The office of the VP Academic and Research is looking to determine if there is sufficient interest from undergraduate students to hold an Undergraduate Research Days (URD) event. UPEI URD is anticipated to be scheduled over 1 or 2 days during the week of August 9th. The event would be held in virtual format, and students would provide a PowerPoint presentation of approximately 10 minutes over Zoom. Presentations would be judged with prizes available for the top participants.

Students interested in participating are requested to complete this short form before June 29, 2021.  This information will be used for planning purposes, and if interest is sufficient, a formal call for UPEI URD will be issued in July.

CHANGE is a lifestyle intervention developed by Metabolic Syndrome Canada for individuals living with or at risk of Metabolic Syndrome. This year-long program supports people who have 2-3/5 of the following conditions: diabetes (or prediabetes), high blood pressure, carry excess weight in their abdomen, have low "good" cholesterol (HDLs) or high "bad" cholesterol (LDL's).  The program is being offered across communities in PEI and is free. You will spend 2.0 hours per week initially with a registered dietitian and kinesiologist. After the first 12 weeks, you will meet bi-weekly for 12 weeks, tri-weekly for 12 weeks, and then every 4 weeks until the program is completed at week 52. At 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months you will have detailed assessments including a walk test, strength/flexibility tests, diet scores, measurements of biometrics such as blood, weight, BMI and mental health questionnaires. The program focuses on your individual level of health and supports you to adopt a healthy Mediterranean Diet as well as incorporate exercise into your routine.

For more information email CHANGE@upei.ca or telephone 902-620-5156.

Have you ever been impacted by extreme weather or natural disasters on PEI? Were you able to get the information and the help you needed at the right times? 

We are looking for interview study participants who will share their experiences about how they prepare and respond to these types of events. The information you share with us feed into a design process to create new interactive technologies to help citizens during storms, flash floods or other types of disasters that we increasingly need to respond to in 2021.

We are looking for people who are: fluent in English, 18 years of age or older, live or have lived on PEI  and have experienced an extreme weather or natural disaster event on PEI they would be comfortable speaking about.  Participants for this study also must have reliable internet connection as interviews will be conducted online.  

Interviews will take about 30 minutes to complete and participants will be compensated with an 8Gb USB key worth approximately $12 for their time.  Participants will also be given the opportunity to join in future community co-design sessions for the new technology!

If you would like to improve preparedness and response of Islanders to natural disasters, please contact Choyce Chappell (cachappell@upei.ca) or Christopher Power (cdspower@upei.ca) to set up an interview between 1 June 2021 and 15 July 2021.

STAFF & FACULTY - Register now for an Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) Orientation Webinar

Our EFAP provider, LifeWorks by Morneau Shepell, has created orientation webinars for any Employee, Faculty member, and their dependents that want to know more about how their UPEI EFAP benefits work. These general overview sessions are offered in both English and French at no cost to participants.

2021 dates offered: January 27, February 18, March 24, April 15, May 26, June 23, July 15, and October 14.

To register

1. Click this link to view the brochure.
2. Choose the best date (please note the time zone is listed in EST).
3. Click the date to open the registration window.
4. You will receive an email confirmation that has the log-in and call-in details.

EFAP offers a short-term, solution-focused approach to professional counselling to assist you in resolving your concerns and issues. EFAP provides counselling that best suits your needs and busy schedules, whether it is in person, by telephone, or online [E-Counselling], as well as immediate help with crises.  In addition to professional counseling, employees and their eligible family members can access a wide range of programs that provide telephonic consultation with qualified advisors who can help answer questions and clarify concerns that affect us all. Services include Legal, Financial, Family, and Nutritional.

For EFAP Counselling, WorkLife Programs, and Information Services 24 hours a day / 7 days a week / 365 days a year, call:

English: 1-844-880-9142 Visit: www.workhealthlife.com

More information on the UPEI EFAP benefit can be found on the MyUPEI website here.

The office of the VP Academic and Research is looking to determine if there is sufficient interest from undergraduate students to hold an Undergraduate Research Days (URD) event. UPEI URD is anticipated to be scheduled over 1 or 2 days during the week of August 9th. The event would be held in virtual format, and students would provide a PowerPoint presentation of approximately 10 minutes over Zoom. Presentations would be judged with prizes available for the top participants.

Students interested in participating are requested to complete this short form before June 29, 2021.  This information will be used for planning purposes, and if interest is sufficient, a formal call for UPEI URD will be issued in July.

UPEI Research Services and the Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation are pleased to host a virtual session with Niraj Shukla, Mitacs Director, Business Development and Team Lead, Atlantic. Niraj will provide details on the recent updates to the Mitacs programs.  The virtual presentation will be held on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 10- 11 am. With recently announced funding increases, several key programs have expanded partner and student eligibility.  This session may be of interest to any researchers hoping to develop or expand partnerships with industry, not-for-profit, or other partners.

Please pre-register to attend the session by emailing: researchservices@upei.ca.

UPEI has developed and implemented a comprehensive Hearing Conservation Program (HCP).

Fortunately, noise exposure can be controlled. Every effort should be made to use quieter processes, machinery, or equipment.

As part of the UPEI HCP, audiometric testing will take place the morning of July 5, 2021 and the afternoon of July 8th, 2021 at the Kelley Memorial Building Room 313. These tests take approximately ten minutes to complete.  It is important to have your hearing tested annually. All are welcome to attend.

Please pre-register for audiometric testing by contacting Shelly Kavanagh at shkavanagh@upei.ca  or 902-566-0901.

Learn more about UPEI's Hearing Conservation here.

This presentation provides an introduction to workplace mental health and safety. It includes a high-level introduction to mental health awareness and responding to some common issues, as well as accommodation, return to work, and the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Consider mental health and safety as an important part of overall health and safety.

• Better understand mental health and common mental health problems in terms of balance.

• Better understand the mental health accommodations and the National Standard.

Facilitator:  Les Wagner, Canadian Mental Health Association

Tuesday, June 22   9:00 am - Noon

Location:   Zoom or in person at AVC Lecture Theater A 201N

To register for this workshop please contact Sondra Gantner at sgantner@upei.ca or Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca.  This workshop provided by Healthy Campus Committee via UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy.

June is Pride Month and this is the 51st year that Pride is celebrated.  Pride month being held in June dates back to 1969 and the Stonewall Riots.  On the first anniversary of these riots, they began to celebrate Pride in New York and it has spread around the world. The idea is to support our LGBTQ2+ communities.

Visitors to the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre may not know that we prescribe PrEP at the health centre. PrEP is pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is a medication that people at risk of contracting HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sexual contact or injection drug use. If taken as prescribed, PrEP is very effective in preventing  HIV infections.

If you are wondering if PrEP is right for you make an appointment at the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre:  healthcentre@upei.ca; 902-566-0616.

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is June 19th.

Globally there are 500,000 babies born every year with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

There are more than 6,000 individuals with the disease in Canada, with the highest incidence in Ontario.

The majority of individuals affected are black.

There are more cases of SCD than Cystic Fibrosis or Hemophilia:  e.g. 3,500 Hemophilia, 4,200 cystic fibrosis across the country - there is more research and more services for both of the latter than SCD.  

With good health care and a proactive approach, individuals with SCD can live a long, healthy life.

For more information, contact the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Atlantic Canada:  https://www.facebook.com/SickleCellCAN/.

UPEI Research Services and the Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation are pleased to host a virtual session with Niraj Shukla, Mitacs Director, Business Development and Team Lead, Atlantic. Niraj will provide details on the recent updates to the Mitacs programs.  The virtual presentation will be held on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 10- 11 am. With recently announced funding increases, several key programs have expanded partner and student eligibility.  This session may be of interest to any researchers hoping to develop or expand partnerships with industry, not-for-profit, or other partners.

Please pre-register to attend the session by emailing: researchservices@upei.ca.

Did you know that 90% of young vapers in PEI (aged 16-24) began vaping using flavoured vape juice? 75% of young vapers in PEI use products with the highest available nicotine content (50-60 mg/ml). 1 vape pod = 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine.  

Vaping is not an approved cessation method. If you vape, consider making a plan to quit. If you don’t vape, don’t start. Talk to your healthcare provider about help or contact Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333,  #CommitToQuit.

For more information on the 2020-21 Youth and Young Adult Vaping Survey, visit https://pei.lung.ca/2020-21-youth-young-adult-vaping-survey.

The Government of Prince Edward Island is looking at options for establishing a rural transit service for the province. Part of this work involves conducting a public survey to gather feedback on what Islanders expect out of a service like this, what the uptake will be, and what features it should include.

Members of the UPEI community are invited to participate by visiting: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/input-wanted-from-islanders-on-rural-public-transit

The feedback from this survey will ultimately help shape how the service looks and functions and will be integral in ensuring that a solution is developed that meets the needs of those who will use it. The survey will be open until June 21.

UPEI Research Services and the Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation are pleased to host a virtual session with Niraj Shukla, Mitacs Director, Business Development and Team Lead, Atlantic. Niraj will provide details on the recent updates to the Mitacs programs.  The virtual presentation will be held on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 10- 11 am. With recently announced funding increases, several key programs have expanded partner and student eligibility.  This session may be of interest to any researchers hoping to develop or expand partnerships with industry, not-for-profit, or other partners.

Please pre-register to attend the session by emailing: researchservices@upei.ca.

June is Stroke Awareness Month.  Stroke is a medical emergency and recognizing the signs of a stroke can mean the difference between life and death, or the difference between a full recovery and a lasting disability.  Strokes can happen to anyone:  babies, teenagers, young adults to older adults.

FAST is an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke.  FAST stands for Face - is it drooping? Arms - can you raise both? Speech - is it slurred or jumbled? and Time - to cal 9-1-1 right away!!

Do not drive to the hospital - take an ambulance.

Don and Marion McDougall Hall and Atlantic Veterinary College

Wildwood Masonry will begin brick repointing on the east side of Don and Marion McDougall Hall (original building) on Monday, June 21, 2021 it is expected to take approximately 6 weeks to complete the work (weather dependent).

Following the completion of Don and Marion McDougall Hall they will relocate to the Atlantic Veterinary College and complete the east and north east walls of the South Barn. This work is expected to take approximately 4 weeks to complete (weather dependent).

The grinding work will cause some dust; therefore, the contractor will be using a dust extraction system.

The windows in the area should be kept closed during the work to keep any dust outside of the building.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034.

UPEI has developed and implemented a comprehensive Hearing Conservation Program (HCP).

Fortunately, noise exposure can be controlled. Every effort should be made to use quieter processes, machinery, or equipment.

As part of the UPEI HCP, audiometric testing will take place the morning of July 5, 2021 and the afternoon of July 8th, 2021 at the Kelley Memorial Building Room 313. These tests take approximately ten minutes to complete.  It is important to have your hearing tested annually. All are welcome to attend.

Please pre-register for audiometric testing by contacting Shelly Kavanagh at shkavanagh@upei.ca  or 902-566-0901.

Learn more about UPEI's Hearing Conservation here.

This presentation provides an introduction to workplace mental health and safety. It includes a high-level introduction to mental health awareness and responding to some common issues, as well as accommodation, return to work, and the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Consider mental health and safety as an important part of overall health and safety.

• Better understand mental health and common mental health problems in terms of balance.

• Better understand the mental health accommodations and the National Standard.

Facilitator:  Les Wagner, Canadian Mental Health Association

Tuesday, June 22   9:00 am - Noon

Location:   Zoom or in person at AVC Lecture Theater A 201N

To register for this workshop please contact Sondra Gantner at sgantner@upei.ca or Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca.  This workshop provided by Healthy Campus Committee via UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy.

This presentation provides a high-level overview of how mood impacts work.  it takes a particular focus on depression in the workplace and guides participants through the Mental Health Works 3-gear method of addressing it.  By the end of this sessions, participants will:

- Be exposed to an accessible and evidence based introduction to mood and depression

- Begin to see mood and depression in terms of balance and barriers

- Start to understand how to talk openly about depression.

Facilitators Amanda Gallant-Squires and Sarah MacEachern, Canadian Mental Health Association

Thursdays, June 17, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Location:  By zoom or  AVC Lecture Theater A 201N

To register: Please contact Sondra Gantner  at sgantner@upei.ca or Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca.  Session provided by the Healthy Campus Committee via UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy.

June is Pride month and this provides us with opportunities to support our LGBTQ2+ communities.  Pride was originally started to recognize the Stonewall Riots in New York on the one-year anniversary of the riots.  It has since spread across the world and has a month dedicated to raising awareness of issues in our LGBTQ2+ communities.  

The Transgender Community is one of those communities and at the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre, we provide Gender Affirming Care to faculty, staff, and students as well as patients across PEI who are struggling to find a primary care physician/NP to provide Gender Affirming Care.  We are located on the 2nd floor (North end) of the Murphy Building.  You can telephone us at 902-566-0616 or email us: healthcentre@upei.ca to make an appointment.