Spring 2014 McMaster Times

THE NEWSM A G A Z IN E FO R M cMASTER UNIVERS ITY ALUMNI SP R IN G 2 0 1 4

Battle of the Bugs / Living Life at 24 Frames Per Second / McMaster & WWI

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Projet : Annonce MMI 2014

Client : TD Assurance

Dossier # : 04-MM9269-14_MMI.ENmcmaster (8.5x12)

Province : Ontario

Publication : McMaster Times

Format : 8.5x12

Couleur : Quad

preuve # : 1

Date de tombe : 10/02/2014

Graphiste : Yannick Decosse

Hamelin-Martineau Inc. 505, boul. de Maisonneuve O, Bureau 300 Montral (Qubec) H3A 3C2 T : 514 842-4416 C : [email protected]

ATTENTION : MERCI DE VRIFIER ATTENTIVEMENT CETTE PREUVE AFIN DVITER TOUTE ERREUR/PLEASE CHECK THIS PROOF FOR ERRORS

Youve paid your dues. Start paying less with TD Insurance.

University graduates can save more.At TD Insurance, we recognize all the time and effort you put into getting

where you are. Thats why, as a McMaster Alumni Association member,

you have access to our TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program which

offers preferred group rates and various additional discounts. Youll also

benefit from our highly personalized service and great protection that suits

your needs. Get a quote today and see how much you could save.

Request a quote today

1-888-589-5656 melochemonnex.com/mcmaster

The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. The program is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada. For Quebec residents: We are located at 50 Place Crmazie, Montreal (Quebec) H2P 1B6.Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan.

*No purchase is required. There is one (1) prize to be won. The winner may choose between an amount of $60,000 CAD to build a dream kitchen of his/her choosing or $60,000 CAD cash. The winner will be responsible for choosing a supplier and for coordinating all of the required work. The contest is organized by Security National Insurance Company and Primmum Insurance Company and is open to members, employees and other eligible persons who reside in Canada and belong to an employer, professional or alumni group which has entered into an agreement with the organizers and is entitled to receive group rates from the organizers. The contest ends on October 31, 2014. The draw will be held on November 21, 2014. A skill-testing question is required. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. The complete contest rules are available at melochemonnex.com/contest.

The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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$60,000 cashto build your dream kitchen!*

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THE NEW

SMAGAZIN

E FOR McM

ASTER UNIVERSITY ALUM

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contents

A week in the life of McMaster

Battle of the bugs

McMaster at war: 1914-1918

Then & Now

$24 million in major auto research

Suzanne Labarge as new Chancellor

Macs new 3M National Teaching Fellow

Poinar unlocks mystery of the plague

3dailynews.mcmaster.ca

MEET McMASTER

ALUMNI ALBUM

IN MEMORIAM

ALUMNI DIRECTIONS

10

27

30

31

Regulars

Features

News

VOL. 29, NO. 1 - SPRING 2014

32On the CoverIts a different world in higher

education today, and McMasters

reach extends well beyond the

classroom. Heres a glimpse into what

can happen in any given week on

campus, in the community and

around the world. THE NEWSMAGAZ INE FOR McMASTER UNIVERS ITY ALUMNI SPR ING 2014

Battle of the Bugs / Living Life at 24 Frames Per Second / McMaster & WWI

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

30%

Cert no. SW-COC-2113

PublisherAndrea Farquhar

EditorGord Arbeau

Art Director JD Howell 04

Editorial AssistantAndrew Baulcomb 08

McMaster Times is published two times a year (spring and fall) by the Office of Public Relations in co-operation with the McMaster Alumni Association. It is sent free of charge to University alumni and friends. Non-alumni subscriptions are available at $15 (Canada and U.S.A.) and $20 (for-eign). 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 Univer-sity. Letters and editorial contributions are wel-comed. National and local advertisers are invited.

Advertising SalesOffice of Public Relations905-525-9140 ext. 24073

ContributorsAndrew Baulcomb 08, Colin Czerneda 05, Patrick Deane 11 (honorary), Karen McQuigge 90, Allyson Rowley, Mark Stewart 06 & 10, Jemma Wolfe 13.

Officers, Alumni AssociationMark Stewart 06 & 10, president; Bill McLean 90, past-president; Sandra Stephenson 78, vice-president; Don Bridgman 78, financial advisor; Brian Bidulka 87, member-at-large; Elaine Kunda 95, member-at-large; Brad Merkel 85, member-at-large; Don Simpson 79, member-at-large; Erin Robertson 07, member-at-large; David Feather 85 & 89, member-at-large; Stephanie McLarty 03, member-at-large.

Representatives to the University SenateIan Cowan 71 & 76; Peter Tice 72; Suzanne Craven 73;Dennis Souder 70

Editorial Communications905-525-9140, ext. [email protected]

Representatives to the University Board of GovernorsQuentin Broad 86, 88; David Feather 85 & 89; David Lazzarato 79; Bill McLean 90; Howard Shearer 77

McMASTER WRITES has been moved to a new home on the Daily News. Visit dailynews.mcmaster.ca to view the latest group of alumni authors.

905.525.9140 ext. 24882, or 1.888.217.6003 [email protected] discoveryourmacadventure.ca

There is a lot of world out there to see, are you coming?Enjoy the worry-free convenience and value of exclusive group tours around the world, while sharing your dream vacation among like-minded travellers.

Upcoming 2014 Featured Trips: Waterways of Russia | August 7-20 Italy: Piedmont, Italian Riviera, Tuscany | September 8-18 Lifestyle Explorations in Spain | Sept. 20 - Oct. 14 Village Life in Dordogne | Sept. 25 - Oct. 3 Iberia | Sept. 26 - Oct. 4 Normandy: 70th Anniversary of D-Day | Sept. 30 - Oct. 8

For more information on any of our trips or to join our alumni travel mailing list, please contact:

2015 McMASTER ALUMNIAND FRIENDS TRAVEL SHOWCASE SAVE THE DATE Thursday, April 24, 2014.Get a sneak peak on where the McMaster Alumni and Friends Travel Program will be heading in 2015!

PRESIDENTS M

ESSAGE

JD HOWELL


The University and the digital age

Patrick Deane 11 (honorary) President, McMaster University

905.525.9140 ext. 24882, or 1.888.217.6003 [email protected] discoveryourmacadventure.ca

There is a lot of world out there to see, are you coming?Enjoy the worry-free convenience and value of exclusive group tours around the world, while sharing your dream vacation among like-minded travellers.

Upcoming 2014 Featured Trips: Waterways of Russia | August 7-20 Italy: Piedmont, Italian Riviera, Tuscany | September 8-18 Lifestyle Explorations in Spain | Sept. 20 - Oct. 14 Village Life in Dordogne | Sept. 25 - Oct. 3 Iberia | Sept. 26 - Oct. 4 Normandy: 70th Anniversary of D-Day | Sept. 30 - Oct. 8

For more information on any of our trips or to join our alumni travel mailing list, please contact:

2015 McMASTER ALUMNIAND FRIENDS TRAVEL SHOWCASE SAVE THE DATE Thursday, April 24, 2014.Get a sneak peak on where the McMaster Alumni and Friends Travel Program will be heading in 2015!

Driven by the primordial instinct to dominate our environment and the coincident desire to dominate each other, human beings have pursued technology rather surpris-ingly to and beyond an achieved capacity for self-annihilation. Indeed, replacement of man by the man-made has been both the dark fear and obscure fascination of our culture at least since the start of the industrial revolution. We see it in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein (1818), as much as in Ridley Scotts Blade Runner (1982) or James Camerons Terminator (1984). Such anxiety has until recently been absent from the field of higher education. But it is one of the most interesting consequences of the advancing digital revolution that questions are now being posed about the future of unmediated, human-focused forms of education. Will Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other forms of e-learning, it is now frequently asked, spell the end of higher education as we know it? There is a discernible urgency to the question when it is posed on campuses such as ours because of the implied Darwinian consequence of getting the answer wrong: no one wants their university to go the way of the Yangtze River Dolphin. Undoubtedly education at all levels is undergoing dramatic and far-reaching change. Cler-ical command over the archiving and transmission of knowledge, which was the foundation of academic authority and influence at the time the first universities were founded, has been decisively overthrown in the age of the internet; and it is undoubtedly true that institutions need to find a very different raison detre if they are to survive very far into this century. It is also certain that as technology evolves to enhance the forms of e-learning with higher levels of interactivitythereby making it a more plausible simulacrum for the forms of real human interactionit will increasingly supplant established institutions of a certain kind. Whether or not this process could continue until all traditional institutions are obsolete is probably unlikely but certainly open to debate. That such an outcome might be possible is an opinion not exclusive to computer boffins; we also find it adopted largely for rhetorical effect by critics of higher education who have other reasons for wanting radical change. In government, for example, concern about the financial sustainability of what I have called the human-focused model of education has predisposed officials to espouse the virtues of e-learning and to see online education as the solution to a large range of practical problems, notwithstanding what research may say about its actual cost when done well, and the poten-tially negative impact on quality of education when not done well. If the quality of education is our main concern, however, it is interesting to notice that in the apocalyptic scenario, human-focused education is imagined to be overthrown when technology effectively and perfectly replicates what human interaction can provide. Even the most vehement advocates of e-learning still see human fulfillment as the ultimate goal: despite the claims sometimes made that digital technology is forcing cognitive change in our children, there is ultimately surely no desire to see the latter replaced by technology. So even at its technology-positive extreme, this current discourse on technology and education reaffirms, rather than repudiates, the human dimensioneven if it does so by paradoxically postulating the achievement of humanity as the ultimate goal of the machine. There is a need to consider these questions in a less alarmist and apocalyptic atmosphere. 2001 came and went and the supercomputer in Stanley Kubricks Space Odyssey failed to supplant human beings as masters of their own destiny. That universities will cease to exist as they are rendered redundant by digital technology is no more likely than that to hap-penif, that is, they keep in sight both the profoundly humanistic goal of all education, and the brilliant new opportunities which emerging technologies provide for the achieve-ment of that goal.

Sincerely,

JD Howell

UNIV

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JD HOWELL

dailynews.mcmaster.ca6

NewsUniversity

NEWSLINE What has happened since the last issue... NOVEMBER 2013 DECEMBER 2013

The McMaster Marching Band shared the stage with three-time Juno Award-winning singer Serena Ryder during a New Years Eve concert in Ni-agara Falls, Ont. The band backed up Ryder during a performance of her hit song Stompa in front of more than 50,000 people.

On Nov. 15, hundreds of red tags were placed around campus during a lively cam-paign known as Tag Day. The tags mark the spaces and resources that have been made possible through various donations. These donations are made by students, alumni, friends, faculty and staff, and ulti-mately help McMaster thrive as a world-class institution of teaching and learning.

Suzanne Labarge installed as new Chancellor

McMaster receives $24M in major auto research partnerships

McMasters 2013 Fall Convocation saw a new but familiar presence assume the role of Chancellor, as Suzanne Labarge 67 & 11 (honorary) was formally installed during the proceedings. The esteemed McMaster alumna and dedicated philanthropist began her three-year term on Sept. 1, succeeding longtime Chancellor and fellow alumnus Lynton Red Wilson 62 & 95 (honorary). Labarge graduated from McMaster in 1967 with a degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences (Economics). She worked for the Royal Bank for 14 years before spending a decade with the federal government in several senior positions, including deputy superintendent of financial institutions. Labarge later returned to RBC, and retired in 2004 as vice-chairman and chief risk officer. In 2012, she donated $10 million to the University to establish the Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative.

The University has entered into partnerships with Chrysler, the federal government and other auto in-dustry leaders, to develop energy-efficient, high-per-formance electrified and lighter weight vehicles. The $24-million partnership includes federal funding for several McMaster projects through Automotive Partnership Canada (APC). APC is a five-year, $145-million initiative that supports research and development activities benefiting the Canadian au-tomotive industry. McMaster is truly excited by the opportunities this funding creates, said McMaster President Patrick Deane. It allows our researchers to focus on developing the automotive technology that will enable more sustainable, efficient, and safe travel, as well as promote greater economic stability. The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Sci-ence and Technology), outlined the details during an event at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) in October.

JD Howell

Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology), made the announcement at McMaster.

UNIVERSITY N

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JANUARY 2014 FEBRUARY 2014

McMaster chose the heart of Hamilton for relocating its downtown classrooms and of-fices from the current Down-town Centre. The move will allow 200 staff and 4,000 stu-dents to remain in the citys urban centre. The University is leasing the whole building at 1 James North.

The McMaster Library and the Office of Human Rights & Equity Services hosted a Human Library event in the Lyons New Media Centre of Mills Library. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions to the living books (guest speakers) to learn more about that individu-als culture, faith, gender identity, disability and/or life experience.

The Student Success Centre hosted the Connect to Careers Job Fair, the largest of its kind in Hamilton, at the Careport Centre. The free event offered an opportunity for students and alumni to network with poten-tial employers and explore new and exciting career opportuni-ties in a variety of fields.

Indigenous Studies Program celebrates 20 years

Critical investment for Fine Arts at McMaster

MARCH 2014

Members of the McMaster and Hamilton communities gathered in Coun-cil Chambers to celebrate the landmark 20th anniversary of the Indigenous Studies Program (ISP) in 2013. The event featured a number of key players in the development of ISP during the late-1980s and early-1990s, includ-ing former University president Alvin Lee 89 & 93 (honorary), former provost ArthurHeidebrecht 02 (honorary), professor emeritus Harvey Feit, current program director Rick Monture 89, 91, 96 & 10, professor William Coleman and longtime associate professor Dawn Martin-Hill 88, 91 & 95. As part of the proceedings, Martin-Hill was officially named the inaugural holder of the Paul. R. MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies. Since its inception, the ISP has focused on three main objectives: to recruit and assist Indigenous students in obtaining a University degree; to increase awareness of Indigenous culture and issues; and to work in collaboration with Aboriginal community partners on a variety of academic projects and events. Today, the program offers more than 25 unique courses involving Aboriginal history, language, politics, health and culture. Regardless of the topic, each class emphasizes the value of community engagement in education.

McMaster has received a $3-million gift for the Fine Arts the largest ever made to the program from philanthropist and Mc-Master alumnus Robert Fitzhenry 54 & 09 (honorary). The gift was announced during a special event on campus, and was made to honour Fitzhenrys late wife, Andre, who was an accomplished painter specializing in landscapes. We are very grateful to Robert Fitzhenry for his tremendous vi-sion and commitment to the arts, said McMaster President Patrick Deane. This critical investment will have an impact on the entire campus, altering the way our students learn and creating an environ-

ment that can support all their artistic endeavours. The plan is to transform and expand the existing studio space into a vibrant learning environment for aspiring young artists. When construction is complete, the atrium will cover an existing outdoor courtyard workspace, enlarging the display area and studio footprint of the buildings lower level by 1,700 square feet. The atrium will also function as a reception area with the faade facing Stearn Drive, where campus visitors, students, staff and faculty will be able to wit-ness the art-making process.

MIKE LALICH

92nd Times Higher Education World University Rankings

140th QS World University Rankings OVERALL

1 of 4 Canadian schools listed in the Top 100 in the world - Shanghai Jiao Tong University

6th Macleans University Rankings (Medical Doctoral category)

6th Research Infosource (Top 50 Research Universities)

A- Quality of Teaching and Learning The Globe and Mail (Canadian University Report 2013)

A- Most Satisfied Students The Globe and Mail (Canadian University Report 2013)

McMASTER RANKS HIGH

IN 2013

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AWARDS & HONOURS

New Fellows enter Royal Society of Canada Four McMaster faculty members were inducted into the Royal Society of Canada during a ceremony in Banff, Alberta: Christine Wilson, John C. Weaver, Dr. Stephen Collins 78 and Stephen Walter. All four were all named Royal Society Fellows in September. The Royal Society of Canada promotes learning and research in the arts, humanities and the natural and social sciences, and the total number of McMaster-affiliated Fellows in the Society is now 67.

Provost recognized by U of T Alumni Association McMaster provost David Wilkinson was recognized by his alma mater for his contributions to the field of engineering and his impact on society. Wilkinson was inducted into the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Associations Hall of Distinction. Held annually, the awards banquet recognizes U of T engineering alumni who have made significant contributions and impact in their profession and/or communities.

Bedside bronchitis test wins Grand Challenges Canada award A simple test for identifying bronchitis received a $100,000 grant from the federal Grand Challenges Canadas global health care program. Dr. Parameswaran Nair 03 & 04, Canada Research Chair in Airway Inflammometry, is developing a paper-based diagnostic test to detect infective and allergic bronchitis in both adults and children in developing countries. Nair wants to print a protein onto a strip of paper that can be dipped into phlegm. The resulting colour of the paper would indicate the presence or infection, which may eliminate the need to send tests to labs. The study also involves John Brennan, professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster, as well as collaborators in India and Brazil.

Pioneer of evidence-based medicine named Canadas top health scientist Dr. Gordon Guyatt 77 & 83, a professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, was named the 2013 Canada Health Researcher of the Year. The prestigious national award is presented annually by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and recognized Dr. Guyatts efforts as a pioneer of evidence-based medicine. He received the honour from David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

McMaster professor named president of Canadian Mathematical Society Lia Bronsard, a professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, will oversee more than 1,000 academic members from across the country during her four-year term as president of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). As part of her new role, Bronsard will help guide the general direction of the CMS while liaising with other prestigious math societies around the globe. Shell also assist with the coordination of a number of major events and projects throughout the year. Founded in 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress, the CMS strives to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics at all levels. The organization serves as a communications and networking hub for many of Canadas top educators and researchers, and publishes two prominent research journals: Canadian Journal of Mathematics and Canadian Mathematical Bulletin along with a world-renowned problem solving journal, Crux Mathematicorum.

Theoretical chemist wins prestigious Steacie Prize Professor Paul Ayers was honoured with the coveted Steacie Prize widely recognized as Canadas most prestigious award for scientists

and engineers under the age of 40. The prize is awarded to an individual who has made notable contributions to research in Canada, and is administered by the Trustees of the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fund a private foundation dedicated to the advancement of science and engineering in Canada. Like all honours of this type, it really is a team prize. It reflects the hard work of the amazing students and post-doctoral scientists who work with me at McMaster, as well as the help Ive received from my distinguished collaborators from abroad, said Ayers.

Henry Schwarcz named AAAS Fellow In December, professor emeritus Henry Schwarcz 10 (honorary) was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The worlds largest scientific society elevated Schwarcz to Fellow for his pioneering development and application of stable isotope analysis for environmental Earth sciences, geoarchaeology and the reconstruction of human history.

Mac chemistry prof named 3M National Teaching Fellow Assistant professor Pippa Lock 93 & 01 has been named a 3M National Teaching Fellow for 2014, an honour announced by 3M Canada and The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The 3M fellowship is the only pan-Canadian, cross-disciplinary recognition of educational leadership and excellence in university teaching. Lock is one of 10 educators across Canada to be named fellows for 2014, joining 13 McMaster faculty members to have been named previously to the honour since it was created in 1986. Canada now has 278 3M National Teaching Fellows, representing a broad range of disciplines, from more than 80 universities. Locks introduction-to-chemistry classes are big on interaction and participation, and even include skits where students act out chemical equations. Whatever it takes to foster knowledge and love for the subject, Lock is ready to try it, whether with large groups or in smaller sessions with Integrated Science students.

RESEARCH NEWS

Unlocking the evolution of cholera Working with a nearly 200-year-old sample of preserved intestine, researchers at McMaster and the University of Sydney successfully traced the bacterium behind a global cholera pandemic that killed millions a version of the same bug that continues to strike vulnerable populations in the worlds poorest regions. The team, including graduate student Alison Devault 08 and evolutionary geneticists Hendrik Poinar, Brian Golding and Eddie Holmes, mapped the entire genome of the elusive 19th century bacterium. The findings are significant because, until now, researchers had not identified the early strains of cholera, a water-borne pathogen. The discovery significantly improves understanding of the pathogens origin and creates hope for better treatment and possible prevention. Researchers have now confirmed the first of two types of cholera, known as classical, was likely responsible for five of the seven devastating outbreaks in the 1800s, all of which most likely originated in waters of the Bay of Bengal.

When it comes to hip surgery for the elderly, faster may be better The speed of surgery after a hip fracture may have a significant impact on outcomes for older patients, say Dr. P.J. Devereaux 94 & 06 and Dr. Mohit Bhandari 99, 00 & 02. In Canada and many other countries, wait times for hip surgery can be 24 hours or longer, mainly because of pre-surgery clearance procedures and lack of operating rooms. For seniors, hip fractures can cause serious complications that may result in death or admission to long-term care facilities. During the study which involved 60 people aged 45 or older in Canada and India half received accelerated hip surgery within six hours, and half received the standard care of surgery 24 hours after diagnosis. Among patients receiving standard care, 47 per cent suffered a major complication of death, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, blood clot or major bleeding. However, only 30 per cent of the patients in the accelerated surgery group suffered one of these complications.

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Scientists reveal cause of one of the most devastating pandemics An international team of scientists, including McMaster researcher Hendrik Poinar, discovered that two of the worlds most devastating plagues the plague of Justinian and the Black Death, each responsible for killing as many as half the people in Europe were caused by distinct strains of the same pathogen, one that faded out on its own, the other leading to worldwide spread and re-emergence in the late 1800s. The findings are dramatic because little has been known about the origins or cause of the Justinian Plague which helped bring an end to the Roman Empire and

its relationship to the Black Death, some 800 years later. The research is both fascinating and perplexing, it generates new questions which need to be explored. For example: Why did this pandemic, which killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people, die out? questioned Poinar, associate professor and director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre and an investigator with the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. Using sophisticated methods, researchers from many universities including McMaster, Northern Arizona University and the University of Sydney isolated minuscule DNA fragments from the 1,500-year-old teeth of two victims of the Justinian plague, buried in Bavaria, Germany. These are the oldest pathogen genomes obtained to date. Read the full story and watch behind-the-scenes video at dailynews.mcmaster.ca

Moving to the beat helps music lovers understand a songs structure While we dont fully understand why music compels movement, a pair of researchers working in McMasters MAPLE Lab (Music, Acoustics, Perception & LEarning) have found that it can improve our sense of timing and result in a better understanding of a songs structure even for those with little or no musical training. Assistant professor Michael Schutz conducted the research alongside Fiona Manning 11, a graduate student in the McMaster Institute for Music & The Mind with an interest in exploring music, movement and perception. Participants were asked to tap along with a simple beat during one round of trials, and sit perfectly still during another. Towards the end of the musical sequence, listeners heard a few seconds of silence before the final note. At the conclusion of the trial, listeners were asked to identify whether the final tone was early, late or right on time. Moving to the beat helped both trained musicians and casual listeners recognize when the final tone was off.

Fever-reducing meds may actually spread the flu Contrary to popular belief, fever-reducing medication may inadvertently cause more harm than good.

New research from McMaster has discovered that the widespread use of medications that contain fever-reducing drugs may lead to tens of thousands more influenza cases, and more than a thousand deaths attributable to influenza each year across North America. These drugs include ibuprofen, acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid. When they have flu, people often take medication that reduces their fever. No-one likes to feel miserable, but it turns out that our comfort might be at the cost of infecting others, explained lead author David Earn, an investigator with the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) and professor of mathematics at McMaster. Because fever can actually help lower the amount of virus in a sick persons body and reduce the chance of transmitting disease to others, taking drugs that reduce fever can increase transmission. Weve discovered that this increase has significant effects when we scale up to the level of the whole population. The study was co-authored with McMaster professors Ben Bolker, of the Departments of Mathematics & Statistics and Biology and the IIDR, and Paul Andrews 78 & 88 of the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.

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Living life at 24 frames per second

Who were your earliest influences in film and literature? I was blessed at McMaster, because I was ex-posed to two different influences that helped shape my career: Stanley Kubrick, who was making all kinds of great films at the time in-cluding Dr. Strangelove, which I loved. Also, and this is almost a clich these days, but Al-bert Camus was a big influence as well. When I took French at Mac I read a lot of Camus, and I knew right then and there I wanted to be a writer.

Why did you choose to study at Mac? I was born in Hamilton and had some family in the area, and I was attracted to the aesthet-ics and the atmosphere of the University. I went down from my home in Toronto to look at the campus, and I spoke to some of the students and faculty. It was just one of those things where you sense something is right in your life. You cant really articulate or quantify it; it was just right.

You played on the Mac football team. What did you enjoy about it? I played middle linebacker, and I learned a lot from other guys who were better than I was (laughs). We had an amazing coach, Bobby Dawson, and we won just about everything we could during the early-1960s, including three Ontario Intercollegiate Football Conference championships. I went to our team reunion at last years homecoming, and the memories came flooding back.

Can you describe your experiences in Vietnam as a young freelancer? After graduating from Mac, I wanted to see the world. I sold my old car and flew overseas

with a pair of blue jeans, and not much else. I was in the battles in Vietnam; I was on jet fighters during bombing raids; I was on com-bat missions. I was starving over there, and I used to go out into combat because the troops actually got fed. I was filing stories for the old Toronto Telegram. In those days the newspa-pers would send you a cheque, but of course I was never able to cash them. I was living on pennies, but I also got my first novel out of that experience, Laughing War.

How did you transition into filmmaking? The big thing in Canada at the time was the CBC. I noticed there was a vacuum for hour-long documentaries, and I barged into that opportunity like a freight train. I started mak-ing films at a very young age, and I had un-believable freedom. For example: I was sitting in a bar in Toronto one night, and there was a news item about an earthquake in Peru. Two days later, I was in the mountains of Peru. It was astonishing. Eventually, I decided to try my hand at making feature films as well as documentaries.

What was your first Hollywood experience? I had just published my first novel, Laughing War, and there was a call on my answering machine from area code 213, which is in Los Angeles. The message was to call Mr. Hoff-man, and it turned out to be Dustin Hoff-man. He basically said, I want your book, I want you to write the screenplay and I want you to come to L.A. I went down for four months, and lived in a beach house in Malibu that Dustin found for me. It was incredible. I still live in Santa Monica part-time, but my heart and soul is here.

Your documentary Under Fire: Journalists in Combat won a 2012 Peabody Award. What was the greatest challenge in completing the film? The most difficult thing was somehow cap-turing the emotions of tough-minded people; those who did not feel comfortable talking about their experiences and would much rath-er have been on the front lines. These are com-bat journalists who would rather have a tooth pulled than talk about themselves. I was very lucky, because they trusted me and knew I had been through something similar.

What explains McMasters proud film legacy? My theory is that Mac encourages you to find out who you really are. I would wager that fellow alumni like Martin Short 72 & 01 (honorary), Eugene Levy 69 & 05 (honorary)and Ivan Reitman 69 & 05 (honorary) started on one path, and Mac gave them the reflective time and space to figure out what they really wanted to try. Im forever grateful for that space as well. It was a great environment to learn and discover your true passions.

What advice do you have for aspiring documentarians? Back when I started in the field it was just, go do it. But nowadays, its so different and so much more dangerous especially for war correspondents. The first thing I would do is find other freelancers or filmmakers who have already been where youre going, and gather some advice before leaving. Youve got to take chances in your career, but you also need to be well-prepared for anything.

By Andrew Baulcomb 08

Martyn Burke 64 is an acclaimed novelist, journalist and filmmaker who divides his time between Toronto and Santa Monica, California. He earned a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Social Sci-ences, and has spent the past five decades trekking to the far corners of the globe in search of his next great story. Burkes latest documentary, Under Fire: Journalists in Combat, received a 2012 Peabody Award for significant and meritorious achievement in electronic media and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.

MEET M

cMASTER


JD Howell

All smiles. McMaster alumnus and celebrated filmmaker Martyn Burke 64 shares some insight into his long and storied career.

Mac encourages you to find out who you really are ... It was a great environment to learn and discover

your true passions.

SATURDAY,

SEPT 27, 2014

McM

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SATURDAY,

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Come back this spring!

McMASTERHOMECOMING!SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2014McMaster Marauders vs. Queens Gaels Enjoy pre-game fun & food with fans, friends and family!

Alumni Reunion DaySATURDAY JUNE 7, 2014

Calling all Classmates! Members of the classes of 1934, 1939,

1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, & 1964 are invited to celebrate the anniversary of their graduation. Enjoy a delightful day reacquainting with classmates and the

campus. Dont miss an entertaining talk from acclaimed writer, director, fi lm-maker,

Martyn Burke 64. Brochures will arrive by mail in April, or contact the

Alumni Offi ce for details.

Bachelor Health Science 03/04 10-year Reunion:

A special evening is planned to celebrate this inaugural class!

Alumni Gallery Induction& MAA Awards

WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2014Ceremony & Dinner, 6:00 p.m. Convocation Hall

Join in the celebration of the accomplishments of fellow alumni and current students including these

outstanding 2014 Alumni Gallery inductees:

Andy Knight 83; Scott Lowrey 85; Michael Madesker 51, 64; Kalpana Raina 79

and Peter Szatmari 74, 76, 80 87

For all Alumni event details visit: alumni.mcmaster.ca

Contact: [email protected], 1.888.217.6003 or 905-525-9140 ext. 23900

The McMaster Alumni Association is proud to offer a range of services, benefits and special offers to our alumni. Our affinity programs and partners are carefully selected based on reputation, customer service, and the significant savings or exclusive opportunities available to our grads. Take some time to explore our home and auto insurance, health, dental, life and critical illness insurance, credit card, career services, travel partners and special offers. When you take advantage of the benefits available from our affinity partners, revenue is generated enabling the Alumni Association to enhance the experiences of todays and tomorrows students, at no additional cost to you. Our affinity partnerships have allowed us to make contributions such as a $600,000 gift to the McMaster University Student Centre, a $500,000 donation to the David Braley Athletic Centre, ongoing funding of student bursaries and support of many student-run clubs and initiatives.

If youre already participating in our affinity programs, thank you. If not, wouldnt you rather your insurance or credit card choice make a difference? We invite you to learn more about the services and benefits available to our alumni by visiting our website.

alumni.mcmaster.ca

discoveryourmac adventure.ca

Connect to great services and benefitsSATURDAY,

SEPT 27, 2014

McM

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SATURDAY,

SEPT 27, 2014

McM

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SATURDAY,SEPT 27, 2014

McM

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Come back this spring!

McMASTERHOMECOMING!SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2014McMaster Marauders vs. Queens Gaels Enjoy pre-game fun & food with fans, friends and family!

Alumni Reunion DaySATURDAY JUNE 7, 2014

Calling all Classmates! Members of the classes of 1934, 1939,

1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, & 1964 are invited to celebrate the anniversary of their graduation. Enjoy a delightful day reacquainting with classmates and the

campus. Dont miss an entertaining talk from acclaimed writer, director, fi lm-maker,

Martyn Burke 64. Brochures will arrive by mail in April, or contact the

Alumni Offi ce for details.

Bachelor Health Science 03/04 10-year Reunion:

A special evening is planned to celebrate this inaugural class!

Alumni Gallery Induction& MAA Awards

WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2014Ceremony & Dinner, 6:00 p.m. Convocation Hall

Join in the celebration of the accomplishments of fellow alumni and current students including these

outstanding 2014 Alumni Gallery inductees:

Andy Knight 83; Scott Lowrey 85; Michael Madesker 51, 64; Kalpana Raina 79

and Peter Szatmari 74, 76, 80 87

For all Alumni event details visit: alumni.mcmaster.ca

Contact: [email protected], 1.888.217.6003 or 905-525-9140 ext. 23900

Across the campus, across the city, across the globe, youll find McMas-ter. Whether its a student exploring a new subject in a new way, a faculty member partnering with fellow researchers from other institutions, or a staff member vol-unteering in the community McMaster is making a difference as a leader in higher education, research and service. And with more than 164,000 alumni in 140 coun-tries, Macs reach is truly global. Its a different world in higher education today. The way students are learning has changed. Education often takes place outside the classroom. Students plan their own active learning. They work in co-op positions. They contribute to the commu-nity and take part in service learning. They study abroad. These are very important parts of the modern student experience, says President Patrick Deane. At the same time, they are simply the modern forms of the longstand-ing intellectual interaction thats always been part of university life. Timeless and timely, heres a look at what can happen in a week in the life of the research-focused student-centred en-terprise that is McMaster University.

One week at a time, McMaster is making a difference. Heres a glimpse into what can happen in any given week on campus, in the community and around the world.

Photography: Andrew Baulcomb, Colin Carmichael, James Clark, Colin Czerneda, Jon Evans, Mallory Fitz-Ritson, Vronique Gigure, Sarah Hasselman, JD Howell, Sarah Janes, Andrea Phair, Rose Anne Prevec, Allyson Rowley, Whyishnave Suthagar, Matt Terry, Alexander Young

McMaster now has a total student population of almost 30,000.

A WEEK IN

THE LIFE OF McM

ASTER


On January 29, everyone in the Mac community was invited to submit a photo that showed their day, no matter where they were in the world. Students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends pulled out their smartphones and started snap-ping photos. Here are a few of the best: As part of A week in the life ...

Monday:

1: A student has coffee in her residence and sends an essay online. 2: Douglas Ashton and Si Hua Su spruce up their Mac friends before customers arrive at the Campus Store (formerly Titles). 3: (L to R) Heather Ferguson, a second-year sociology student, and Colleen Vothknecht, first-year social sciences, plan their week in a quiet nook of the student centre. 4: The Allen H. Gould Trading Floor in the DeGroote School of Business is already humming with activity. 5: Varsity rower Mary Rao, a third-year sociology student, takes a studio art class. You can learn so many different things at Mac. Its cool, she says.

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Tuesday: McMaster students hail from 87 countries besides Canada.

1: Mac student Mary Tantcheva teaches French at St. Eugene Elementary School in Hamilton, as part of McMasters French as a Second Lan-guage course. 2: Nursing students spend time in the community as part of their McMaster training. 3: Rodrigo Narro Perez, a fourth-year earth and environmental sciences student, takes temperature measurements to see how the surface water and groundwater are interacting in Georgetown, Ontario. 4: Med students Jessica Ladouceur, Victoria Archer and Alexandra Carter work with patients at the Niagara campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. 5: Ruth Simmons volunteers for 1BB3 Aging and Society, a course offered by the Department of Health, Aging and Society.

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Wednesday: The average entering grade of a McMaster undergraduate is 86.8%.

1: Third-year chemical engineering student Blair Morgan gets to work on building a better contact lens. 2: No Wednesday at Mac is complete without stargazing, led by a post-doctoral research fellow and McCallion Planetarium manager, Robert Cockcroft. 3: Theatre & Film Studies students participate in a full-year performance course that is researching how to define success. 4: Kelly Biagi, a masters student in environmental science, hangs out with penguins on a 16-day research trip to Antarctica.

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Thursday: Macs full-time faculty hail from 64 countries besides Canada.

1: Mera Qamar, a fourth-year art history student, is a docent and co-curator of the Baroque art exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art. 2: Anthropology student Helena Ramsaroop. 3: Who knew there could be so many leaves on one patio? McMaster managers take part in a day of service in Hamilton. 4: McMasters Indigenous Studies Program hosts a seminar on creating space for indigenous knowledge. 5: Research technician Uma Sankar works in the Robert E. Fitzhenry Vector Lab of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine.

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Friday:

1: Second-year student T.J. Poplar takes part in an environmentally responsible studio course, which asks students to explore bamboo as an alternative, sustainable material. 2: Thinking about the world outside our own borders. 3: More than 1,300 student-muggles enjoy the Harry Potter-themed Yule Charity Ball, which has raised more than $240,000 for Hamilton-area organizations during the last 15 years. 4: Changing the world, one student at a time. First-year social sciences student Lauren McLean volunteers for the McMaster Social Innovation Lab.

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McMaster is home to more than 80 research centres and institutes.

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Saturday:

Sunday:1: Social media research class at the Centre for Continuing Education. 2: Mac student Lyndsey Merry helps build an all-girls school in Kenya with the McMaster branch of Free the Children. 3: Not just a hole in the ground. The L.R. Wilson Hall will be home to the liberal arts when it opens in 2015.

1: The After Office Hours student video group. Their YouTube series profiles the lives of Mac professors. 2: Second-year Arts & Science student Emily Fong travels to India for an internship at a school for autistic children. 3: The McMaster University Choir rehearses for its next performance.

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Mac participates in more than 70 international exchange agreements around the globe.

Mac10 delivers engaging and informative programs to fulll the professional, intellectual and social needs of McMaster's graduates of the last decade, in Hamilton and beyond.

If you graduated from McMaster in the last 10 years,

is for you.

For everyone from the shy guys to the social butteriesMac10Social has brought young (and young at heart) alumni together for lms and food, gallery tours and cooking classes, and sporting events and sunny patios. We offer a regular series of affordable events so you can reconnect with old friends, make new contacts and have a little fun!

Support for the next stepDid you know McMaster has an alumni career coach? It's true! She works at the Student Success Centre and partners with Mac10Professional to offer targeted workshops and webinars designed to help alumni who are actively seeking work or exploring career options.

Learning for funMac10Intellectual connects McMaster's most engaging and groundbreaking researchers with young alumni in a social setting - never in a boring lecture hall and always with good food! We've hosted researchers across disciplines from psychology to ne art to bioarchaeology, with many more incredible talks to come.

Social

Professional

Intellectual

mac10.ca for event information.

BATT

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BATTLE OF THE BUGS

It was supposed to be a short business trip, followed by a vacation in Paris and Venice with his wife. But two days into the trip, Gerry Wright had eaten something that didnt taste quite right. Now he was lying in his hotel room, feeling really sick. I travel a lot, he says, so I knew this was something more serious. After a few more days, his wife urged him to go to a hospital. He refused. Dont you know about the drug resistance problems? He should know. A professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster, Gerry Wright is scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research and an expert on antibiotic resistance. Dubbed a major health security challenge of the 21st century by the G8, antibiotic resistance is a global problem created over the past 50 or 60 years from the misuse and overuse of existing antibiotics, along with a dwindling supply of new ones. For years, antibiotics have been mistakenly prescribed for everything from flu to colds to sore throats. Antibiotics are fed to the livestock we end up eating. They are used to treat acne, and their use (and overuse) is widespread in seniors residences and hospitals alike. All of which has led to one serious drug resistance problem. Its a simple matter of survival of the fittest. The susceptible bacteria die off, but the strong resist and reproduce. Bacteria have been

around for some four billion years, and they can reproduce every half hour. There isnt an antibiotic for which bacteria cannot develop a resistance, says Wright. The trouble is we cant have modern medicine without antibiotics. You couldnt go in for surgery, you couldnt get a hip replacement, you couldnt be treated for cancer. Even a cut or a scrape could be fatal, because of the risk of bacterial infection. Wright flew home and survived after another tense two weeks, when an antibiotic was finally found that worked on his particular germ, a type of salmonella. And equally fortunate is the fact that, in 2007, the Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) was launched with a $10-million gift from philanthropist and businessman Michael G. DeGroote. Unique in Canada, the IIDR spans three faculties and eight departments. It houses three state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Centre for Microbial Chemical Biology, which Wright characterizes as our own drug discovery company down the hall. Most importantly, the institute harnesses the collective passion, talent and brainpower of 32 principal investigators from clinicians to biochemists to immunologists to mathematicians. Meaningful science doesnt happen in the silos of traditional university departments anymore. This is the way were going to solve big problems like antibiotic resistance. Last fall, Wrights lab was in the news for discovering a new way to zero in on naturally occurring antibiotics in soil bacteria. Most of todays antibiotics were discovered between 1940 and 1960 penicillin and many anti-cancer drugs were discovered this way. However, over the years pharmaceutical companies have become much less interested in developing new antibiotics. Wright lists three reasons. First: money. Are you going to invest a billion dollars in a drug that will be used for only a week to 10 days, or in one that patients will need for the rest of their lives? The second reason: regulation. Unlike 50 years ago, drugs must now undergo large-scale clinical trials, which are costly and time-consuming. The third reason? The scientific brainpower needed to discover the new drugs. And thats where we can help, says Wright. We can do everything from drug discovery to clinical work to population analysis to genomics to fundamental microbiology. You name it, we can do it all. To this day, Wright keeps the bug that infected him in a freezer in his lab. Revenge is a dish best served cold, he says with a grin. You could say salmonella has picked on the wrong guy.


Thanks to the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, were a lot closer to winning the battle against bacteria, viruses, parasites and other creepy things trying to take over your body

Meaningful science doesnt happen in the silos

of traditional university departments anymore. This is the way were going to solve big problems like antibiotic

resistance.

By Allyson Rowley

BATTLE OF THE BUGS


Biochemist Eric Brown, one of the IIDRs founding members, led a team that discovered a new way to target the cell membranes of the bacteria called MRSA.

Ultimately, its the collaboration at the multidisciplinary level where

the magic happens.

A Shot in the Arm for Infectious Disease Research Heres what a few of McMasters leading researchers have to say about the IIDR:

Immunologist Dawn Bowdish runs Canadas only age-related lab facility, looking into how to keep the elderly healthy and infection-free.

The best thing about the IIDR is its philosophy the idea that wonderful things happen when

you bring like-minded people together.

Fiona Smaill 89 a 98, a clinician and medical microbiologist, led research that developed a new tuberculosis vaccine, the result of 10 years of research.

We look at what the whole world needs and we all share in everyones successes.

Evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar and his team mapped the genome of the Black Death and also traced the bacterium behind a 19th-century cholera pandemic.

My involvement has made me far more fascinated with the evolutionary dynamics of infectious disease. We

use the same models but were looking at pathogens, rather than mammoths!

Mathematician David Earn, a member of the IIDR executive committee, has

measured how the widespread use of fever-reducing drugs may actually incr

ease

the spread of influenza.

McMaster has created a mechanism for us to get

together and talk about each others research.

Its been amazingly helpful.

It became known as the war to end all wars, and McMaster was thrust into the fray without much of a choice. When Britain formally declared war on Germany in August, 1914, the University was plunged into a developing global conflict that went against

every aspect of pacifist Baptist teachings the institution stood for. Still, campus leaders had little choice but to observe Canadas colonial ties to England, and braced for the First World War to touch their growing campus at the time still located on Bloor Street in Toronto. The events in Western Europe had a profound effect on both faculty and the student body at McMaster, writes University historian Charles Johnston 49 in his remarkably vivid tome, McMaster University I: The

Toronto Years. Any apathy lingering there about the larger questions facing the civilized world was quickly dispelled by the crisis that threatened the world in 1914. Faculty members such as Stewart Wallace, R.W. Smith and William McNairn pushed for McMasters burgeoning campus to serve as a training ground for military officers, as more and more students signed-

on to serve overseas. By 1915, the Universitys enrolment had plummeted by a full 25 per cent, and a planned expansion of campus was put on hold indefinitely. The University had begun conferring degrees in 1894, and by 1914 it had several generations of graduates, says Johnston, during a recent visit

to the Maps Room at Mills Memorial Library. Many of them would have been military eligible. Many servicemen from McMaster would eventually see combat in Flanders; a battle-scarred region of Western Europe straddling the

borders of France and Belgium. Before the war was over, a total of 22 servicemen with ties to the University would die in uniform, including aspiring poet and writer Bernard Trotter 15. This year, countries in all four hemispheres will mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. McMaster students and alumni served overseas during the bulk of the campaign, and the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice remain enshrined on an

Honour Roll tablet inside Alumni Memorial Hall. A quote from one of Trotters 1914 poems can be found at the bottom of the First World War memorial tablet: Not vain your sacrifice nor lost your work, the worlds

free heart beats high because of you. Today, McMaster is known as one of the countrys leading authorities on First World War maps and archival documents. Over the past four decades, the University has acquired an extensive collection of material from the Great War, including some 500 aerial photos of France and Belgium circa 1917 and 1918 (hundreds with hand-written notes) along with more than 1,400 heavily-detailed maps

of Western Europe with titles such as trench map, artillery map and

By Andrew Baulcomb 08

McM

ASTER AT WAR


The worlds free heart beats high because of youMcMASTER AT WAR

1914-1918

Bringing history to life: McMaster alumnus and celebrated historian Charles Johnston 49 has written extensively about the Universitys involvement in both the First and Second World War. He visited the campus earlier this year to discuss McMasters connection to the Great War. Visit dailynews.mcmaster.ca to watch a video interview with Johnston in Mills Memorial Library.

JD Howell

In terms of the First World War, we probably have the best hard-copy collection of maps other than the National Archives.

- Gord Beck, McMaster map specialist

McM

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officers planning map. The physical collection resides in the William

Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections in Mills Memorial Library, and an extensive digitization project is currently underway. University map specialist Gord Beck hopes all of the maps and photos will be online in time for summer. Our digital presence is the largest in the world, which is why institutions such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and The Australian War Memorial routinely direct researchers to our online site, says Beck. In terms of the First World War, we probably have the best hard-copy collection of maps other than the National Archives

in Ottawa. The University is also home to a robust collection of songs from the First and Second World War, including nearly 60 from Canada and many others penned in Britain, the United States and Germany. Many reflect a sense of duty among young Canadian men, including

McMaster students, to serve the Crown in England. One such tune from 1915, Boys from Canada, includes the chorus: Were the boys from Canada, glad to serve Britannia. Another from the same year, By Order of the King, features a chorus telling of the time for many in English Canada: By order of the king (God bless him) well win or die.

Pride and patriotism aside, the young men of the colonies could never adequately prepare for what awaited them on the battlefields of

Western Europe. Indeed, many thought the conflict would be resolved

by Christmas, 1914. Ultimately, nobody expected the kind of war that it did become, in terms of its scale and scope, says Martin Horn 87, assistant professor in McMasters Department of History. Canada did not have an independent foreign policy at the time, and had to follow Londons lead. But it was up to Canada to determine what the size of its contribution would be. When war came in August, 1914, its conceivable that Prime Minister Robert Borden was thinking in rather modest terms. On Nov. 11, the names of those who fell will be read aloud during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony on campus. As the McMaster community pauses to reflect on distant lives and past conflicts, it will

also imagine those names as classmates, friends, sweethearts, family members and fellow alumni with ambition and dreams gone, but not forgotten. McMaster at War: 1939-1945 will be published in the Fall 2014 edition of the Times.

Left: Gord Beck, map specialist at McMaster, examines an aerial photo collage of Bthune, France from May, 1918. This early example of a photo mosaic features German and British front lines in the surrounding region. Top and bottom right: a special insert in the Montreal Star highlights where Canadians served overseas. Both are included in the Universitys extensive First World War collection.

Andrew Baulcom

b

ALUMN

I ALBUM


1960sBob Williamson 62 devoted a great deal of his time and energy working on the War of 1812 Bicentennial. Williamsons activities included writing and unveiling three heritage plaques (Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Confederation Park in Hamilton and HMCS Star in Hamilton), and acting as master

of ceremonies for the Hamilton Scourge memorial service on Lake Ontario. The latter took place on board the CCGS Griffon, and included Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina along with various 1812 re-enactors, MPPs

and diplomats.

Peter Calamai 65 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Science Writers Association during a June, 2013 ceremony in Montreal. Calamai, a well-respected reporter

and journalism lecturer, was one of the founders of the association and served on the executive for many years.

1970s

Susan Searls Giroux, McMasters associate vice-president (Faculty),

delivered a talk entitled The Civic Function of Intellectuals Today at the College of The Bahamas in Nassau, Bahamas. Several Bahamian McMaster alumni attended (left to right: Sandra Clarke 72, Marilyn Zonicle 72, Searls Giroux (seated) Pamela Burnside (Jones) 72 and Felicity

Humblestone 03). The group presented Searls Giroux with a copy of a book entitled I Come To Get Me, written by McMaster alumna Arlene Ferguson 72 and edited by Burnside. Searls Girouxs husband, Global Television Network Chair Henry Giroux, also headed a forum on critical pedagogy the following day.

Barry Dicks 75 has been elected as a signature member of the Society of Canadian Artists. The SCA is a national, non-profit

artists organization dedicated to expanding the visibility and stature of the visual arts. His landscape paintings are carried in Muskoka by the Oxtongue Craft Cabin and Gallery in Dwight, Ont. and at Quinns of Tweed Fine Art Gallery in Tweed, Ont. Dicks is a graduate of the Faculty of Humanities.

Ralph Meyer 78 & 84 was appointed as the new president and CEO of Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton. Located on the Hamilton Mountain, the full-

service general hospital is home to one of the regions top cancer treatment facilities and is well-regarded as a leader in

orthopedic care. Meyer is a two-

time graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences. His wife, Jane Meyer 04, is a McMaster alumna from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Alumni Album

1980s Scott Lowrey 85 recently completed his Ed.D. studies in Educational Administration at OISE/University of Toronto. Lowrey is currently an elementary school principal in Hamilton, and was honoured by Canadas Outstanding Principals (COP) in

2005. He is also a former recipient of McMasters Lloyd Reed Prize (1985). Foundationally,

Scotts doctoral journey began at McMaster while earning his undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Linda Francis 86 was appointed Faculty Head - Applications for

triOS College in Ontario. Linda has served as an instructor with the college since February 2009, and has worked tirelessly to achieve her new position. She is a graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, with a degree in English. She currently resides in Oshawa, Ont.

Lynda Redwood-Campbell 88 & 92 served as team leader with the Canadian/Norwegian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit team that responded to Typhoon Haiyan. The Red Cross set up a temporary hospital outside the Ormoc District Hospital that had been severely damaged by the typhoon. The temporary hospital cared for many babies, children

MacServe alumni group gets to work in Costa Rica

A group of 14 McMaster alumni from across Canada recently traveled to Costa Rica to participate in a service trip. The spirited team spent a week volunteering at the Santa Elena Nature Reserve in Monteverde, while also exploring the surrounding area. The group convened in San Jose, Costa Rica and took the five-hour journey to Santa Elena de Monteverde the following day. The group spent the first day at Santa Elena nature reserve working on beautifying a path through the lower portion of the reserve. The remaining working days were spent clearing important connecting roads between Santa Elena and another nature reserve, helping to replenish a path in the reserve and helping one of the local guides with bird tracking. Alumni participants also took part in a number of planned activities designed to help reveal the local area. One afternoon, for example, the group enjoyed a tour of a nearby coffee plantation and some enjoyed a ride on a traditional Costa Rican oxcart (which is a UNESCO-designated heritage piece).

and pregnant women. The temporary Red Cross hospital had surgical and labour and delivery facilities as well. Redwood-

Campbell led the team that served the most vulnerable populations. This was the only public hospital in the city of Ormoc. Redwood-

Campbell continues to work and do research into the areas of immigrant and refugee health, as well as the complexities of the humanitarian response after sudden-onset disasters and

during complex humanitarian emergencies.

1990sLauren McKinley Renzetti 94 has been working diligently as an art instructor at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Art Works Art School for more than 13 years. For the past seven years, she has also had the honour of serving as Artist-in-Residence at Unicamp

of Ontario. An active member of Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, she has recently moved into the role of the organizations curator, coordinating art shows in their sacred space. Renzettis personal art career is still a large part of her daily life.

Geordie Rose 94 is the founder and CTO of D-Wave: The

Quantum Computer Company. Founded in 1999, the company is striving to make practical quantum computing technology a reality. D-Wave currently

owns more than 90 granted U.S. patents, and has more than 100 pending applications around the world related to quantum computing and superconducting electronics. Rose is a graduate from the Faculty of Engineering, and was a member of the Universitys 1994 CIAU championship wrestling team.

Rob Sawyer 94 was one of 60 teachers to receive a 2013 Prime Ministers Award for Teaching Excellence, in recognition of his outstanding dedication to his students. Sawyer works as a Grade 5 teacher at Kingsway College School in Etobicoke, Ont. and lives in Toronto with his wife Alexis and daughters Stella and Beatrice. He earned a degree in Physical Education from McMaster.

Carly Kuntz 95 and husband Michael Kuntz 95 recently founded Hockey for Fun a community initiative in Kitchener, Ont. that offers one

hour per week of beginner, fun, co-ed hockey for boys and

girls aged 8-11. The program is

tailored for children and families who dont want to commit to a hectic full season of hockey, but still enjoy the game and get some exercise while learning how to play. Carly and Michael are both graduates from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Kate Drummond 98 has enjoyed a successful acting career since graduating from McMaster with a degree in Kinesiology. Most recently, she starred as lead female Anna Grmsdttir, better known as Grim, in Tom Clancys Splinter Cell Blacklist video game. Among other roles, Drummond can also be seen as Beverly Hillcroft in the sci-

fi TV mini-series CAT. 8; as Jane Jenkins in the TV movie

Claras Deadly Secret. She has also appeared in several TV

series such as Being Human and Sweet Tarts Takeaway, and Drummond is the creator and host of the online reality cooking series, A Jocks Guide.

2000s

Theresa Hale-Charters 01 and husband Mathew Charters, along with daughters Aisling and Danielle, welcomed Joseph Mathew Charters on June 3, 2013. Joseph was born at McMaster Hospital, and weighed 11 lbs., 11 oz. Hale-Charters is a

registered nurse with the Hematology-Oncology Program

at Juravinski Hospital, and husband Matthew also works for Hamilton Health Sciences.

Mike Picheca 02 & 09 and his wife Annie Poirier celebrated the birth of second child, Victoria

Shirley Picheca, on Oct. 1, 2013. Big sister Sophia is extremely proud. Picheca earned a degree in Computer Science and an MBA from McMaster. Vidya Anderson (Viswanathan) 03 and Ricardo T. Anderson welcomed their second

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Meet the Pixar animator behind Woody, Buzz, and SulleyBy Jemma Wolfe 13

Allison Rutland 02 spent her time at McMaster as many do: She lived in Hedden Hall in first year, submitted comics to Incite Magazine, went frequently to the Downstairs John and made a lot of fun memories just hanging out with people from my class. But the career she pursued after graduation is rather extraordinary. Rutland is a character animator at Pixars animation studios in Emeryville, Calif. After graduating with a degree in Fine Arts and Multimedia in 2002, Rutland went on to Sheridan College to pursue a diploma in animation. It wasnt long after that she found a home base, first at a studio in Toronto, and then across the pond at a studio in London, England. There, she worked on visual effects for such well-known films as Where the Wild Things Are and The Tale of Despereaux. But Pixar was always at the back of her mind. A couple of friends of mine had got in [during Ratatouille], and theyd been at Pixar for about two years, and I thought, Ah, you know what, I think I wanna try and I applied, said Rutland. She then flew from London to San Francisco to compete in an intensive interview process. It paid off in the end, and Rutland made the move from English rain to California sun in 2009. Since then, her life has been a dream come true. As a character animator, she has worked on Toy Story 3 (she animated Woody and Buzz), Brave and most recently, Monsters University. For Monsters University, Rutland was the primary character

animator for Sulley, the huge blue and purple monster voiced by John Goodman. I did a couple of shots at the beginning of the show that the animation directors liked, so they kind of kept giving me Sulley animation, so I ended up with a big chunk of Sulleys shots, she explained. You have to be willing to be constantly learning, she said. I think animations one of those things that you dont ever really feel like youve totally mastered it. Her work as a character animator can also be seen in Pixars forthcoming feature Inside Out, due for release in 2015.

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An Evening of Gospel Music with Karen BurkeBy Colin Czemeda 05

Students in the McMaster Choir had an experience like no other when they performed alongside the Juno Award-winning

Toronto Mass Choir (pictured) and its

alumna director Karen Burke 83 in January. The 35-member choir delivered An Evening of Gospel Music

at Westdale United Church, as part of the Universitys year-long

Spotlight on the Arts festival. Burke, who graduated from the Faculty of Humanities with a degree in Music, co-founded the Toronto Mass Choir with her

husband in 1988. As a student, Burke studied piano under well-known

classical pianist and former associate professor Valerie Tryon 00 (honorary), although her roots lie in gospel singing. She participated in the McMaster Choir and later became its president, taking on conducting responsibilities. The great thing about the McMaster music department was that you could focus on your own interests, said Burke. I really appreciated that it was a smaller and more personal program. Her experiences at McMaster and later the Royal Conservatory of Music allowed her to combine her earlier years performing gospel music with that of her formal training. McMaster gave me the language to be able to show what I know, she explained.

child, Jaya Gita Anderson, on Oct 14, 2013. Older brother Ajai, 5, is thrilled to have a new member of the family. A graduate from the Faculty of Humanities, Anderson works as a broker and freelance journalist in Chicago, Ill.

Ashley Beattie 04 & 08 is part of a team that recently launched the Kiwi Move a WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled

piece of wearable tech that can take voice notes, control home appliances, record motion and workout data and even communicate with the Internet using a series of hand gestures. The device has been profiled by

the BBC, Forbes, Toronto Star, CBC Hamilton, Mashable and several other international news outlets.

Tal Dehtiar05 celebrated a milestone last fall, when his footwear company Olibert was officially named by Fair

Trade USA as the first Fair

Trade Certified shoe factory in

the world. The announcement followed months of audits, reviews, and factory checks against more than 250 compliance requirements.

Carmen Charlton 10 has been certified as a Diplomate of the

American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM).

Certification with the ABMM

is the highest credential that a doctoral-level clinical

microbiologist can earn. Charlton earned a PhD from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Adrianne Pieczonka 10 (honorary) received a Paul de

Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award in January, 2014. The biennial awards honour the achievement of Canadian artists in keyboard artistry, singing and art photography, and are administered by the Ontario Arts Council. An internationally acclaimed and Juno Award-winning opera singer,

Pieczonka has graced stages all over Europe and North America.

Otis Kryzanauskas 12 was profiled in an extensive feature

on CBC News last December,

and billed as Canadas lone male midwife. The 26-year-old

from Hamilton has delivered between 300 and 350 babies since becoming certified, and is the

sole certified male among roughly

1,000 midwives in Canada. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Adriano Paonessa 13 has embarked on an exciting new career in music under the stage name Dre Pao. To date, he has written the guitar parts and lyrics to more than 50 songs, and made his official YouTube debut on Dec.

3, 2013 with a cover of the Xuso Jones song Megaphone.

Students looking to work in the arts took part in a successful networking session at Convocation Hall with a focus on breaking into their chosen field. The event, part of the year-long Spotlight on the Arts festival, gave students the opportunity to ask questions and learn from a number of alumni, including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestras Diana Weir 08; the Hamilton Arts Councils Stephanie Vegh 03; Jeffrey Remedios 98, co-founder of Arts & Crafts Productions; and Michael Keire 08 (pictured). Art is hard, but you cant give up because life isnt always easy, said Keire, a local music producer and owner of Hamiltons Threshold Recording Studio. I wake up doing, thinking and researching music and I go to sleep doing, thinking and researching music.

Music to my ears: Career advice from alumni in the arts

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In Memoriam1930sAgnes Roulston 35 died July 8, 2013 at Christie Gardens at the age of 99. A graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences with a passion for travel, Roulston led a full and accomplished life as a teacher and guidance counsellor at East York Collegiate Institute for more than three decades. Roulston was also a lifetime member of the Presidents Club at McMaster, in recognition of her ongoing philanthropic efforts at the University. She will be dearly missed by family.

1940sJ. Ross Husband 48 died Dec. 19, 2013. Born in Montreal, Hus-band went to McMaster after he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He practised law in Hamil-ton for more than 50 years, with a particular love and focus on his extensive corporate practice. He was still practicing at the time of his passing. Husband was a grad-uate from the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is survived by his loving wife, Jean.

1950sLillian Marie McKee (McDon-ald) 50 died Aug. 17, 2013 at Alta Vista Manor in Ottawa, Ont. Born in Weyburn, Sask. in 1929, McKee enjoyed a successful career with the Childrens Aid Society for more than 20 years. A proud McMaster graduate, she earned a degree from the Faculty of Hu-manities. McKee is survived by her husband of 43 years, Ken.

Elva Carrol 51 died Jan. 20, 2014. A graduate from the Fac-ulty of Social Sciences, Carrol was inducted into the McMaster Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 and made a member of the Mc-Master Alumni Gallery in 1984.

Carrol was a longtime member of the board of the Hamilton Auto-mobile Club and of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, where she was a four-time Ladies Cham-pion. She also earned a Hamilton District Golf Championship. Carrol is lovingly remembered by her nephew Christopher, family and friends.

Michiko Midge Ayukawa (Ishii) 52 & 53 died Oct. 24, 2013. Born in Vancouver in 1930, she was interned at Lemon Creek during the Second World War. Following the war, the Ishii family moved to Hamilton where Michiko later earned two degrees from McMasters Department of Chemistry. She later taught chem-istry at Carleton University and the University of Victoria after the family moved to Sooke, B.C. in 1980. She was inducted into McMasters Alumni Gallery in 2007. She will always be remem-bered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and academic.

Bernard Pelletier 53 died May 20, 2013 at Valley Stream Manor in Nepean, Ont. Born in 1923, he joined the Saskatoon Light Infantry and served overseas for the duration the Second World War. He earned a graduate degree in Geology from McMasters Faculty of Science, and enjoyed a long and distinguished career that included many adventures in the field. Pelletier was predeceased by his beloved wife Judy (Lamb), and is missed by family.

Edna Joan McKinnell 54 died Feb. 11, 2013. Born in Hamilton in 1931, she was a promising student from a young age and skipped two elementary grades, entering high school at age 11. McKinnell went on to study French and German at McMaster and earned a degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences. She later obtained a masters degree in Education and joined the Etobi-coke Board of Education. She is

survived by her loving husband, Ashton, and is missed by family. Donald Beaumont 57 died Aug. 28, 2013 in Mississauga. A grad-uate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Beaumont played a leading role in the Canadian re-tail market for 49 years, including 20 years with Eatons, 13 with Towers Department Stores and five years as president and CEO of Kmart Canada. Beaumont was predeceased by his wife Lynne, and will be sadly missed by his partner Penny Ecclestone.

Gail Korhonen (Buchanan) 57 died Sept. 21, 2013 in Mississau-ga, Ont. She was an outstanding student with a keen thirst for knowledge, and was heavily in-volved in campus activities during her time at McMaster, including cheerleading. Korhonen, who

earned a degree from the Faculty of Humanities, was a loving wife and friend to Ed for 52 years. 1960sWayne Elvins 66 died May 27, 2013 at the age of 78. A longtime teacher at Scott Park Second-ary School in Hamilton, Elvins earned a degree in Geography from the Faculty of Social Sci-ences. He is survived by his wife Naomi, daughter Sarah along with several wonderful grandchil-dren and extended family.

1990sElsie Silverthorne 93 died in October, 2013. She was a gradu-ate from the Faculty of Human-ities, with a degree in English.

Right Said Fred Had the Right Idea

When I graduated from Mac, it was not a good time for music. Just months after I earned my degree, a British band named Right Said Fred (Im not making that up) hit the top of the charts with the immortal Im Too Sexy (For My Shirt). If youre not familiar with it, the song is somehow even worse than the title.

I started thinking about Right Said Fred today because I found myself saying the following sentence out loud in a meeting: Insurance is sexy. Actually, I was more enthusiastic than that. I really said, Insurance is sexy! Why the enthusiasm? Because the McMaster Alumni Association (MAA) offers its members the opportunity to enrol in life, health and disability insurance with Manulife Financial as well as in home and auto insurance with TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. Between the two programs, more than 17,000 Mac alumni, students, faculty and staff are taking advantage of these services. With incredible retention and customer satisfaction ratings, there are 17,000 members of the McMaster community who know that these programs provide fantastic service. What a lot of people do not realize, however, is that the revenue these programs and others generate for the MAA has allowed the Association to have an amazing impact on the McMaster community. The Association has donated more than $1.4 million to the University to create scholarships and bursaries and to help build the McMaster University Student Centre and the David Braley Athletic Centre. The MAA also contributes more than $25,000 annually in sponsorships to student initiatives like CFMU, Welcome Week, the Char-ity Ball, the Horizons conference for incoming students, Kin Games, iSci Graduation, the BHSc Fashion Show, TEDx sessions and the McMaster World Congress. Of course, the Association also invests in its own programs, so when you come to Homecoming, take part in our young alumni programming, visit our website, con-nect with one of our digital programs or attend an alumni event outside Hamilton, thats an example of those insurance dollars at work. Sexy indeed.

46,000 Days

The #MyDayAtMac campaign on January 29, 2014 captured a slice of life at McMaster, frozen in time through an amazing diversity of photos. During 126 years, McMaster has experienced a lot of days more than 46,000! As a former student and more recently as president of the McMaster Alumni Association, Ive only been a part of a small subset of the many people, events, and days of McMaster. However, these experi-

ences contained, like all of the McMaster days over the years, the intangible essence that is truly McMaster. The maroon pride, the collaborative spirit, the commitment to academic excellence. I cant exactly put it into words, but just like you, I know what being a part of McMaster feels like. Ive been privileged to engage with alumni on different life paths, at different ages, and across the world, from Trinidad to Paris. My fellow alumni have deeply inspired me and motivated me. As my term as president comes to close, I take with me a strengthened conviction to continue my lifelong relationship with our alma mater. I hope your own McMaster journey continues to enrich your life, and that you honour your McMaster relationship by taking what youve learned to keep making a difference in the world.


An annual indulgence for theatre and Shakespeare lov-ers, this incredible program offers access to eight per-formances, expert lectures and discussion groups along with delightful social opportunities including welcome reception, included lunches and two special dinners. To access the program information booklet visit alumni.mcmaster.ca - Learn & Explore Stratford Seminars or contact Kathleen DAmico at [email protected] or call 905-525-9140 ext. 27909.

Saturday, June 7, 3 p.m. All McMaster alumni are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting as we elect the next Slate of Officers. The brief AGM will be followed by an entertaining lecture by Martyn Burke 64, acclaimed writer, director and film maker sharing stories from his fascinating career. Contact [email protected] or visit alumni.mcmaster.ca - events for details.

Passport to the Future:Dr. Patrick Deane will be embarking on a multi-city jour-ney in 2014. Each event on our trip will feature a panel discussion with experts from the academic, business and technology fields exploring the challenges and op-portunities facing universities in the 21st cen

Documents

Spring 2014 McMaster Times