The Honourable Gail Shea, Canada's Minister for Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology) announced today the renewal of two Canada Research Chairs at the University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Russell Kerr begins a second term as the Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products. The announcement also saw Dr. Crawford Revie renewed as the Canada Research Chair in Population Health: Epi-informatics.

'Our government remains committed to attracting and retaining the world's best researchers, creating jobs and strengthening Canada's economy,' said Minister Shea. 'Through programs such as the Canada Research Chairs, we are supporting cutting-edge research at Canadian universities and fostering innovation by helping researchers bring their ideas to the marketplace, benefiting Canadians and improving their quality of life.'

Dr. Russell Kerr's research takes him from the tropics to the arctic in search of marine compounds with potential as therapeutic agents. The demand for such compounds from the ocean environment is tempered by a limited and delicate supply. Dr. Kerr seeks new ways to discover and extract these compounds without damaging the environment. Dr. Kerr first came to UPEI in 2006 from Florida Atlantic University as the Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products (Tier 1).

'The renewal of the CRC funding is exciting as this will allow my research group to continue its work directed at the development of marine microbes as a sustainable resource for drug discovery. The research will be directed at the discovery of antimicrobial agents as well as anticancer drug leads,' said Dr. Kerr. 'Importantly, this will also allow for the training of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the field of marine drug discovery.'

As Canada Research Chair in Population Health: Epi-Informatics (Tier 2), Dr. Crawford Revie is exploring new ways to use techniques from informatics-such as data mining, data-driven modelling and semantic web technologies-to gain a better understanding of disease epidemiology. Dr. Revie's work focuses specifically on the transmission of pathogens between wild and farmed fish, and it has been instrumental in bringing together industry, government, and non-government organizations in British Columbia.

'While the renewal of my own position is very gratifying, I am even more pleased that this greatly strengthens the broader epi-informatics team that has been built up over the initial phase of this Chair,' said Dr. Revie. 'There are many research goals we aim to fulfill during this second phase, including the creation of Web 2.0 ontology tools for syndromic surveillance data consolidation and the delivery of mobile-phone based tools for disease diagnosis and surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa.'

'UPEI is extremely proud to have Dr. Kerr and Dr. Revie renewed in these roles,' said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El Aziz. 'These are two exciting and outstanding researchers who demonstrate the community of discovery and innovation we foster at UPEI. Their research has a very real impact on the world, and gives our students and post-doctoral fellows access to word-class expertise and instruction.'

The Government of Canada will provide $108.9 million through the Canada Research Chairs Program, to support 135 newly awarded and renewed Canada Research Chairs. Of that total, 26 researchers have been recruited from abroad, including 11 Canadians returning to work in their home country-demonstrating the success of the program in attracting and supporting research excellence and innovation in Canada. The research will be conducted at 41 Canadian post-secondary institutions, and will lead to benefits for Canadian families, businesses, practitioners, and policy-makers.

The Canada Research Chairs Program was created with an annual budget of $300 million to establish up to 2,000 research professorships across the country and to position Canada as a world leader in post-secondary research. The program currently supports researchers, in more than 70 Canadian post-secondary institutions, who are conducting research in natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities disciplines.

UPEI Athletics and Recreation have scheduled the seventh annual Shoot for the Cure fundraiser taking place on Saturday, February 8. The women's basketball team will host CIS #1 ranked Saint Mary's Huskies with a tip off time of 3:00 pm.

Shoot for the Cure is a fundraising initiative by the CIS women's basketball coaches association to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and other related charities.

The Shoot for the Cure campaign has proven an overwhelming success since it was launched in the fall of 2007, with over $600,000 in donations. Last season, for the second year in a row, all CIS women's basketball teams participated in the program.

The entire Panther team is involved in the local fundraising effort, with a committee led by UPEI student-athletes Danielle MacDonald and Jenna Jones. The fundraising goal has been set at $3,000 to be achieved through activities including: Shoot for the Cure t-shirts, paper icons, a bake sale, a 50/50 draw, and other Panther team initiatives.

Everyone is encouraged and welcome to attend. Go Panthers Go!

For information:
Ron Annear
UPEI Athletics and Recreation
(902) 566-0991, annear@upei.ca

The University of Prince Edward Island recently celebrated the behind-the-scenes efforts of two outstanding individuals with the first two Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards. Dr. Lisa Chilton, associate professor of history, and Dr. Jonathan Spears, assistant professor of biomedical sciences and UPEI's University Veterinarian, were given these awards in thanks for their work to help promote the community of research and discovery at UPEI.

The Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards were created out of a gift received from Dr. Katherine Schultz, UPEI's first Vice-President Research. Under her tenure, from 2001 to 2012, UPEI enjoyed a seven-fold increase in research funding and intensity.

'A university's research doesn't experience that much growth without the hard work of a lot of people-people who don't often make it into the press releases or on the magazine covers; people who nonetheless deserve our praise and thanks. That's what these rewards are all about. They represent our appreciation of Dr. Chilton and Dr. Spears,' said Dr. Robert Gilmour, UPEI's current Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies.

Dr. Gilmour also opened the nominations for the 2013-14 Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards. Individuals or groups of people can nominate a UPEI faculty member, staff member, or volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the research enterprise at UPEI. The Scholarships and Awards Committee will accept nominations until March 1.

For information:
Dave Atkinson, Research Communications Officer, UPEI
(902) 620-5117

On Tuesday, January 28, UPEI's Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie and her research team at the University will present new research findings on abortion access for PEI women. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, January 28 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242 from 6:30-8:00 pm. The focus of the presentation will be on understanding the impacts of PEI's abortion policies on women's lives.

'We have some chilling new data and some ground-breaking research to report from our two-year inquiry into the impacts of PEI's abortion policies,' said MacQuarrie. 'The effects we have found on women's health, including some recently uncovered provincial statistics regarding illegal abortions in PEI, are eye-opening.'

The release is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 1988 Supreme Court of Canada's Morgentaler decision that struck down abortion laws as contravening women's human rights. The evening will include a series of presentations from members of the research team to highlight issues of concern to Islanders. What happens on an Island when you create the conditions of blocking access to safe abortions? How does abortion stigma impact womens' lives? What happens to Island women when their attempts to self induce go awry? What do women have to say about their post-abortion experiences? These questions and more will be addressed during the presentation.

Additionally, the presenters will share recommendations for change that come from women reflecting on their post-abortion experiences. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to gain a better understanding of women's experiences when accessing abortion.

'Our research reveals a solid direction for women's health to better align PEI with the principles of the Canada Health Act and the recommendations from both the United Nations and the World Health Organization on access to safe abortion,' added MacQuarrie.

Jane Ledwell, Executive Director of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, will moderate the event.

For more information, please contact Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie at (902) 566-0617 or cmacquarrie@upei.ca

At the next Research on Tap, join us for a discussion about support for publishing in a province where the tourism industry is built largely on the success of a single book. Dr. Richard Lemm, professor of English at UPEI, will lead a talk entitled: Who needs books in the land of Anne?

'I'll focus on the provincial support for Island authors and Island publishers, sung to the tune of ‘You can't have one without the other,'' said Dr. Lemm. 'Indeed, support for publishers is support for the development of Island writing and literary culture.'

Sound interesting? Join us on Tuesday, February 4 at 7:00 pm at the Pourhouse, above the Old Triangle in Charlottetown.

Research on Tap is a series of public discussions with UPEI researchers. For more information, contact Dave Atkinson at 620-5117, or datkinson@upei.ca

The UPEI Wind Symphony received the 2014 Music PEI award for Achievement in Classical Music this past weekend. Under the direction of Dr. Karem J. Simon, the Wind Symphony has had a progressive approach to its programming, and in reaching a wider audience. With performances throughout PEI and beyond each year, partnerships with PEI school music programs, and utilizing unique performance spaces, the Wind Symphony is among PEI's most respected large ensembles. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble.

UPEI congratulates the Wind Symphony on this well-deserved achievement!

UPEI Athletics and Recreation announced the UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of January 20-26. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports throughout the season. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Anja Weisser, Women's Hockey; and Deontay Smith, Men's Basketball

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of January 20-26

Why: Anja Weisser, a fourth-year business student from Kaufbeuren, Germany, led the women's hockey team to a win, and in a solid performance during an overtime loss over the weekend. The defensemen scored one goal in the team's 6-2 win over Dalhousie of Friday, and followed on Saturday with two goals in the overtime loss to Saint Mary's. The 5'8' Weisser is playing some of the best hockey of her university career, and will soon take a hiatus from the UPEI Panthers as she joins Team Germany at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Deontay Smith, a second-year arts student from North Preston, Nova Scotia, continues to lead the men's basketball team on the offensive front. The 6'0' point guard played very strong in the Panthers 88-75 and 95-77 wins over UNB on the weekend, with Smith scoring 35 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, five assists, and four steals. On Friday night, Smith displayed great team character as shortly after being selected 'Player of the Game,' he presented the award to fellow teammate Lorenzo Parker who he believed played the best game.

Weisser and Smith will be recognized at this week's UPEI Athletes of the Week Celebration on Thursday, January 30 at 12:45 pm in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre's McMillan Hall. All are welcome.

Anja Weisser, Women's Hockey

For information:
Ron Annear
UPEI Athletics and Recreation
(902) 566-0991, annear@upei.ca

UPEI Men's Basketball Head Coach Tim Kendrick is pleased to announce that Tyler Scott of Halifax, Nova Scotia is joining the Panthers for the fall 2014-15 season.

Scott played for Kendrick for two summers, including on Nova Scotia's 2009 Canada Games team with current Panthers Geoff Doane and Deontay (D.J.) Smith. Scott is also a close friend of Panther Jayden Skinner-Nordin, also from Halifax.

Despite other Canadian universities and American schools heavily recruiting the 21-year-old basketball player, Scott signed his letter of intent to join the Panthers men's basketball team for the 2014-15 season this past weekend.

Scott is a combo guard who played two seasons with Acadia University, and was also a part of an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship team in his rookie season.

'I feel like I fit in here, I have a great relationship with all of these guys. They have a good team out there,' said Scott during an interview with The Guardian on Saturday, January 25.

'I think Tyler Scott is going to fall in line with previous stars here at UPEI; Tyler is a prolific scorer and talent, and an even better young man,' commented Coach Kendrick.

UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman praised the addition of Scott to the UPEI family. 'It is a pleasure to welcome Tyler to the Panther family. We are very confident that Tyler will be a great addition on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. Programs grow by attracting good quality people. Today, our basketball and athletic program has grown.'

UPEI welcomes Tyler Scott! Go Panthers Go!

For information:
Ron Annear
UPEI Athletics and Recreation
(902) 566-0991, annear@upei.ca

UPEI faculty are invited to submit nominations for appointments to the rank of Professor Emeritus. Please note that the criteria, and nominating and evaluation procedures were revised by Senate on June 14, 2013. These procedures can be found here

The deadline to submit nominations has been extended to Friday, February 21, 2014. Nominations should be forwarded to Dr. Bill Whelan, Chair of the Professor Emeritus Evaluation Committee, Department of Physics, UPEI, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3.

The Professor Emeritus Evaluation Committee will consider all nominees and forward its recommendations to Senate. Senate is the final approval body and will notify nominees of its decision.

Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Whelan at wwhelan@upei.ca.

UPEI Men's Basketball has teamed up with award-winning Kimberlee Farms of Centreville, Nova Scotia to raise funds for various UPEI athletic financial awards through the sale of honey crisp apples.

The farm's owner, Tim Pearson, is a long-time friend of UPEI Men's Basketball Head Coach Tim Kendrick, and is also a Green & White Club member. Ten-pound bags of honey crisp apples will be sold for $20. Orders can be made through the men's basketball players, or by visiting Panther Central.

For more information, visit Panther Central or call (902) 566-0368. Pickup day is Saturday, February 8, 1:00-3:00 pm at UPEI's Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.

For information:
Ron Annear
UPEI Athletics and Recreation
(902) 566-0991, annear@upei.ca