Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Kelly Green (women’s soccer) and Brett Strba (men’s soccer), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for September 25 to October 1!

Kelly Green is a third-year centre-back on the UPEI Women’s Soccer team,and a Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown. Over the weekend, the Panthers beat Saint Mary’s University and lost to a very strong Cape Breton University squad. “Kelly is consistently coming out on top, winning the one-on-one battles,” said coach Graeme McDonald. “She has been outstanding defensively over the last two games, gives 100 per cent every game, and leads by example every time she wears the Panther jersey.”

Brett Strba is a third-year keeper on the UPEI Men’s Soccer team, and a Bachelor of Business Administration student from Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia. The team lost a pair of games over the weekend to SMU and CBU, but Strba was outstanding in between the posts. “On Friday versus SMU, Brett was excellent, despite just returning from injury,” said coach Lewis Page. “On Sunday, Brett made a number of crucial saves, including a penalty-kick save, as the Panthers played a tight game against the league-leading Capers.”

Don’t forget to pick up your Panther Package! For just $75, the package includes admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

University of Prince Edward Island President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz issued a statement today on the passing of UPEI Founder and professor emeritus, Reverend Francis W.P. Bolger.

“On behalf of UPEI students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Father Bolger,” said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.

During his career, Father Bolger was widely recognized as the unofficial "Dean of Island history," in large part because of his leading role in popularizing the academic study of Prince Edward Island history at the university level. At a time when only national histories were seen to matter, he lobbied UPEI to offer a course in the history of PEI.

“The entire UPEI community is saddened by Father Bolger’s passing, but is heartened that his tremendous contributions through his teaching, service, and dedication to Island history will be remembered forever. We are also so pleased that he was recognized and celebrated as a UPEI Founder just a week before his death,” added President Abd-El-Aziz. Read the citation

Father Bolger passed away at home in Charlottetown on September 28. Flags at the University will fly at half-mast until after his funeral on Tuesday, October 3 at St. Ann’s Church in Hope River. Read the obituary

UPEI joined schools across the country recently to mark Orange Shirt Day on September 29. Orange Shirt Day is an annual day of commemoration to continue the discussion about residential schools and their impacts.

“University of Prince Edward Island students, staff, and faculty are really stepping up these days to recognize past injustices in Canada,” said Dr. Ron MacDonald, dean of the Faculty of Education at UPEI, which took the lead in the Orange Shirt Day events at UPEI. “More than 350 people from UPEI and the community donned orange shirts as a way to honour residential school survivors during Orange Shirt Day. It is important to tangibly represent this support in this small way, as well as to keep this support every day of the year."

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 is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

The following is cross-posted from SynapsePEI.com. Synapse is an independent company created to help transfer the expertise and knowledge housed in the University of Prince Edward Island into products, processes, services and insights that can provide practical social and economic benefit beyond the university environment.

PEI oysters are popular worldwide and harvested year-round. But, what only insiders know is that hard labour is essential for growing healthy oysters.

Farmed oysters, which are grown in cages weighing up to 200 pounds each, need to be turned once to twice per week during the growing months for an average of five years. Oyster farms vary in size, from a couple of hundred cages to thousands of them.

Growers need employees who are physically strong enough to turn these heavy, awkward cages for up to 10 hours a day. Their cage-turning efforts discourage mussels, barnacles and algae build-up, which lets water circulate better and more food reach the oysters. This results in more appealing oysters that can garner higher prices.

As part of their studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, a team of students has engineered a solution for oyster growers and producers. Jordan Sampson, Brett McDermott, and Dylan MacIsaac designed the answer: specially designed equipment that gently guides the oyster cages in a rollercoaster-like flip.

Their invention removes back-breaking labour from the equation. This is welcome news for the oyster industry, not only to save time and money, but also to address staff shortages by opening the labour pool to applicants who are less suited to physically demanding work.

As of winter 2017, Synapse Inc.—which turns UPEI ideas into solutions for real-world problems—stepped up to help the students. Synapse evaluated the team’s technology, and having determined its merit, Synapse has worked closely with the team ever since. This included filing for a patent, and applying for and securing proof-of-concept and patent funding from Springboard Atlantic as well as startup funds from Innovation PEI’s Ignition Fund. Synapse will continue to support the team’s startup business, Island AquaTech, providing advice and mentorship as the business is formed and grows.

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, said, “Synapse has been instrumental in protecting and advancing this Atlantic Canadian innovation. By supporting these students and the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering, Synapse increases the likelihood that this engineering design will move into production to meet the needs of the economically important oyster industry.”

The team created a true Maritimes solution. For the prototype, the team worked with numerous Island and Atlantic Canadian businesses, and intends to continue this approach as they move into production.

Next, the students plan to incorporate their company and refine their design for a production version. At this rate, the students will graduate with a degree, an invention to their name and a ready-made business. The world is their oyster. 

It’s a weekend of firsts and lasts for the UPEI Panthers! Men’s Hockey kicks off the 2017-18 AUS season with its home-opener Friday night. Women’s Rugby plays its final home game of the regular season with another battle with Acadia.

UPEI Men’s Hockey starts off the weekend and season with a game Friday at 7 pm against the University of New Brunswick. Coach Forbes MacPherson said an extended training camp and pre-season has really helped his young team to gel.

“It has provided us with opportunity to introduce our philosophy and systems,” said MacPherson. “We have showed early glimpses of very good play, and other times examples of areas we need to clean up. We are very excited to put efforts towards our regular season. This team is very young and brings a lot of energy and excitement to the rink. I’m really looking forward to Friday and getting the season going.”

UPEI Women’s Rugby plays its final home game of the regular season Saturday at 2 pm against Acadia University.

“Acadia is coming off a big home win against St Mary’s University,” said Women’s Rugby coach John LaBoyne. “The Panthers are improving week by week. We will get in some spirited practices this week in preparation. Panther fans should be in for a great game Saturday with a 2 pm kick off at Alumni Stadium. Wear some green, come out and cheer the rugby team on.”

This is the perfect time to pick up season tickets for UPEI Men’s Hockey. Your $190 gives you a reserved seat, 15 individual tickets, 2 for 1 golf at Fox Meadows (until May 31, 2018), a 10% discount card at Source for Sports, 2 for 1 large pizza for the year at Domino’s, and a $50 discount towards your Panther Package! For just $75, the Panther Package gives you admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

UPEI’s Climate Research Lab is hosting a two-day international symposium, October 5 and 6, entitled Adapting to a New Human Health Reality under Climate Change. The media are invited to the keynote presentation by the Honourable David MacDonald at 2 pm, October 5, in the Grafton Room, Rodd Charlottetown Hotel, 75 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

Global climate change is seen as one of the greatest threats to the future of humankind and the world. While climate mitigation strategies are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from human-created sources, those alone are unlikely to be sufficient to eliminate the negative impacts of climate change. The impacts of climate change from emissions of greenhouse gases over the past 150 years will have to be confronted by all jurisdictions. Therefore, pursuing a complementary strategy of enabling jurisdictions to adapt to climate change and negate many of the expected adverse impacts is equally, if not more, urgent.

This symposium will examine the state-of-the-science with regards to climate change and human health, and allow discussions that will hopefully guide jurisdictions to develop and implement adaptation policy and build resilience to the effects of climate change. The symposium is organized around the key themes of emergency and disaster management; nutrition and food security; indigenous peoples’ health; perinatal health; vector-borne diseases; and air quality. It will bring together climate experts who may not have considered the significance of human health, and human health experts who may not have focused their attention on climate change. Together with an invited group of audience participants from government, industry, and non-governmental organizations, this symposium will address the pressing issue of climate change and human health in an action-oriented and policy-focused series of dialogues.

The Honourable David MacDonald grew up in Prince Edward Island. He is a graduate of Prince of Wales College, Dalhousie University, and Pine Hill Divinity Hall. He also holds several honorary degrees in law and divinity. He was ordained as a United Church Minister in June of 1961, serving as pastor of the United Church in Alberton, Prince Edward Island, from 1962 to 1965.

He was elected as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament in 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1979, and 1988; first, as the representative for western PEI, and second, for Rosedale (Toronto Centre). In 1979, he was appointed Secretary of State, Minister of Communications, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. In June 1997, he was the NDP candidate for Toronto Centre–Rosedale. In 1984, he was appointed Canadian Emergency Coordinator/African Famine and, in 1986, Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti.

From 1989–1993, he chaired the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment, the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee on AIDS, and the House of Commons Liaison Committee. Since the early 1990s, he has been actively involved in a number of national and international organizations committed to just and sustainable communities, human rights, and peace. Since 2008, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Faith and the Common Good, a national interfaith network and charitable organization. Since December 1998, he has served as Special Advisor on Indian Residential Schools for the United Church of Canada and, more recently, on Climate and Ocean Change.

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 is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

UPEI’s Department of History and the UPEI Faculty of Arts will present the documentary film Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt at a screening Thursday, October 12 at 7 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Director Michal Goldman will be on hand to present the film and field questions after the screening.

Nasser's Republic, the Making of Modern Egypt is the first film for North Americans to focus on Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the Arab world’s most transformative and controversial leaders. In 1952, as an unknown young Egyptian colonel, Nasser led a coup that became a revolution. Over the next 18 years, he reshaped the Arab world, facing deep divisions among the Arabs and emerging as a titanic figure—a champion of Arab progress and African liberation. But what he could not offer was democracy; instead, he established the region’s first and much emulated military authoritarian regime. A man of enormous charisma and ambition, Nasser became caught in the coils of his own power, dying at 52 with his revolution uncompleted. The Arab Spring and its aftermath are his legacy.

Michal Goldman is an American documentary filmmaker. Her interest in Egypt goes back to the 1990s when she lived in Cairo for several years to produce her film “Umm Kulthum, A Voice Like Egypt.” Several of her films have been nominated for Academy Awards. Her love for PEI dates back to 1970, when her parents bought a small farm in Mermaid.

All are welcome!

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 is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

UPEI is proud to announce Morgan King, an Honours Science student in Chemistry and Biology, has been selected for a prestigious Killam Fellowship at Clemson University in South Carolina. The Killam Fellowships program is offered by Fulbright Canada—the Foundation for Educational Exchange Between Canada and the United States of America.

King is an exceptional student and the recipient of a number of scholarships, including the Wanda Wyatt Scholarship, the Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship, the Inspiring Excellence Award, and the William A. Reddin Scholarship.

“Should I be chosen as a Killam Fellow,” wrote King in his application letter, I would use the opportunity to grow and make a difference, no matter how small, using what I learned. I would immerse myself in a place I have only read about. I would represent Canada as what I am: a bright-eyed, eager individual looking to learn about the world around him.”

“Based on my observation,” wrote Dr. Gaelene Tobin in her nominating letter, “Morgan is determined to become an outstanding research scientist and leader in his field of study. We feel that the support offered by this current scholarship could assist in this process.”

The Killam Fellowships Program provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students from universities in Canada and the United States to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country. Students may participate in the program either as a direct exchange student (registering at their home university, paying their home fees, and attending the host university as an exchange visitor) or as a self-placed visiting student (applying for and registering at the host university, and paying host tuition fees).

The mandate of Fulbright Canada is to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Canada and the people of the United States of America by providing support to outstanding individuals. These individuals conduct research, lecture, or enrol in formal academic programs in the other country. In doing so, Fulbright Canada aims to grow intellectual capacity, increase productivity, and assist in the shaping of future leaders.

Studying abroad is one of the most amazing things a student can do during their time at University. With more than 60 partner schools around the world, UPEI offers many possible study abroad locations. Contact our coordinator of international partnerships to learn more!

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 is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

The following is cross-posted by UPEI on behalf of the Association of Atlantic Universities.

The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) - atlanticuniversities.ca - in partnership with Medavie Health Foundation (Medavie) - medaviehealthfoundation.ca - has created a full-time Regional Coordinator position dedicated to supporting student mental health initiatives for post-secondary education (PSE) institutions across Atlantic Canada.

Dr. Elizabeth Cawley (see below for bio) has been appointed as the Regional Coordinator and was introduced by the AAU and Medavie representatives today at ‘From Survive to Thrive’, a regional student mental conference hosted by Mount Allison University.

Medavie’s investment to create the Regional Coordinator position, which is also supported by the region’s 16 universities and six community colleges, will increase capacity for further collaboration on challenges related to student mental health. Dr. Cawley serves the region’s PSE institutions from Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL.

“For the past five years, Medavie Health Foundation has been a highly supportive partner helping our universities and community colleges improve student mental health services”, said Dr. Alaa Abd-El Aziz, President, University of Prince Edward Island and Chair, AAU.

He added that, “Meeting student mental health needs is one of the most pressing issues on our campuses.  With Medavie’s generous support, the AAU is fortunate to have attracted someone of Dr. Cawley’s background and experience to help our institutions meet student needs as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

“We recognize that post-secondary life can be challenging for students”, commented Bernard Lord, CEO, Medavie. “This new position will help enhance mental health initiatives at campuses across the region, helping our students not just survive, but thrive. It’s also an example of a different kind of health care - one that begins on campus in helping students stay in school and live their best lives. Ensuring people receive the right support at the right time aligns with the way Medavie thinks about health care.”

Dr. Peter Cornish, Director, Associate Professor, and Director of Memorial Counselling and Wellness Centre, Memorial University and Co-Chair, AAU student mental health committee, summarized the value of the newly created position to universities and colleges:  “Through the synergy of our Atlantic-wide collaboration, we are poised to lead the country with innovative, highly engaging wellness programming. This aligns very well with the collective academic mission to prepare the next generation to thrive and lead with passion, purpose and an ethic of care.”

Dr. Elizabeth Cawley is currently the Regional Mental Health Coordinator for the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU). Dr. Cawley received her PhD in Psychiatry from McGill University. Her research focuses on help-seeking behaviour in post-secondary students and developing online strategies to increase early help-seeking via mental health literacy and self-assessment. Dr. Cawley has consulted at a number of top Canadian universities, assisting them with the development and implementation of their mental health strategies. In addition, Dr. Cawley was recently selected to participate in a Kids Help Phone Advisory Group. This Advisory Group was designed to be multidisciplinary and acts to inform the Board of Directors on relevant topics; Dr. Cawley specializes in the area of Service Design.

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For further information, contact:

Peter Halpin, Executive Director, AAU

phalpin@atlanticuniversities.caphalpin@atlanticuniversities.ca>

(902) 425-4238 or (902) 497-4419

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, president and vice-chancellor of UPEI, toured Hon. Heath MacDonald, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, through the School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Photographed here are Payton Brown and Skylar Riggan, members of the UPEI Baja SAE team, as well as Dr. Abd-El-Aziz, Minister MacDonald, and Jeff Bowser—the advisor for UPEI Baja SAE.

UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering is for students who are eager to put their skills and knowledge to work, designing innovative, targeted, and sustainable processes, products, and solutions that improve people’s lives and better society. Our students are part of a unique learning experience that is hands on, team focused, project based, and industry linked.

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 is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.