UPEI is the first university in the country to launch "I'm Ready," a project working to eradicate HIV in Canada.

The study is sharing HIV self-testing kits and asking questions from the people who will use them so they can learn how to improve HIV testing and care in Canada.  Participation in "I'm Ready" is anonymous, and you control your own pathway through the program.  You will have access to a self-test and information/support.

If you are interested in this project, you need to download the I'm Ready, Test mobile app.

Once you have downloaded the I’m Ready, Test mobile app, you’ll be asked to  

1. consent to be part of the program, create a profile, and answer a pre-test survey; 

2. choose to have up to three self-test kits delivered to your home or another address, or opt to pick up a single kit at any one of our pickup locations (UPEI Health and Wellness Centre). If you already have a kit, continue to step #3. 

3. Once you have your self-test kit, open your I’m Ready, Test app again. You’ll then follow the steps in the app and use the test kit’s instructions to take the self-test; 

4. When you’re completed the test, you’ll record your result in the app anonymously and continue on in the app to access more information to keep you healthy by treating or preventing HIV. 

We’ll also send you follow-up surveys through the app to ask about where you’re at and whether you’ve accessed care and supports.  

You can pick up test kits from the registered nurse at the Health and Wellness Centre beginning December 12th.  

December 13, 14, 15, and 16, 12:00 to 4:00 pm Atlantic

This is a beginner-level workshop series that is hands-on, covering the fundamentals of Unix command line and basic genomic skills for short-read sequence data. Participants will learn how to do quality assessment, read trimming and filtering, data management, and task automation on the high-performance computing infrastructure resources from the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (formerly Compute Canada). Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems. The workshop will cover a variant calling pipeline, and participants will learn skills that will be broadly applicable to other genomics tasks.

For details and registration, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/acenet-and-mgf-introduction-to-genomics-data-organization-and-analysis-tickets-427305721917 

The UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment department (HSE) is offering Standard and Emergency First Aid/CPR training sessions:

Emergency First Aid/CPR
January 11, 2023
8:30 am–4:00 pm
AH 142

This basic one-day course offers lifesaving first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. 

Standard First Aid/CPR
January 12 and 13, 2023
8:30 am–4:00 pm
AH 142

This comprehensive two-day course offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement (high-risk areas such as labs).

The cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, including students who require training for on-campus employment. Students who do not require training for on-campus employment are welcome to attend; however, the cost of registration will not be covered. Please note that lunch will not be provided.

As space is limited, please pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day Wednesday, January 4, 2023, via email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901).

As announced by President Keefe in his campus message of December 1, this year marks the return of the Festive Holiday Luncheon for UPEI faculty and staff. It will take place on December 21, from 11 am to 1:30 pm, in the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall. The cost is $15.99 (plus tax). Please RSVP to Marc Doiron by December 13 at marc.doiron@compass-canada.com.

Departments may charge the lunch to their discretionary budgets for their employees ($15.99 plus tax per employee). Alternatively, if departments wish to host a celebration off-campus during the holiday season, they can charge up to an equivalent amount of $15.99 (plus tax per employee) to their discretionary budgets.

Dr. Ziad Alostaz, a candidate for a tenure-track faculty position (competition #10A22) with the Faculty of Nursing, will give two public presentations on Thursday, December 15, 2022.

Public Teaching Presentation: Teaching and Scholarship in the Faculty of Nursing on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 10:30 am in the Atlantic Veterinary College, Room 207N

Public Research Presentation: Building a Program of Research at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Prince Edward Island on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 2:00 pm in the Health Science Building, Room 104

All are welcome to attend.

The search committee for the Dean of Nursing has arranged the video presentations for candidates Dr. Christina Murray and Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy.

Dr. Murray's presentation can be viewed at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TWjj2XstokolKeY8jNwjb6xylnxcg16s/view

Dr. Goldsworthy's presentation can be viewed at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IMnLsjpanlrJQNqvzxJ9HrLmglcVB1_F/view

The committee welcomes your feedback on the candidates. Please send feedback by email to vpar@upei.ca by 4:00 pm on Monday, December 12, 2022.

All feedback remains confidential.

The UPEI Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Vocal Ensemble, and Music Alumni, under the musical direction of Sung Ha Shin-Bouey and assisted by pianist Leo Marchildon, will present a concert featuring an eclectic mix of choral music and Christmas repertoire.

Included in the program are Handel’s “The King Shall Rejoice”, “Candlelight Carol” by John Rutter, and Gjeilo’s “O Magnum Mysterium” for mixed chorus and cello solo featuring Natalie Williams Calhoun, among many other choral gems. 

The recital takes place at 7:30 pm on Friday, December 9, at Dr. Steel Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, and will be available for purchase with cash at the door on the night of the event.

Please see the link below for faculty to submit their expression of interest in a faculty-led international experience. 

Your expression of interest application will be reviewed by the selection committee on Monday, December 12, and you will be notified that day of their decision. From there, a formal proposal will be submitted (deadline TBD).

In the past, these experiences have been conducted in May, and we call them Maymesters (see examples in Maymester under Study Abroad Programs). 

Click here to submit your expression of interest in a faculty-led international experience. The deadline is December 9, 2022, for May 2024.

Expression of interest applications are closed for 2023 but are currently open for 2024. 

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw continues to grow! With no winners in the last EIGHT draws, the total pot has grown to more than $13,200—the highest it's ever been—with half going to the winner of Saturday night's draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic programs. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8 pm every Saturday.

DYK that assistance in developing a SoTL proposal for this grant program is available through the UPEI Teaching and Learning Centre? 

The Internal SoTL Research Grant (ISRG) program supports research pursuits in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) through the funding of fully developed research proposals. Researchers are encouraged to provide high-quality student training opportunities and to propose collaborations with others from different, but complementary, disciplines.  

VALUE: up to $1,500 for a two-year term. ISRG proposals for lesser amounts will be considered favourably.  

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 13, 2022, by 4 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Program guidelines and application instructions can be found at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/resources-and-tools/internal-funding.

UPEI is the first university in the country to launch "I'm Ready," a project working to eradicate HIV in Canada.

The study is sharing HIV self-testing kits and asking questions from the people who will use them so they can learn how to improve HIV testing and care in Canada.  Participation in "I'm Ready" is anonymous, and you control your own pathway through the program.  You will have access to a self-test and information/support.

If you are interested in this project, you need to download the I'm Ready, Test mobile app.

Once you have downloaded the I’m Ready, Test mobile app, you’ll be asked to  

1. consent to be part of the program, create a profile, and answer a pre-test survey; 

2. choose to have up to three self-test kits delivered to your home or another address, or opt to pick up a single kit at any one of our pickup locations (UPEI Health and Wellness Centre). If you already have a kit, continue to step #3. 

3. Once you have your self-test kit, open your I’m Ready, Test app again. You’ll then follow the steps in the app and use the test kit’s instructions to take the self-test; 

4. When you’re completed the test, you’ll record your result in the app anonymously and continue on in the app to access more information to keep you healthy by treating or preventing HIV. 

We’ll also send you follow-up surveys through the app to ask about where you’re at and whether you’ve accessed care and supports.  

You can pick up test kits from the registered nurse at the Health and Wellness Centre beginning December 12th.  

Today is the last day to sign up as a mentor for the Study & Stay PEI Program! 

If you're a working professional and passionate about sharing your valuable knowledge, skills, and experience with international students in PEI, you can now sign up as a mentor here: https://forms.gle/t8kAwSJ1esQEGHZP7. 

As a mentor, you will be helping our international students apply what they’ve learned, build more connections, and gain a deeper understanding of PEI’s workplace culture. Please contact us at studyandstaypei@upei.ca if you have any questions. Thank you. 

Cette recherche, menée par Dre Rachelle Gauthier de la Faculté d'Éducation (ragauthier@upei.ca), vise à mieux comprendre la diversité qui existe dans nos connexions à la francophonie insulaire. Si vous avez 18 ans ou plus et que vous ressentez une connexion quelconque envers la francophonie de cette province, vous êtes invités à participer à la phase 1 de ce projet, qui est un bref sondage (neuf questions). Le lien envers la lettre de consentement est ici: http://surl.li/dnupp

(Materials available in English upon request, to ragauthier@upei.ca)

Merci beaucoup de votre participation! 

As announced by President Keefe in his campus message of December 1, this year marks the return of the Festive Holiday Luncheon for UPEI faculty and staff. It will take place on December 21, from 11 am to 1:30 pm, in the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall. The cost is $15.99 (plus tax). Please RSVP to Marc Doiron by December 13 at marc.doiron@compass-canada.com.

Departments may charge the lunch to their discretionary budgets for their employees ($15.99 plus tax per employee). Alternatively, if departments wish to host a celebration off-campus during the holiday season, they can charge up to an equivalent amount of $15.99 (plus tax per employee) to their discretionary budgets.

PhD Thesis Defence

Presenter: Paula Tummon Flynn

Title of the Thesis: "The Fate of a Unique Strain of Irish Moss: Exploring the Role of Direct and Indirect Interactions with Crustaceans in a Marine Protected Area"

Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 9:30 am

Location: AVC 286C-N

Everyone is welcome!

The search committee for the Dean of Nursing has arranged the video presentations for candidates Dr. Christina Murray and Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy.

Dr. Murray's presentation can be viewed at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TWjj2XstokolKeY8jNwjb6xylnxcg16s/view

Dr. Goldsworthy's presentation can be viewed at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IMnLsjpanlrJQNqvzxJ9HrLmglcVB1_F/view

The committee welcomes your feedback on the candidates. Please send feedback by email to vpar@upei.ca by 4:00 pm on Monday, December 12, 2022.

All feedback remains confidential.

The UPEI Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Vocal Ensemble, and Music Alumni, under the musical direction of Sung Ha Shin-Bouey and assisted by pianist Leo Marchildon, will present a concert featuring an eclectic mix of choral music and Christmas repertoire.

Included in the program are Handel’s “The King Shall Rejoice”, “Candlelight Carol” by John Rutter, and Gjeilo’s “O Magnum Mysterium” for mixed chorus and cello solo featuring Natalie Williams Calhoun, among many other choral gems. 

The recital takes place at 7:30 pm on Friday, December 9, at Dr. Steel Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, and will be available for purchase with cash at the door on the night of the event.

The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is pleased to announce an upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) thesis defense on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 9:00 am.  Dr. Amy Hsiao and Dr. Grant McSorley's student, Lucas Gallant, will defend his thesis titled "Process parameter experimentation to optimize the surface roughness of 316L stainless steel complex geometries in direct metal laser sintering."

ABSTRACT:

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is an established technology in metal additive manufacturing (AM), where metal AM is rapidly rising in industrial use, research and development, and academic research. Continued research is needed to better understand the process and print properties to control and improve build parameters and as-built part quality. Characteristic defects in as-built parts of porosity, residual stress, and surface roughness (SR), namely for overhang geometries with downward-facing surfaces, can lead to part failures and reduced mechanical or related performance. Improving as-built roughness through informed process parameter selection and optimization, without compromising density, can reduce post-processing time and support material while improving part quality and performance. This thesis presents the experimental development of process parameters for the holistic minimization of as-built SR of 316L stainless steel DMLS prints and subsequent verification through application to a developed complex design. An initial benchmarking study of DMLS printers using a novel test artifact is included, followed by SR-focused experiments of N2 and Ar shielding gas, two powder sizes, and optimization of main laser exposure parameters using design of experiments tools. Characterization includes profilometry, 3D scanning, mechanical property measurement, optical microscopy, and residual stress deflection. The resulting optimized down-facing surface (‘downskin’) arithmetical average height roughness (Ra) was measured and found to be reduced by 28%. An upward-facing surface (‘upskin’) Ra below 5 µm is achieved for limited surfaces. The DMLS print parameters were used to improve the downskin roughness and pressure drop characteristics of a novel graded cell-size gyroid heat exchanger design.

The presentation and examination will be held in person in FSDE 223 with limited space but will also be available via Zoom. To receive the Zoom link to view the presentation, please contact Lisa Sanderson at lmsanderson@upei.ca

Please see the link below for faculty to submit their expression of interest in a faculty-led international experience. 

Your expression of interest application will be reviewed by the selection committee on Monday, December 12, and you will be notified that day of their decision. From there, a formal proposal will be submitted (deadline TBD).

In the past, these experiences have been conducted in May, and we call them Maymesters (see examples in Maymester under Study Abroad Programs). 

Click here to submit your expression of interest in a faculty-led international experience. The deadline is December 9, 2022, for May 2024.

Expression of interest applications are closed for 2023 but are currently open for 2024. 

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw continues to grow! With no winners in the last EIGHT draws, the total pot has grown to more than $13,200—the highest it's ever been—with half going to the winner of Saturday night's draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic programs. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8 pm every Saturday.