Science Matters Vol. 1 No. 1

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR HONOURED FOR GRAD SUPERVISION

Katherine Bujold has received a 2022 President's Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision.

Katherine, an Assistant Professor with the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, joined McMaster in 2020. Katherine's principal research interests reside in oligonucleotide chemistry, DNA self-assembly, and drug delivery. Her research group focuses on the synthesis of oligonucleotides and nucleic acids nanostructures with modified backbones to modulate their interactions with living systems for applications in precision medicine. Katherine supervises and co-supervises five graduate students and three undergraduate students.

The annual award recognizes graduate supervisors and educators who've demonstrated excellent supervisory and mentoring skills for graduate students. Past award recipients from the Faculty of Science include Martin Gibala, Marie Elliot and Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan.?

Congratulate Katherine at [email protected].

MATH & STATS PROFESSOR LATEST CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR?

Blaise Bourdin has been named Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Mathematical and Computational Aspects of Solid Mechanics.

Blaise, a Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, combines mathematics, mechanics, and scientific computing to develop variational phase-field models of fracture that can predict the evolution of new and existing complex crack patterns in a broad range of situations. The phenomenon of fracture is ubiquitous and can have significant economic, technological, and societal impacts from manufacturing to advanced materials design, healthcare, and climate change mitigation. Researchers in the field of fracture mechanics are concerned with understanding and predicting where and when cracks develop and propagate in materials and structures.

Blaise joined McMaster University in 2021 from Louisiana University where he was the Department of Mathematics' A.K. & Shirley Barton Professor.

There are now 20 Canada Research Chairs in the Faculty of Science. Blaise joins Paul Ayers, Patrick Bennett, John Brennan, Katrina Choe, Alemu Gonsamo, Megumi Harada, Jennifer Heisz, Gita Ljubicic, Vladimir Ljubicic, Paul McNicholas, Jose Moran-Mirabal, Carmel Mothersill, Aimee Nelson, Stuart Phillips, Graham Scott, Sarah Styler, James Waddington, Christine Wilson and Naiqi Xiao.

Congratulate Blaise at [email protected].

INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR PROFESSOR EMERITUS

Gary Schrobilgen has been awarded the 2022 Blaise Pascal Medal in Chemistry from the European Academy of Sciences.

Established in 2003, the medal is awarded to scientists around the world who have demonstrated personal contributions to science and technology and the promotion of excellence in research and education.?

Gary, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, received his medal during a ceremony at the Academy's Annual Meeting at the Fondation Universitaire Stichting, Brussels. In conjuction with the award, Gary delivered an address - "Chemistry at the Edge of the Periodic Table" - which highlighted several of his most recent and significant discoveries in the fields of noble-gas chemistry and fluorine chemistry.

Gary is recognized internationally as the specialist of fluorinated compounds of noble gases and species with very high oxidation degrees. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Gary's research field of fluorine chemistry has numerous applications in nuclear power generation, photovoltaic and semiconductor materials, refrigerants, advanced rocket propellants and microelectronics. Gary has also applied his research to practical problems around medical imaging, the uranium re-enrichment cycle and high-energy density materials.

Gary completed his PhD research in organic chemistry at McMaster under the supervision of Ron Gillespie and graduated in 1974.?

GRAD STUDENT WINS GLOBAL CHALLENGE

To what extent should governments support the private sector in managing and prioritizing their environmental, societal and governance agenda?

Sarah Arsalan's answer to that question won her first place in the 4th annual Universitas 21 and PwC Innovation Challenge.

Sarah, a master's student in the Department of Kinesiology, competed in the global challenge with three other students from the University of Melbourne, the National University of Singapore and the University of Connecticut.?

"It seems like people are becoming a bit disillusioned with how the trajectory of climate change is going," says Sarah. "Previously, there was a focus on what you can do on an individual level but now people are realizing that's not nearly enough - something has to be done at the systemic level and on the level of government regulation and involvement."

The U21 PwC competition is managed by the Office of International Affairs at McMaster. The U21 brings together 28 world-leading, research-intensive universities, including McMaster, which shares a common belief in the value of collaboration and internationalization.

Sarah, who took philosophy courses and pursued a certificate in applied ethics and policy as an undergraduate student, learned about the innovation challenge from the academic program assistant for Graduate Studies in Kinesiology.

Congratulate Sarah at [email protected].

MAC HELPS NATIONAL CHAMP FEEL GROUNDED

Madeline Schizas leads a double life.

It’s tricky but well worth it, says the McMaster Science student, Olympian and now two-time national skating champion.

Madeline placed first in the women’s program at the 2023 Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 14. In defending her title, Madeline became the first to repeat as Canadian women’s champion since Kaetlyn Osmond in 2013 and 2014.

Two days after winning the national championship, Madeline was in class, hitting the library and getting caught up on her studies. Madeline, a student in the Human Behavior program in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior, transferred to McMaster from the University of Waterloo last fall.?

“I like getting back to class after events,” says the 19-year-old. “The transition is tricky for sure. It’s sort of like living a double life yet at the same time it’s nice to have a break from skating after a competition. Being at school feels almost calming. It’s an entirely different sort of pressure and I enjoy having the split focus.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the highs and lows of sport. School helps to keep me grounded.”

Next up for Madeline is representing Canada at the International Skating Union’s Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs in early February followed by ISU’s World Figure Skating Championships in Japan this March.

Madeline made her Olympic debut in Beijing last year where she posted her personal best scores and put Team Canada into the finals.

FREE WEBINAR ON THE GOOD LIFE HOSTED BY JOE KIM

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