Dr. Richard Lemm, one of PEI’s best-known authors and a UPEI English professor for many years, will launch his new poetry book, Jeopardy: New Poems, on Friday, June 29, at 7:00 pm in the Carriage House of Beaconsfield Historic House, located at 2 Kent Street in Charlottetown. Acorn Press, the publisher, will host the launch and reception.

The book opens with “Profane and Sacred” poems conjuring myths and journeys—Adam and Eve’s Edenic choice; a Jewish surgeon’s pilgrimage to Assisi; the poet’s grandfather leaving the family farm for America’s first imperialist war. “Skeletal Blues” explores a couple’s struggle with mental illness and the quest for healing.

“History Lessons” takes readers to the British penal colony in Tasmania, reveals pre- and post-Revolution experiences in Cairo teaching Egyptian students, and encounters an ancient civilization wrestling with cross-currents of modernity and tradition. “The Future Hurtling Toward Us” evokes with humour and urgency our ecological reality and environmental crises.

Dr. Lemm has published four other poetry collections, including Burning House, Four Ways of Dealing with Bullies, and Prelude to the Bacchanal, which won the Canadian Authors’ Association Award. He has won poetry prizes in the CBC Literary Competition, and a PEI Book Award for Shape of Things to Come.

Dr. Lemm’s biography of PEI’s “People’s Poet of Canada,” Milton Acorn: In Love and Anger, received the PEI Heritage and Museum Foundation Award. He edited two anthologies of Island writing: Riptides: New Island Fiction, which won a PEI Book Award and was a finalist for an Atlantic Book Award, and the best-selling Snow Softly Falling: Holiday Stories from PEI. At UPEI, Dr. Lemm teaches creative writing, Canadian literature, and environmental literature.

Congratulations, Dr. Lemm!

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Researchers from UPEI’s Climate Research Lab are continuing their tour of Prince Edward Island communities to discuss sea-level rise. The team will hold public presentations in Georgetown, Victoria, Alberton, and Morell. All are welcome.

The presentations will help increase our understanding and awareness of the impacts of sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and storm surges, and discuss tools for adaptation and coastal planning. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss what sea-level rise means for Islanders.

The Climate Research Lab summer tour will be in:

• Georgetown: Tuesday, July 3, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Kings Playhouse, 65 Grafton Street, Georgetown
• Victoria: Wednesday, July 4, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Victoria Schoolhouse, 730 Victoria Road, Victoria
• Alberton: Monday, July 9, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Alberton Community Centre, 1 College Street, Alberton
• Morell: Tuesday, July 10, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Rossiter Park Community Building, 3 Riverside Drive, Morell

These events are free and open to all members of the public and will run approximately two hours. Refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP by emailing climate@upei.ca or calling (902) 894-2852.

The workshops are part of the national Educating Coastal Communities About Sea-level Rise (ECoAS) project, which is supported by financial contributions from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the UPEI Climate Research Lab, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI, and the Ecology Action Centre. For more information about the project, please visit www.sealevelrise.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The thirteenth biennial L.M. Montgomery Institute Conference will feature a free public concert by Canadian women’s musical oral historian Rosalee Peppard. Peppard will perform her song portrait of the Island’s literary icon Lucy Maud Montgomery on Friday, June 22, at 7:30 pm in the Holland College’s Florence Simmons Hall. The evening will begin with a reading by Prince Edward Island’s poet laureate, Deirdre Kessler. All are welcome to this free event.

Details for the full conference, including the schedule and instructions on how to register, can be found at lmmontgomery.ca. The conference runs June 21 through 24 in Charlottetown, PEI.

The four-day conference, L.M. Montgomery and Reading, will provide a forum to explore the idea and the role of reading as it applies to Montgomery. It will present opportunities to reflect upon and re-read the state of Montgomery studies and share insight about the past, present, and future of its inherently interdisciplinary work.

Montgomery herself studied, collected, and passionately re-read favorite books and cherished her literary encounters so deeply that they have become part of the fabric of her own writing. The conference seeks to tease out these threads and explore how communities of scholars and readers to share work that reflects on the intertextual potentials of Montgomery studies.

“The 2018 conference will bring together seasoned scholars, graduate students, independent scholars, and general readers to explore new questions for research and scholarly discussion about one of Canada’s best-known and loved authors and her works,” said Dr. Emily Woster, LMMI visiting scholar, conference co-chair, and assistant professor in English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The conference aims to explore the ways that reading, in all its forms and possibilities, has influenced Montgomery and her millions of readers and viewers over time. Delegates will explore the reception of Montgomery’s writings nationally and internationally with cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural conversations about her life and work. This 25^th anniversary conference will reflect on the past, present and future of Montgomery studies.

The conference committee received more proposals for papers and presentations than ever before and selected 64 speakers from 11 countries.

“The L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI promotes research into, and informed celebration of, the life, works, culture, and influence of Montgomery,” said Dr. Philip Smith, LMMI committee chair. “We have a rich network of local, national, and international Montgomery scholars and enthusiasts. The conference welcomes both academics and community members, and anyone with an interest in Montgomery is encouraged to register.”

Conference keynote speakers:

Elizabeth Epperly, BA, MA, Ph.D., LL.D., fourth president of the University of Prince Edward Island, professor emerita of English, founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI, imagined she was reading Montgomery for herself even though her eyes were closed and she was just learning to manage the alphabet—so effortlessly did she enter Montgomery’s world when her father read to her sister and to her. Many Montgomery-related and inspired essays, talks, and books later, Epperly is a world-renowned Montgomery scholar. Her most recent works include a creative memoir, Power Notes: Leadership by Analogy (Rock’s Mills Press, 2017), and a children’s book, Summer in the Land of Anne (illustrated by her sister Carolyn Epperly), published by Acorn Press.

Margaret Mackey is professor emerita in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. Her work on her own early literacies and texts culminated in the publication of One Child Reading: My Auto- Bibliography (University of Alberta Press, 2016), recently named as the Scholarly and Academic Book of the Year for 2017 by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. In 2017 she was also honoured by the Children's Literature Association with the Anne Devereux Jordan Award for lasting contributions in scholarship and service.

Catherine Sheldrick Ross is professor emerita and former dean of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) at Western. With a longstanding research interest in leisure reading, she has published scholarly articles and books on various aspects of the pleasure-reading experience. Catherine Ross has just completed a new co-authored book, Reading Still Matters: What the Research Reveals about Reading, Libraries, and Community (Libraries Unlimited, in press). Other recent books include The Pleasures of Reading: A Booklover's Alphabet (Libraries Unlimited 2014). In 2013, she received the Margaret E. Munroe Award given by the American Library Association for “significant contributions to library adult services.”

Emily Woster is the current visiting scholar for the L.M. Montgomery Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She earned her Ph.D. in English Studies at Illinois State University. Emily’s work has focused primarily on the reading lives and textual worlds of L.M. Montgomery, including a chapter in L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911-1942. Her broader research interests straddle the worlds between women’s life writing, children’s literature, and English studies. Emily is managing editor of a/b: Auto/Biography Studies.

The conference also celbrates the L.M. Montgomery Institutes 25^th anniversary. Full details can be found at lmmontgomery.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s interdisciplinary Asian Studies Program will host an international conference on Asian Studies from June 14 to 15 in the SDU Main Building’s Faculty Lounge.

The conference, “Good and Evil in Korean Philosophy, Religion, and Spirituality: Korean Ideas and their Global Implications,” will include five interesting and engaging panels featuring 16 prominent and promising scholars from Korea, Japan, Canada, and the USA. They will discuss Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and related topics, comparative studies, and Japan’s famous “Kyoto School” (Zen and comparative philosophy/theology).

The opening keynote speech, “Evil and Theodicy in the Buddhist Tradition,” will be presented by Dr. Robert E. Buswell Jr., Irving and Jean Stone, Endowed Chair in Humanities at UCLA, Distinguished Professor of Buddhist Studies, and Founding Director of the Center for Buddhist Studies and the Center for Korean Studies, UCLA. Dr. Buswell is a very famous international scholar who has published 16 books on various aspects of the Korean, Chinese, and Indian traditions of Buddhism, as well as on Korean religions more broadly. He was elected president of the Association for Asian Studies in 2008. He was the recipient of the prestigious Manhae Grand Prize (2009) in recognition of his pioneering contributions to establishing Korean Buddhist Studies in the West. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016.

“This conference will help us to strengthen UPEI’s international reputation, expand its global exchange and partnership, and recruit more international students from Asian countries,” said Dr. Edward Chung, Asian Studies and Korean Studies Project Director at UPEI.

The conference is hosted and funded by the University of Prince Edward Island and the Korean Studies Project, and co-organized by UPEI’s Asian Studies and the North American Korean Philosophy Association affiliated with the American Philosophical Association.

Dr. Chung noted that the UPEI Asian-Korean Studies Project received a top score from the Academy of Korean Studies for its first year of performance. The Academy of Korean Studies is South Korea’s leading graduate studies institute dedicated to international research and teaching in Korean Studies.

“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Edward Chung and his colleagues, the Korean Studies program at UPEI has achieved an enviable international reputation, as evidenced by the broad array of renowned scholars participating in this conference,” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, UPEI Vice-President, Academic and Research. “Our students and faculty are fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from this impressive group of delegates.”

“The Faculty of Arts is delighted to host such a high profile international conference,” said Dr. Neb Kujundzic, Dean of Arts at UPEI. “Congratulations to Dr. Edward Chung for doing an excellent job organizing this conference.”

For more information about the conference, please contact Dr. Chung at chung@upei.ca or (902) 566-0324.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Earlier this year, Chief Brian Francis of the Abegweit First Nation, UPEI Indigenous student Dawne Knockwood, and Elder Junior Peter Paul joined President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz in raising the Mi'kmaq National Flag at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place.

“UPEI continues its efforts to infuse Indigenous ‘ways of knowing’ into the academy, as well as supporting Indigenous students on their journey to and through post-secondary education,” says President Abd-El-Aziz. “We have much work to do, but raising the Mi’kmaq national flag permanently on our campus was a symbolic affirmation of the University’s commitment. I encourage all members of the UPEI community to reflect upon and celebrate the tremendous contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples on National Indigenous Peoples Day, and every day throughout the year.”

On PEI, the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI is hosting a celebration at Abegweit First Nation in Scotchfort from 2–5 pm to help "Celebrate the Culture" with drummers, dancers, and crafters and a free BBQ and children's activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

On campus, the Atlantic Council for International Co-operation will welcome renowned environmental, cultural, and human rights advocate Sheila Watt-Cloutier to their “Walking Together Towards a Sustainable Future” conference where she will deliver the keynote address tonight at 7 pm in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building. Dr. Watt-Cloutier, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, is former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference and speaks with passion and urgency on the issues of today. The talk is open to the public and all are welcome.
 

The following release is from Parks Canada

Parks Canada recently awarded two prizes to first year student teams at the University of Prince Edward Island’s (UPEI) School of Sustainable Design Engineering Student Design Expo. The annual event, which was held on April 20, 2018, showcased the best in student sustainable and green engineering in Atlantic Canada. 

The Parks Canada Sustainability Award recognises an outstanding design using existing technologies towards a sustainable solution. This year’s award was presented to Lara Mullaly, Tess Lyons, Taylor MacDonald, Allison McCabe, and Simran Gupta for their project Sustainable Energy at Robinsons Island. 

This year’s Parks Canada Innovation Award was presented to Tanguy Rugamba, Aidan Gallant, Philip Tweel, Graham Ching, and Mac-Donald Chukwudi Duru for their project Eco-Fountain. The award recognises an outstanding design solution that demonstrates an innovative approach. 

The People’s Choice Award was presented to the Senior Design Clinic team responsible for the Province House: Virtual Reality project, composed of Tristan Dawson, Semin Jahic, Hannah Matheson, and Zixuan Wu. This virtual reality tour was developed in collaboration with students from UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering and the University of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Parks Canada is pleased to partner with UPEI to support educational opportunities related to Canada's natural and cultural heritage and proud to support the annual Student Expo which recognizes and celebrates student achievement. 

Quick Facts 

• The UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering (SSDE) advances knowledge, grows industries, improves health, and betters society by developing engineers with exceptional design skills combined with global perspectives. Recognized nationally for program innovation, the SSDE works to find solutions to complex, real-world challenges through a collaborative team approach. Teams function like an engineering consulting firm where students work alongside global experts from higher learning, research and development, industry, and community partners.
• Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and cultural heritage areas in the world.
• Parks Canada’s national historic sites reflect the rich and varied heritage of our nation and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history.
• Province House: Virtual Reality is an immersive and interactive exhibit that allows visitors to experience Province House as never before. Users can stroll the halls, explore the great chambers, and discover more about the current conservation project. Province House: Virtual Reality will be available this summer on the plaza of the Confederation Centre of the Arts alongside Parks Canada’s Imagine a Country exhibit.
• Robinsons Island is a small island in PEI National Park that was once home to a campground and day-use area. In 2014, this infrastructure was removed and the island was restored to a place of discovery and natural exploration. A new 6-kilometre, multi-use trail system was created, designed for hikers and cyclists alike. 

Contacts 

Janette Gallant
Communications Officer
Parks Canada, PEI Field Unit
902-672-6389
janette.gallant@pc.gc.ca

Atlantic Veterinary College student Brian Blanchard has been awarded a prestigious $75,000 scholarship by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation.

The AAEP Foundation Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarship is given to top third-year veterinary students attending an AVMA accredited veterinary college with a significant interest in equine sports medicine, a good academic record, and leadership qualities, and who is a member of the school’s AAEP student chapter.

The Coyote Ranch Scholarship program is funded by Penelope Knight, owner and operator of the Coyote Rock Ranch in Terrebonne, Oregon, a ranch that breeds and trains high-end quarter horses for cutting and reining competitions.

Only three to four scholarships valued at $75,000 each are awarded each year. About 80 veterinary students from Canada and the United States applied for the three scholarships awarded in 2018.

Horses have always been a part of Blanchard’s life. Growing up on his family’s dairy farm in Thorndike, Maine, he worked with Percheron draft horses. When his parents purchased a standardbred mare in 1996, he caught the harness racing bug and began driving in 2007.

He spent the next five years working in the US harness racing industry as a driver and trainer, but in 2012 he decided to go to university. In 2015 he graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude and then applied to AVC. He was accepted on the first try.

When he arrived on Prince Edward Island to attend AVC in the fall of 2015, he visited the Red Shores Racetrack in Charlottetown and soon began a part of the racing scene there, jogging, training, and driving horses.

Blanchard is thankful to be chosen for the scholarship. He applied for it based on his involvement in standardbred harness racing before and throughout his veterinary training, his strong academic record, and his plan to practice equine sports medicine after graduation. But he was still surprised—and very happy—when he found out in April that he was successful.

“Though I have worked hard for it, none of this would have been possible without the help of all the faculty, staff, and students I have studied and worked alongside these past three years at AVC, particularly Dr. Laurie McDuffee, Dr. Leigh Lamont, and Karen Roche for their mentorship and help in applying for the scholarship.”

He also thanked his family and Maine veterinarian Dr. Ron Miles for supporting his dream of becoming a veterinarian.

“Last but not least, I’d like to thank Kenny Arsenault, Jamie Smith, and the rest of the crew at the Red Shores Racetrack, aka the Charlottetown Driving Park, for being good friends and mentors in the harness racing game and vet school process over the past three years.”

The AAEP Foundation Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarships will be presented to the recipients on December 3rd, 2018, at the AAEP’s 64th annual convention in San Francisco, California.

An online addictions therapy known as Computer Based Training for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT4CBT), piloted and operated by a UPEI research team, will now be offered free of charge at Murphy’s Pharmacy location across PEI.

Cognitive behavioural therapy allows patients to recognize triggers, improve coping mechanisms, and alter the behaviour that leads to substance abuse. CBT4CBT’s efficacy, durability, and cost-savings have been proven in clinical trials and have been praised by patients and therapy personnel. Through web-based delivery, CBT4CBT can reach people even in rural areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“The CBT4CBT program is engaging, with movies that reflect real world problems. One of the first things you realize when using CBT4CBT is that Anna is having a rough day. Anna, who is trying to stop using, has a horrible day at work, then, has a fight with her husband who offers her drugs,” said Dr. Michelle Patterson, research manager at UPEI’s Centre for Health and Community Research (CHCR). “Viewers can watch how to use cognitive and behavioral self-control skills to deal with a problem. There is something powerful about seeing the problem rather than hearing about it in the abstract.”

Access to CBT4CBT is available free of charge. Those dealing with substance abuse can request access at any Murphy’s Pharmacies location. They will be provided with unique login to access this evidence-based program. For more information, visit chcresearch.ca/cbt4cbt-prescription/

Healthcare workers or pharmacists interested in the program for their patients can contact the CHCR at chcr@upei.ca and receive a prescription pad with details about CBT4CBT.

CBT4CBT was developed by Dr. Kathleen Carroll and researchers at the Yale School of Medicine. UPEI’s CHCR performed the first clinical trials in Canada and offers the program at sites across the province.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Colin MacAdam, head coach of UPEI’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams, is pleased to announce Nick Robertson will join the Panthers for the 2018–2019 season. Robertson is a middle- and long-distance runner and a recent graduate of Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown.

“Nick Robertson is a talented cross-country, triathlon, and track and field athlete who has represented Colonel Gray High School and Prince Edward Island for a number of years,” said MacAdam. “Nick was scouted by a number of universities, and we are delighted that he has chosen to attend UPEI. Nick will be a key member of our track and field and cross-country teams. We expect he will be an impact athlete for both programs.”

Robertson took home three first-place finishes at the most recent PEI School Athletic Association (PEISAA) Track & Field Championship, including the 800-meter, 1500-meter, and 3000-meter races. In 2016–2017, he was a member of Team PEI at the Canada Summer Games for the triathlon. He won his category at the 2017–2018 provincial cross-country championship, and placed second at the Atlantic Cross Country Championship.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing my career as a Panther,” said Robertson. “With help from old and new coaches, and my sponsor, I have high hopes of what I can accomplish during my years at UPEI.”

Robertson has been accepted into UPEI’s Faculty of Science and will be majoring in chemistry.

Go Panthers Go!

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, visited the UPEI campus on Monday, June 25 as part of her official visit to Prince Edward Island.

Her Excellency met with researchers and their teams from the UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering including Dr. Ali Ahmadi, assistant professor of engineering who is leading a team focusing on the 3D (bio-) printing of natural polymers such as amylum and chitin for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications, adding value to waste streams coming from PEI potato and shellfish industries.

Dr. Bishnu Acharya, assistant professor of engineering, along with his student researchers demonstrated the process they are undertaking to construct equipment that extracts tunicate cellulose in large amounts to turn the shellfish pest into something valuable to shellfish harvesters.

Dr. Nadja Johnson Bressan, assistant professor of engineering, along with Dr. Cate Creighton, assistant professor anaesthesiology, from the Atlantic Veterinary College, and their team of students are working on a project that utilizes fabric sensors to access physiological variables such as the heart rate and respiratory rate of large and small animals non-invasively. The Smart Mat is the first non-invasive physiological monitor of its kind. Dr. Bressan also demonstrated another project that assesses the accuracy of perineurial anesthesia performed using a 3D-holographic image generated by HoloLens, a mixed reality tool that performs local blocks on dogs and cats.

After touring FSDE, Her Excellency met with Dr. Adam Fenech and his research team at the UPEI Climate Lab and discussed CLIVE, the CoastaL Impacts Visualization Environment. Her Excellency completed her UPEI stop by participating in a roundtable at the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre with the Honourable Wade MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island and members of the bioscience community including, chair of the PEI BioAlliance, UPEI's Dr. Russ Kerr.