Dr. Travis Esau will be presenting a special research seminar on Wednesday, April 17, at 12 noon to 1:00 PM in SDE 205. Dr. Esau has applied for an adjunct faculty appointment in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering. All are welcomed to attend! Title: Mechanized Systems to Increase Farm Profitability, Create Food Security and Improve Environmental Sustainability Speaker: Dr. Travis Esau, Assistant Professor, Mechanized Systems, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University Abstract: Traditional agricultural farming is not sustainable and requires new engineering advancements to remain competitive in both local and global markets. Advanced mechanized systems are required to increase farm efficiency and use environmental resources more effectively. Mechanical harvesting remains the most cost-effective means for picking wild blueberries yet is heavily reliant on operator skill and full automation relies on precise and accurate mechanized systems to remain competitive moving forward. Research is underway to develop an advanced harvest management strategy, improve blueberry fruit quality, increase berry picking efficiency and automate the mechanized harvester using advanced sensors and control systems.

This award-winning documentary tells the story of Canadian scientist Dr. Anne Innis Daag as she traces her 1956 journey to South Africa to study giraffes in the wild. Limited seating, $5 tickets can be purchased at https://giraffemovie.eventbrite.ca.  This screening opens the Atlantic Connections Conference on Sustaining Women in SETT (ACT attendees can reserve one free ticket). More information and registration to ACT can be found at: http://atlanticconnections.ca/event-registration/  Thursday, May 30, at 6:30 PM in Theatre A, AVC.

The Faculty of Business will present a public presentation by Accounting Faculty Candidate, Clemence Stanley, CPA/CMA, on Tuesday, April 23, in Don & Marion McDougall Hall, Room 328, at 10 am. The presentation topic: From Sustainability to Literacy. All are welcome to attend.

The University of Prince Edward Island is proud to host the Canada 2018 Gairdner International Award winner for the 2019 Gairdner Lectures. Dr. Davor Solter will deliver a public lecture on Monday, May 6 at 9:30 am in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building. A second lecture for high school students will take place immediately after at 10:45 am. Dr. Davor Solter is an emeritus member and director of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics. He is a visiting international professor of the Siriraj Center for Excellence in Stem Cell Research, Mahidol University, and a visiting professor at the University of Zagreb Medical School. Together, the work of Dr. Solter and Dr. Azim Surani has contributed to the understanding of the developmental consequences and molecular mechanisms of genomic imprinting, starting the field of epigenetics, the study of heritable changes in gene function without changes in the DNA sequence. In 1984, they released parallel studies that demonstrated the concept of genomic imprinting. All cells in the animal contain two copies of every autosomal gene, one from the mother and one from the father, and in most cases both copies are expressed. However, “imprinted” genes are expressed only from either the maternally or the paternally inherited copy. Genomic imprinting has widespread roles in mammals, affecting embryonic and placental development and transmission of nutrients to the fetus, and regulating critical aspects of mammalian physiology, such as metabolism, neuronal development and adult behaviour. Extensive research based on this discovery led to the identification of numerous imprinted genes whose alleles are differentially expressed depending on the parent of origin. Faulty imprints can lead to developmental, physiological and behavioural anomalies in mice, and result in diseases in humans. There is growing evidence for the importance of imprinting in disease susceptibility from developmental syndromes like Beckwith-Wiedemann, Angelman and Prader-Willi, to a variety of cancers and neurological disorders and obesity. It also has effects on diverse aspects of mammalian development and physiology, such as stem cells, core body temperature, nutrition and behaviour. All are welcome to the public lecture. High school classes who would like to attend the student lecture may contact Jane Vessey at javessey@upei.ca. The Gairdner Foundation was established in 1957 with the goal of recognizing and rewarding international excellence in fundamental research that impacts human health. Seven awards are given annually: five Canada Gairdner International Awards for biomedical research, one John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award for impact on global health issues, and one Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, reserved for a Canadian. The Foundation has bestowed 380 awards on laureates from 35 countries; 89 of those recipients have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes.

Not too late to register! Girls in grades 7 to 9 are invited to a science and engineering retreat on Friday, May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This 5th Girls Get WISE Science and Engineering Retreat will give girls a hands-on experience in chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, and engineering through fun workshops. Girls will also meet female role models who are working or studying in the science, engineering, and technology fields. These experiences will help girls make informed decisions about subject choices in their later school years. Register at http://www.engineerspei.com/node/455 by Friday, April 26. Space is limited. Cost is $10 which includes lunch. Subsidies may be available upon request. This event is hosted by UPEI with assistance from WISE (Women In Science and Engineering) Atlantic and Engineers PEI.

Come celebrate the work of local playwrights with a joint cabaret and book launch on Saturday, April 27th, 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge of the Main Building at the University of Prince Edward Island. The PEI wing of PARC (Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre) and Island Studies Press invite you to readings by Island playwrights and the launch of The Philosopher, a collection of one-act plays by Malcolm Murray. Malcolm teaches Philosophy at UPEI. The Cabaret is hosted by PEI PARC members Orysia Dawydiak and Yvette Doucette, with readings by Rob MacDonald, Catherine O'Brien, Nadine Salami, among others. Malcolm Murray and friends will read selections from The Philosopher, which will be available for sale. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with a cash bar and nibblies. Admission is by donation. Comedic, satirical, and at times solemn, The Philosopher showcases the range of human complexity from nonsense to wisdom. Murray’s characters range from a philosopher in chains brought up from the basement to entertain guests to a psychologist who assists a traumatized patient to become more self-aware, only to result in greater angst. Provocative, perceptive, and rife with questions about the motives and morality of our everyday conduct, The Philosopher ultimately deals with the search for meaning and our need to believe.  Apart from being a playwright, Malcolm Murray is also a fiction writer and philosopher. His produced plays include “Art of Posing” (2014), “The Abettor” (2013), “The Philosopher” (2012), and “Chop Wood, Carry Water” (2008). He is the author of five philosophy books including Morals and Consent (2017). Malcolm lives with his wife, a cat, a dog, and recently, though less agreeably, a raccoon. 

The UPEI Brass and Woodwind Summer Studios 2019 will take place June 24-29 in the Steel Building. This week-long chamber music workshop is an exciting opportunity for motivated young brass and woodwind students aged 14-18 to hone their musicianship, improve their technique, and meet like-minded young musicians. Students take part in individual lessons with UPEI music faculty, enjoy group rehearsals and performances, and participate in creative workshops, all within the welcoming environment of the UPEI Department of Music. Open to flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba students. Register online at: http://bit.do/UPEISummerStudios2019 Contact Dr. Nicole Strum with any questions at nstrum@upei.ca Join our Facebook Group: UPEI Brass and Woodwind Summer Studios 2019

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz invites you and a guest to a special 50th Anniversary Event. Join together with alumni and friends of UPEI and celebrate 50 years of People, Excellence, and Impact. Tide and Boar Gastropub 700 Main Street Moncton, NB  E1C 1E4May 2, 2019 5:00–7:00 pm Please RSVP by to Anthony at adgill@upei.ca or call 902-566-0761

UPEI's Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS) program is a 90-credit degree designed to accommodate the personal, educational, and career goals of adult students, most of whom already possess diverse learning and who study part-time. Come find out more about the program! You can: apply to the Bachelor of Integrated Studies receive onsite conditional acceptance to UPEI have your records evaluated for transfer credit (e.g., previously earned university or college courses) receive program and course advising If you have previously earned UPEI credit, please email your UPEI student number by Wednesday, May 8, 6:00 pm to bis@upei.ca. For non-UPEI credits, please bring a hard copy of your official or unofficial transcripts. Complete a UPEI account and register today!

AVC will be celebrating the Class of 2019 as they leave AVC and enter the profession of veterinary medicine. Their White Coat Ceremony takes place on Friday, May 10 at 4:30 pm in the Gray Palmer Pope rooms at the PEI Convention Centre/Delta Hotel. For those unable to attend, the Ceremony will be live-streamed at this link, starting at 4:30 pm.