and you can truly be your child’s guardian angel. Your Child’s Health & Wellness Record can be ordered online at www.healthandwellnessrecord.com or by contacting Karen at [email protected].

Personally Speaking By Karen (Ulan) Melnick ’86


The

Last

Wor

d

We are in the midst of a crisis you may never have heard of: a sanitation crisis. There happen to be more than 2.6 billion people, more than one-third of the world’s population, who do not have access to an adequate toilet. About half of these people – more than 1.1 billion – also do not have access to safe drinking water. Almost all of them live in developing countries. The subject of sanitation is shrouded in shame and is seldom a topic of discussion in polite settings. In consequence, it remains below the radar for most people. For example, did you know that 2008 is designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Sanitation? Why should we care? Recent figures compiled by the UN show that a large percentage of the world health problems result from people not having safe drinking water and not being able to wash their hands, or use a toilet in privacy and with dignity. These poor hygiene practices and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to 88 per cent of all deaths from diarrhoeal disease, with children paying the highest price – about 5,000 children die each day from this preventable disease. The public health statistics from Africa, for example, are horrifying. About half of in-hospital patients in sub-Saharan Africa countries are afflicted by gastro-intestinal diseases such as diarrhoea – typically caused by exposure to contaminated water or feces. It is believed that about 12 per cent of these nations’ health budgets are spent on dealing with these ailments. But that’s not all. These health problems

also directly relate to poverty levels, adverse impacts on economies, higher- than-average expenditures on public health, and low attendance in schools. It is quite appalling that in many developing countries girls stop going to school when they reach puberty, because there are no toilets in schools to meet their needs. The situation is even worse in rural areas. In developing countries, access to

adequate sanitation in rural areas in 2004 was less than half of that in urban centres. This problem is particularly severe in South Asia, where only 27 per cent of the rural population is served. And the challenge is worsened because rural areas worldwide are typically off-grid from national power and road networks. The irony is that the problem is solvable and we have the resources to do it. A recent UN estimate is that about $10 to $13 billion a year are needed to overcome the sanitation gap. To put this in perspective, the annual expenditures in North America and Europe on pet food is

in the range of $12 to 18 billion! Also, we now have fairly sophisticated estimates that show us that $9 in productivity, health and other benefits are returned for every dollar invested to install toilets for people in developing countries. More importantly, there can be a great improvement in health standards and millions of lives can be saved. Obviously, such outcomes would be strongly supported by the general public and local communities. There is some reason for optimism that the message is being heard and responded to. In South Asia, for example, the percentage of population with access to sanitation has increased to 37 percent in 2004 from 17 per cent in 1990 – although the region still has a long way to go. It is time for us to understand the magnitude and consequences of the silent crisis of sanitation and bring the full force of our resources, technology and human compassion to overcome it. Both our level of investment and the rate at which we add to the served populations, need to increase by 4 to 6 times compared to what they are today. I, for one, am fully convinced that this is doable and that we can mobilize public opinion and political will that are essential to achieving success. Dr. Zafar Adeel is the director of the United Nations University’s International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH; www.inweh.edu) based in Hamilton at McMaster.

“I do wish that I get married into a family which has the facility of toilet and separate water tap. It is a dream for me.” Barkha, a 12-year-old Indian girl, cited in World’s

Task Force on Water and Sanitation.

By Zafar Adeel The Silent Crisis A woman washes pots in a polluted river in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Hartmut Schw

arzbach/Lineair Fotoarchief

Let us know when you’re ready to make a difference You can change the world by planning a gift to McMaster. Talk to us about the ways you can help the University explore student potential, make ground-breaking discoveries and maintain its leadership in teaching and learning. Here are eight of the many ways to personalize your gift and make a difference through a bequest:

Invest in the University’s greatest needs Establish a scholarship Fund a bursary Contribute to a specific Faculty Give to a specific academic program Donate to leading-edge research Commemorate a life Endow a lasting legacy in memory of someone you love

McMaster’s Office of Gift Planning is ready to help you make a difference.

The Office of Gift PlanningMcMaster University1280 Main Street West, CNH 111Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L9Phone: 905-525-9140ext. 23447Fax: 905-523-5357Email: [email protected]

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