Health, Safety and Environment is holding a UPEI Basic Biosafety Training session.

Topics to be covered include basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. This session is open to everyone including graduate students.

To attend the Basic Biosafety course, you must pre-register by contacting Shelly Kavanagh, before the end of the day February 19, 2021 by email (shkavanagh@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901).

Please provide your name, department, your supervisor’s name (if applicable), email address, and phone number in your email or voice message.  Please indicate if you are a graduate student.

Please take note of our unit closures and operational hours during Reading Week:

AVC Cafe

CLOSED February 11 to 12 for the Mid-Semester Break and February 15 for Islander Day

Regular Hours resume Tuesday, February 16 | 8am - 3pm 

Tim Hortons

CLOSED February 15 - 19 for Reading Week

Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall

February 15 - 19 | 9:30am - 9pm

February is Black History Month and the Black Cultural Society of PEI has a month of programming planned to engage and educate about the many cultures which make up the Island’s Black community.

This year’s theme is "celebrating our heritage for the culture", and the month will feature in-person and online events for Islanders to participate in, including several at UPEI. 

On Thursday, February 25, 2021, join the community for the BHM @UPEI Tap Takeover with Kierrah Celeste, from 7-9 pm at the Fox & Crow, UPEI's campus pub and café.

View the full Black History Month calendar on the Black Cultural Society of PEI website.

Scheduled Decommissioning of service - people.upei.ca - April 28, 2021

ITSS will be decommissioning a personal website hosting service called people.upei.ca on April 28, 2021. 

ITSS will also be contacting staff and faculty that have updated their personal website on people.upei.ca in the last 12 months to inform them of the change. This campus notice is to alert people that may have an account on people.upei.ca but have not updated it in several years.

If you need assistance in recovering your files on people.upei.ca then please contact helpdesk@upei.ca with the Email Subject : people.upei.ca and a member of the IT team will get back to you with options for receiving the files.

If you have any additional questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.

Project Management 2020 delivers a balance of "core" project management knowledge and skills.  These are blended with practical learning on key interpersonal skills essential to achieve successful project goals.

PM2020 is aligned with the most recent proposed Project Management Institute (PMI) body of knowledge (PMBOK).  The program delves into challenges that project managers face, such as managing stakeholders, defining the value of the project, dealing with conflict, and managing quality.

Over an intense two-day course you experience a practical opportunity to bring your project into a workshop and learn how to increase your success, using professional templates while collaborating in a supportive environment.

To register for an “in-person” course: 

1. Create an account or sign in to EDGE by clicking here
2. After signing in, click on ‘Catalog’ tab on your dashboard
3. You can then search and register for the course you are interested in by clicking the ‘Enroll’ tab 
4. You then need to choose available sessions at a location you prefer to finalise your registration

Please join us for the Master of Science thesis defense of Daniela Losada in Molecular and Macromolecular Sciences.  

TITLE OF THESIS: "Identification, tissue characterization and innate immune role of Angiogenin-4 expression in young broiler chickens”

ABSTRACT: Intestinal epithelial cells are major producers of antimicrobial proteins, which play an important role in innate immunity. Ribonuclease A superfamily members are a class of important antimicrobial proteins that are involved in host-defense mechanisms in vertebrates. Angiogenin-4 (Ang4), a member of this RNase superfamily, has been demonstrated to be secreted by Paneth and goblet cells in mice. This thesis shows the successful cloning and characterization of the Ang4 gene in chickens, referred to as chicken (ch) Ang4. Ang4 was found for the first time in a non-mammalian species and chAng4 mRNA expression was detected in chicken intestinal epithelial and lymphoid cells. Characterization of chAng4 revealed 99% nucleotide and 97% amino acid sequence homology to mouse (m) Ang4. The similarities in putative functional regions with mAng4 suggest a role of chAng4 in innate immunity and in the regulation of gut microbiota. Furthermore, the mRNA expression pattern of chAng4 was studied in broilers in the presence and absence of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and organic acids. The results showed that the highest level of chAng4 mRNA expression occurred in the bursa of Fabricius of one-day-old chickens. At the age of 1 day, chAng4 mRNA expression was already observed in crop, proventriculus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and cecal tonsils. Broilers that were supplemented with probiotics and organic acids for only 7 days showed higher levels of chAng4 expression in crop, proventriculus and jejunum, when compared with those supplemented for 14 days. In addition, chickens that were not treated with probiotics and organic acids had a constant high level of expression of chAng4 mRNA in cecal tonsils and bursa throughout the study. chAng4 mRNA expression was associated with naturally occurring (non-supplemented) bacteria and with supplemented (probiotic) bacteria in chicken drinking water. In conclusion, we were able to identify and characterize a new antimicrobial gene (chAng4) throughout the gastrointestinal tract of chickens. The encoded chAng4 protein is thought to have a potential bactericidal effect against intestinal non-pathogenic and pathogenic microbes, hence modulating the intestinal microbiota and the innate immune system of chickens. chAng4 may help minimize the use of antibiotics in poultry feed.

Anyone who wishes to attend the public presentation should contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator at gsc@upei.ca to receive the link to the meeting.

The entire University of Prince Edward Island community was saddened to learn of the passing of UPEI Founder and retired faculty member Daryl Guignion on February 8, 2021. The flags in front of the Kelley Memorial Building have been lowered to half-mast in his memory. 

Donations in Mr. Guignion’s memory can be made to the Island Nature Trust or the Daryl Guignion and Ian MacQuarrie Graduate Scholarship in Science at UPEI. Online condolences may be made and his obituary viewed at www.macleanfh.com

UPEI sends its deepest condolences to Mr. Guignion’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Read the full message 

Join us for Ash Wednesday Mass at Steel Recital Hall, at 12:05 or 4:05pm

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we can only welcome 34 people, and are asking you to sign up here in advance.  Please do so before the end of the day on Tuesday, February 16th.

Please arrive early on February 17th to avoid crowding, as we check your name off the list.

Online tutoring appointments will be available through reading week, including evenings, weekends, and Islander Day!  See our schedule at upei.mywconline.com to make an appointment.

If you're looking to take a break from your skiing, snowshoeing, shivering, shovelling, and sleeping to work on some assignments, our tutors can help you at all stages of the writing or research process.  Keep us in mind.

Enjoy your break!

Health, Safety and Environment is holding a UPEI Basic Biosafety Training session.

Topics to be covered include basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. This session is open to everyone including graduate students.

To attend the Basic Biosafety course, you must pre-register by contacting Shelly Kavanagh, before the end of the day February 19, 2021 by email (shkavanagh@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901).

Please provide your name, department, your supervisor’s name (if applicable), email address, and phone number in your email or voice message.  Please indicate if you are a graduate student.

Please take note of our unit closures and operational hours during Reading Week:

AVC Cafe

CLOSED February 11 to 12 for the Mid-Semester Break and February 15 for Islander Day

Regular Hours resume Tuesday, February 16 | 8am - 3pm 

Tim Hortons

CLOSED February 15 - 19 for Reading Week

Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall

February 15 - 19 | 9:30am - 9pm

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, March 5th for the March 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’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they 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.

You could win 1 of 5 $50 Visa Gift Cards!

UPEI alumnus Aaron Rainnie, now a medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, is completing research about Type 1 Diabetes targeted towards young adults (18–24 year-olds). 

If you are between 18 and 24, please consider taking this quick survey on Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Ketoacidosis created through the Janeway Pediatric Research Unit at MUN. It will help improve future knowledge translation initiatives, AND you could win 1 of 5 $50 Visa Gift Cards!

Find more information here.

The E-Learning Multimedia Development Grant is being offered for the third time as an opportunity for faculty and staff members to create a multimedia course resource with the help of the E-Learning Instructional Multimedia Specialist. 

Find out more about the grant here.

If you have questions related to your multimedia project ideas, please contact Kristy McKinney at kmckinney@upei.ca.

Closing date for applications is March 12, 2021 and completed application forms can be sent to dmoses@upei.ca with the subject line “E-Learning Multimedia Development Grant Application 2021.”

Compute Canada Federation will be offering an introductory digital research series for humanities and social sciences researchers.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/compute-canada-federation-humanities-and-social-sciences-series-winter-2021-tickets-133111483029

About this Event

This is an introductory, beginner-level digital research workshop series for humanities and social sciences (HSS) researchers. Advanced digital tools available through the Compute Canada Federation will be discussed, as well as some out-of-the-box tools available to Canadian researchers, and additional information and techniques relevant for digital research projects. Registrants can attend as many or as few of the 8 sessions as they wish. Sessions will all be delivered in English, but those indicated with an asterisk will have presentation materials available in French and attendees will be able to ask and receive answers to questions in French.

The 8 sessions are as follows:

• *Introduction to Compute Canada for HSS Researchers, 16 February, 12:00–1:00 pm ET
• *Cloud Applications for HSS, 16 February, 2:30–3:30 pm ET
• *Data Management Plans for HSS, 17 February, 12:00–1:00 pm ET
• *Project Management for HSS, 17 February, 2:30–3:30 pm ET
• *Out(side) of the Box - Online Tools for HSS, 18 February, 12:00–1:00 pm ET
• *Taming the Command Line, 18 February, 2:30–5:30 pm ET
• Introduction to Photogrammetry, 19 February, 12:00–1:30 pm ET
• Introduction to Web Scraping, 19 February, 2:30–4:00 pm ET

Course details and materials for each sessions can be found here: https://hss-series.netlify.app/

Participants must register using their institutional email address. Personal/gmail addresses will not be accepted.

The registration form will ask you to indicate which courses you plan to attend.

For further information, please contact lydia.vermeyden@ace-net.ca or megan.lobay@ubc.ca

________________________________________

Cette série de huit ateliers s’adresse aux chercheuses et chercheurs qui veulent utiliser des outils numériques dans leur projet de recherche en sciences humaines et sociales. Nous décrirons les ressources et services offerts par l’infrastructure nationale de la fédération Calcul Canada et vous présenterons des outils en ligne que vous pouvez utiliser dès aujourd’hui. Nous aurons aussi des trucs et astuces pour bien préparer et mener votre projet. Vous pouvez vous inscrire à autant d’ateliers que vous voulez. Les présentations se feront en anglais. Toutefois, dans le cas des ateliers marqués d’un astérisque (*), le contenu sera traduit et vous pourrez poser vos questions en français.

Les huit ateliers sont :

• * La fédération Calcul Canada au service de la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales, mardi, 16 février, 12 h 00 - 13 h 00 HE
• * L'infonuagique pour la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales, mardi, 16 février, 14 h 30 - 15 h 30 HE
• * Un plan de gestion des données pour la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales, mercredi, 17 février, 12 h 00 - 13 h 00 HE
• * Gestion des projets de recherche en sciences humaines et sociales, mercredi, 17 février, 14 h 30-15 h 30 HE
• * Des outils conviviaux pour la recherche en humanités numériques, jeudi, 18 février, 12 h 00 - 13 h 00 HE
• * Apprivoiser la ligne de commande, jeudi, 18 février, 14 h 30 - 17 h 30 HE
• Introduction à la photogrammétrie, vendredi, 19 février, 12 h 00 - 13 h 30 HE
• Introduction au moissonnage du Web, vendredi, 19 février, 14 h 30-16 h 00 HE

Vous trouverez les détails et le matériel pour les ateliers sur https://hss-series.netlify.app/

Vous devez vous inscrire en utilisant votre adresse de courriel avec votre établissement ou organisation. Les demandes d’inscription faites avec une adresse de courriel personnelle seront refusées.

Indiquez dans le formulaire les ateliers auxquels vous voulez participer.

Pour plus d’information, écrivez à pier-luc.st-onge@calculquebec.ca

Join us for Ash Wednesday Mass at Steel Recital Hall, at 12:05 or 4:05pm

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we can only welcome 34 people, and are asking you to sign up here in advance.  Please do so before the end of the day on Tuesday, February 16th.

Please arrive early on February 17th to avoid crowding, as we check your name off the list.

UPEI concussion research study seeks participants:

Charlottetown, PEI — A UPEI research group is seeking participants for a study to test a new method for assessing head injuries. Participants must be aged 16 to 27 years of age.

The team is looking for participants in the following categories:

1. Healthy people (non-concussed, no known chronic diseases)
2. People who have had a concussion within the last 36 hours
3. People who have had concussion symptoms for longer than three months but less than six months
4. People who have had a bone fracture within the last 36 hours
5. Boxers active in competition

Please contact 902-620-5215 or concussion@upei.ca if you are interested in participating in the study.

The Healthy Campus Committee, as part of the Employee Wellness Strategy, will be providing Yoga & Fascial Release Classes  for UPEI Faculty and Staff. Brenda Dowel, Yoga Teacher E-RYT-1000 and Licensed Holistic Practitioner  will lead the four part series of 90-minute classes with a focused approach.

BACK & CORE:  Wednesdays 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm, February 24, March 3, 10 and 17. FOUR (4) spaces available. Currently have 4 spaces available.

This series will include a comprehensive approach to the entire body while focusing on a particular area for optimal health and vitality.  

•  Grounding; Psoas Release; Centering 
•  Stretching what is tight and strengthening what is weak
•  Fascial Stretching and Myofascial Releases, Yoga & Conditioning Movements
•  Fluid and static movements for the Fascia/Connective Tissue
•  Recognizing and addressing unhealthy movement patterns
•  Relaxation and Integration

The free programming is offered to UPEI staff and faculty only on a first registration basis. To register please email Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca 

Please take note of our unit closures and operational hours during Reading Week:

AVC Cafe

CLOSED February 11 to 12 for the Mid-Semester Break and February 15 for Islander Day

Regular Hours resume Tuesday, February 16 | 8am - 3pm 

Tim Hortons

CLOSED February 15 - 19 for Reading Week

Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall

February 15 - 19 | 9:30am - 9pm

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, March 5th for the March 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’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they 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.