CHCH Morning Live was on campus this week for a special McMaster edition of their four-hour weekday morning program, providing a unique opportunity to showcase McMaster’s people, research, student experience and impact to audiences across the region. 

Hosts Rick Zamperin and Simone Gavros opened the Sept. 16 show from high atop Ron Joyce Stadium. 

Donning her Marauders football jersey, McMaster President Susan Tighe and longtime McMaster supporter Ron Foxcroft sat down with the hosts under a golden sunrise. In her first of two interviews, Tighe spoke about her first year in office as President and Vice-chancellor.  

The Morning Live show included an all-star lineup of 14 live interviews from world-renowned researchers, exceptional students, campus leaders, athletes and entrepreneurs: 

• Karen McQuigge, Director of Alumni Engagement (retired): Reflecting on McMaster’s history and looking ahead to its future 

• Dawn Bowdish, executive director, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health: How wildfire smoke affects respiratory health 

• Karen Bird, professor of Political Science; and Mariam Saleem, MSU President: Bringing the ballot to campus (municipal election 2026) 

• Susan Tighe, President & Vice-chancellor; and Ron Foxcroft: Reflecting on Susan’s first year as president 

• Nathan Sparks, second-year Kinesiology student and paratriathlete: Training to become a Paralympian  

• Patricia Faruggia, associate dean of Indigenous Health: Strengthening Indigenous health education 

• Tej Sandhu, DeGroote School of Business Entrepreneur-in-Residence: Student entrepreneurship 

• Susan Tighe: McMaster’s new strategic plan, “Bolder Together” 

• Suzanne Lapi and Jon McConathy, Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs: Advancing nuclear medicine and theranostics  

• Bonny Ibhawoh, Vice-provost (International Affairs): Expanding McMaster’s global reach 

• Jon Stokes, entrepreneur and assistant professor of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences: Using AI to fight superbugs 

• Vanessa Watts, associate professor of Indigenous Studies and Sociology: Re-neighbouring as Reconciliation 

• Leyla Soleymani, professor of Engineering Physics: Advanced wearable health devices 

• Stefan Ptaszek, Marauders football head coach; and Isaiah Shields, linebacker: Marauders football and Homecoming 2026

CHCH’s Emily Vukovic also visited several unique McMaster facilities and learning spaces. Click here to watch the segment exploring these spaces, which includes: 

• Black Student Success Centre (0:00) 

• Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) (3:08) 

• McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery (6:27) 

• Learning and Discovery Greenhouse (9:55) 

• Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL) (13:29) 

• LIVELab (17:00) 

• CANDU Core (20:46)