Campus Notices
The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments is Friday, August 26, 2022. These applications will be reviewed at the September 22, 2022, meeting.
Please be sure to use the March 2022 update to the application form. Please also note that the IBC has instituted a new category of protocol amendment: biosafety permit minor amendment. This event form is included in the Researcher Portal.
Minor amendments that are strictly limited to changes in personnel and/or funding can be submitted at any time but require up to a two-week review period. They are normally reviewed by the IBC chair or designate, the BSO or designate, and one other voting member of the IBC. If the amendment is approved, then an approval notification will be sent to the PI. Submissions via this route may be sent for full committee review at the discretion of the IBC chair and the BSO.
All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal.
Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.
For more information about the IBC review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca
UPEI's Central Printing Office is closed for vacation until Wednesday, August 17.
Application deadlines for a few select scholarships and awards have been extended to August 22, 2022. Click the award link below to access the application forms for information on the award criteria. Applications and any supporting documents should be sent electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall. Members of the campus community are encouraged to share this information with eligible students.
Title: "Fluorescence-Based Investigations of 1,8- and 2,6-ANS with Pillar[n]arene, Calix[n]arene, and Cyclodextrin Hosts in Nonaqueous Solvents"
Abstract: The properties and host-guest inclusion complexes of pillar[n]arene, calix[n]arene, and cyclodextrin hosts were investigated in nonaqueous solvents via fluorescence spectroscopy in a comparative binding study. Comparing the inclusion abilities of these families of macrocyclic hosts is particularly interesting as pillar[n]arenes and calix[n]arenes are less frequently used but have chemical similarities, and cyclodextrins are the most popular family of hosts. Two structural isomers, 1,8- and 2,6-ANS, were used as polarity-sensitive fluorescent guests to investigate the effect of guest shape and size on the binding by hosts. Fluorescence titrations were performed in nonaqueous solvents to monitor the formation of inclusion complexes and to determine the binding constants, K, for the various systems. The results of this comparative binding study show that the binding of these ANS guests does not depend on any one factor alone but rather a combination of inter-related factors, including solvent polarity, specific solvent-solute interactions, host cavity shape and size, host flexibility, and available driving forces for inclusion in nonaqueous solvents. This work has contributed to the understanding of host-guest inclusion in nonaqueous solvents and relative host properties.
Everyone is welcome.
Ethics protocols that involve "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board (REB). The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, August 26, 2022, for review at the September meeting.
Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve "more than minimal risk"; renewals; and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.
All research compliance applications, including Research Ethics Board application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. This online system is paired with electronic approvals to replace the hard-copy signatures process.
Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.
For more information about the REB review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca.
The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments is Friday, August 26, 2022. These applications will be reviewed at the September 22, 2022, meeting.
Please be sure to use the March 2022 update to the application form. Please also note that the IBC has instituted a new category of protocol amendment: biosafety permit minor amendment. This event form is included in the Researcher Portal.
Minor amendments that are strictly limited to changes in personnel and/or funding can be submitted at any time but require up to a two-week review period. They are normally reviewed by the IBC chair or designate, the BSO or designate, and one other voting member of the IBC. If the amendment is approved, then an approval notification will be sent to the PI. Submissions via this route may be sent for full committee review at the discretion of the IBC chair and the BSO.
All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal.
Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.
For more information about the IBC review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca
UPEI's Central Printing Office is closed for vacation until Wednesday, August 17.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is interviewing two candidates for a tenure-track position in Engineering Design. Each candidate is invited to provide a public presentation, and everyone is welcome to attend. Dr. Scott Flemming will present on August 11, 2022, at 9:30 am, and Dr. Stephanie Roth on August 12, at 10 am, both in FSDE 205.
Below is information regarding their respective presentations:
Dr. Scott Flemming (9:30 am August 11, 2022, FSDE 205)
A robust problem definition is crucial to creating sustainable engineering designs. Poorly defined projects, of course, often result in a significant waste of many kinds of resources. In addition, stakeholder and client needs must be well considered when defining a problem: poor attention to these requirements often results in solutions that simply do not work for clients, and even solutions that work against client needs and desires. While the literature suggests problem definition is extremely important, it is also evident that there are too few supports to help designers and design teams define problems well. In this talk, Dr. Flemming discusses ways of describing problems in general (in terms of goals, constraints, variables, and strategies), tools that can be used to explore problem spaces and client needs, and a method of categorizing design spaces that can aid problem recognition (The Universe of Problems Approach). The author argues that if such supports are used, engineers will design more sustainable solutions in terms of both resource waste and the fulfilling of stakeholder needs. This talk will include the description of a study which was designed to assess the efficacy of the Universe of Problems Approach. Results of this study suggest that when novices (second-year students) are presented with opportunities to explore key problems in their field, their problem definition ability is comparable to that of the more senior years (fourth- and fifth-year students). Without exploration of these key models, novices perform statistically worse in a problem definition task than their upper-year counterparts.
Dr. Stephanie Roth (10:00 am August 12, 2022, FSDE 205)
Engineering design and development of a gaseous pollution control device (GPCD); with emphasis on sustainability and human health implications.
Ambient air pollution is a worldwide problem on a scale such that air pollution is now a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality. Pollution is not limited to the outdoor environment, but infiltrates inside impacting the air where people live and work.
One gaseous pollutant, nitrogen oxides (NOx), is selected as a focal point. To establish its merit, research examined NOx’s influence on sustainability and human health. Findings establish NOx as an encompassing indicator for global sustainability and a metric for gauging progress towards decarbonization. Additionally, a review of health literature indicated an astounding number and variety of negative health impacts resulting from ambient NOx exposure, with risks of mental health effects exceeding physical impacts. The identification of sustainability and human health implications of ambient NOx clearly establishes a need to reduce ambient levels worldwide.
Indoor air quality can be improved through numerous avenues, but no current methods or technologies are capable of removing ambient NOx in a safe, sustainable fashion. Photocatalytic removal is potentially effective in removing NOx, and a patented photocatalyst offers solutions to the barriers that have prevented effective NOx removal with existing technologies. Engineering design was undertaken to develop a Gaseous Pollution Control Device (GPCD) prototype, including the importance of sustainability considerations throughout the design process. The final prototype design has been patented and rigorously tested in the lab. Commercial versions of the GPCD units were professionally manufactured. These units were then validated in industrial pilot tests that confirmed the real-world efficacy of the GPCD in removing ambient NOx, and other gaseous pollutants. Implementing the GPCD for indoor ambient air purification will safely and effectively reduce indoor pollutant concentrations and enhance health for individuals in the local environment.
Application deadlines for a few select scholarships and awards have been extended to August 22, 2022. Click the award link below to access the application forms for information on the award criteria. Applications and any supporting documents should be sent electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall. Members of the campus community are encouraged to share this information with eligible students.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is interviewing two candidates for a tenure-track position in Engineering Design. Each candidate is invited to provide a public presentation, and everyone is welcome to attend. Dr. Scott Flemming will present on August 11, 2022, at 9:30 am, and Dr. Stephanie Roth on August 12, at 10 am, both in FSDE 205.
Below is information regarding their respective presentations:
Dr. Scott Flemming (9:30 am August 11, 2022, FSDE 205)
A robust problem definition is crucial to creating sustainable engineering designs. Poorly defined projects, of course, often result in a significant waste of many kinds of resources. In addition, stakeholder and client needs must be well considered when defining a problem: poor attention to these requirements often results in solutions that simply do not work for clients, and even solutions that work against client needs and desires. While the literature suggests problem definition is extremely important, it is also evident that there are too few supports to help designers and design teams define problems well. In this talk, Dr. Flemming discusses ways of describing problems in general (in terms of goals, constraints, variables, and strategies), tools that can be used to explore problem spaces and client needs, and a method of categorizing design spaces that can aid problem recognition (The Universe of Problems Approach). The author argues that if such supports are used, engineers will design more sustainable solutions in terms of both resource waste and the fulfilling of stakeholder needs. This talk will include the description of a study which was designed to assess the efficacy of the Universe of Problems Approach. Results of this study suggest that when novices (second-year students) are presented with opportunities to explore key problems in their field, their problem definition ability is comparable to that of the more senior years (fourth- and fifth-year students). Without exploration of these key models, novices perform statistically worse in a problem definition task than their upper-year counterparts.
Dr. Stephanie Roth (10:00 am August 12, 2022, FSDE 205)
Engineering design and development of a gaseous pollution control device (GPCD); with emphasis on sustainability and human health implications.
Ambient air pollution is a worldwide problem on a scale such that air pollution is now a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality. Pollution is not limited to the outdoor environment, but infiltrates inside impacting the air where people live and work.
One gaseous pollutant, nitrogen oxides (NOx), is selected as a focal point. To establish its merit, research examined NOx’s influence on sustainability and human health. Findings establish NOx as an encompassing indicator for global sustainability and a metric for gauging progress towards decarbonization. Additionally, a review of health literature indicated an astounding number and variety of negative health impacts resulting from ambient NOx exposure, with risks of mental health effects exceeding physical impacts. The identification of sustainability and human health implications of ambient NOx clearly establishes a need to reduce ambient levels worldwide.
Indoor air quality can be improved through numerous avenues, but no current methods or technologies are capable of removing ambient NOx in a safe, sustainable fashion. Photocatalytic removal is potentially effective in removing NOx, and a patented photocatalyst offers solutions to the barriers that have prevented effective NOx removal with existing technologies. Engineering design was undertaken to develop a Gaseous Pollution Control Device (GPCD) prototype, including the importance of sustainability considerations throughout the design process. The final prototype design has been patented and rigorously tested in the lab. Commercial versions of the GPCD units were professionally manufactured. These units were then validated in industrial pilot tests that confirmed the real-world efficacy of the GPCD in removing ambient NOx, and other gaseous pollutants. Implementing the GPCD for indoor ambient air purification will safely and effectively reduce indoor pollutant concentrations and enhance health for individuals in the local environment.
Study & Stay PEI Student applications are now open! All final semester/year international students from the University of Prince Edward Island, Holland College, and Collège de l'Île are welcome to apply.
The goal of Study and Stay PEI Program is to support a group of select final semester/year international students to live, work, and stay in Prince Edward Island post-graduation. To view more details and learn how to apply, visit http://studypei.ca/.
Student applications close on September 2 at 11:59 pm (Atlantic Daylight Time). Please help us share with your network. Thank you!
Please contact us at studyandstaypei@upei.ca if you have any questions.
On Wednesday, August 17, between 10 pm and midnight, ITSS will be conducting routine maintenance on the Remote Desktop Services accessed via the website myDesktop.upei.ca. During this time, any remote desktops or applications accessed via this site will be unavailable. RX Works will be unavailable between 11 pm and midnight only. If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.
The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre will provide COVID-19 Booster Clinics on September 14 and 15 in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The clinics will provide first dose, second dose, and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to students, faculty, and staff, as well as family members who are 18 and older. First come, first served. There is no need to make an appointment, and there is no charge for the vaccine. Vaccines are provided by the Province of Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office (CPHO). Please bring your provincial health card or UPEI ID as we need to provide a record to the CHPO.
If you currently use Collaborate for teaching, you may not be aware that there have been a significant number of improvements and additions. Join the E-Learning Office for a tour of these new features and see just how hard Blackboard has been working to upgrade their web conferencing and video recording application. This free webinar will be offered on August 18 from 10:00 to 11:00 am. REGISTER
The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, September 2, for the September meeting.
Please note that as of June 1, 2020, all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/
For new protocols, select "applications" and for renewal or amendment protocols, select "events."
UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx.
Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications.
Note: All investigators are reminded that any deviations in animal use, including unexpected mortality, must be reported to the ACC and University Veterinarian Jonathan Spears at 902-620-5026.
This university-level orientation is meant for all newly hired faculty of all ranks and tracks. This event complements the orientation sessions organized by Human Resources and any orientation programming offered by your unit. Our event will feature a large cast of senior administrators, colleagues from a variety of teaching, research, and support units as well as the UPEIFA, our faculty union. In addition to welcoming remarks and a review of key university policies, New Faculty Orientation sessions will include background information and tips to support faculty and student success to help your transition to UPEI be as smooth as possible. Mark your calendar for the afternoons of Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30, from 1:00 to 4:30, and join us in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex, Room 230.
The Department of Physics is pleased to announce the return of public telescope viewings for the first time since the pandemic started.
We will be setting up our solar telescopes outside the entrance to FSDE every Thursday at noon in August (weather permitting). These events will feature the debut of our new "Sunspotter" telescope that projects a white light image of the sun, plus our old faithful hydrogen-alpha telescope that lets us view the solar atmosphere in red light.
Find more information, visit https://projects.upei.ca/astronomy/
If there are any clouds on the day of the viewing, check our website for updates in case of cancellation.
The deadline for Fall 2022 Tuition Waivers is Friday, August 19, 2022. We encourage you to have your tuition waiver submitted as soon as possible to assist in the timely processing. Tuition Waiver forms must be submitted electronically.
Online Employee and Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver fillable forms can be found on the main page of MyUPEI under UPEI Forms.
If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at: (902) 566-0514 or hrgeneral@upei.ca.
Notice from Facilities Management
Troy Life & Fire Safety is performing the annual fire alarm inspections throughout campus. As part of these inspections, there will be testing of alarms. There will be an audible notification stating that "this is a test" at the beginning and completion of testing. The building occupants are not required to evacuate during the testing period. The ringing of alarms is required to test their function and to ensure the speakers work throughout the building. This will be a small portion (up to 2 hours) of the total time they are in the building.
Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre – June 22
Cass Science Hall – June 22
Don and Marion McDougall Hall – June 23
SDU Main Building – June 24
Dalton Hall – June 28
Memorial Hall – June 28
Steel Building – June 29
Duffy Science Centre – June 29 and June 30
Central Utility Building – July 4 and July 5
Robertson Library - July 5 and July 6
Kelley Memorial Building – July 6
Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering – July 7
Atlantic Veterinary College – August 15 - 19
Bill and Denise Andrew Hall – August 22 and 23
Bernardine Hall – August 24
Blanchard Hall – August 25
Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall – August 26
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is interviewing two candidates for a tenure-track position in Engineering Design. Each candidate is invited to provide a public presentation, and everyone is welcome to attend. Dr. Scott Flemming will present on August 11, 2022, at 9:30 am, and Dr. Stephanie Roth on August 12, at 10 am, both in FSDE 205.
Below is information regarding their respective presentations:
Dr. Scott Flemming (9:30 am August 11, 2022, FSDE 205)
A robust problem definition is crucial to creating sustainable engineering designs. Poorly defined projects, of course, often result in a significant waste of many kinds of resources. In addition, stakeholder and client needs must be well considered when defining a problem: poor attention to these requirements often results in solutions that simply do not work for clients, and even solutions that work against client needs and desires. While the literature suggests problem definition is extremely important, it is also evident that there are too few supports to help designers and design teams define problems well. In this talk, Dr. Flemming discusses ways of describing problems in general (in terms of goals, constraints, variables, and strategies), tools that can be used to explore problem spaces and client needs, and a method of categorizing design spaces that can aid problem recognition (The Universe of Problems Approach). The author argues that if such supports are used, engineers will design more sustainable solutions in terms of both resource waste and the fulfilling of stakeholder needs. This talk will include the description of a study which was designed to assess the efficacy of the Universe of Problems Approach. Results of this study suggest that when novices (second-year students) are presented with opportunities to explore key problems in their field, their problem definition ability is comparable to that of the more senior years (fourth- and fifth-year students). Without exploration of these key models, novices perform statistically worse in a problem definition task than their upper-year counterparts.
Dr. Stephanie Roth (10:00 am August 12, 2022, FSDE 205)
Engineering design and development of a gaseous pollution control device (GPCD); with emphasis on sustainability and human health implications.
Ambient air pollution is a worldwide problem on a scale such that air pollution is now a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality. Pollution is not limited to the outdoor environment, but infiltrates inside impacting the air where people live and work.
One gaseous pollutant, nitrogen oxides (NOx), is selected as a focal point. To establish its merit, research examined NOx’s influence on sustainability and human health. Findings establish NOx as an encompassing indicator for global sustainability and a metric for gauging progress towards decarbonization. Additionally, a review of health literature indicated an astounding number and variety of negative health impacts resulting from ambient NOx exposure, with risks of mental health effects exceeding physical impacts. The identification of sustainability and human health implications of ambient NOx clearly establishes a need to reduce ambient levels worldwide.
Indoor air quality can be improved through numerous avenues, but no current methods or technologies are capable of removing ambient NOx in a safe, sustainable fashion. Photocatalytic removal is potentially effective in removing NOx, and a patented photocatalyst offers solutions to the barriers that have prevented effective NOx removal with existing technologies. Engineering design was undertaken to develop a Gaseous Pollution Control Device (GPCD) prototype, including the importance of sustainability considerations throughout the design process. The final prototype design has been patented and rigorously tested in the lab. Commercial versions of the GPCD units were professionally manufactured. These units were then validated in industrial pilot tests that confirmed the real-world efficacy of the GPCD in removing ambient NOx, and other gaseous pollutants. Implementing the GPCD for indoor ambient air purification will safely and effectively reduce indoor pollutant concentrations and enhance health for individuals in the local environment.
