Google is providing funding for an exciting new initiative led by students in UPEI’s School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (SMCS). IgniteCS will bring junior high students to UPEI to learn about computer science in an inclusive environment.

The initiative is led by Dr. Andrew Godbout, professor in the SMCS, and upper-year computer science students.

“Careers in mathematical and computational sciences are among the highest-rated and fastest-growing in the job market, and initiatives like IgniteCS gives students a glimpse at some of the CS that leads to these careers,” said Dr. Gordon MacDonald, associate dean of the SMCS.

IgniteCS is free and open to 30 students in grades 7-9. It runs from April 24 to 28 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Registration is first come, first serve and runs until April 21, or until capacity is reached. Registration and questions can be directed to ignitecsupei@gmail.com.

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.

Charlottetown’s Mike Conway will speak about his book Home Plate, Blue Helmet at the next OpenPages event, Wednesday, April 26, at 7:00 pm in UPEI’s Robertson Library. The public is warmly invited. Light refreshments will be served and Conway’s book will be available for sale and signing.

OpenPages takes place in the new lounge on the main floor of the Robertson Library and features local authors discussing what inspired them, what they learned, what they want to share.

Conway grew up in Charlottetown’s historic north and east ends, in neighbourhoods full of colorful characters, hard-working families, and close-knit friendships. The stories in his book bring to life the joys and hardships, loyalties and eccentricities, and traditions and transformations he experienced growing up.

For more information, contact Joan Sinclair at Island Studies Press, ispstaff@upei.ca or contact Simon Lloyd at the Library, ssloyd@upei.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.

UPEI Women’s Hockey coach Bruce Donaldson confirmed Camille Scherger has committed to play for the Panthers. Scherger is from Lloydminster, Alberta.

“When we went looking for a goaltender, we had a number of teams out west tell us to go see Camille play,” said Donaldson. “She works especially hard, has a goals-against average of 1.92, and a save percentage of .93.”

Scherger began her minor hockey career in Lloydminster, playing boys hockey until Midget. She played Midget AAA this past season for Red Deer in the Alberta Female Hockey League. She led the league in minutes played, and ranked second for saves.

“I knew I wanted to become a UPEI Panther the day I stepped foot on the amazing campus as it had an atmosphere that I could see myself playing and learning in,” said Scherger. “Charlottetown also has a hometown feel and that was important for me, coming from a smaller city in Alberta. Meeting Coach Donaldson and some future teammates helped with my decision, because I felt like part of the team from the moment we met. I am extremely excited to become a Panther and get things started in the fall.”

A team of students from the UPEI Faculty of Business placed sixth at the 2017 Options Trading Simulation, hosted by the TMX Montreal Exchange. The top-ten finish is even more impressive given the competition included more than 2,500 undergraduate and MBA students on more than 1,100 teams from 38 Canadian universities.

UPEI's top team was UPEI Corp Finance 231W Hockey, made up of Cody Payne, Beni Berisha, Emily March, and Stephen Macinnis—students who are also varsity Panther hockey players. The team ended the competition with a portfolio balance of $199,850 (on an initial notional investment of $100,000).

“This return performance of 100%, over a ten-week trading period, is tremendous,” said their professor, Dr. Andrew Carrothers. “Our students have shown once again that they excel in competition with the very best!”

On how the team worked together, March explained, “We’d meet and discuss the decisions together before they were made. We followed the trend of the price of the stock Canadian Pacific Railway, because it was the most volatile and had the potential to make the most money. We were also heavily invested in Dollarama, because of the news that they were going to accept credit cards, which led to a huge increase in the price of the stock. That was our most successful trade and led to a huge increase in our profits.”

“We all played hockey so we tried to incorporate that into the team identity,” said Berisha. “We all had relatively limited stock experience, so this whole simulation was a learning experience for us all.”

“Congratulations to the team,” said Dr. Juergen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business. “This requires good knowledge and understanding of the underlying drivers in the market and our hockey players in business accomplished an amazing finish in a huge competitive field.”

Congratulations!

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 Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island is proud to partner with the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance and the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society (FHS) to co-host the eighth International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health (ISAAH 2018). The 2018 event will be held at the Prince Edward Island Convention Centre from September 2 to 6 in beautiful Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.

The 2018 edition marks the thirtieth anniversary of the event, with the inaugural International Fish Health Conference having been held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1988. The ISAAH occurs once every four years, and since 1994, has developed into a much-anticipated meeting of fish health professionals.

Dr. David Groman, past President of the FHS, Section Head for Aquatic Diagnostic Services at the AVC, and local chair of the 2018 Conference, said all groups involved are excited to be hosting this event on PEI.

“It’s a little-known fact that PEI has the highest number of fish health professionals per capita and per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. The PEI fish health community is proud to be playing host to this prestigious international aquatic animal health meeting,” said Groman.

Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing sector for animal food production. Rory Francis, executive director of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, said PEI is an ideal location for the ISAAH 2018.

“Prince Edward Island is home to more than 30 organizations and leading-edge companies involved in aquaculture production, health and nutrition product development, and contract services. PEI researchers, including the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Aquatic Epidemiology and Canada Research Chairs in Integrated Health Research for Sustainable Aquaculture and Epi-informatics at the Atlantic Veterinary College, provide support and innovative solutions for the global aquaculture industry. I know that delegates will be impressed by our people and our infrastructure,” said Francis.

The ISAAH typically attracts 300–400 fish health professionals from around the world and is the preeminent international meeting of fish health professionals. The 2018 meeting promises to provide a unique opportunity for rapid exchange of information on a global scale. For more information about the conference and how you can get involved, visit www.isaah2018.com.

The Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, established in 1986, is committed to improving the health and welfare of animals and humans through education, research and service. The College is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and is recognized by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom. AVC is recognized globally for its innovative research and expertise in aquatic animal health, veterinary epidemiology, comparative biomedical sciences, clinical medicine, animal welfare, infectious disease, and public health.

The Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster is the location of choice for companies engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of bioactive-based human, animal, and fish health and nutrition products. The PEI Bioscience Cluster consists of over 50 companies, several major research institutions, and over 1500 employees. The PEI BioAlliance facilitates the growth of the industry in the province, providing specialized programs and services for business incubation, commercialization support services, partnering, and conference and workshop planning and execution.

The National Day of Mourning, or Workers’ Mourning Day, originated in Canada in 1984 and is now observed annually in over 100 countries on April 28.

On this day, all levels of government, workplaces, workers, and community members honour the memory, pay respect to, and show support for those who have been adversely affected by serious incidents in workplaces that have resulted in fatalities or life-changing injuries or illnesses. The National Day of Mourning raises awareness and renews the commitment of all parties to ensure safe and healthy workplaces exist to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Every worker has the right to return home safe and sound at the end of each workday. 

Recent Canadian workers compensation statistics tell us:

• there were 852 workplace deaths including four workers from 15–19 years of age, and eleven workers from 20–24 years of age.
• there were 232,629 claims for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease, including 8,155 from young workers from 15–19 years of age.

These numbers do not include everyone directly affected by these workplace tragedies. Each worker death (and injury/illness) impacts loved ones, families, friends, and co-workers for the rest of their lives.

The PEI Federation of Labour will host a National Day of Mourning Ceremony in Memorial Hall at the Confederation Centre of the Arts beginning at 7:00 pm on April 28, 2017 for those that would like to show their support.

In observance of the National Day of Mourning, the University of Prince Edward Island will lower its flags to half-mast.

Do you want a career tailored to your interests?  One where earning potential is unlimited?  Do you want to stay right here on Prince Edward Island? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the second annual UPEI Entrepreneurship Boot Camp on May 8, 9, and 10 might be an opportunity for you.

The boot camp is a relaxed event designed for UPEI graduating students, recent graduates and current students-- regardless of their area of study --that promises to be filled with inspiration and advice from people who are living the entrepreneurial dream every day. The program is packed with entrepreneurs sharing their stories on achieving success and how you can too. The two and a half days of programming will include interactive sessions and local tours aimed to spark new ideas and potential uses for innovation. 

Last year, sixteen people took part in the inaugural boot camp and now more than ten from the group are pursuing their entrepreneurial goals.

Register for the 2017 boot camp by texting your email address and the title BOOT CAMP to 902-394-2536.  There is no cost for UPEI graduating students, current students, or alumni to attend.

The University of Prince Edward Island announced today Darrell Glenn will be the next coach of the Panther men’s basketball team.

Originally from Ontario, Glenn played for the Panthers from 1988 to 1994 and was a member of the 1988–89 AUS championship team. He earned his BA from UPEI in 1994 and his BEd from the University of Toronto in 2000.

“I am very excited to announce that former UPEI Panther, Darrell Glenn, will be the new head coach of the UPEI Men’s Basketball team,” said Chris Huggan, director of UPEI Athletics and Recreation. “Darrell brings a wealth of basketball coaching experience and has had proven success with every program he has worked with.”

Most recently at Seneca College as head coach, Glenn is also the former head coach of the Humber College men’s basketball team, winning regional and provincial titles in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009. He has coached the National Team Junior Academy, the Ontario Centre of Performance team, and the Ontario under-15 provincial team. He is the former assistant coach of Canada’s team for the FIBA America Qualifier, which won a bronze medal in Uruguay. He picked up bronze medals as the assistant coach of Canada’s World University Games team and the Canadian under-21 team.

“After twenty-plus years away, basketball has once again brought Koren and I back to PEI,” said Glenn. “As the newly appointed head coach of the men's basketball program at UPEI, I look forward to not only working tirelessly on campus, but I also hope to contribute to the development of basketball across the Island.”

Glenn was named the CCAA Coach of the Year for 2009–10 and is a three-time OCAA Conference Coach of the Year. He begins his contract with UPEI on July 1, 2017.

The AVC Wildlife Service released a beautiful barred owl on Tuesday, April 25, at Macphail Woods in Orwell, PEI. The emaciated and injured owl was found by Jim Martell in his yard in Charlottetown on March 4. Mr. Martell captured the owl in a blanket and brought it to the AVC.

A physical examination revealed a severe injury to the owl’s left eye. After the bird was stabilized and had gained weight, Dr. Helene VanDoninck, of the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Brookfield, Nova Scotia, performed surgery on March 21, removing the injured eye. The owl recovered from surgery very well and spent a few weeks with falconer Jamie Stride to prepare for its release.

Even with only one eye, owls can hunt in their natural environment. The birds have multiple adaptations that make them efficient predators, including silent flight, acute directional hearing, highly light-sensitive three-dimensional vision, and the ability to turn their heads left and right up to 270 degrees and almost upside down.

Click here to watch a video of the release created by Eric Edward, Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project.