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A new, transformative $20-million gift is driving the future of aging research at McMaster.

It will accelerate discoveries at the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and train the next generation of researchers dedicated to improving quality of life for people as they age.

The investment, from Chancellor Emerita and alumna Suzanne Labarge, comes at a pivotal time for this country. Nearly one in four Canadians will be over 65 within the next decade.

Labarge’s latest gift builds on decades of visionary philanthropy that has helped establish McMaster as a global leader in aging research.

Learn more at the link in bio | #SeniorsMonth

The newly-opened Obama Presidential Center includes a very special piece of art made by McMaster’s Chancellor Emeritus and alumna, Santee Smith (@santeesmith).
 
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.  
 
Smith worked on the piece in the Faculty of Humanities’ art studio spaces, supported by potter Jordi Alfaro, School of the Arts professor Carmela Alfaro-Laganse and technician James Kendal. They did the firing at McMaster’s sculpture studio.
 
Smith and her daughter were on hand for a special pre-opening celebration in Chicago last week, where they heard directly from Michelle and Barack Obama.
 
Learn more about the piece and how it stands as a symbol of Indigenous Knowledge passed down through generations that will now be seen by millions of people.
 
Link in bio.

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

Graduates, congratulations on this incredible milestone and welcome to the @mcmasteralumni1887 community!

This week, Malaika Manda delivered her valedictory address to her fellow graduates in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

It marked the end of her time as an undergraduate student at McMaster, and the culmination of a journey shaped by friendship, support and belonging.

The economics and political science graduate reflects on her time at McMaster, from navigating her first Canadian winter to representing her peers at Convocation.

Link in bio.

#MacGrad2026