PR for @MohawkCollege and @thespec's biz book reviewer. Proud dad. Lucky husband. #hamont is home. Solsbury Hill is my theme song.
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Articles by Jay Robb
McMaster researchers turn food waste into energy and use water produced to grow food
Researchers from the faculties of Science and Engineering have found a way to take a good environmental solution and make it even better. From left, Shakirudeen Salaudeen and Nancy Boamah from the Faculty of Engineering; Robin Cameron and Fathy El-Gebaly from the Faculty of Science. Food and other organic material accounts for a third of Ontario’s waste stream, and 60 per cent of that waste winds up in municipal landfills.
Paddling in Paradise: Biology prof swaps lab coats for life jackets
Submitted by McMasterUniv on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 16:57 Best assignment ever? Emily Choy and 165 biology students explored Cootes Paradise by canoe, observing egrets, ospreys, great blue herons, turtles, frogs and more. Best assignment ever? Emily Choy and 165 biology students explored Cootes Paradise by canoe, observing egrets, ospreys, great blue herons, turtles, frogs and more.
Student takes full advantage of studying at Canadas nuclear university
Submitted by McMasterUniv on Fri, 09/12/2025 - 03:52 Fourth-year Integrated Science student Michal Houpt has taken full advantage of studying at Canada's nuclear university: From touring the nuclear reactor to hands-on learning. Fourth-year Integrated Science student Michal Houpt has taken full advantage of studying at Canada's nuclear university: From touring the nuclear reactor to hands-on learning.
Shooting for the moon: How William McCallion brought the stars to McMaster
Submitted by McMasterUniv on Wed, 07/16/2025 - 04:21 A graduate student explains constellations in the campus planetarium. In the 1950s, despite not having the funds, equipment, building space or seating for it, mathematician William McCallion systematically overcame every obstacle with creativity and grit to realize his idea of having a planetarium on campus. A graduate student explains constellations in the campus planetarium.
Your efforts mean more than words can ever express
Submitted by McMasterUniv on Fri, 03/21/2025 - 13:53 More than 30 years after Joan Heimbecker’s murder, a retired Hamilton detective appreciates how Kinesiology students and faculty continue to honour her memory — on campus and on the ice. More than 30 years after Joan Heimbecker’s murder, a retired Hamilton detective appreciates how Kinesiology students and faculty continue to honour her memory — on campus and on the ice.
Undergrad adds international visiting scholar in radiation oncology to jam-packed resume
Primary tabs View(active tab) Track Submitted by McMasterUniv on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 19:03 Medical and Health Physics undergraduate Udbhav Ram is determined to honour his parents and mentors. His current co-op at the University of Alabama Birmingham is just the latest in the 21-year-old's long string of experiences. Medical and Health Physics undergraduate Udbhav Ram is determined to honour his parents and mentors.
McMaster Astronomy degree student takes a star turn at Killarney Provincial Park Achi-News
Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed. Astronomy PhD candidate Veronika Dornan served as the resident astronomer at Killarney Provincial Park. She will be back again in October when the nights are longer (and bug free). Dornan has presented dozens of talks and shows at the WJ McCallion Planetarium and in the community.
Astronomy grad student takes a star turn in Killarney Provincial Park
Primary tabs View(active tab) Track Submitted by McMasterUniv on Tue, 07/16/2024 - 20:15 Astronomy PhD candidate Veronika Dornan served as the astronomer in residence at Killarney Provincial Park. She'll be back again in October when the nights are longer (and bug free). Dornan has delivered dozens of talks and shows at the W.J. McCallion Planetarium and in the community. Astronomy PhD candidate Veronika Dornan served as the astronomer in residence at Killarney Provincial Park.
Fourteen science profs play moment, mentor and memento in new Faculty of Science podcast
Jeff Goodes realized early on that he needed to both show and tell as the Faculty of Science’s second journalist in residence. Podcasting was the hot topic of conversation whenever Goodes met with students and faculty. Everyone either had a podcast or wanted to start one. With more than 25 years of experience in radio broadcasting and podcasting, it was a conversation Goodes was happy to have. The good news? It’s never been easier to launch a podcast, says Goodes. The bad news?
Graduating physics student joining elite international graduate program
Submitted by McMasterUniv on Tue, 06/11/2024 - 21:41 Besart Lajci is one of the few students from around the world to be admitted to the Perimeter Scholars International program. Besart Lajci is one of the few students from around the world to be admitted to the Perimeter Scholars International program. (Photo by Jay Robb/McMaster University) BY Jay Robb June 11, 2024 Besart Lajci was jolted awake by what he found in his inbox.
Science students build GeoTrail in McMaster's backyard
"Cootes Paradise is a hidden gem that's right behind our campus," says Kate Pearson, a graduate student in fluvial geomorphology with the School of Earth, Environment & Society in the Faculty of Science. Pearson started working on the Cootes GeoTrail which is like a virtual field trip, offering multimedia information on geological and ecological features at multiple stops along the trail with Shania Ramharrack-Maharaj in September 2022.
Opening an on-ramp to undergraduate research
Sigal Balshine initially thought she was doing Noah Houpt's mom a quick favour. They knew each other well and shared a mutual connection to McMaster. Balshine's a professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour. Houpt was a second-year science student. "To my horror and embarrassment, my mother reached out to Professor Balshine before I even got the chance to send an email and introduce myself," says Houpt.
Jay Robb signs off as a Spectator contributor
I’m lousy at goodbyes. But after reviewing more than 600 business books, I owe some last words to everyone who’s followed along, with extra thanks to all the editors who cleaned up my copy for 24 years. I’ll spare you the reflections on what I’ve read. Instead, I’ll sign off with a lament on what I’m seeing plus a few ideas on how to pull off a miracle. Already a Subscriber? Sign in I moved to Hamilton in 1995.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Ignited at McMaster University: Dr. Darren Burke Inspires Students in New Kinesiology Course
Entrepreneurial Spirit Ignited at McMaster University: Dr. Darren Burke Inspires Students in New Kinesiology Course Hamilton, Ontario Oct 12, 2023 (Issuewire.com) When it comes to entrepreneurship, there's learning by doing, and then there's teaching by doing. At McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Darren Burke, the department's first industry professor, is leading the way.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Ignited at McMaster University: Dr. Darren Burke Inspires Students in New Kinesiology Course
Hamilton, Ontario Oct 12, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - When it comes to entrepreneurship, there's learning by doing, and then there's teaching by doing. At McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Darren Burke, the department's first industry professor, is leading the way. In a groundbreaking new entrepreneurship course, he's not only teaching students but also launching his third company.
Denying science for fortune and fame
Clarence Cook Little is the OG of science denial. Big Tobacco recruited Little to head up their industry research committee in 1954. The committee was the brainchild of panicked cigarette CEOs and John Hill, head of PR firm Hill & Knowlton. Already a Subscriber? Sign in Cigarettes were under fire as researchers made the connection between smoking and lung cancer.
Denying science for fortune and fame
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If you're wondering whether to quit, you already know the answer
Good things come to those who wait. Quitters also get their share of good things. I’m proof of that. I've quit four jobs in my career. I started out with a non-profit and then moved on to a hospital, steelmaker, college and university. I've worked with hundreds of colleagues and dozens of senior leaders. And I've experienced different workplace cultures, although the similarities were always greater than the differences, despite how unique some employers billed themselves. Already a Subscriber?
If you're wondering whether to quit, you already know the answer
Good things come to those who wait. Quitters also get their share of good things. I’m proof of that. I've quit four jobs in my career. I started out with a non-profit and then moved on to a hospital, steelmaker, college and university. I've worked with hundreds of colleagues and dozens of senior leaders. And I've experienced different workplace cultures, although the similarities were always greater than the differences, despite how unique some employers billed themselves. Already a Subscriber?
If you're wondering whether to quit, you already know the answer
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Why we need the Walmart-Amazon battle royale to go the distance
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Why we need the Walmart-Amazon battle royale to go the distance
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Why we need the Walmart-Amazon battle royale to go the distance
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Why we need the Walmart-Amazon battle royale to go the distance
From Bentonville, Ark., and weighing in with revenues of $661 billion, it’s the 61-year-old champion of everyday low prices with more than 10,500 brick-and-mortar stores, Walmart. And from Seattle, Wash., with $514 billion in revenue, it’s the 29-year-old online retailer and e-commerce champion of one-click convenience, Amazon. Already a Subscriber? Sign in In this clash of the retail titans, we can’t afford to have a winner.
Why we need the Walmart-Amazon battle royale to go the distance
From Bentonville, Ark., and weighing in with revenues of $661 billion, it’s the 61-year-old champion of everyday low prices with more than 10,500 brick-and-mortar stores, Walmart. And from Seattle, Wash., with $514 billion in revenue, it’s the 29-year-old online retailer and e-commerce champion of one-click convenience, Amazon. Already a Subscriber? Sign in In this clash of the retail titans, we can’t afford to have a winner.
Review of Sally Susman's book Breaking Through
It’s what Anheuser-Busch didn’t say and do that’s the problem. The beer company hired Dylan Mulvaney to post a one-minute video promoting a Bud Light contest. Mulvaney is a transgender influencer with millions of TikTok and Instagram followers. Already a Subscriber? Sign in The company was quick to cave to a backlash from the easily triggered and perpetually enraged. “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” said the CEO in a statement that could’ve been written by ChatGPT.
Review of Sally Susman's book Breaking Through
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Review of Sally Susman's book Breaking Through
It’s what Anheuser-Busch didn’t say and do that’s the problem. The beer company hired Dylan Mulvaney to post a one-minute video promoting a Bud Light contest. Mulvaney is a transgender influencer with millions of TikTok and Instagram followers. Already a Subscriber?
Know when to take a stand
It’s what Anheuser-Busch didn’t say and do that’s the problem. The beer company hired Dylan Mulvaney to post a one-minute video promoting a Bud Light contest. Mulvaney is a transgender influencer with millions of TikTok and Instagram followers. Already a Subscriber?
Show don’t tell new hires that you care
The wunderkind you just hired is quitting. At least she gave two weeks’ notice. Another promising new hire left during lunch and never returned. The employees who’ve stuck around are mailing it in, still making rookie mistakes and frustrating you to no end. Why don’t employees care as much about the business as you? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Here’s an uncomfortable answer. Your employees don’t care because they believe you care more about the business than you care about them.
Show don’t tell new hires that you care
The wunderkind you just hired is quitting. At least she gave two weeks’ notice. Another promising new hire left during lunch and never returned. The employees who’ve stuck around are mailing it in, still making rookie mistakes and frustrating you to no end. Why don’t employees care as much about the business as you? Already a Subscriber? Sign in kAmw6C6’D 2?
Show don’t tell new hires that you care
The wunderkind you just hired is quitting. At least she gave two weeks’ notice. Another promising new hire left during lunch and never returned. The employees who’ve stuck around are mailing it in, still making rookie mistakes and frustrating you to no end. Why don’t employees care as much about the business as you? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Here’s an uncomfortable answer. Your employees don’t care because they believe you care more about the business than you care about them.
Show don’t tell new hires that you care
The wunderkind you just hired is quitting. At least she gave two weeks’ notice. Another promising new hire left during lunch and never returned. The employees who’ve stuck around are mailing it in, still making rookie mistakes and frustrating you to no end. Why don’t employees care as much about the business as you? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Here’s an uncomfortable answer. Your employees don’t care because they believe you care more about the business than you care about them.
Show don’t tell new hires that you care
The wunderkind you just hired is quitting. At least she gave two weeks’ notice. Another promising new hire left during lunch and never returned. The employees who’ve stuck around are mailing it in, still making rookie mistakes and frustrating you to no end. Why don’t employees care as much about the business as you? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Here’s an uncomfortable answer. Your employees don’t care because they believe you care more about the business than you care about them.
The business of disinformation
Worried that your neighbourhood yoga studio’s become a hotbed for anti-vax disinformation and conspiracy theories? You’re not alone. “Conspirituality” authors and podcasters Derek Beres, Matthew Remski and Julian Walker warn about the toxic marriage of left-leaning New Age spiritualism with hard-right QAnon fever dreams. kAm“p?E:\G2I D6?E:>6?ED 2?5 <@@<J :562D 23@FE 9@E J@82 :?4C62D:?8 @?6’D :>>F?:EJ E@ 2 G:CFD H6C6 ?@E ?6H[ 2?5 E96 724E E96J H6C6 6IA=@5:?8 5FC:?8 2 A2?56>:4 H2D @?\3C2?5 7@C 2?
The business of disinformation
Worried that your neighbourhood yoga studio’s become a hotbed for anti-vax disinformation and conspiracy theories? You’re not alone. “Conspirituality” authors and podcasters Derek Beres, Matthew Remski and Julian Walker warn about the toxic marriage of left-leaning New Age spiritualism with hard-right QAnon fever dreams.
Beware of dream jobs
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Beware of dream jobs
I did three things right with my career. I avoided soul-crushing commutes by working and living in the same city. My current commute is a stress-free 20-minute walk through a park and a neighbourhood. kAmx H@C<65 7@C 3:8 6>A=@J6CD — 2 9@DA:E2=[ DE66=>2<6C[ 4@==686 2?5 F?:G6CD:EJ — 7F== @7 8@@5 A6@A=6 5@:?8 :>A@CE2?E H@C<] x’G6 6?;@J65 36:?8 E96 =62DE D>2CE A6CD@? :?
Beware of dream jobs
I did three things right with my career. I avoided soul-crushing commutes by working and living in the same city. My current commute is a stress-free 20-minute walk through a park and a neighbourhood. kAmx H@C<65 7@C 3:8 6>A=@J6CD — 2 9@DA:E2=[ DE66=>2<6C[ 4@==686 2?5 F?:G6CD:EJ — 7F== @7 8@@5 A6@A=6 5@:?8 :>A@CE2?E H@C<] x’G6 6?;@J65 36:?8 E96 =62DE D>2CE A6CD@? :?
Beware of dream jobs
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Beware of dream jobs
I did three things right with my career. I avoided soul-crushing commutes by working and living in the same city. My current commute is a stress-free 20-minute walk through a park and a neighbourhood. kAmx H@C<65 7@C 3:8 6>A=@J6CD — 2 9@DA:E2=[ DE66=>2<6C[ 4@==686 2?5 F?:G6CD:EJ — 7F== @7 8@@5 A6@A=6 5@:?8 :>A@CE2?E H@C<] x’G6 6?;@J65 36:?8 E96 =62DE D>2CE A6CD@? :?
Beware of dream jobs
I did three things right with my career. I avoided soul-crushing commutes by working and living in the same city. My current commute is a stress-free 20-minute walk through a park and a neighbourhood. I worked for big employers — a hospital, steelmaker, college and university — full of good people doing important work. I’ve enjoyed being the least smart person in pretty much every room. And I never chased after dream jobs. I opted instead for jobs that were good enough.
Facing a catastrophe without a playbook
The good times were still rolling when the masters of the universe gathered for their annual capitalist cheerfest in Davos, Switzerland. The World Economic Forum was in full swing in late January 2020 even as Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China, was on lockdown. kAm“r@CA@C2E6 6I64FE:G6D[ 96586 7F?5 E:E2?D 2?5 8@G6C?>6?E @77:4:2=D 5:D6>32C<65 7C@> 96=:4@AE6CD 2?5 3=24< 42CD E@ DA6?5 7:G6 52JD 5@=:?8 @FE >2?286>6?E 25G:46 E@ E96 56G6=@A:?8 H@C=5 2?5 A2EE:?8 E96>D6=G6D @?
The 10 Best Unflavored Protein Powders For Health - Review In 2023
If you want to see your body mass and muscles increase fast, you should go for the best unflavored Protein powders. As you may already know, protein is a bodybuilding nutrient that is vital for bodybuilders, weightlifters, athletes, and many other people. However, the protein that is found in food takes quite some time to be digested and get absorbed into the systems. The better alternative is to consume powders.
Opinion | He could’ve asked about all the missed birthdays and Father’s Days. Instead he gave me a gift
Two years before I started reviewing business books, my dad and I had our one and only father-son talk. We wound up having two different conversations. I was making big plans while my dad was saying goodbye. He was in the hospital and I was in denial. My dad had just turned 50. My parents had visited a few weeks earlier. He seemed tired but not sick. On Monday morning, my dad skipped work and walked into the emergency department.
Review | How to brag and self-promote
Your work speaks for itself. The cream always rises to the top. And good things come to those who wait and pay their dues. Wishing this was true doesn’t make it so. If you’ve bought into these myths, know that things won’t go the way you hope. While you’ve got your head down, less competent and unremarkable coworkers are talking their way into opportunities that could’ve and should’ve been yours.
Review | Whatever you’re doing now is enough
I get together with public relations students every year to warn them against making the same mistake I made as a freshly minted grad. I left university with a pair of degrees back in 1992. I’d made it on the dean’s honour list for three of my four years as an undergrad thanks to electives in creative writing and film studies. I got some real-world experience with a month-long internship during my master’s degree. And I drew a cartoon strip for the student paper.
Review | We’re all profiting off the poor
Do you need a tax break if you can afford to spend the equivalent of a mortgage payment or a month’s rent on a two-night stay at a resort? Probably not. But that didn’t stop me from claiming the new staycation tax credit. That decision drove home the key message in Matthew Desmond’s latest book “Poverty, by America” and made for some uncomfortable reading.
Review | The right way to change careers
Here are five things to know before rebooting your career. It’ll take longer than you think. It’ll be harder than you can imagine. Never go it alone. Don’t jump into the complete unknown. And while it won’t be easy, it’ll be way better than sticking with a career that’s burning you out, boring you out of your mind or bumming you out because it’s all paycheque and no purpose.
Science champion wins GradFlix competition
BY Jay Robb, Faculty of Science Emily Robson is the winner of this year's GradFlix competition for her one-minute video on the amount of microplastics in freshwater mussels collected from the Grand River. Professor Karen Kidd isn't surprised Emily Robson won this year's GradFlix Challenge.
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