Greetings!

The Origins Institute is a leading transdisciplinary enterprise, located at McMaster University. Its members seek answers to the most-fundamental questions in 21st century science through 6 origins themes:

space-time
elements
structure in the cosmos
life
species and biodiversity
humanity.

You might already have experienced our unique and exciting approach to education, science, and outreach through your friends in our courses, our conferences and workshops, and the talks that we host.

We invite you to apply to the Origins Research Specialization (ORS). This exciting curriculum is designed to allow students to participate in our activities, by interacting with our members, taking our courses, and meeting our visiting speakers. The specialization is taken as a complement to a variety of participating honours programs, including:

Arts & Science
Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry
Integrated Science
Life Sciences
Mathematics & Statistics
Physics
Psychology, Neurosciences, & Behaviour

Students are introduced to general problems in Level II through two survey courses and a specially designed, literature-based seminar course. In Level III, students enroll in 2 (among 6 available) specialized courses, exploring particular interests among the 6 origins themes; students also enroll in a unique, research-based seminar course in which they discuss origins themes with leading scientists, who we invite to contribute to our colloquium series. The curriculum culminates in an exciting Level IV undergraduate research thesis course, in which students collaborate with institute members, investigating mutually interesting problems.

Combining your honours degree with the ORS will provide you with marketable training in a particular scientific area, comprehensive familiarity with the most-important problems in modern science, and transdisciplinary research experience. Graduates are prepared for a wide variety of research programs, specialized (through the particular honours degree) or interdisciplinary (such as Astrobiology). They also are suited ideally for other scientific endeavours in which refined skills, through scientific understanding and transdisciplinary experience, constitute huge assets - from industry to government.

This specialization arguably is among the most-unique curricula in North America. Course instruction is delivered by distinguished scientists and innovative educators at McMaster University and involves a variety of techniques, including lectures, inquiry and problem-based learning, seminar discussions and meetings with visiting speakers, presentations and Internet resource contributions, and self-directed research.

Students usually apply when registering for Level II, by ranking it among their 4 program choices on MUGSI-SOLAR. Enrolment in the ORS is limited.

Information about the Origins Institute from the Undergraduate Calendar may be accessed by mouseclicking this link. http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/CALENDAR/current/pg1481.html

Information about the Origins Research Specialization from the Undergraduate Calendar may be accessed by mouseclicking this link. http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/CALENDAR/current/pg1979.html

Information about the ORIGINS courses from the Undergraduate Calendar may be accessed by mouseclicking this link. http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/CALENDAR/current/pg1829.html#18879

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Jon Stone, the Associate Director (email: jstoner@mcmaster.ca; telephone: 905-525-9140 +26136).

1. What projects do ORS students undertake for their ORIGINS 4A09 Origins Research Thesis?

Everything, from travelling to the Canadian high Arctic to collect extremophile microscopic organisms to sequencing DNA from elephants (we try to make research happen).

Graduates, Thesis Titles, Supervisors, and Current Activity are listed below:

1. Graduate: Emily Groot (Arts & Science, 2007)
Thesis Title: Genetic Corroborations of Social Theories Can Be Misleading: A Re-examination of the Patterns of Sex-dependent Gene Flow Up and Down the Indian Caste Hierarchy
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Singh
Current Activity: Medical School Student (McMaster University)

2. Graduate: Anna Leung (Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, 2007)
Thesis Title: Mechanisms of tRNA Binding to the AUA Codon in the Three Domains of Life
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Higgs, Stone
Current Activity: Educator (Taejon Christian International School, Korea)

3. Graduate: Graham Brown (Science, 2008)
Thesis Title: Embryonic Expression of Transcription Factors in C. elegans Suggests a Conserved Evolutionary History
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Gupta (B), Stone
Current Activity: unknown

4. Graduate: Cedoljub Bundalovic-Torma (Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, 2008)
Thesis Title: A Model for Horizontal Transfer in Early Cell Populations
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Higgs, Stone
Current Activity: Master's of Science Candidate (Biology, McMaster University)

5. Graduate: Rebecca Nada-Rajah Science (Physical Science, 2008)
Thesis Title: Bestiality (a play about origins)
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Stone, Logan
Current Activity: Writer

6. Graduate: Jeffrey Wainberg (Biology, 2008)
Thesis Title: Similarity Benefits in Mimetic Learning
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Higgs, Stone
Current Activity: Quadrexx Asset Management

7. Graduate: Carmen Cheung (Biology, 2009)
Thesis Title: Turtles in the Half Shell: Uncovering a 'New' Ossification Origin in the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Carapace
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Stone, Vickaryous (Guelph)
Current Activity: Master's of Science Candidate (Biology, McMaster University)

8. Graduate: Nicholas Davies (Arts & Science, 2009)
Thesis Title: The Structure and Origins of the Genetic Code: a Computational Analysis
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Stone, Golding
Current Activity: unknown

9. Graduate: William Sharman (Science, 2009)
Title: Investigation into the Evolution of Multicellularity using Dictyostelium discoideum as a Model Organism
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Stone, O'Day (Toronto)
Current Activity: Culinary Management (Algonquin College)

10. Graduate: Salini Thulasirajah (Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, 2009)
Thesis Title: Telomere Erosion as a Mechanism for Extinction
Supervisors (primary, secondary): Stone, Poinar
Current Activity: Royal College of Surgeons (Belfast)

2. What vocations are open to ORS student graduates?

In addition to anything that already is open to them with their honours degrees, the breadth that our graduates possess will prepare them for opportunities with the Canadian Space Agency, NASA, and government institutions; we envision the ideal position, from a skills perspective, as editor for a journal like Science or Nature.

Our first two graduates, respectively, entered medical school and began a career in education; others are registered in graduate schools, working in consulting and economic management firms, composing award-winning plays, and enrolled in a culinary school (please view the list above for details).

1. first 'play as thesis' in McMaster University science

2. our seminar courses (ORIGINS 2S03 and 3S03) have been used as a template for specialist courses in physiology by the Department of Biology