November 18, 2008
Notebook for the week of Monday, November 17, 2008
Professor’s book on education receives prestigious award
Henry Giroux, the Global Television Network Chair in Communication Studies, was honoured recently with the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) Critics Choice Award for his book The University in Chains: Confronting the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex, which explores academia’s relationship with big business and the military. “I’m very honoured to have been given the Critics Choice Award for my book,” says Giroux. “To have your work recognized any time is great, but this is especially significant.” The award aims to increase awareness of exceptional scholarship in the field of education studies.
Students vie to become Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister
Several students from McMaster have entered CBC’s challenge to become Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister. The nation-wide competition, which attracts hundreds of entrants, asks for innovative ideas on how to make our country a better place to live. Third- year economics student, Leo Johnson, a semi-finalist from last year’s competition, is taking another run at the competition. “My vision and my goal is to get the right people to hear the issues facing young people today,” says Johnson. “It would be great to win, but I also see this as an opportunity to engage as many people as possible on some serious problems.” The hour-long program airs on CBC in March, 2009.
Innovation Café to focus on the movement to shop local
As the economy falters, many consumers are beginning to heed the advice to shop local, a movement that is creating many commercial success stories, including those from the agriculture sector where farmers and local shoppers have established a partnership that aims for safer, more efficiently produced food. The Innovation Café, an informal venue for people to debate new ideas, will look at the agri-business and investment in local farms. Panelists include Melanie Golba, co-founder of Plan B Organic Farms, Matt Thompson and Zsuzsi Fodor of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, and John Kelly, executive director of MaRS Landing. The Café takes place Tuesday, November 25, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Bridges Café.
Will climate change cause northern ecosystems to release vast amounts of carbon?
Much of Canada's northern ecosystems are underlain by peat, vast stores of carbon that help lower the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide. However, scientists are concerned climate change will alter the distribution and storage of water in the north and make these ecosystems vulnerable to wildfire, permafrost degradation and the release of much of this stored carbon to the atmosphere. The relationship between changing climate, water and ecosystems will be explored during the 2008 Woo Water Lecture. Nigel T. Roulet, professor of biogeosciences at McGill University, will deliver the lecture. He was a member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The lecture takes place November 19, at 3:30 p.m. in the Burke Sciences Building, Room B136.
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For more information on any of these stories please contact
Jane Christmas
Manager, Media Relations
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 27988
Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager, Broadcast Media
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22869