How is my course going and how am I doing? With the semester half over, these are great questions to ask your students since there's still time to make minor changes that could have a major impact on overall student learning outcomes. The E-Learning Office is hosting a student feedback survey creation workshop on Tuesday, September 17 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in the LINC (Room 265) at the Robertson Library. This workshop is for any interested faculty or instructional staff. In this workshop you will learn what kinds of questions to ask to help you get the feedback you need from your students. You will also learn how to create a quick online survey for your questions that will make data collection and analysis easy.

To register for this workshop email Joel at joelmacdonald@upei.ca. Space is limited!

Today's Brown-Bag Lunch on Canadian copyright, scheduled for 12:00-1:00 in the Faculty Lounge, has been cancelled.

For more information, please contact Gerald Wandioat fdo@upei.ca or 902-620-5217.

Dr. Shine(Xu) Zhang, Research Chair in Applied Nanotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, will give a talk entitled "Chloride Accelerated Copper-Fenton Chemistry: Insights, Applications and Implications" on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 12:30 pm in the DRC Building, Room 212.

For more information, please contact Dr. Russell Kerr at rkerr@upei.ca or 902-566-0565.

Dr. Rankin Sherling will give a presentation on how, when, and why the Gaelic language went "Global" on Friday, October 13, 2017 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Dr. Sherling has been interviewed widely on his commitment to sharing and learning the Gaelic language. For a story on how he helped promote Gaelic in rural Alabama, click here.

For more information, please contact Dr. Rob Dennis at rdennis@upei.ca or 902-566-0774.

In honour of the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, Dr. David Wilson, FRSC, Department of History, University of Toronto will give a presentation on "The Hardest Internal Battle:' Thomas D'Arcy McGee and Catholicism" as part of the SDU Institute of Christianity and Culture's Theology on Tap Series. Please join us on Thursday, October 12, 2017 ar 6:30 pm in The Pourhouse, 189 Great George Street. Talk to begin at 7:00 pm, must 19 or older to attend. 

For more information, please contact Dr. Rob Dennis at rdennis@upei.ca or 902-566-0774.

The UPEI Department of History and the Benevolent Irish Society invite you to a presentation on "The Origins of Fenianism in Canada", to be delivered by Dr. David Wilson, Department of History, University of Toronto, on Friday, October 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall.  

For more information, please contact Dr. Ed MacDonald at gemacdonald@upei.ca or (902) 894-2805.

Speaker: Kami Harris, Pathology and Microbiology
Title: A smorgasbord of Borrelia: The genetic diversity of the Lyme-causing bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi in New Brunswick.
When: Wednesday, October 11, 3 pm
Where: AVC Lecture Theatre A

UPEI’s Department of History and the UPEI Faculty of Arts will present the documentary film Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt at a screening Thursday, October 12 at 7 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Director Michal Goldman will be on hand to present the film and field questions after the screening.

Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt is the first film for North Americans to focus on Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the Arab world’s most transformative and controversial leaders. In 1952, as an unknown young Egyptian colonel, Nasser led a coup that became a revolution. Over the next 18 years, he reshaped the Arab world, facing deep divisions among the Arabs and emerging as a titanic figure—a champion of Arab progress and African liberation. But what he could not offer was democracy; instead, he established the region’s first and much emulated military authoritarian regime. A man of enormous charisma and ambition, Nasser became caught in the coils of his own power, dying at 52 with his revolution uncompleted. The Arab Spring and its aftermath are his legacy.

Michal Goldman is an American documentary filmmaker. Her interest in Egypt goes back to the 1990s when she lived in Cairo for several years to produce her film “Umm Kulthum, A Voice Like Egypt.” Several of her films have been nominated for Academy Awards. Her love for PEI dates back to 1970, when her parents bought a small farm in Mermaid.

All are welcome!

The School of Graduate Studies is putting on a Media & Communications Workshop for all Graduate Students. The workshop will be presented by Bruce Rainnie, former host of CBC News: Compass and current CEO of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in Halifax. 

Special topics will include, managing the physical self during media engagement, how to prepare for interviews and how to perform at peak effectiveness during thesis presentations.

The workshop will be held on Friday, October 13, 12-3 pm in Kelley Building, Room 211.

If you would like to attend the workshop, please pre-register by contacting Angela Deighan at adeighan@upei.ca no later than October 10.

Free pizza and pop on us! See you there.

Today, October 5, in AVC 286A N from 12:00-1:00, Kim Mears and Melissa Belvadi from the Robertson Library will present a Lunch-and-Learn session entitled "Predatory Journals: How Not to Get Tricked." This session will introduce you to the concept of predatory journals and give some tips on how to recognize them, so you can avoid inadvertently giving your scholarly works to them. All are welcome!

The Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts invite members of the campus community - students, faculty and staff - to attend a public presentation by Omeasoo Wāhpāsiw, candidate for a multi-disciplinary tenure-track position in Indigenous Education. Presentations by candidates for this position will focus on issues of Indigenous Education being integrated in to the daily life, and work, of the University, and their teaching and program of research related to the areas of focus within the Facilities of Education and Arts.

Dr. Wāhpāsiw’s presentation takes place on Friday, 06-Oct-2017, from 9:00am to 10:00am in Memorial Hall 308. For further information, contact Karen-Anne O'Halloran at kohalloran@upei.ca.

*Please note the location of this presentation. It has been listed incorrectly for the last few days. It will be held in MH 308.

Precision Agriculture Technologies to Improve Crop Productivity and Mitigate Environmental Risks

Aitazaz Farooque, assistant professor

Knowledge of spatial variability in soil, crop, and yield attributes can establish the basis for efficient nutrient management on an as-needed basis. Currently, crop management practices within agricultural fields are implemented uniformly with inadequate attention being given to substantial variations in soil properties, crop characteristics and yield, which not only increase cost of production but also poses a serious threat to the environment.

The map and sensor based precision agriculture (PA) technologies are capable of encountering these spatial variations, to allocate nutrients site-specifically based on need. The concept of delineating management zones (MZs) based on proper characterization and quantification of soil and crop variability using sensors, has been proposed as a solution to more efficiently apply agricultural inputs in variable rate (VR) fashion to ensure sustainability of agricultural resources.

The geo-referenced soil and crop attributes significantly affecting the crop yield can be used to develop MZz for site-specific nutrient management. The combined approach of using sensor and map based PA technology, in conjunction with statistical, geo-statistical and geographical information system (GIS) can aid in developing MZs without prior knowledge of productivity with the internal homogeneity and external heterogeneity. The MZs can be incorporated into the VR technology for site-specific applications to ensure economic and environmental sustainability.

The event runs Thursday, October 5 at noon in room 212 of the School of Sustainable Design Engineering.

All are welcomed to attend this weekly seminar. Learn about the innovative research and collaborations the faculty and graduate students are leading at the School of Sustainable Design Engineering!

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made a further leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial awards program to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning. The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing are valued at $500 each, with up to 57 prizes available annually for returning undergraduate students who produced outstanding written work in the previous academic year (September 1 – August 31), and up to 3 prizes available for faculty or staff members, who have shown exceptional leadership in the development of writing among students at UPEI.

Please share this program with students or recommend a colleague via the following links. Deadline for submissions is Friday, October 6:

MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Coursework) – up to 35 prizes 
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Community) – up to 11 prizes 
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Webster Centre) – up to 11 prizes 
MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Staff/Faculty) – up to 3 prizes 

For more information, contact Adrienne in Scholarships and Awards at amontgomery@upei.ca.

Precision Agriculture Technologies to Improve Crop Productivity and Mitigate Environmental Risks

Aitazaz Farooque, assistant professor

Knowledge of spatial variability in soil, crop, and yield attributes can establish the basis for efficient nutrient management on an as-needed basis. Currently, crop management practices within agricultural fields are implemented uniformly with inadequate attention being given to substantial variations in soil properties, crop characteristics and yield, which not only increase cost of production but also poses a serious threat to the environment.

The map and sensor based precision agriculture (PA) technologies are capable of encountering these spatial variations, to allocate nutrients site-specifically based on need. The concept of delineating management zones (MZs) based on proper characterization and quantification of soil and crop variability using sensors, has been proposed as a solution to more efficiently apply agricultural inputs in variable rate (VR) fashion to ensure sustainability of agricultural resources.

The geo-referenced soil and crop attributes significantly affecting the crop yield can be used to develop MZz for site-specific nutrient management. The combined approach of using sensor and map based PA technology, in conjunction with statistical, geo-statistical and geographical information system (GIS) can aid in developing MZs without prior knowledge of productivity with the internal homogeneity and external heterogeneity. The MZs can be incorporated into the VR technology for site-specific applications to ensure economic and environmental sustainability.
 

The event runs Thursday, October 5 at noon in room 212 of the School of Sustainable Design Engineering.

All are welcomed to attend this weekly seminar. Learn about the innovative research and collaborations the faculty and graduate students are leading at the School of Sustainable Design Engineering!

The Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts invite members of the campus community - students, faculty and staff - to attend a public presentation by Omeasoo Wāhpāsiw, candidate for a multi-disciplinary tenure-track position in Indigenous Education. Presentations by candidates for this position will focus on issues of Indigenous Education being integrated in to the daily life, and work, of the University, and their teaching and program of research related to the areas of focus within the Facilities of Education and Arts.

Dr. Wāhpāsiw’s presentation takes place on Friday, 06-Oct-2017, from 9:00am to 10:00am in HSB 308. For further information, contact Karen-Anne O'Halloran at kohalloran@upei.ca.

The Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI, is pleased to host eminent animal welfare scientist Professor David Mellor, University of Massey, New Zealand, in October.

During his visit, Dr. Mellor will give a public lecture entitled “Thriving, not merely surviving: A fresh perspective on animal welfare” on Tuesday, October 17, at 7:00 pm, in Lecture Theatre A, Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI.

Dr. Mellor will look at both negative and positive emotions in animals and how these emotions affect behaviours. He will offer a fresh perspective on animal welfare management through promoting positive states and minimizing negative ones, and consider the interaction between them. Much of his pioneering and well-recognized work in the field of animal welfare is on animal emotions and behaviour, and the promotion of positive welfare states in companion animals, farm animals, and others.

This lecture is part of AVC’s annual community workshop series. For information, contact Janice MacWilliam at jmacwilliam@upei.ca or (902) 566-0589.

Join UPEI's Graduate and Professional Program Advisor along with staff from the Faculty of Education for an information session on the Bachelor of Education and the Bachelor of Education - Français Langue Seconde programs at UPEI! Topics covered will include: admissions information, application process, program information including practicum duration and travel opportunities, and more!

October 11, 2017.
10:30 am and 1:30 pm
Don and Marion McDougall Hall, room 248 

The Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts invite members of the campus community - students, faculty and staff - to attend a public presentation by Omeasoo Wāhpāsiw, candidate for a multi-disciplinary tenure-track position in Indigenous Education. Presentations by candidates for this position will focus on issues of Indigenous Education being integrated in to the daily life, and work, of the University, and their teaching and program of research related to the areas of focus within the Facilities of Education and Arts.

Dr. Wāhpāsiw’s presentation takes place on Friday, 06-Oct-2017, from 9:00am to 10:00am in HSB 103. For further information, contact Karen-Anne O'Halloran at kohalloran@upei.ca.