Science Matters Vol. 1 No. 2
FEDERAL APPOINTMENT FOR ACCESSIBILITY EXPERT
Jessica Blackwood, Accessible Digital Media Specialist Supervisor with the Faculty of Science, has been appointed to the Technical Committee on Accessibility Requirements for Information and Communication Technology Products and Services with Accessibility Standards Canada.?
The committee’s role is to identify where persons with disabilities may face barriers related to information and communication technology; take into account emerging accessibility trends; and develop a national standard or standards that will try to remove or prevent these barriers. The standard or standards will apply to all private and public sector organizations in the federally regulated sector.
Jessica and Kate Brown, Accessibility Program Manager with the Equity and Inclusion Office, received the 2022 Community Award from the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers for their leadership in amplifying digital accessibility in education at McMaster.?
NEW FACULTY WELCOME LéA RAVENSBERGEN
Assistant Professor
School of Earth, Environment & Society
What’s the focus of your research?
My research examines how we can make cities more sustainable, healthy, and equitable. I specifically focus on transportation, and how we can encourage low-carbon travel options such as cycling, public transport, and walking.
Who inspired your research?
I’ve always been curious about how things work. One of my undergraduate professors - Dr. Nancy Ross who’s a McMaster alumnae - encouraged me to think about how cities work and who they work for. I’ve been hooked since then.
What's your academic background?
I earned my PhD in Human Geography at the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral fellowships at McMaster University under the supervision of Professor Bruce Newbold, McGill University under the supervision of Professor Ahmed El-Geneidy and the University of Oxford under the supervisor of Professor Tim Schwanen.
If you weren’t a professor, what would you be doing?
Hard to say! I’d probably work in urban planning, or for a not-for-profit organization that advocates for an urban sustainability issue.
How do you unwind away from work?
When I’m not working, I enjoy being outdoors. I particularly love rock climbing, hiking, skating, and exploring new places by bike.
Where were you born and raised?
Though I’m passionate about cities, I grew up on a farm in Québec.
Welcome Léa at [email protected].
NATIONAL HONOURS FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH CHAIR
Louis Schmidt has received the 2023 Pickering Award for Outstanding Contribution to Developmental Psychology in Canada.
The annual award is presented by The Pickering Centre for Research in Human Development at Carleton University. The Pickering Award was created to honour scholars in Canada who have made outstanding contributions to developmental psychology in the areas of leadership, mentorship, and scholarship.
Louis, a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior, Faculty of Science Research Chair in Early Determinants of Mental Health and Director of the Child Emotion Laboratory, will receive the award in September at Carleton University and also present the 2023 Pickering Lecture.
Congratulate Louis at [email protected].
GRADUATE STUDENTS CONNECT & SHARE AT TWO EVENTS
领英推荐
Two events have brought together graduate students from across all of the Faculty of Science's Departments and Schools to share and showcase their excellence in research and initiatives aimed at advancing equity, diversity, inclusivity and Indigeneity.?
The Office of Graduate Studies hosted the Faculty of Science's first ever Graduate Research Symposium last month. The day-long event, held at the McMaster Innovation Park last month, gave students the opportunity to showcase their research with poster presentations and 8-minute and 3-minute presentations. The symposium also featured keynote presentations by Laurel Trainor, Director of the McMaster Institute for Music & the Mind, and Morgan Wyatt, alumnus and co-founder and CEO of Greenlid. The event ended with an awards presentation to celebrate the best presentations and posters.
Congratulations to award recipients:
Poster Presentations:
8-Minute Presentation: Novan Gray (Chemistry)
3-Minute Presentation:
The Office of Graduate Studies followed up the Graduate Research Symposium with an EDI in Research Workshop this month. The event, organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, brought together graduate students to share their knowledge, experiences and best practices in promoting inclusive excellence in research.?
"We hope the workshop will serve as a catalyst for continued conversations and actions towards equity and diversity in all aspects of academic research," says Associate Dean Bhagwati Gupta.
FACULTY OF SCIENCE NEWSMAKERS
FINDING A NEW WAY TO TRAIN THE BRAIN
McMaster research published in the journal PLOS ONE on the potential benefits of orienteering to fight cognitive decline related to dementia has generated international media coverage. “Modern life may lack the specific cognitive and physical challenges the brain needs to thrive,” says Jennifer Heisz, Canada Research Chair in Brain Health and Aging at McMaster University, who supervised the research. “In the absence of active navigation, we risk losing that neural architecture.”??
People who participate in orienteering reported better spatial navigation and memory, suggesting that adding elements of wayfinding into regular workouts could be beneficial over the span of a lifetime. “When it comes to brain training, the physical and cognitive demands of orienteering have the potential to give you more bang for your buck compared to exercising only,” says lead author Emma Waddington, a grad student in the Department of Kinesiology who designed the study and is a coach and member of the national orienteering team.?
CONSENSUS DECISION-MAKING SURPRISINGLY EFFECTIVE
"If you’re in a leadership position — at work or in the community — you make decisions and oversee decision-making processes," writes Mel Rutherford, Chair of the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior in The Conversation Canada. "Often it’s best to consult the people you are leading to reach a group decision. Voting may seem the quickest route to a resolution, but it isn't the best way to enrol everyone. Worse, voting can silence voices and thwart creativity." Mel wrote the column after sitting in on Wade Hemsworth's op-ed writing workshop for the McCall McBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching & Leadership Program.
Looking to get media coverage for your research? Contact Michelle Donovan, McMaster's Associate Director of Reputation Development, at [email protected].
REMEMBERING DR. IAN DANIEL SPENSER
A fixture at McMaster University for 65 years, Dr. Ian Daniel Spenser, Professor Emeritus, died in Dundas, Ontario on December 28, 2022.??
Ian received his undergraduate training in chemistry at the University of Birmingham (BSc Honours 1948) and completed PhD studies in Biochemistry at the University of London, King’s College in 1952. In between lectureship positions in Biochemistry at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College, University of London, Ian undertook postdoctoral studies with Léo Marion at the National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa. That opportunity introduced Ian to Canada and to the investigation of natural product biosynthesis – a field of study that became the focus of his research career at McMaster University.
Ian joined the Department of Biochemistry at McMaster University as an Assistant Professor in 1957, becoming Professor in 1964; in 1968, he became a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry (now Chemistry & Chemical Biology) from which he retired in 1989, becoming Professor Emeritus.
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