The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, March 2, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the March 21 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.

Join the International Student Office and the Robertson Library on Wednesday, February 28, as we present Ninth Floor, a documentary film about one of Canada's largest student occupations. In 1969, a group of students occupied a ninth-floor computer lab to protest their Montreal university's racist administration. The film will be shown in the Robertson Library, Room 235, at 6:00 pm. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. 

Beginning in February 2024, UPEI will send a monthly campus notice announcing faculty and staff who began their employment during the previous calendar month. For this first edition, we are including new employees from December 2023 and January 2024.

Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in December 2023:

• Dr. Marissa Clapson, Chemistry, Science
• Dr. Trevor Clark, Chemistry, Science
• Abigail Gibson, Student Affairs
• Halley Halliwell, Companion Animals, Veterinary Medicine
• Dr. Thomas Larkin, History and Classics, Arts
• MacKenzie Marmina, Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• Kim Porter, Office of the President

Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in January 2024:

• Shawn Albert, Security Services
• Sarah Lynn Butler, Nursing
• Melanie Tayler Chapman, Health and Wellness Centre
• Michele Cudmore, Access to Information and Privacy Office
• Leanne Marie Demeulenaere, Nursing
• Jocelyn Dougan, Health and Wellness Centre
• Katelyn Alena Fraser, Nursing
• Mohammad Mahdi Hassan, Mathematical and Computational Sciences
• Danielle Christine Hessels, Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• Emma Lee Higginbotham, Nursing
• Melanie Dianne Lord, Nursing
• Justin Ronald K McRae, Nursing
• Anuja Patel, Financial Services
• Emily Anne Rutledge, Student Affairs
• Akash Sharma, Security Services
• Senthilkumar Thiruppathi, Sustainable Design Engineering
• Kendra Catherine Thompson, Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• Laura Jane Vail, Nursing
• Princess Grace Wooden, Robertson Library

We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!

Guest pianist Asher Ian Armstrong, an advocate for women composers, will perform a captivating program featuring little-known works by composers Varvara Gaigerova and Ilse Fromm-Michaels, as well as substantial offerings by J. S. Bach and Johannes Brahms. The performance will take place on March 1 at 7:30 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall.

Asher maintains an active concert career. Notable recent engagements include solo recital performances at the Walton Arts Center, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Royal College of Music in London (UK), as well as appearances as concerto soloist with Pax Christi Chorale and the Mozart Players of Toronto, and with the North York Concert Orchestra. A passionate, committed teacher, Asher is on the piano faculty of the University of Toronto where he is a lecturer of piano and chamber music. Prior to this appointment, Asher served as an assistant professor of piano at the University of Arkansas, and he has also taught at the Interlochen School for the Arts.

Accessible parking is available, and the Dr. Steel Recital Hall has an accessible entrance via elevator.

Our Coffee Break Conversation will be with Scott Cassidy and John McIntyre, co-chairs of UPEI’s GenAI Taskforce. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on February 26, at 10:30 am. If you want to join us online, here's a zoom link .

Peter is a five-and-a-half-year-old male neutered retired teaching beagle who is looking for a new home. He is a sweet and loving dog who loves to spend time with his people. He's the best dog to cuddle with and loves greeting you when you get home. If you want to feel loved, Peter is the dog for you.

He is looking for a new home because he is anxious of and doesn't get along with our other dog, so ideally, he would be the only dog in his new house. He does live with four cats, and he loves all of them and respects their boundaries. He doesn't have experience with kids but is very people friendly.

He has been diagnosed with social anxiety, so he has trouble reading the social cues of and communicating with other dogs. Partially due to this, he is also leash reactive to other dogs. He is currently on several medications for anxiety, and other than his issues with our other dog, he seems to be doing well in regard to his anxiety. He has had some trouble with house training but has been doing great lately, with only a few accidents in the last month. Peter also has mild hip dysplasia but currently does not need medication for it.

Peter really is a wonderful dog, and it was an extremely hard decision to begin the process to rehome him. I want him to have the best life, and I truly believe he is the perfect dog for someone, but he just needs to be without the stress of living with a dog that he doesn't like in order to live up to his full potential.

If you are interested or want more information, please contact Alyssa McGee at ajmcgee@upei.ca

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 2, 2023, for review at the March 25 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.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, March 2, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the March 21 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.

Nominate a deserving UPEI student for the Panther for Life Spirit Award, and celebrate their Panther Pride and contributions to the campus community!

The recipient will receive an engraved award and a $500 cash prize and will be recognized during a celebratory student event. Any student, staff, or faculty member may submit nominations for this award. 

To nominate a current student, please fill out the Panther for Life Spirit Award Nomination form here: https://www.upei.ca/alumni/awards-and-recognition/panther-for-life-spirit-award

The deadline for nominations is 4:00 pm on February 29. For more information, email alumni@upei.ca

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (2024), February is Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health and an opportunity to focus on what we can do to improve our heart health. Heart disease impacts almost all of us at some point in our lives indirectly or directly. It is the second leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada.

Prevention plays an important role when it comes to heart and cardiovascular disease. Healthy behaviours such as being physically active, eating a variety of healthy foods, limiting highly processed foods, not smoking, getting proper sleep, and managing stress can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

If you have additional questions about heart health, reach out to the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, or visit https://www.heartandstroke.ca/. Reduce your risk today!

IT Systems and Services, in collaboration with the Robertson Library, now offers extended hours of technical support to cover evening classes. Extended support hours will run from 4:30 to 8 pm Monday through Thursday and 4 pm to 8 pm on Fridays.  

This service will be delivered by the Robertson Library Service Desk  (reference@upei.ca, 902-566-0583). 

Support areas include password resets, account locks, Wi Fi, and basic computer/podium troubleshooting. 

The UPEI Office of Commercialization, Industry and Innovation (OCII) is pleased to invite you to attend UPEI’s Research Breakfast on Thursday, February 29.

Dr. Jay Penney, associate professor of biomedical sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, will present “Microglia: The brain's immune cells that impact neurodegeneration.”

Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, Industry Research Chair in Precision Agriculture and associate dean, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, will present “Development of Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies to Ensure Food Security and Sustainability.”

 Please join us as a part of PEI’s leadership community in this forum to exchange ideas and insights.This is a valuable opportunity for you to hear about the ongoing interdisciplinary research at UPEI in health and climate.

When: Thursday, February 29, from 7:30--9:00 am (breakfast will be provided)

Where: McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, Canada

 Register here:  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/upei-research-breakfast-tickets-808175443507?aff=oddtdtcreator

The search committee for the Dean of Sustainable Design Engineering announces an upcoming presentation by a finalist candidate. Dr. Suzanna Kresta will give a public presentation on Monday, February 26, 2:00–3:00 pm, AVC 207N.

Dr. Kresta is a professor of chemical engineering and recently completed a term as dean of the College of Engineering (2018–2023) at the University of Saskatchewan. She received a BScEng (University of New Brunswick), MSc (Leeds University), and PhD (McMaster University) in 1992, all in chemical engineering. As dean at USask, she led the development and implementation of the College’s strategic plan, new co-operative education program, complete re-design of the first-year program, and three major building plan projects, among others. She has received several teaching and research awards, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for contributions to education in the province of Saskatchewan. Dr. Kresta is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering American Institute of Chemical Engineers Canada.

Since the search for the Dean of Sustainable Design Engineering began in June 2023, the committee has conducted a comprehensive search and selected an additional finalist for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus.

SkillsPEI is a division of the PEI Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population. It manages the design and delivery of employment and skills development programming funded by the Canada-Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement and Canada-PEI Workforce Development Agreement. 

Through SkillsPEI, the Post-Secondary Student Program supports full-time post-secondary students working a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 18 weeks during the summer. The exact number of weeks designated per placement will be based on factors such as but not limited to position, wage, and the likelihood of opportunity for experiential learning. Students must be entering or returning to full-time post-secondary studies in the fall.  

Wage subsidy offered:

• Employer can set the wage rate but must provide a minimum of $14.50/hour and will be funded up to $15.80/hour. 
• Employers will be reimbursed 100% of the approved hourly wage plus 4% vacation pay to a maximum of 40 hours per week, for the total weeks approved.
• Note: the subsidy does not include 8% benefits, so additional funding must be sourced elsewhere.

To centralize the administration of this program for UPEI researchers, Research Services is accepting/submitting research-related applications. To apply for the program, please provide the following details to Research Services (researchservices@upei.ca) by the closing date of March 31, 2024:

• Project or activity description
• Position title 
• Job activities/duties 
• Objectives to be achieved
• Education and skills required
• Duration including start and end date and total weeks
• Rate of pay (hourly)
• Mentorship plan
• Supervisor name and contact details 

For additional information about the program, please click here. UPEI researchers may contact Maria Steele, Manager of Research Services, for more details (mlsteele@upei.ca).

Join the International Student Office and the Robertson Library on Wednesday, February 28, as we present Ninth Floor, a documentary film about one of Canada's largest student occupations. In 1969, a group of students occupied a ninth-floor computer lab to protest their Montreal university's racist administration. The film will be shown in the Robertson Library, Room 235, at 6:00 pm. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. 

The 2024-2025 MSSU Trainee Support Program is now accepting applications. This funding opportunity is open to trainees engaged in patient-oriented health research and entering or enrolled in a master’s, doctoral, or post-doctoral fellow program at universities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Funding amounts and duration:

Non-renewable awards will be available in the following amounts:

• Master’s level – $10,000 for 1 year
• Doctoral level – $15,000/year for 2 years
• Post-doctoral level – $20,000/year for 2 years

Deadline to apply: March 22, 2024, at 2 pm AT

Information session: February 22, 2024, at 3 pm AT

Join the information session about the requirements and process: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ek6x8aj0ff533bed&oseq=&c=&ch=  

In the meantime, visit the MSSU website for a program overview with more details, including links to the online application forms.

If you have any questions or would like to register for the information session, please email  Sharon.Skaling@nshealth.ca.

The Bridge Effect: Critical Reflections in the Age of Technological Solutionism, a book co-edited by Drs. Laurie Brinklow and Andrew Jennings, will be launched at the Institute of Island Studies’ Island Lecture Series presentation on February 27. Featuring a discussion of the effect of bridges—physical or digital—on island life and culture, the event will take place from 7:00-8:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI. 

Dr. Brinklow will take a humorous look at ferry crossings and how the various stages of the journey from the race to the dock to chatting with neighbours in the lineup can define Island life. Presenting virtually from Shetland, Scotland, via a technological bridge, Dr. Jennings will discuss the long-lasting impacts of two small bridges on island populations in the Scottish archipelago. Janice Pettit, PEI contributor, will share her interviews with Island residents about how the Confederation Bridge has affected “the Island way of life” 20 years later.

The event is free; all are welcome to attend. Books will be available for purchase. 

Dr. Brinklow is a writer, editor, assistant professor, and coordinator of the UPEI Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) program. She is the author of My island’s the house I sleep in at night and Here for the Music. A resident of Shetland, Scotland’s most northerly islands, Dr. Jennings is an associate professor of Island Studies based at UHI Shetland, where he works with the Institute for Northern Studies. Janice Pettit was an adjunct professor at UPEI where she taught the Introduction to Island Studies course for seven semesters. She now works for the PEI Public Service Commission.

The Bridge Effect was published by Island Studies Press with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research at UPEI. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.

Peter is a five-and-a-half-year-old male neutered retired teaching beagle who is looking for a new home. He is a sweet and loving dog who loves to spend time with his people. He's the best dog to cuddle with and loves greeting you when you get home. If you want to feel loved, Peter is the dog for you.

He is looking for a new home because he is anxious of and doesn't get along with our other dog, so ideally, he would be the only dog in his new house. He does live with four cats, and he loves all of them and respects their boundaries. He doesn't have experience with kids but is very people friendly.

He has been diagnosed with social anxiety, so he has trouble reading the social cues of and communicating with other dogs. Partially due to this, he is also leash reactive to other dogs. He is currently on several medications for anxiety, and other than his issues with our other dog, he seems to be doing well in regard to his anxiety. He has had some trouble with house training but has been doing great lately, with only a few accidents in the last month. Peter also has mild hip dysplasia but currently does not need medication for it.

Peter really is a wonderful dog, and it was an extremely hard decision to begin the process to rehome him. I want him to have the best life, and I truly believe he is the perfect dog for someone, but he just needs to be without the stress of living with a dog that he doesn't like in order to live up to his full potential.

If you are interested or want more information, please contact Alyssa McGee at ajmcgee@upei.ca

The Robertson Library invites the campus community to a candidate presentations for the Library’s permanent-track position of One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian. 

Candidate: Keri McCaffrey, MLIS

Title: What can the Library do to support scholarly communications at a university like UPEI?

When: Monday, February 26, 2024, 9:45 AM

Where: AVC 218S

Keri earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. She is currently a Legislative Research Analyst with the Government of Prince Edward Island.

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 2, 2023, for review at the March 25 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.