McMaster University

06/22/2026

The newly-opened Obama Presidential Center includes a very special piece of art made by McMaster’s Chancellor Emeritus and alumna, Santee Smith.

Smith, who served as McMaster’s Chancellor from 2019 to 2025, is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist, choreographer and pottery designer.

She created a pottery vessel that will sit in the Oval Office exhibit of the newly built Obama Presidential Center and Library.

The vessel is a replica of a piece made by Smith’s father, Steve Smith, which was displayed in the real Oval Office throughout Barack Obama’s presidency.

McMaster’s Chancellor Emeritus has re-created a piece of pottery, originally made by her father, for the Oval Office exhibit.

06/20/2026

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the traditions, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

As we get set to mark this day, we are showcasing community members and the initiatives and work from recent months that enrich our community with diverse perspectives and Ways of Knowing.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/2eWK50ZeKZo

06/19/2026

13 ceremonies. 3 graduate celebration events. Countless memories.

Graduates, it was an honour to celebrate your incredible accomplishments at Convocation. Welcome to the McMaster Alumni community!

In the words of our Chancellor Nicholas Brathwaite: Congratulations Class of 2026, the world is yours to shape!

More highlights: https://news.mcmaster.ca/2026-spring-convocation/

06/19/2026

That’s a wrap on another incredible Convocation season! 🎓🎉

Graduates, congratulations on this incredible milestone and welcome to the McMaster Alumni community!

06/12/2026

A transformational $50-million gift is paving the way for McMaster University to become a global leader in Kinesiology and healthspan research.

The investment fuels a vision of helping people increase their healthspan — the years of life lived in good health free from illness and disease.

It will establish the McCall MacBain Kinesiology and Healthspan Institute, a global research hub. There, researchers will advance real-world solutions, evidence‑informed policy and develop future leaders of health.

The gift, from alumna Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain and John McCall MacBain, with the McCall MacBain Foundation, is the largest philanthropic investment in kinesiology in Canadian university history.

The largest philanthropic gift to kinesiology in Canadian university history supports global healthspan research, education, policy and impact.

06/04/2026

McMaster is celebrating the generosity of alumnus Walter Schroeder and his wife Maria. Their new $2-million gift through The Schroeder Foundation will enhance the student experience in the McMaster University School of Nursing and the Physician Assistant Education Program.

This latest gift creates support and opportunities to enhance the student experience for a new generation of outstanding clinical care staff.

06/03/2026

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a new antibiotic that kills some of the world’s most dangerous and drug-resistant bacteria — and does so by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability, opening the door to an entirely new class of treatments.

The new compound, called manikomycin, was identified by a team led by McMaster Professor Gerry Wright and has shown early effectiveness against priority pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli and Klebsiella.

“Not a single antibiotic prescribed in clinics today does what manikomycin does,” says Wright, a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute of Infectious Disease Research. “Not azithromycin, not tetracycline — none of them.”

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a new antibiotic that kills some of the world’s most dangerous and drug-resistant bacteria — and does so by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability, opening the door to an entirely new class of treatments. The new compound, called manikomyc...

06/01/2026

June is both National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month, and campus groups representing the diverse Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities have together made a plan that ensures both are appropriately represented.

Learn about the flags that will fly above University Hall in June: https://ow.ly/xAsn50Z683H

The Pride flag will be flying at McMaster this month as a visible reminder: Whether you are 2SLGBTQIA+, gender questioning or unsure, you belong here, and the university community celebrates you year-round.

Learn more about the events and resources related to Pride Month at McMaster: https://ow.ly/CHSt50Z683I

05/14/2026

Seven inspiring and accomplished individuals will receive honorary degrees at Spring convocation ceremonies this year. We're proud to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the following community champions, innovators and scholars:
🔸 Mary Heersink, philanthropist and food safety advocate
🔸 Jean Augustine, former MP and trailblazing leader
🔸 Valerie Davidson, engineer and ONWiE founding chair
🔸 Arthur Fogel, live music visionary
🔸 Paul Hoffman, geology scholar and Kyoto Prize winner
🔸 Adam Felesky, FinTech innovator
🔸 Mary Lou Maher, business leader and diversity champion

Their contributions to their respective fields and commitment to making the world better will be celebrated at convocation ceremonies in May and June.

Learn more: https://news.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-honorary-degree-recipients-spring-2026/

05/08/2026

The future of nuclear continues to be built here at McMaster University.

We are proud to launch the 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 — another way we are developing the next generation of nuclear leaders.

We’re proud to be Canada’s Nuclear University, home to the country’s most powerful research reactor. Our one-of-a-kind learning environment gives students opportunities for hands-on learning and connections to industry.

Learn more: https://news.mcmaster.ca/new-major-announced-in-nuclear-engineering/