Campus Notices
UPEI sends a monthly campus notice announcing faculty and staff who began their employment during the previous calendar month. For this second edition, we are including new employees from February 2024.
Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in February 2024:
• Rebecca Cann, Human Resources
• Paul Joseph Robert Charles, Clinical Learning and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine
• Kerri Anne Grace Corr, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, AVC
• Kelly T. Drummond, Human Resources
• Jennifer Gerbrandt, Student Affairs
• Scott Gosse, Security Services
• Bhavya Jadav, Robertson Library
• Han Jiang, English, Faculty of Arts
• Sehjal Preet Kaur, Security Services
• Shawn MacFadyen, Facilities Management
• Scott McClintick, Facilities Management
• Lethabo Mogodi, Office of the Registrar
• Sarah Peddle, Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine
• Patrick Smith, Facilities Management
• Katheryne Stewart, Clinical Learning and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine
• Patricia Woods, Diagnostic Services, AVC
We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!
The Board of Governors and the Senate request the honour of your presence at the installation of the Honourable Diane F. Griffin, OPEI, BSc, BEd, MSc, LLD, as the 10th Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island.
Please join us Friday, April 5, 2024, at 2:30 pm in the Performing Arts Centre, 216-217S, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI.
Reception immediately following the ceremony in the Greg and Debbie Keefe Foyer.
RSVP by Wednesday, March 27, 2024, to Katherine MacDonald at 902-566-0415 or to rsvp@upei.ca
Parking available in lots A and B
All are welcome!
On Wednesday, March 27, between 10 pm and midnight, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the Remote Desktop Services accessed via the website myDesktop.upei.ca. During this time, any remote desktops or applications accessed via this site will be unavailable. RX Works will be unavailable between 10 pm and midnight only.
If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.
The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, March 29, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the April 18 meeting.
All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.
Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.
Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, March 29, 2024, for review at the April meeting.
Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.
All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.
Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.
UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend an informative presentation about health screenings, recommended screenings at different ages, where to go, what to ask, and information about the pharmacy plus program. The session will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 12:10-12:50 pm, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room #142. It will be led by nursing students Juli MacMillan and Mohammadali Nouri. Registration is not required (although it would be nice to know numbers); to register, you can log into recreation.upei.ca or the UPEI Panther Recreation app and click on the wellness icon. This presentation is a UPEI Healthy Campus Committee initiative. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, at amarchbank@upei.ca.
What is Strep A?
Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, is a type of bacteria that can cause skin, soft tissue, and respiratory tract infections. It is typically spread from person to person via respiratory droplets such as from coughing or sneezing and from touching skin or other surfaces contaminated with bacteria. Some people have Strep A bacteria (carriers) and do not become ill. Others develop mild illness that is treated with antibiotics. There is a more severe and sometimes life-threatening condition referred to as Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS). This can occur when the bacteria invade parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, deep muscle and fat tissue, or lungs.
Step A infection (e.g., strep throat) will not go away on its own. You will need an antibiotic to cure it. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious illnesses, so it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to ensure you take the entire course of antibiotics.
To avoid strep and other infections, consider the following:
- Wash your hands often.
- Do not drink from a glass/water bottle or eat with utensils after an infected individual (e.g., someone with a strep throat infection).
- Do not share toothbrushes.
- Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes (wash your hands following contact).
- Use good respiratory etiquette (cough into your sleeve, stay home if sick, wear a mask if you are coughing/sneezing).
Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.
The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.
The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.
For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com or (902) 675-2598.
Our Coffee Break Conversation will be hosted by Kristy McKinney, instructional multimedia specialist in the TLC. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on March 25, at 10:30 am.
The UPEI Teaching and Learning Centre is hosting an in-person session on building Moodle online quizzes. The quiz activity can be used for short review quizzes or higher-value tests. Using Moodle Question Bank also allows instructors to build their bank of questions, which can be edited or grow each instance you teach the course.
The session will run on Tuesday, March 26, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre in the Robertson Library Annex (RL 230). Use this form to register for this session: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9KUeeE99lUaXGGaCg81bviMdmudb-_hAlIyzwN_bom9URERISTZBVkM3WlQxWFNXSDNVUFhRRFBVUS4u
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and every three days, someone on PEI is diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer.
Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines on PEI recommend a FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) every two years for Islanders aged 50-74 years of age for average-risk individuals. If you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (positive family history, blood in the stool, history of colorectal cancer, change in bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, long-standing diarrhea or constipation), then you should have a colonoscopy. This can be arranged through the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor north of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre (above the bookstore).
The FIT test is available for anyone who is average risk and aged 50-74 at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. If you identify as being higher risk, make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at the health centre. They can review the screening that is best for you and make a referral for a gastroenterology consult if necessary.
Detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage improves your chances of survival and avoidance of treatment. For more information, check out Health PEI’s provincial colorectal cancer screening program at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/colorectal-screening-program-fit. For additional information on colorectal cancer screening, visit the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for information on screening projects across Canada at https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/news/article/pan-canadian-success-colorectal-cancer/
As part of continuing to engage with the various audiences that make up the campus community, Dr. Greg Keefe, interim President and Vice-Chancellor would like to invite you to a series of Campus Town Halls where he will give brief updates as well as listen to your concerns and respond to questions.
Six 90-minute in-person events are planned: two each for faculty, staff, and students to help accommodate schedules. Those who cannot attend in person due to work-from-home arrangements/other accommodations can join via Zoom.
Participants are asked to attend one of the two town halls for the group that is applicable to them.
Faculty Town Halls
-
Wednesday, March 20, 3:00–4:30 pm
Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall (MCDH 242)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/63841183049?pwd=WS9vU1c4Z0pmNkIra21UVlc1R2pldz09 -
Friday, March 22, 10:00–11:30 am
Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69749369292?pwd=RUswS0pvNnhDQTlHc01USGhiUTRLQT09
Staff Town Halls
-
Monday, March 25, 1:00–2:30 pm
Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/64618483493?pwd=SHQwUCt1Y3ZOYkt0ckovaGRKdmhGQT09 -
Wednesday, March 27, 10:00–11:30 am
Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/65439065003?pwd=MjZ6TXFvdnNDLzc3d0MxK2FUcUlldz09
Student Town Halls
-
Tuesday, March 26, 3:00–4:30 pm
Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/66581563155?pwd=MXc1YnpsOFBkNFAyL1NDd2svU0Z0dz09 -
Thursday, March 28, 1:30–3:00 pm
Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69611619672?pwd=bWhMeUFRZFBkWXF4RFZoY1hVa2xFdz09
If you are unable to participate in the scheduled town halls, you are welcome to provide feedback or send comments to president@upei.ca at any time.
Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the March 26 edition of the Island Lecture Series will island-hop across the northern North Atlantic to see who lives there and how they got there. Biogeography is the three-way crossroads of history, biology, and geography. For most of these islands--the Shetlands, the Faeroes, Iceland, and many others--this history started when bare land emerged from under melting ice about 10,000 years ago, with creatures soon arriving by wing or wind. Humans came too, some by primitive boats that we know almost nothing about. But history can also have recent beginnings, such as the explosive birth of Surtsey Island off Iceland in 1963. Speaker David Cairns will recount the rich biological traditions of island biogeography, and shows that their insights apply equally well to people.
The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building. All are welcome.
The Chief Public Health Office is preparing for potential cases of measles on PEI in the next few weeks. As of March 13, 2024, there have been 29 confirmed measles cases in Canada across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Some of these cases are related to travel outside of Canada, but others were acquired locally. Montreal is considered the country’s epicenter as there is community spread occurring locally in and around the city. Note: There are no confirmed cases in PEI at this time.
Measles is one of the most highly infectious vaccine-preventable diseases. It has been eliminated from circulation in Canada since 1998 due to highly effective vaccines and successful public health programs.
Measles is spread when you
- breathe air in a location where someone who is infected is or has recently been
- have direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of someone who is infected
- touch a contaminated surface or object and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth
The symptoms include
- fever
- runny nose
- red watery eyes
- cough
- red blotchy rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk, arms, and legs.
Measles usually starts with illness for 3-4 days before the rash appears. The fever tends to be high (at least 104 degrees F/40℃). The fever and rash usually disappear in 3-5 days. Complications of measles include ear infection, viral meningitis (inflammation of the brain), or pneumonia. On rare occasions, measles can result in death. If you have recently returned from travel and are experiencing symptoms of measles, you should seek health care, consider calling ahead to let them know of your history of travel, and wear a mask to your appointment.
Who is recommended to get a dose of the measles vaccine? Some individuals will have protection based on their age. The current recommendations for vaccination are as follows:
- Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine. Exception: individuals traveling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine.
- Those born in or after 1970 who have not had measles disease or have not received two doses of measles vaccine should receive two doses of vaccine.
- Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers, and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had the disease or do not have documentation of two doses of a measles vaccine.
- Any person living in PEI who is eligible may receive the vaccine free of charge at Public Health Nursing.
Public Health Nursing is holding clinics to immunize for measles. In Charlottetown, they are located at 161 St. Peters Road, telephone 902-368-4530. If you are unable to attend these clinics, make an appointment at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre to get vaccinated. You can also make an appointment to discuss this and other vaccines with the registered nurse at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.
To learn more about measles, check out https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/measles-mumps-and-rubella-german-measles-vaccine-mmr
To see if you are due or overdue for other vaccines, visit www.canimmunize.ca/en/pei-assessment-tool
For more information on MMR, view https://youtu.be/jL9QfTubi7I
What is Strep A?
Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, is a type of bacteria that can cause skin, soft tissue, and respiratory tract infections. It is typically spread from person to person via respiratory droplets such as from coughing or sneezing and from touching skin or other surfaces contaminated with bacteria. Some people have Strep A bacteria (carriers) and do not become ill. Others develop mild illness that is treated with antibiotics. There is a more severe and sometimes life-threatening condition referred to as Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS). This can occur when the bacteria invade parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, deep muscle and fat tissue, or lungs.
Step A infection (e.g., strep throat) will not go away on its own. You will need an antibiotic to cure it. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious illnesses, so it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to ensure you take the entire course of antibiotics.
To avoid strep and other infections, consider the following:
- Wash your hands often.
- Do not drink from a glass/water bottle or eat with utensils after an infected individual (e.g., someone with a strep throat infection).
- Do not share toothbrushes.
- Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes (wash your hands following contact).
- Use good respiratory etiquette (cough into your sleeve, stay home if sick, wear a mask if you are coughing/sneezing).
Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.
The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.
The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.
For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com or (902) 675-2598.
Our Coffee Break Conversation will be hosted by Kristy McKinney, instructional multimedia specialist in the TLC. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on March 25, at 10:30 am.
The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee invites the campus community to the final presentation of the 2023-24 Environmental Sciences & Human Biology seminar series on Friday, March 22, at 12:30 p.m. in Duffy Science 204.
Lauren Reid, MSc candidate, Human Biology (Sweeney-Nixon Lab, Department of Biology), will present “Evaluation of an in vitro inflammatory bowel disease model,” and Keileigh Rowe, MSc Candidate, Human Biology (Ross Lab, Department of Biology), will present “Overcoming metabolic constraints in scalable growth of mouse embryonic stem cells.”
All are welcome.
Reminder: The UPEI Parking Advisory Committee is conducting a parking study to help determine current and future parking needs within our community by collecting input and ideas from students, faculty, and staff through an anonymous survey.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to help shape future parking, mobility, and accessibility at UPEI.
The deadline to submit your input through the survey is March 22, 2024.
Here is the survey link if you missed it: https://forms.office.com/r/tggDGitKjN
Thank you,
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and every three days, someone on PEI is diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer.
Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines on PEI recommend a FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) every two years for Islanders aged 50-74 years of age for average-risk individuals. If you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (positive family history, blood in the stool, history of colorectal cancer, change in bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, long-standing diarrhea or constipation), then you should have a colonoscopy. This can be arranged through the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor north of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre (above the bookstore).
The FIT test is available for anyone who is average risk and aged 50-74 at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. If you identify as being higher risk, make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at the health centre. They can review the screening that is best for you and make a referral for a gastroenterology consult if necessary.
Detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage improves your chances of survival and avoidance of treatment. For more information, check out Health PEI’s provincial colorectal cancer screening program at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/colorectal-screening-program-fit. For additional information on colorectal cancer screening, visit the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for information on screening projects across Canada at https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/news/article/pan-canadian-success-colorectal-cancer/
