It was a morning of firsts for the Faculty of Science.

Last month’s retreat was the first to bring together faculty and staff. In previous years, faculty and staff attended separate events. It was the Faculty of Science’s first virtual retreat, using Zoom and Google Jamboard. It was the first time many faculty and staff had gotten together since in-person classes ended March 13 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. While recapping the achievements of the past year, Dean Maureen MacDonald announced the first researchers to receive funding through the Faculty of Science’s new Global Science Initiative.

McMaster President David Farrar closed out the retreat with a live appearance from his home office. David said he was grateful and impressed by the contributions, achievements and leadership of the Faculty of Science faculty and staff. David, who’s a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, asked faculty and staff to continue taking care of themselves physically and mentally and then reaffirmed McMaster’s commitment to the health and safety of faculty, staff, students and the broader community. McMaster was among the first universities in Canada to announce an online fall term.