McMaster engineering professor Kim Jones Women of Distinction Award for impact made on underrepresented communities
The Young Women's Christian Association is a non-profit organization that is working towards ending gender-based violence in communities and households, providing economic support and housing to women with financial barriers, and creating communities where there is equity for all women.
Over the years they have funded many specialized programs, services and opportunities for women, children, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and people with disabilities. These programs include the Transitional Living Program which offers housing support, a community building program for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth called speqtrum, and the Imagine Day Program which offers services to adults and seniors with developmental disabilities.
The annual YWCA Women of Distinction awards is a night to acknowledge women within Hamilton and Halton, while continuing to raise both awareness and funding for the YWCA and their mission. Many women from McMaster University, both students and staff, were nominated and won awards that night, including Dr. Ada Tang, Sashaina Singh, and Ahona Medhi.
One of this year's winners is Kim Jones, a professor of chemical engineering and the current chair of the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, a network that connects multiple faculties and schools of engineering across Ontario.
Regarding the YWCA Women of Distinction awards Jones said, “I am deeply grateful to the YWCA for . . . recognizing women who are doing amazing things in our community, because it often is unrecognized work. It is often work that people do out of passion but doesn’t get much recognition.”
I am deeply grateful to the YWCA for . . . recognizing women who are doing amazing things in our community, because it often is unrecognized work. It is often work that people do out of passion but doesn’t get much recognition.
Kim Jones, professor of chemical engineering, McMaster University
She went on to state that “all of the nominees are incredible contributors to our community” and that they all deserved to win awards.
Jones' work shows her passion for women’s rights and over the years has fought for a place for women and other underrepresented communities within engineering. "I say that I've been a feminist since birth. I was brought up by a feminist engineer father, and a mother . . . who had a master's degree in computer science from the 60s. So I had pretty spectacular role models . . . people who cared about making change and thought that everyone deserved the same opportunities to succeed," explained Jones, a partial reason why she is so passionate about her work.
She has been very vocal about the importance of representation for these groups. “It makes for a very different space for students. Because when you look around, and you can see other people who are like yourself, then you can imagine yourself succeeding and thriving in that space, you can find supportive friends,” said Jones.
It makes for a very different space for students. Because when you look around, and you can see other people who are like yourself, then you can imagine yourself succeeding and thriving in that space, you can find supportive friends.
Kim Jones, professor in chemical engineering, McMaster
Jones has been the chair for ONWiE since 2018 and will continue into her second term until next year. ONWiE has started many flagship programs. "All are hands on workshops for girls and non binary youth grades seven to ten where they get to see how engineering, coding, and physics principles can be applied in their real life and in their future careers. They get to meet near peer role models as students who are in those programs and do those things in safe spaces where they're free to experiment and fail and succeed," said Jones.
ONWiE's Girl Guide Badge program is a mix of virtual and in person, and Jones shared that it has reached somewhere between 16,000 to 18,000 girls across Ontario.
At ONWiE's yearly summit, members discuss what the future for girls in engineering looks like, and actions that can be taken to make engineering more inclusive for everybody. On this Jones said, “How do we build inclusive spaces for people to come into, because there's no point recruiting for diversity if you're not providing positive experiences for the people who come into those spaces.”
Jones teaches many engineering courses here at McMaster, but she inputs her thoughts on inclusivity in a class she is proud to have created at McMaster: an inclusion in engineering class (ENGINEER 2IW3). The course explores the general question of, in Jones' words, “What are the some of the structural barriers, but also opportunities that people have that vary based on their identity?”
Although engineering overall is an extremely male-dominated space, McMaster is already ahead of the game. Jones talked about the major increase of female students in the engineering first-year class.
"In 2017 it was 24 per cent women . . . and this year it's 43 per cent women," Jones said.
Not only does Jones want inclusivity for her own students, she wants inclusivity for all students, and all staff members. “How do we support and ensure that our alumni are . . . having positive experiences, so in their work lives they can continue to make the changes that they need to make the world better, based on the education they got at McMaster," Jones said.
How do we support and ensure that our alumni are . . . having positive experiences, so in their work lives they can continue to make the changes that they need to make the world better, based on the education they got at McMaster.
Kim Jones, professor of chemical engineering, McMaster
Jones is someone who has already left, and will continue to leave, a long-lasting legacy at McMaster, for the genuine and impactful change she has been able to implicate into students and faculty members everyday real lives.
For the first time 2019, McMaster EngiQueers marched in this year’s Toronto Pride Parade
The Toronto Pride parade returned to the city’s streets for the first year since 2019. Among the official marchers was the McMaster EngiQueers, a student group focused on advocating and providing a safe community space for 2SLGBTQIA+ engineering students.
The club was founded in 2013 when five McMaster University engineering students attended the Toronto Pride parade and saw engineering student groups from three other universities representing their school and community. Inspired by what they saw, they started McMaster EngiQueers.
Today EngiQueers has expanded across the nation with over 25 participating universities. EngiQueers Canada collectively represents all the member groups and is now a nationwide non-profit organization. The organization aims to celebrate, promote and advocate for diversity and inclusivity in engineering.
"Our main purpose as a club is to create a safe and welcoming space for any queer identifying engineering student but, of course, also any queer student on campus. We are a very small and niche community, so it is important to show other students that they aren’t alone in their engineering, under-grad or grad school journey and that they have a community to support them,” said Nasim Paknejad, co-president of McMaster EngiQueers along with Mymoon Bhuiyan.
"Our main purpose as a club is to create a safe and welcoming space for any queer identifying engineering student but, of course, also any queer student on campus. We are a very small and niche community, so it is important to show other students that they aren’t alone in their engineering, under-grad or grad school journey and that they have a community to support them."
Nasim Paknejad, co-president of McMaster EngiQueers
Marching at the Pride Toronto is one of the club’s major events and members were excited to participate again in this annual tradition. This year McMaster EngiQueers marched alongside University of Waterloo’s Engineering Society and UWaterloo EngiQueers.
The clubs organized the march together as they had done in previous years, prior to the pandemic. They also provided marchers with t-shirts sporting the combined logo of the McMaster Engineering Society and the Waterloo Engineering Society, flags, other merchandise, food and transport.
Tickets to walk the parade with the group were open to engineering and non-engineering students at both McMaster and Waterloo.
With over 75 per cent of the tickets sold, many students, including non-engineering students, joined the parade and represented McMaster. A few alumni also returned to celebrate pride, diversity and love with the rest of the team.
"We had a very good reaction and response from the people who joined us. A lot of people really liked the shirt design that we had and everybody who came to the parade said they had a lot of fun,” said Paknejad.
This year was Paknejad’s third time as an attendee but their first time as a marcher. Throughout her three years in the club, she says the parade was her most memorable experience.
When they first joined the club, it was small and the pandemic had taken a big toll on them. During the pandemic, they poured in great effort to make the club more visible on campus through hosting games and movie nights. However, nothing surmounted to the excitement they felt when finally connecting with club members in-person at the parade and having the engineering faculty recognize finally them as well.
"There were a lot of people watching the parade who saw us. A couple of people told me and Moon that they got accepted into Mac just by seeing us. Both of us were really touched by that,” said Paknejad.
"There were a lot of people watching the parade who saw us. A couple of people told me and Moon that they got accepted into Mac just by seeing us. Both of us were really touched by that."
Nasim Paknejad, co-president of McMaster EngiQueers
Outside of the parade, McMaster EngiQueers hosts a variety of community events and have an active Discord server with channels for checking-in with others students, sharing memes or music and seeking mental health support. Membership to the club is open to allies as well as queer students in or outside of the engineering program at Mac.
The success of the parade meant more than just great planning and organization — it was a day of forming new connections, reinforcing the community voice and celebrating love and living your truth.
For students interested in McMaster EngiQueers, applications for rep positions will be released in the first few weeks of Septem-ber and students can also look forward to fun Welcome Week events this year.
C/O Jin Lee
By: Kirsten Espe
How do you apply for jobs that require experience without any experience?
The engineering co-op program is one of the only programs at McMaster University that offers the possibility of gaining co-op experience after a student’s first year. Recognizing the importance of gaining experience in the industry, students are eager to plunge themselves head-first into the applicant pool.
“I know that [in] engineering, [compared] to a lot of other undergraduate programs, your GPA doesn’t matter as much; it’s a lot more project and experience-based. I feel like getting experience as early as possible is really important to kind of get a leg up on it and it’ll help set you up for the future,” said Gayan Athukorala, a first-year engineering student.
Magnus Lu, an integrated biomedical engineering and health sciences student, said that they are interested in a co-op position this summer to begin building experiences and connections. This will also help Lu complete their co-op terms and earn some money to pay for their tuition next year.
Importantly, Lu also sees co-op as an opportunity to explore his future.
“I don't really know what it’s like to work either in industry or in research. . .I want to explore the field. Engineering combined with health sciences [has] a very broad pool of prospects . . . I kind of want to cast a wide net to see what I want to do in the future,” explained Lu.
Although engineering students start with a general first year before specializing in a specific stream, students still have a variety of options for their future, including going into research, industry or academia.
However, securing a co-op position regardless of the specific field has traditionally been a daunting task due to the lack of experience first-years have.
“I do think it’s very frustrating how many of these co-op positions prefer you to have prior experience in working because how am I supposed to get an entry-level position if all the entry-level positions require me to have entry-level positions beforehand?” said Lu.
“I do think it’s very frustrating how many of these co-op positions prefer you to have prior experience in working because how am I supposed to get an entry-level position if all the entry-level positions require me to have entry-level positions beforehand?”
Magnus Lu, integrated biomedical engineering and health sciences student
Athukorala also added that the novelty of applying to co-op positions can be stressful for students.
“It just feels kind of overwhelming since I know myself and a lot of other students just haven't applied to so many positions before. Obviously, I’ve applied to retail jobs before, but finding more [specific] professional jobs [is new],” said Athukorala.
Both Lu and Athukorala have applied to positions mostly through OSCARPlus, a McMaster job site that offers co-op listings. They have also looked on job sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn and Glassdoor. Both noted that McMaster and the faculty of engineering offer a wide variety of co-op and career services they have taken advantage of.
“McMaster has a lot of engineering events that I don’t think a lot of people go to. The engineering career services are really helpful to have. They have appointments for nearly everything like one-on-one appointments for your LinkedIn profile, cover letter, resumes, interview skills . . . My resume has definitely improved a ton since I first started applying and I kind of wish I first started applying earlier on,” explained Athukorala.
McMaster also hosts periodic industry nights, where students can speak to professors and employers in specific engineering streams in order to expand their network.
Despite the difficult and tedious search for a co-op position, both students are confident that their efforts are not in vain, whether they land a position or not.
“A lot of students I’ve talked to. . .don't bother applying for the first year just because they don’t think they’ll get it. But I think applying, even if you don’t get anything. . . applying [and] getting used to the process is really important,” Athukorala says.
“A lot of students I’ve talked to. . .don't bother applying for the first year just because they don’t think they’ll get it. But I think applying, even if you don’t get anything. . . applying [and] getting used to the process is really important.”
Gayan Athukorala, first-year engineering student
Lu expressed similar sentiments.
“If I don’t get any offers, at least I know the process, and hopefully by next year I’ll have a bit more experience under my belt,” she said.
Athukorala would like to encourage his fellow students to not give up even if their initial attempts at finding a position are not successful.
“I know a lot of people compare themselves to their friends and their peers. Getting a co-op, it’s something that’s really difficult, so if you don’t get one [in your] first-year or second-year, don’t feel discouraged by it,” said Athukorala.
“I know a lot of people compare themselves to their friends and their peers. Getting a co-op, it’s something that’s really difficult, so if you don’t get one [in your] first-year or second-year, don’t feel discouraged by it.”
Gayan Athukorala, first-year engineering student
Engineering students who are interested in finding a co-op position this summer can visit the ECCS page or contact their faculty co-op supervisor for more information.
C/O NSBE McMaster
McMaster NSBE’s current president met with its first president to discuss the history of the organization and where it is today.
The National Society of Black Engineers is an American organization with numerous pre-college, university and alumni chapters both throughout the United States and beyond. The goal of the organization, as explained by the website, is to empower more Black students to enter engineering and to find success in the field.
The website explains that NSBE was originally started in 1975 but that it has grown significantly since then, beginning at only six members and currently featuring around 31,000.
On Feb. 28, NSBE at McMaster posted an interview between Mosana Abraha, current president of NSBE McMaster and Tolu Falade, co-founder of NSBE McMaster. Falade and Abraha took turns asking one another questions about the significance of NSBE and, more generally, about the experience of being a Black student in engineering.
Falade started up NSBE McMaster in 2010. According to Falade, the 2010 NSBE National Convention was held in Toronto, which was the first time the convention had been held outside of the United States. Falade had been encouraged by friends and family to get involved with the conference, which then kickstarted her involvement with NSBE.
Falade and her co-founder attended the conference as volunteers and found the experience to be energizing and impactful. According to Falade, she left the convention feeling certain that this was a space McMaster needed. So, she and her co-founder developed the McMaster chapter in response to that.
When asked about her goals in founding NSBE McMaster, Falade emphasized the importance of community in education. Both Falade and Abraha reflected on the fact that there were very few other Black students in their respective programs and Falade pointed out that NSBE McMaster allows Black students in engineering to find and connect with one another.
Abraha noted that, when she asked Falade about her goals when founding NSBE at McMaster, she was struck by how consistent the goals of NSBE have remained over time.
“They've been pretty constant in terms of what we're doing now and that mission statement is still the same,” said Abraha.
Falade and Abraha also discussed the new NSBE McMaster Chapter Entrance Award, a scholarship that will be awarded to Black Canadian students entering McMaster engineering programs. NSBE McMaster has a fundraising goal of 62,500 dollars; reaching this goal would allow them to provide 2,500 dollars per year to several Black engineering students.
As of March 11, the award has received 30,250 dollars of donations online, from 41 different sources.
“I like to describe that scholarship as the missing puzzle piece in terms of our mission statement. We do a lot of the pre-work [or] outreach work and then we do a lot of the work for students currently in university. But I find that the scholarship is that perfect bridge,” said Abraha.
Due to NSBE’s outreach and support work, Black engineering students have greater access to communities and resources at McMaster.
C/O Paramita Bhattacharyya
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Paramita Bhattacharyya: My name is Paramita Bhattacharyya. I am currently doing my PhD in the department of engineering physics, where my specialization is in photovoltaics. I also did my master's here in the same department, so I have been with McMaster [University] for around three years now. I'm an international student, so I did my undergrad studies back in India.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD?
When I was doing my undergrad, it was by chance, or by luck that I got to know about an alumnus of my department who was working with photovoltaics. My dad is in a non-renewable energy sector, so he's associated with oil and . . . when I was growing up, I was always surrounded by concepts of renewables and non-renewables. When I got the chance in my undergrad to work on photovoltaics a little bit, I took that opportunity and I was fascinated by the research that I did. I came to McMaster for my masters because I wanted to specifically work on photovoltaics and I wanted to work with my supervisor [Rafael] Kleiman. Later, I loved my research so much that I was like, "No, I really want to do a PhD because I want to join the industry as a research scientist."
Could you elaborate on your research?
We are integrating solar cells [onto] the body of an electric car. Basically, we are not putting on panels, but we are making the body with steel and a [copper indium gallium selenide solar cell]. Particularly, my focus is that all the solar cells look pretty dull, like a blue or black colour. A market survey was done and it was found that no one really likes to have those dull coloured cars, and people definitely don't like to have a car which looks exactly the same as their neighbour’s. So, my research comes into the picture, because I am trying to make these dull, boring cells colourful by working with optical filters . . . I want to have solar cells that look colourful; that's the first part. The second is, we want to properly integrate those solar cells with the body of the car. Then we would love to see how much energy we are getting in different provinces in Canada and the States. We have to do a detailed study about how much energy the cells will be supporting for the battery and a lot of stuff. This is very new research, so it's in the very early stages. There are lots and lots of things to do, but we are keeping our goals pretty short right now, pretty small. Let's first know how to walk before we run.
Do you have a general idea of when we might be able to start seeing solar panel integrated cars?
I won't say many decades in the future, because the company called General Motors is working with us so it's already an industry collaboration. I expect to see the first prototype in four years. That means we will be able to make at least one car like that. After that, it takes a lot of time to scale down the existing manufacturing process that they already have right now and to integrate the new things that we will be recommending. So maybe in 10 to 15 years, we will be able to see those cars on the road, but again, I'm being extremely optimistic.
What has been your favourite part of your research?
Just the thrill of not knowing what I'm doing every day. It's very frustrating but it's very exciting. I love this adrenaline rush. I don't know whether what I am planning will actually work or not, so it can happen that three years down the line, whatever I was thinking is not working at all. There is always that risk. But, if we succeed, then we will also get the fun of doing something that no one has done before. It's that adrenaline rush, that uncertainty of life, because you just don't know what's going to happen. You are just trying to find something that you just don't know how it should look like, or what it is going to be — you're just trying to find something new.
Have you learned any personal lessons as a result of your research?
Yes, a lot. I have learned how to be more patient. I have learned how to not lose hope when things go bad because it's going to go bad all the time. Because the day you get your answer is the last day of your research. So, before that, every day may be a disappointment because you just don't know what's happening.
Do you have any other comments?
I would just tell people to be hopeful in this time. We are coming back, we will come back. So just keep working. Keep going. If you feel like you really don't know what you're doing in life, that's completely okay. The sun always rises after the darkest part of the night. It really doesn't matter what you do, you could do research, you join the industry, or you do something amazingly creative. Just do what you feel like doing, otherwise, you might be exhausted pretty easily so just do what you want to do.
National Society of Black Engineers increases representation and supports for Black students in academia
Addressing anti-Black racism has been an urgent need for increased equity for Black students and professionals across academia, especially in traditionally white male dominated fields like engineering.
To tackle one of these barriers in education, the National Society of Black Engineers, McMaster Chapter has launched an annual entrance scholarship for Canadian Black students entering the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster.
All incoming first-years who self-identify as Black students, demonstrate strong leadership and have positively contributed to their community will be eligible for the award. The scholarship will provide each recipient with $2,500, along with a position on the NSBE executive team.
All incoming first-years who self-identify as Black students, demonstrate strong leadership and have positively contributed to their community will be eligible for the award.
The NSBE is a national student-run organization that aims to increase the number of Black engineers who excel both academically and professionally, while demonstrating valuable leadership to make a difference in their community. The NSBE team also includes other engineering graduates and professionals.
Founded in 1971, the society has over 31,000 members that span over 600 active chapters in Canada, the United States and other countries around the globe. They provide academic excellence programs, social connections, leadership opportunities, additional scholarships and career networking to support Black students in engineering.
The McMaster chapter is spear-headed by an executive team of McMaster engineering students. The current president is Feyisayo Enuiyin, a chemical engineering student in her final year. The chapter’s aim is to provide Black students with academic support, professional development and networking opportunities.
[/media-credit] NSBE McMaster Chapter President Feyisayo Enuiyin
“For many Black students from underprivileged communities, they don’t think engineering is a space for them,” said Enuiyin. “This scholarship was created for students who didn’t even know they wanted to study engineering. It creates hope for students to show they are going to a school that supports them.”
“For many Black students from underprivileged communities, they don’t think engineering is a space for them,” said Enuiyin.
The NSBE McMaster Chapter’s goal is to raise $62,500 for the award. The number of scholarships will be dependent on the funds raised. If they exceed their goal, they will provide more scholarships. They are currently accepting donations, with hopes that this award will inspire and encourage more Black students to apply to McMaster Engineering.
Enuiyin explained that the scholarship aims to provide more than financial assistance — the award will also create a larger scale for representation, further showing Black students that institutions like McMaster actually care about them.
“Once I was able to feel that McMaster, including the staff and faculty, really supports me, it made me feel more confident because I know that I go to a community that has my back,” said Enuiyin.
“Once I was able to feel that McMaster, including the staff and faculty, really supports me, it made me feel more confident because I know that I go to a community that has my back,” said Enuiyin.
To Enuiyin, this representation within the university at large, especially in academia, is important because it creates confidence.
“It creates a sense of self awareness so that when you step into a place and you see people like you doing what you aspire to do, it gives you encouragement and motivation to know that you can do that too… When you feel represented in a space, like in an atmosphere of a room, you don't think about complexion. It doesn't even cross your head,” said Enuiyin.
"When you feel represented in a space, like in an atmosphere of a room, you don't think about complexion. It doesn't even cross your head,” said Enuiyin.
Enuiyin expressed gratitude towards the Faculty of Engineering for supporting the NSBE McMaster Chapter and said that the scholarship is a step in the right direction.
“[The scholarship] will help us move towards a more inclusive environment where a range of perspectives leads to better insights and innovation,” stated Professor Iswhar K. Puri, dean of engineering, in a McMaster Daily News Article.
Other efforts for inclusion by McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering include the recent launch of The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships. These fellowships were created in collaboration with faculties at the University of Waterloo, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, Queen’s University and Western University.
These fellowships will provide Indigenous and Black recipients of the award each with $25,000 over the span of four years to support them with their graduate studies and engineering research.
Similar to the NSBE scholarship, the IBET doctoral fellowships were launched with the hope to reduce the financial barriers experienced by Black and Indigenous students.
These efforts for inclusion are paired with McMaster’s announcement of a new commitment to Black academic excellence, such as the commitment to hire a cohort of up to 12 Black faculty members. This is the first initiative under the new Strategic Equity and Excellence Recruitment and Retention program, which is part of McMaster’s larger equity, diversity and inclusion strategy.
“It’s not just about being Black or being in engineering. It’s bigger than that… It’s about people. When one individual progresses, the whole community progresses,” said Enuiyin.
Other efforts at McMaster include the development of a yearly bursary of $800 in perpetuity for Black students with financial need in the McMaster Health Sciences program. The bursary organizers include McMaster University and Mohawk College alumni and are currently also fundraising.
When asked what else academic institutions can do to alleviate barriers for Black students, Enuiyin highlighted the importance of outreach programs along with financial assistance. These outreach programs should be delivered in underprivileged communities, especially for high school students.
“When students are already in universities, it is hard to change their perspectives. [By starting in high school], you can start to show them options as to what they have,” explained Enuiyin.
When discussing how McMaster community members should view this scholarship, Enuiyin highlighted its importance on our society as a whole.
“It’s not just about being Black or being in engineering. It’s bigger than that… It’s about people. When one individual progresses, the whole community progresses,” said Enuiyin.
Donations for the scholarship funds are currently being accepted on the NSBE McMaster’s iFundMac website.
Ontario researchers increase COVID-19 wastewater sampling
As Ontario heads into a second state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial researchers are expanding the capacity of the province to track and prevent transmission.
The COVID-19 Wastewater Consortium of Ontario is a provincial initiative that is aimed to develop a wastewater testing infrastructure across Ontario and conduct various tests. The initiative aims to sample wastewater in different municipalities to trace the spread of the virus. This involves collecting and analyzing fecal data, which is more likely to show COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals than clinical testing.
Compared to clinical testing, wastewater testing is quicker and more cost-efficient. For example, taking a sample out of a sewage treatment plant from one entire neighbourhood is found to be comparable to the cost of testing one person with a nasal swab.
Furthermore, this testing allows researchers to pinpoint specific neighbourhoods and communities that are being affected through the location of the sewage treatment plant from which samples were taken. This information is extremely crucial in understanding which areas of the city may experience a potential outbreak, allowing officials to employ immediate safety measures within that neighbourhood to prevent further transmission.
Led by McMaster University’s Gail Krantzberg and Zobia Jawed, both professors at the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, this project is run by a collective of professionals from a variety of sectors, including sustainability, technology and policy.
“While testing the population for the presence of the virus is critically important, some carriers of the illness are asymptomatic and don’t get tested. Others get false negatives. Since those infected shed the virus in their feces, testing wastewater captures the reality of COVID-19 in the community,” Krantzberg explained in a McMaster interview.
Testing in Hamilton began in fall 2020 and researchers are now increasing sewage sampling to three times per week. The samples are sent to dozens of other cities and universities to be frozen for future testing, as CWCO will continue to collaborate with its partners to establish testing protocols and methodologies.
The tests will be carried out at approximately 13 locations across the McMaster campus, including academic buildings, residences and the McMaster Children’s Hospital. The city of Hamilton has also started collecting sewage samples, as confirmed by city water director Andrew Grice, although public health officials wait to see whether they truly reflect the city’s local cases.
Other universities such as the University of Guelph, the Ontario Tech University and the University of Ottawa have been testing sewage samples for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.
“Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used in recent years to monitor the presence of drugs or disease agents in communities. Across the globe, in countries like the Netherlands, Australia and Italy, researchers are finding signs of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in community wastewater samples. These results can augment clinical testing of individuals by public health authorities and potentially serve as an early warning for a second wave of illness,” describes the Canadian Water Network coalition based in Ottawa.
Although there is the challenge of the wastewater being diluted with rain and other chemicals in the environment, the sampling could be a potential method to tackle the many outbreaks in highly vulnerable populations, such as long-term facilities.
By understanding which facilities may potentially experience an outbreak, officials can tailor their efforts to those specific communities with stronger safety measures and isolation procedures that prevent further transmission.
“A broad wastewater testing system allows us to constantly monitor, test and accurately report on the spread of disease within communities, which would include nursing homes, schools and universities, to address the crucial need not only for the current pandemic but for future outbreaks,” said Krantzberg in a McMaster article.
If proven to be effective, Ontario’s wastewater sampling could act as an early detection signal of COVID-19, especially in vulnerable communities. Early detection would aid public health experts in implementing quicker safety measures such as isolation, while also informing future reopening plans.
With swift procedures in place, communities will be able to prepare better for a possible outbreak and prevent even further transmission.
By Andrew Fayed, Contributor
Nikolas Motruk knew that the McMaster Marauders’ men’s baseball team would come out strong in their four-game opening weekend, but even the fourth-year veteran admits that the team outperformed even their own high expectations for themselves. With an absolutely incredible 58 runs in four games, it’s safe to say that the rest of the league has been put on notice, that this year, the Marauders have come to play.
“When I started in my first year, we had a total of four wins, and it really didn’t look promising. We had five wins the next year before we finally had a winning record at 10-8 last year which was the first time we had a winning record in five years. So, this year we definitely expected to come out stronger than ever, but maybe not quite as strong as we did,” says Motruk with a laugh.
The four games played this past weekend came against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, the Ryerson Rams, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton University Ravens.
“We’ve had a bit of a rivalry with them [UofT] over the past few years, last year they actually walked us off in an elimination game in the Ontario University Athletics championship, so we were definitely hungry for them. We knew we had to come out strong and set the tone for the weekend, and we scored five in the first inning,” Motruk said.
Motruk’s performance this past weekend jumped off the stat sheet going 9-15 from the plate, with five extra base hits, and 10 runs batted in. Motruk was not only a strong player on the men’s baseball team, but it was enough for him to capture the prestigious Pita Pit Male Athlete of the Week award. Motruk credits his ability to stay calm under pressure and his confidence in his batting abilities as the keys to his monumental success.
“You can never let baseball get to your head. You always have to keep the same approach and stay confident at the plate. I went into every at bat knowing what the pitcher was going to throw at me and knowing that I had a job to do. When your team is playing well, there are always runners on base so those RBI’s are more of a team stat,” said Motruk.
When questioned on being Male Athlete of the Week, Motruk was quick to build up his team and his sport instead of focusing on himself.
“It’s not so much of a me thing, I just feel so good for the team that now we’re finally getting this recognition. It’s really a huge step forward for the team in general and for baseball as a university sport. Some students don’t even know that we have a baseball team, so this kind of recognition is really cool,” Motruk noted.
As a four-year veteran, Motruk has been through it all with the marauders’ baseball team. But back in his first year, Motruk was initially worried about the difference in workload from high school to university as a mechanical engineering student and was very hesitant about playing baseball for the Marauders at all.
“I didn’t really want to play baseball at first, I thought that students were all set up to fail and the schedules were so hectic, I thought that there was no way I could do this. I have to give credit to my parents who really motivated me to give it a shot, and I joined the team. I played three innings in my first year, and that was definitely an eye-opening experience. That really motivated me, even more, to get better. I pushed myself hard over the next couple of years, and here we are today,” Motruk added.
You can see Motruk and the Marauders next on Sept. 28 as they face the Queens University Gaels and York University Lions doubleheader in Kitchener.
Nikolas Motruk - Baseball
Nikolas Motruk (8) OF
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I fell in love with hip hop around 2013 when I listened to my first rap album, Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. To me, hip hop is an art of storytelling, rooted in struggle and triumph. It has its haters and it is not perfect, but it has also saved and changed countless lives.
In the tradition of the 1970s New York City DJs and MCs that founded the genre, the guardians of modern hip hop are innovative, creative and heartfelt. Anyone can pick up the mic and tell their stories. As fans, we just need to turn up the volume on game-changing artists.
Buddah Abusah is a Hamilton-born and raised creator spreading a message of peace and love. He began writing at the age of 11 and rapping seriously at the age of 16. Haviah Mighty is a Toronto-born, Brampton-raised musician who is also a member of the rap group The Sorority. She began rapping at the age of 12, combining her seven years of singing lessons with her newfound interest in hip hop.
I spoke separately to these two local rappers about their thoughts on hip hop. Both artists spoke about the importance of the genre not only because of the music, but because of the culture.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo7s8IlnRTJ/
Buddah Abusah: My inner city message is letting all artists know that no matter where you're from, [as] long as you put your mind to it, you can be successful in your way. [I want to] show people [that if you] put your mind to it and indulge yourself properly, you can get yourself to that gold, platinum status [that] Canadians are doing more often now. Also… the message I want to give out is that all my music is to peace, love and equality. No matter what goes down, just treat it with peace and love because at the end of the day that's what everybody needs.
Haviah Mighty: I definitely like to pull from the rawest, truest points of my life to try to create the most effective message possible, which is usually the things that are most important to me. The narrative will always change based on the shifting of the energies around us and things that are happening. But I would definitely say… just being a Black female, I am political in nature. The hair that I have, the skin tone that I have, the gender that I am and what I chose to do for a career are to some people very oxymoronic. I think naturally just my look and my delivery and my vibe is a little bit of an empowering, stepping out of your element, believing in your true self kind of message before even opening my mouth. I don't think that's something I can really escape or run from and I'm actually very happy to naturally represents that. I feel that people around me resonate with that.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt8_KYXAXM5/
BA: Best part is the growth. For me I love seeing individuals or an individual put their mind to something and watch it come into fruition. Right now I'm doing that with a couple people/groups. I've worked with some of them in the past and just watching them help the culture of [Hamilton] is the best part because I know this city will get there. Like everybody knows the city is growing. And it'll be interesting seeing Hamilton have their own culture and their own sound like how Toronto has their own sound. Hamilton is far enough where we see Toronto and we want to be like the [greater Toronto area] and be included like the GTA, but we still want our own.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BorVUiiHLRt/
HM: The best part of the hip hop community is the community. I think hip hop is very cultural and the community is very culture-based… [W]ithin hip hop in my experience, you can go to different venues and it's like these are people that you've grown up with because at the cultural level, you guys are so connected. It might be the same for punk music and rock and stuff [but] I'm not as embedded in those communities to know. I think for me it's the beautiful marriage between the sonic vibe of hip hop and then just like the community of hip hop and how different yet similar those two things are.
BA: I'm going to be releasing new material spring, summer time. I've just been working with other artists, doing some production, audio engineering. And other than that, I'm just taking my sweet, sweet time. I'm not trying to [give] you the exact same trap sound that you're always hearing on the radio or that your friends play. I'm here giving you something completely different. I'm giving you good vibes, I'm giving you vibes for strictly hippies… My goal with this is creating an entirety of a sound for the city.
HM: I have an album coming out. I'm hoping that this can really open up some interesting conversations. I'm really hoping that we can see some shifts in female hip hop and what we expect from being a female in hip hop and what we expect from I guess just the gender expectations. I would love to see some of those surpassed with some of the stuff I'm coming out with. But definitely just trying to contribute positively to the hip hop community and that hip hop culture and to tell good, impactful stories that can make some good change.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-dJixASg6/
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After multiple delays and high anticipation, the multi-million dollar Gerald Hatch Centre for Engineering Experiential Learning is almost complete. With the referendum by the faculty’s students years ago to raise money for the new space, it only grew in function and scope as interest and funding increased for this central hub of student-focused experiential learning initiatives.
The building is separated with each floor serving a particular function. The basement and penthouse serve as a separately funded space on sustainable energy.
Despite dedicated sections, Dr. Ishwar Puri, Dean of Engineering, mentioned the importance of sustainability throughout the building and the priority towards it.
“It’s not only a building that was designed with sustainability in mind, but it was also designed as a living laboratory because there will be panels and other readouts that will be accessible to students so that they will actually be able to see how sustainability works in a technical sense.”
The first floor, known as the build floor, will be primarily focused on workshops and a large build space for clubs and teams to work on large format projects in addition to housing the David Wilkinson Lounge and the relocation of The Drain, a store run by the McMaster Engineering Society.
The second floor, known as the meet floor, will feature the offices for the MES, clubs and teams in addition to meeting rooms and an open social space called The Junction.
The third floor, known as the support floor, will feature academic counseling, Engineering Co-op and Career Services and a collaborative learning room.
“It’s a recognition that no one discipline will solve the problems of the world. The world creates issues, problems and requires solutions. Engineers, by themselves, are not going to solve all of the world’s problems. They will need to work with others.”
Dr. Ishwar Puri
Dean of Engineering
Despite these functions that would be more commonly associated with engineering students, one of the things that Puri hopes is achieved with the new space is increased integration between the faculty and other disciplines around campus.
“When we build these spaces, we expect them to be collision spaces. It’s an extension of our philosophy — how we built a collision space outside of the John Hodgins Engineering Building, the lobby of the engineering building. You don’t have to have an engineering student ID to be there.”
These collision spaces have the benefit of allowing additional faculties to use the area in a way that benefits both non-engineering students and engineering students.
“It’s a recognition that no one discipline will solve the problems of the world. The world creates issues, problems and requires solutions. Engineers, by themselves, are not going to solve all of the world’s problems. They will need to work with others,” said Puri.
One of the other indirect benefits of the building was the student feedback on the project. With the previously mentioned referendum and funds put by students towards the building, they continue to have a large deal of influence when it comes to the building’s function and design.
Puri considers them to be equal stakeholders. This student feedback and influence allowed them to work through a large-scale project, have the ability to receive the benefits and make difficult choices along the way, which is an experience that cannot be understated.
“Not all of the faculties’ suggestions were incorporated into the final design, and not all of the students’ because you have a wish list, but once you have a wish list, then you have to prioritize. … It’s very easy to put in. It’s very painful to take out,” said Puri.
He also mentioned that he reminds all of his staff workers and faculty members that it is all about the students. Their feedback, experience and learning are always the top priority for the faculty and will continue to be a top priority.
One of the issues that has come with this, however, is the demand for space in the building.
“We now realize that, because there is such a strong culture for experiential learning and just the example of the building encouraged others to form clubs, teams and extracurricular experiential learning opportunities, the number of requests the MES is getting for occupancy far exceeds the capacity of the building. What we need is another Hatch centre.”
Moving forward, these priorities on sustainability, collision spaces and students will continue to be important for Puri and the rest of the faculty. The hope is that the centre will be fully completed by the time students arrive in September.
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