On Saturday, October 26, the UPEI Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is hosting a Sustainable Future Conference, which is the first official United Nations Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) on climate change and sustainability held in Canada. We welcome motivated youth, student, professors, activists, scientists, green entrepreneurs, sustainable developers, and anyone else who wants to get involved! The schedule for the morning:

• 9:30 am - 10:00 am: Session 1: Opening - UPEI EWB
• 10:00 am - 10:30 am: Session 1: Geneva Calder - EWB National Office; EWB'S Theory of Change: our approach to advancing solutions.
• 10:30 am - 11:00 am: Session 2: Laura Berry - The Climate Mobilization; Policy frameworks, messaging, and organizing approaches to accelerate the global transition into “Emergency Mode” to address the climate emergency.
• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Session 3: Søren Hermansen (Environmental Hero by TIME Magazine) - Island of Samsø: Community's efforts to become 100 per cent energy independent and prove to the world that it is possible for communities to become self-sufficient.
• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch

Event and Registration:

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lcoy-sustainable-future-conference-registration-73149027711?fbclid=IwAR1mPL4jVw80Av5mOJRn7sjV84ZcsFnLbF64aYQeEDCh4Y-JjH8-vNki_G8

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/384692672216859/

There will be a total water shutdown of the domestic hot and cold water in the Robertson Library, Duffy Science Centre, Memorial Hall, Kelley Memorial Building, Chaplaincy Centre and Don and Marion McDougall Hall on Saturday, October 19/19, beginning at 6:00 am. This shutdown is necessary to replace a watermain valve. The work is expected to take approximately four hours to complete.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience.

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

We are looking for individuals to participate in a research study to evaluate the test-retest reliability of our driving simulator. 

In order to participate in this research project, you must be aged 18 years or older, hold a current drivers license, must not have suffered a concussion ever.

Those intersted in learning more about this study can contact Kenneth Murnaghan at 902-314-0325 or kenneth.murnaghan@gmail.com for more information. 

Or, just drop by after class. We are located in the lower level of the Steel Building.

This project has been approved by the UPEI Research Ethics Board.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee invites the campus community to the next Environmental Sciences/Human Biology seminar on Friday, October 18, 2019 at 12:30 pm in the Duffy Science Centre, room 204.

Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will present “What is a weed scientist, and what do they do?” 

All are welcome.

Speaker: Emily Pope, Biomedical Sciences

Title: Development of a Microbial Domestication (MD) Pod for the Discovery of Novel Marine Natural Products

Everyone Welcome.

Dr. Malinda S. Smith, professor of political science, and a Provost Fellow EDI Policy, University of Alberta, will give a public talk called “Equity, Diversity, and Decolonization in Higher Education: An Agenda for Change,” on Wednesday, October 23, 4 pm, in AVC Lecture Theatre A. She will talk about her recent research and offer a critical assessment of the status of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs and initiatives in Canadian higher education.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Dr. Smith’s lecture is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research, the UPEI Faculty Association, and the Diversity and Social Justice Studies program.
 

In this presentation, we will explore the issues frequently encountered by thesis/dissertation supervisors and their students who are researching and writing in their second language. The presentation focuses on practical strategies, suggestions, and resources (for the supervisor and the student) as recommended by Brian Paltridge and Sue Starfield in their text "Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language: A Handbook for Supervisors".

The Island Lecture Series gets under way October 22, featuring the UPEI students who participated in the International Community Energy Challenge in the Faroe Islands last May. Student teams, comprised of students from universities in Iceland, Norway, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, and Canada, researched, developed, and proposed solutions for community clients while being immersed in the culture of the Faroe Islands. 

Please join us to hear students Catherine Kennedy (Environmental Studies), Daniel Wartman (Engineering), Stephanie Arnold (Climate Change), Jane Lillian Mac Isaac (Math), Jordan Torrealba (Engineering), and Ellen Ross (Business), along with their professor, Dr. Anna Demeo (Engineering), talk about their experience.

Once again the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre is partnering with Public Health Nursing to offer the Flu Vaccine. Two mass clinics will be held on October 21st 10:30 am - 5:30 pm and November 6th 10:30 am - 5:30 pm. All UPEI Faculty, Staff, Students and their families are welcome to attend. No appointment is necessary. This vaccine is free of charge to all! Please bring your PEI health card or proof of insurance. 

We are looking for individuals to participate in a research study to evaluate the test-retest reliability of our driving simulator. 

In order to participate in this research project, you must be aged 18 years or older, hold a current drivers license, must not have suffered a concussion ever.

Those intersted in learning more about this study can contact Kenneth Murnaghan at 902-314-0325 or kenneth.murnaghan@gmail.com for more information. 

Or, just drop by after class. We are located in the lower level of the Steel Building.

This project has been approved by the UPEI Research Ethics Board.

 Speaker:  Dr. Md Kamrujjaman, Associate Professor,  Department of Mathematics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Title:  Directed vs regular diffusion strategy: evolutionary stability analysis of a competition model and an ideal free pair.

Abstract:  In this study, we consider a reaction-diffusion competition model describing population dynamics of two competing species and the interactions between them in a heterogeneous environment. The main goal of this paper is to study the impact of different diffusion strategies on the outcome of competition between two populations while the first species is distributed according to the resource function and the second population is following the regular dispersion. We focus on how directed diffusion in the habitat influences selection. The two populations differ in the diffusion strategies they employ as well as in their environmental intensities. We establish the main results which determine that the competing species may either coexist, or one of them may bring the other to extinction. If higher carrying capacity is incorporated for the directed dispersal population then competitive exclusion of a regularly diffusing population is inevitable. We consider the case when both populations manage to coexist and there is an ideal free pair with identical carrying capacity, and the relevant coexistence equilibrium is a global attractor. The coexistence solution is also presented by showing the influence of diffusion coefficients. In a series of examples, the results have been justified and illustrated numerically. 

Learners assessing learners is a great way to promote active learning and collaboration as well as deeper content understanding. However, it can also pose a multitude of problems if it is not introduced properly and monitored correctly. This workshop will cover the basics of peer assessment as well as provide examples of peer assessment tools for face-to-face settings as well as online settings. Attend this workshop on either Thursday, October 31st or Wednesday, November 27th from 10:30 to 11:30 am in Room 265 of the Robertson Library. REGISTER

Speaker: Emily Pope, Biomedical Sciences

Title: Development of a Microbial Domestication (MD) Pod for the Discovery of Novel Marine Natural Products

Everyone Welcome.

On Friday November 1 at 3pm in HSB 104, Dr. Colleen Macquarrie, Dr. Sobia Ali-Faisal, and Dr. Scott Greer will be speaking (and inviting others to do the same) on "What do we mean by Decolonization and Indigenization: Conversations with Psychologists." 

The UPEI Department of Music, in partnership with Yamaha Canada Music and the PEI Symphony Orchestra, is pleased to host a brass masterclass with Montreal Symphony Orchestra principal trumpeter Paul Merkelo. Merkelo’s masterclass will give students of all brass instruments an opportunity to learn from a master performer and teacher. The class will be held on Monday, October 21, 9:30-11:30 am, in the Steel Recital Hall at UPEI. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
 

A branching scenario is online interactive learning content. It focuses on decision making, a skill that everyone of us has to do well in a variety of ways on a daily basis. A branching scenario begins with some sort of context-specific story with a problem to solve. The learner is given choices and is asked to make one. Each choice has a consequence which is the feedback that helps the learner to understand the value of the decision made. Each consequence produces new challenges and more choices. The result is that learners can practice making decisions and develop skills in a low-stakes environment. Branching scenarios are good lead-ups to clinics or simulations that prepare learners for real-world experiences they will have to face. This workshop will be offered on two separate dates. Once on Thursday, October 24, and again on Wednesday, November 20, in Room 265 of the Robertson Library. REGISTER

The Animal Welfare Journal Club will meet to discuss:  Lynn WS, Santiago-Avila F, Lindenmayer J, Hadidian J, Wallach A, King B. 2019. A moral panic over cats. Conservation Biology 33(4):769-776, available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13346 (Note: This is a rebuttal essay; the original opinion piece is included.) 

Tuesday, October 29, 12:30-1:15 pm, AVC 278N

The Animal Welfare Journal Club meets approximately once a month to discuss scientific articles related to animal welfare. Everyone is welcome to attend and to propose articles for future discussion. Contact animalwelfare@upei.ca for more information. The club is co-hosted by AVC’s Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre and Animal Welfare Club.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee invites the campus community to the next Environmental Sciences/Human Biology seminar on Friday, October 18, 2019 at 12:30 pm in the Duffy Science Centre, room 204.

Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will present “What is a weed scientist, and what do they do?” 

All are welcome.

The seminar by Dr. Ngo on "preparing a good PhD/Master study plan" has been postponed to Winter semester.

Dr. Malinda S. Smith, professor of political science, and a Provost Fellow EDI Policy, University of Alberta, will give a public talk called “Equity, Diversity, and Decolonization in Higher Education: An Agenda for Change,” on Wednesday, October 23, 4 pm, in AVC Lecture Theatre A. She will talk about her recent research and offer a critical assessment of the status of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs and initiatives in Canadian higher education.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Dr. Smith’s lecture is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research, the UPEI Faculty Association, and the Diversity and Social Justice Studies program.