Abhi Mukherjee
The Silhouette

A group of McMaster engineering students is determined to make the school’s fasted solar car yet.

The McMaster Solar Car Project started in 1999. It has had a roster of students from all the different streams of engineering. It builds solar energy powered cars to race in competitions held roughly every two years. $1.07 from full-time undergraduate student fees goes towards the project.

The most recent undertaking of the group is the Spitfire, a car projected to reach highway speeds while, in the spirit of the project, consuming a very negligible amount of energy.

The braking system planned for installation converts part of the braking energy into electrical energy, which will be used to fuel the battery of the car instead of dissipating into the atmosphere.

The battery can store 3.8kWH energy, so that it can be used for longer amounts of time. With features like this, the car is designed with the idea of sustainability in mind.

The Spitfire is projected to be complete by summer 2014, making it the fifth car in the club’s repertoire.

“It usually takes about two years to build a car from scratch,” explained David Drake, the project manager of the group working on the Spitfire. Drake, a fourth-year Electrical and Computer Engineering student, summarizes the responsibilities of his position in the group as not only working on the car itself but performing non-engineering tasks such as finance management, networking and artistic designing.

“Engineers cannot do what artists can do,” said Nabeel Tariq, associate member of the group. He stressed that the project encourages people from different fields to come together.

“Everyone assumes that if you are building something you have to be in engineering. Totally not true,” said Drake.

“We give a lot of technical tutorials for engineers and non-engineers,” said John Diller, another associate member of the project. He explained that these cater to people who might want technical skills, but are not necessarily interested in the car itself.

While the Solar Car project has in its history been focused on the vehicle itself, the group members see it as a platform for bigger things.

“Through the club, we can spread more awareness about solar energy, ” said Tariq.

 

A movement called “Bringing an End to Facultyphobia,” initially spawned by reactions to a Silhouette Opinions article condemning Kipling Pranks as discriminatory, quickly picked up momentum in preparation for an inter-faculty event on April 3.

But the event was not to be.

Zachary Strong, Engineering student and Facebook event creator, explained how health and safety problems prevented the actual event from occurring. He hopes for a physical, planned event during the week of April 8.

“It looks like the event is going to remain nebulous. It may not happen the way we envisioned it, but the level of discussion is there, so it’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Issue has been taken with the description of faculty stereotyping as a type of phobia. David Campbell, MSU VP (Administration), felt that “phobia is a bit overstated, simply because I think it compares it with homophobia and racial issues which go a lot deeper and have a lot of context to them.” Strong admits that this may not be the ideal word to describe the actions and behavior he has experienced or heard about second-hand.

The initial Facebook event referenced ending “Engphobia,” but it was later renamed “Facultyphobia” in order to include the wide body of students who may feel discriminated against or mistreated on the basis of their faculty.

Strong reiterated that he was intent on reaching out to other faculties, and dismissed the idea that this was an Engineering-specific phenomenon or that Engineering students would be a majority of the participants in the “End Facultyphobia” event.

The McMaster Engineering Society issued a statement on their Facebook account announcing that they had chosen to distance themselves from the End Facultyphobia movement, despite recognizing and appreciating the need to break down faculty stigmas.

“We feel it has grown out of hand and is turning out to be quite the opposite of the initial intentions to shed a positive light on our University and its faculties. We absolutely love the idea of a University wide event that fosters the growth and relationships between students. We don’t, however, think this is the proper venue or time to do so,” said the statement.

Campbell explained that while he appreciated the importance of starting inter-faculty dialogue, he believed there has been a continued decrease in faculty tension in the last few years.

Both Campbell and Strong specifically pinpointed Welcome Week as the primary vehicle for building and breaking down faculty stereotypes.

“From the planning perspective, it was a specific topic of discussion during training for faculty reps. Planners specifically discussed how cheers degrading a faculty help no one,” said Campbell.

But Strong has asserted that there is an absence of one forum for all faculties to report incidents of stereotyping. Part of his goal is for students to complete an online survey to share their experiences. The results of this survey will be compiled and sent to faculty societies and the Student Success Centre.

When asked if he felt airing these stereotypes could do more harm then good, perpetuating and introducing new stereotypes, Strong argued that, “Ultimately, the alternative is isolation, and that doesn't really help either, so there is a risk. But would we be any better off if everyone just stayed away and did their own thing? I would say no.”

Rachel Harvey / The Silhouette

Every year at the end of March, fourth-year undergraduates in McMaster’s Engineering program celebrate their graduation by designing an on-campus prank, fondly called The Kipling Prank. Previous years have included stunts such as filling a hallway with balloons, or creating a giant castle out of red solo cups. This year, however, the campus was subjected to a prank that was anything but funny.

A group of graduating students constructed an elaborate maze that everyone walking on the pathway between Gilmour Hall and University Hall on Friday had no choice but to maneuver their way through. While I have to admit that their design was impressive, the maze presented a major ethical problem: taped up along the makeshift walls were pictures of Engineering faculty members with derogatory nicknames displayed under each photo.

The obstructive nature of the maze made it necessary to view every single photo and nickname as you made your way through its contained paths. Nicknames such as Dr. “Master” Baetz and Michael “Penetration Butt Weld” Tait were displayed for every maze-walker to see. While the terms in quotations are specific to the field of Engineering, the problem arises from the obvious manipulation of these terms to signify something sexually derogatory. This is compounded by the fact that they were posted in a public space where “non-Engineering” students and faculty may not be “in on the joke.”

When asked why they would put up these rude pictures, a few Engineering students who lingered near the maze stated, “it’s just a tradition,” or “it’s just a joke, we do it every year” (or my personal favourite, “I didn’t do it,” as if that absolves them of responsibility). Perhaps it’s time to ask why and how their “tradition” can be used to justify their actions.

According to the McMaster University Engineering Alumni website, there is a ceremony every year called The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, where new graduates are bestowed with iron rings.

The Kipling prank seems to be an offshoot of this “ritual.”

The Ritual ceremony was originally sanctioned by none other than Rudyard Kipling, the man George Orwell fondly described as “the prophet of British Imperialism.”

Perhaps the long-reaching arm of Imperialism can be glimpsed in the actions of the Kipling Prank students, who neglected to critically consider the consequences of their maze. The construction of a maze that blocks off a main campus pathway to anyone with disabilities and publically displays demeaning comments about faculty members certainly does seem to be doing the work of colonization by privileging the Engineering pranksters at the expense of others. Maybe it’s time for The Ritual to focus more on the promotion of social consciousness rather than on “a consciousness of their profession.”

Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn this into a postcolonial rant on the problems surrounding The Ritual and by extension The Kipling Prank, because I probably just don’t understand The Ritual of the Iron Ring. After all, I’m just a silly Humanities student who keeps picturing Gollum and Lord Sauron. One ring to rule them all.

Besides, Wikipedia tells me that the iron rings are meant to represent the moral, ethical and professional commitment of new Engineers. So, that means that once these pranksters receive their rings, they’ll be more considerate, right?

Interestingly, the mysterious students who created the maze of shame left a calling card at the scene: a huge ring covered in aluminum foil hanging from the arches over the maze.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t set out to pick on the Engineering department as a whole. I know several McMaster Engineering students who are lovely, socially responsible people. However, there is something rotten in Denmark if there is an entire webpage on the McMaster Alumni site dedicated to posting pictures of Kipling Pranks. While there are no pictures of this year’s yet, time will surely tell what the departmental reaction was to the maze of shame. I know I was quite amazed to see that they’re holding a contest for students to enter Kipling Prank photos for a chance to win $500. Pranking, in general, is definitely encouraged.

While tradition in and of itself is not necessarily negative, it’s always important to evaluate why we do what we do and what the consequences are.

The Case of The Kipling Prank Gone Wrong provides us with an opportunity to re-evaluate a tradition that could really use an upgrade.

To the students who designed the maze of shame, shame on you. If you needed to express your frustrations with the faculty, you should’ve gone to the gym, or the bar, or built a castle out of red solo cups. You shouldn’t have made rude, public comments about your professors. Because it’s not funny. The only joke here is you.

He has seen chickens scrambling across the JHE lobby, attended twenty-nine out of thirty Welcome Week concerts and has his own soul-rock and basketball radio show on CFMU. In his three decades at McMaster, Dr. Phil Wood has seen it all.

Dr. Wood celebrated his 30-year teaching anniversary on Jan. 2 this year, having arrived at McMaster in 1983. On Jan. 6, the SRA passed a motion to give Dr. Wood honorary MSU membership.

John McGowan, General Manager of the MSU, stated how rare a distinction this is; Dr. Wood one of only 16 honourary members of the students union since 1965.

Dr. Wood, who is revered in McMaster’s Engineering department, came from a teaching post at Michigan State University to join McMaster’s Chemical Engineering Department.

At the start of his career as a professor, Dr. Wood maintained a fine balance to ensure he was both a strong teacher and researcher. Along the way he was mentored by noteworthy professors, such as Don Woods, and went onto mentor generations of students, administrators and faculty members.

Dr. Wood first interacted with students teaching in Chemical Engineering, then later as Associate Dean of Engineering and in his current role as Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs.

Upon receiving a 3M Teaching Fellowship Award, Dr. Wood remarked that the key to his success was continuously “turning the crank,” churning out research while ensuring student success in the classroom.

Across the board, students and staff have whole-heartedly agreed: Phil Wood genuinely cares about students and the McMaster experience.

Elizabeth Edwards, Director of BioZone and Professor in Chemical Engineering at University of Toronto, recalled how effectively Dr. Wood engaged students in class.

“He once came into a class with a bucket of water and a power drill. The class burst into laughter as he proceeded to drill holes in the bucket and the water peed out the side in different arcs, which effectively showed the function of pressure. I co-taught with Dr. Wood when I first started and I am so grateful to have learned from him.”

Anecdotes from Dr. Wood’s colleagues and students are ripe with examples of his hardworking spirit, his indelible commitment to student success and his creative methods of engagement.

Don Woods, Professor Emeritus at McMaster, recounted how Dr. Wood used beer-cooling experiments in a heat-transfer course and looked at why golf balls are dimpled in a fluid mechanics course.

Former MSU President Vishal Tiwari (2009-10) jokingly recounted the easygoing nature of his relationship with Dr. Wood. “We had this saying, that ‘We’re Rolling with Big Wood,’ he said.”

“Dr. Wood has a genuine interest in students. Dropping by Union Market regularly to get coffee is just one example of small consistent gesture that makes him a quick friend to any McMaster student.”

When The Silhouette sat down with Dr. Wood, it was clear he, too, would miss the student-centred nature of his job.

While his career took off in the Faculty of Engineering, he quickly assumed more leadership roles at the departmental and administrative level. But his memories of these positions and the campus as a whole reflect a deeper evolution he has witnessed.

Wood proudly noted how in the last several years he has witnessed the growth of school spirit, partly due to the Vanier Cup win, and partly as a result of several years of individuals building the “Think Maroon” campaign.

As his term concludes on June 30, there are many things students may remember about him. Perhaps it will be hearing his voice over the airwaves on his radio show, “Soul in the Hole,” or his contributing music reviews for the Sil’s ANDY section.

“I’ll miss being somebody that students want to engage with,” he said. “I’ll still be the number-one fan out at the games and on campus … but I’ll miss having a chance to make a difference.”

Mac students tap into Hamilton's potential

By their fourth year of university, most McMaster students would hope to be on track to earn their degree, have some work experience and be prepared to graduate without too much debt.

Mohamed El Mahallawy has something better.

The fourth-year Psychology and Economics student is CEO and founder of his own business, called Nervu, that won third place on Oct. 4 in Hamilton’s Lion’s Lair competition.

The Lion’s Lair contest, which has a premise similar to that of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a panel of local business owners in the hopes of earning start-up funds.

The prize? Fifteen thousand dollars.

He and two fellow McMaster students Bilal Husain and Shawn McTigue developed the business and chose to pitch it in the competition, organized by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Innovation Factory.

And in fact, it was Innovation Factory, a Hamilton not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario Network of Excellence, that helped get his business started through Innovation Night, a networking event for local startups.

“I shot a few ideas here and there with my dad and my friends, but I never really had the guts to do it,” El Mahallawy explained. “Once I found out about Innovation Night, and I actually went … I realized maybe my idea actually had some potential. Why not maybe go out and pursue it?”

El Mahallawy said that at first, Lion’s Lair didn’t seem accessible for him as a student, since no students had ever entered before.

“When we first became a client [at Innovation Factory] we thought, no way, it’s never going to happen, [but] Lion’s Lair was an open window that we … just tried.”

Their company, Nervu, is a text-message based service that allows its users to choose brands in order to receive notifications about sales or deals they have.

El Mahallawy and his colleagues, who all hail from the GTA, had good things to say about Hamilton as an incubator for new businesses.

“Hamilton is no longer the ‘armpit of Ontario,’” he said. “The only thing is, we don’t have a very thriving economy. And that’s why I think [that] entrepreneurship in Hamilton, that’s really key … [it] creates jobs … and that grows and puts Hamilton on the map.”

He feels that McMaster, on the other hand, could afford to offer more encouragement and support to entrepreneurs.

Recognizing that significant funds and resources are dedicated to medical and scientific research, El Mahallawy said, “there’s not really any resources or any help for startups.” He also claims the school lacks “incubation space.”

McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering is one area, outside of the undergraduate commerce program, that offers entrepreneurship support in an academic setting. As of last fall, the faculty offers an entrepreneurship stream through the faculty’s five-year Engineering and Management program.

The optional specialization is meant to give undergrads “the opportunity to test the feasibility of new business start-up ideas while they are introduced to the concepts and tools used for new business creation.”

The Engineering and Management program was unavailable for comment.

“I believe it is more of a science school, as well as an engineering [school] so it’d be nice to see entrepreneurship and resources and whatnot here,” El Mahallawy said of Mac.

Whether or not McMaster is providing similar support to students, El Mahallawy, Husain and McTigue will walk away from this experience happy.

“It really taught us a lot, from things like what to wear in front of a camera, how to speak to a journalist, to … organizing our pitch and whatnot.”

And what of their $15,000?

“We’ll be using it to accelerate the development [of Nervu],” said El Mahallawy.

By: Aaron Grierson

Yet another Welcome Week has come and gone. As a veteran faculty rep, I’ve seen a lot of faces, many of which change, but some of which stay the same. Often times, these faces are of friendly reps that have been around almost as long as I have. Others, however, are anything but friendly and certainly set an interesting precedent given that we’re expected to not only represent our faculty but also McMaster as an institution and Hamilton as the city it belongs to.

Now I may not be the loudest rep, and I’m certainly not the most maroon in spirit, but I am a reliable, committed and loyal rep who has hopefully helped improve the Welcome Weeks for a few first year students for the last four years. For all the friends I’ve made and the good times I’ve seen, this last year helped cement some unpleasant revelations that have been shaping up in recent years, despite my fond memories as a rep.

I’ll begin with the newest experience for me: hearing about two reps that showed up drunk to a faculty event who proceeded to not only take first year students to a bar, but make out with them as well. Now other reps should see two flaming hot, red flags if nothing else. We’re on contract to neither drink nor get personal with first years. To everyone else, it shouldn’t sound like these guys are players, but uncouth and irresponsible. When I heard about this I was absolutely dumbfounded that these individuals had the audacity to try such shenanigans, especially since they were nowhere near campus and everyone was being bussed.

If you’re willing to contest that, you’re probably a player yourself or an engineer.

If you’re an engineer that will continue repping next year or hopes to become one for next year, I have a request: please, please, please come up with some sort of new shtick we all have to put up with. At least every other year. Is that really so much to ask? I know I’ve been around for four years, but honestly, if you’re going to be almost entirely useless after move in (beyond faculty day and night, I assume), can you at least be funny about it?

You’ve dried out like a rusted car engine. You don’t really do a whole lot for anyone, and quite frankly, I’m bored and it seems safe to say the same for most people that aren’t Redsuits. Of course, those of us that remember last year are glad you didn’t steal the faculty cup again, and we’re much obliged you didn’t waste hours of our lives again.

Now, as we came to the end of the Week, we’re all expected to be tired. Much to my surprise, some of us were hit harder this year. Particularly, a good friend of mine who I’ve always considered to be born of an indomitable spirit shut down right about Sunday afternoon. His reasons for doing so, though not fully disclosed here, kindled some thoughts in my own head.

A major one was the way the reps and MSU choose to impart the values that for several hours before hand are drilled into the heads of all reps. Simply, they are inclusivity, respect, being willing and able to help and knowing where to go as well as being polite - and not just out for some tail. I get that music (yes, even of the pop genre) is meant to be harmless fun, but there are several problems. First, and probably most obviously is that not everyone likes it, and when it’s all that’s played all week, some people might feel left out. Especially those of us that can’t dance or sing.

Second of all, both the lyrics and videos (both of which were showcased on at least one occasion) hardly exude any of the above listed values. Most of the songs are about sex, or at least getting someone to call you to get laid, maybe. Never mind the sort of dance moves a lot of people bring to the floor. First years might not be involved, or even new to this sort of thing, but it is a definite double standard as far as what monkey says and what monkey does.

Maybe I’m just old and bitter, but maybe, just maybe, the planners need to rethink what it is they should be cracking down on and how they do it.

Meaghan Langille

The Silhouette

 

Canada has the potential to be a leader when it comes to global development. The problem is that potential is not being realized by the Canadian government and may be hindered further when the next federal budget is presented.

In an attempt to further reduce the deficit, the government has asked all departments, including the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to present budgets that are cut by five to ten per cent. If a ten per cent cut were to come to CIDA, that would mean a budget reduction by $500 million in funds that are crucial to providing an improved standard of living for the world’s poor.

Although a deficit still exists in Canada, I think it is safe to say that we have fared pretty well in the midst of the global financial crisis. But there are still billions of people in the world forced to make unfathomable decisions on a daily basis – decisions that force people to choose between buying medicine for sick family members and paying school fees for their children.

These decisions are the reality for many. They stifle the potential and opportunities that many of us take for granted. This is the power that poverty wields and that our foreign aid dollars can work towards tackling. However, with potential cuts coming to Canada’s foreign aid budget, we are essentially reducing the deficit at the expense of the world’s poor.

This is something that I and hundreds of members from Engineers Without Borders Canada believe should not happen. We believe aid has the potential to create transformative change for the world’s poor if it is spent effectively and made more transparent.

Six hundred Engineers Without Borders members took to the streets of Ottawa last week in Byward Market, each armed with a balloon attached to a handwritten note expressing why foreign aid is important to each of us.

Once we’d gathered at the busy market, our team popped their balloons in unison, symbolizing what Canada and our developing country partners would lose if we cut our contribution to international development.

In order to continue making progress towards transformative and systemic change for those in poverty, Canada must maintain its investments in essential development programs – programs that empower local champions of development who are intelligent, talented and passionate, but often lack the resources and opportunity to improve their lives, for they are the people who will truly drive the change and unlock the potential of their communities.

Now it begs to be asked, do you feel comfortable balancing the budget on the backs’ of the world’s poor?

Farzeen Foda 

Senior News Editor

The Engineering Technology Building (ETB) came as a new addition to the McMaster campus last year, and as the Faculty of Engineering continues to grow, it is now spearheading another campus construction project – the ExCEL building.

The new building aims to exhibit sustainable technologies and provide space for numerous student groups and projects through the Faculty of Engineering, while maintaining a net-zero energy rating, a concept relatively new to building design.

The McMaster Engineering Society will be holding a related referendum in March along with the Society’s presidential elections. The vote will gauge student support of a levy to fund the construction of the building.

The annual levy will be $50 for undergraduate Engineering students and $30 for graduate students in the Faculty, explained Kelton Friedrich, a current Masters in Engineering student and ExCEL Project Coordinator. The impact and use of the building will be more concentrated at the undergraduate than graduate level, he explained.

Significant government funding has been allocated to the ETB project, “so government funding will support the green initiatives implemented in the [ExCEL] building, but not the construction,” said Friedrich.

And to guarantee benefit to all students contributing to the building, the levy, if approved, will not be implemented until all of the funding is secured and construction is set to begin, he explained.

The levy will be implemented for a period of ten years, and while students will contribute financially to the project, consultations on the design and planning for the building are to be conducted by undergraduate Engineering students, and student involvement is expected to continue once the building is completed as well.

The funds raised by the student levy are expected to provide approximately 30 per cent of the total capital required, while additional funding will be sought from external sources, such as alumni donations and government funding.

The building is estimated to cost between $7 million and $8 million.

If all things follow the expected timeline, McMaster University may see the new “living laboratory” by 2015. The new building is expected to be a branch of the John Hodgins Engineering Building, facing the Psychology Building.

When ETB was built, the intention was to include the student space needed by the Faculty and Engineering student clubs.

Due to funding limitations in the Faculty of Engineering, the remaining funds needed to complete the construction of ETB came from the Bachelor of Technology program, which now houses its activities in the building.

The issue of inadequate student space for engineering student groups remains an unresolved issue.

The new building, estimated to be approximately 20,000 sq. ft. – much smaller than ETB – will, by virtue of its size and sustainable technologies, be much less expensive, explained Friedrich.

The need for student space for Engineering projects and clubs was recognized by the Dean of Engineering, David Wilkinson, who proposed the construction of another space, while asserting a belief in the need to engage students in the process.

After proposing the idea to students in 2010, several approached him in support, and momentum on the project began.

As part of the capstone project completed by all senior Engineering students, the opportunity to contribute ideas and a sustainable plan of action was presented.

Numerous considerations were addressed by students in the Engineering and Management program, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering.

The planning for the building has employed an Integrated Design, which describes the use of student input to design a student space.

“Often, following construction of a building, many changes need to be made, as the space does not work for the people using it,” said Friedrich, explaining that the approach implemented in the constrcution of the ExCEL building bypasses that possibility entirely.

While student input has already begun with respect to the planning of the building, it is expected to continue after the building has been constructed through the Sustainable Building Operations Club, which will monitor the building’s energy usage and analyze the data.

Farzeen Foda

Senior News Editor

 

From the Department of Engineering at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Illene Busch-Vishniac came to McMaster University in 2007 to serve as Provost.

Now in her fifth year on the job, she has declined to pursue a subsequent term in the position. As McMaster president Patrick Deane announced in an Oct. 28 email to McMaster faculty and staff, her term as Provost will end on June 30, 2012.

The Provost will not be leaving the University, but will instead focus on her role as professor and researcher. “One of the other hats I wear is a tenured full professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering,” said a humble Busch-Vishniac.

During her time in the job, Busch-Vishniac worked in collaboration with students and faculty to improve the quality of the educational experience offered at McMaster. Such initiatives include the revitalization of the Centre for Leadership and Learning (CLL), as well as work with UTS (University Technology Services) to ease course registration for students.

“Already, the fine work of the new UTS leadership team has improved the registration experience for students, though we still have a long way to go,” said Busch-Vishniac.

Efforts of behalf of UTS successfully made the process slightly smoother this year compared to previous years, but a more effective and permanent arrangement has yet to be put in place.

After course registration, the issue of study space on campus resurfaced. Student concerns about available study space on campus were relayed to University administration, and as Provost, Busch-Vishniac helped to mobilize funding and resources to increase study space through a collaborative effort with the University’s libraries.

Efforts to increase study space on campus will be ongoing and constantly evolving to meet the needs of the changing classroom.

In his recent letter to the University, Deane outlined three key themes that should direct the course of the University in coming years.

Busch-Vishniac has been a part of the University’s visioning, and would like to leave the letter’s goals to her successor for guidance.

“These themes are improving the undergraduate learning experience in an era of constrained finances, maintaining our research excellence, and engaging the community in our important work,” said Busch-Vishniac.

“Once I complete my term as Provost, I will take a special research leave to help me return to my research and to teaching. In particular, I am very excited that the work my collaborators and I have done since 2005 has led to significant worldwide interest in controlling the noise in hospitals,” she explained.

The hospital noises are disruptive, but their potentially harmful effects have often been dismissed. “It doesn’t kill anyone, so who cares,” has been the prevailing view on the matter according to Busch-Vishniac, noting that, in fact, it has been suggested that patients exposed to noise do not recover as quickly.

Her research in 2005 at Johns Hopkins Hospital sparked some discussion, as it is highly unusual for a hospital to allow research to be published on the potentially harmful effects its practices might be having on patients. Nonetheless, the university supported the research. “Now it is becoming important, and I want to be a part of that,” said Busch-Vishniac.

While focusing on her research, Busch-Vishniac will also continue her role as professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster. Prior to her role as Provost at McMaster, she was dean of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, a very rare position for a woman. “When I was hired as dean of engineering at Johns Hopkins, I was the third woman who was the dean of an accredited engineering school in the United States. I don’t think there were any in Canada at the time,” said Busch-Vishniac.

The search for next year’s Provost is currently underway. But before her term ends, Busch-Vishniac aims to wrap up some of the loose ends and secure some of the projects that are in their beginning phases at the time. “My goals are very simple,” she said, “I would like to ensure that the work we have begun on IT systems renewal is moving along well, that the development of a new budget model is complete … and begin implementation of [Patrick Deane’s] plans for strategic enrolment growth at the undergraduate and graduate level.”

Sporting what she refers to as a “goofy grin,” Busch-Vishniac said, “My home is here, my heart is here, so when I finish being Provost, I will be taking my leave here.”