UPEI is hosting its 14th annual Graduate Studies and Research Days from May 16 to 19. This annual event showcases the work of graduate students from the faculties of Science, Veterinary Medicine, Arts, and Education.

"The University of Prince Edward Island is a very rich research environment, with results making a difference in the lives of Islanders and those around the world," says Dr. James Bellamy, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, AVC at UPEI. "We believe it is important to share and celebrate this remarkable environment. This week will build awareness of how much research is being carried out right here at UPEI."

The first presentations took place on Tuesday, May 16. Students in the Master of Arts Island Studies (MAIS) program presented on research topics that ranged from and#145;The Energy Regime in Small Island Jurisdictions' to and#145;Land and Identity amongst Islanders.'

On Wednesday, May 17 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., graduate students in the Faculty of Science will present their research in Lecture Theatre 104 of the K.C. Irving building. The Honourable Mildred Dover, Minister of Education will deliver the opening remarks followed by messages from UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan and the Dean of Science, Dr. Roger Gordon. At 9:30 a.m., Dr. Bob Chapman from the National Research Council - Institute for Nutrisciences and Health will deliver the keynote address entitled "Chemical Coatings for Applications in CE-ESI-MS and Drug Delivery". Graduate student research presentations will begin at 10:30 a.m. Research topics will include using wild roses as an alternative crop, looking at compounds containing metals as possible chemotherapy agents, and larval infestations in potatoes. Awards and closing remarks will begin at 3:00 p.m.

The Faculty of Education will host their presentations starting at 3:30 p.m. in the K. C. Irving Lecture Theatre 104. Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies, will give the opening address. Topics will include: 'The Socio-cultural and Socio-political Realities of Teaching French as a Second Language in Canadian Public Schools' and 'Listening to Voices of Children with Disabilities.' The closing discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Atlantic Veterinary College hosts its program of graduate research studies on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19. The opening ceremonies will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday and will include greetings from Pat Binns, Premier, Province of Prince Edward Island; UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan; Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean AVC; and Dr. James Bellamy, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, AVC at UPEI. The special guest lecturer presenting the AVC R.G. Thomson lecture is Dr. Wayne Martin, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Guelph. Over the two days, the presentations will be divided into four themes: Biomedical Science, Clinical Research and Animal Welfare, Popular Health, and Aquatic Animal Research. The awards reception will begin in the AVC Cafeteria on Friday afternoon at 2:45 p.m during which the Graduate Student Pfizer Award, the G. Murray and Hazel Hagerman Scholarships, the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence (faculty), the Best Paper Presentation and more will be presented.

The University of Prince Edward Island has 155 full-time and part-time graduate students enrolled in the various graduate studies programs.

Contact:

Sarah Wright, AVC, UPEI - (902) 894-2844 or swright@upei.ca

Heather Hughes, Faculty of Science, UPEI - (902) 566-6022 or

hhughes@upei.ca

Anne McCallum, Communications, UPEI - (902) 566-0760 or aemccallum@upei.ca

The L.M. Montgomery Institute is offering a special condensed version of English 333, The Literature of L.M. Montgomery, in June. "L.M. Montgomery: The Journals, the Novels and the Mystery of Creativity" will be delivered jointly by Dr. Elizabeth Waterston, world-renowned Montgomery researcher and co-editor of The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, and Dr. Jennifer Litster, an up-and-coming researcher and popular conference speaker from Edinburgh, Scotland. "Those familiar with the study of Montgomery will recognize these women as scholars at the forefront of the research being done on L.M. Montgomery's life and works," says Institute Director, Elizabeth DeBlois. "To have them both here at UPEI to deliver a course like this is a huge coup."

The course begins on June 15 and is being offered in association with the L.M. Montgomery Institute's 7th international conference, "Storm and Dissonance: L.M. Montgomery and Conflict," which runs from June 21 to 25. Students will have five two-hour classes with Waterston and Litster and will then take part in the conference, having the opportunity to hear speakers from around the globe address the theme of conflict in relation to the life and works of the Island author. "This will truly be an international course in every way," says DeBlois "from the instructors to the conference speakers right through to the participants in the class. We even have a woman traveling from South Africa to take this course."

The class, like the conference, is open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to visit the LMMI website at http://www.lmmontgomery.ca/ or to contact the L.M. Montgomery Institute directly for more information at (902) 628-4346.

The names of the first four students to benefit from a substantial UPEI scholarship program that was established to honour the memory of one of PEI's best-known community-minded and successful entrepreneurs have been announced. In December, the family of the late Harry W. MacLauchlan created a series of renewable entrance scholarships aimed at exceptional students entering the School of Business Administration who are planning entrepreneurial careers on PEI. The first recipients were acknowledged recently at a special luncheon at the University. They are Matthew Cassidy, Sarah Gillis, and Kathryn Hood from Colonel Gray High School, and Colin MacNevin from Bluefield.

"Our family is proud to establish these scholarships in Harry's memory," said Marjorie MacLauchlan on behalf of the family. "Harry always had a keen eye for talent and took a special interest in encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs, in business and in community life. We look forward to seeing the benefits of these scholarships to the recipients and to Prince Edward Island."

The Harry W. MacLauchlan Scholarships in Entrepreneurial Leadership are for students with high academic standing who show the qualities that MacLauchlan himself exhibited and admired: strong entrepreneurial initiative, high levels of accomplishment, and genuine commitment to the PEI community. They were created through a leadership gift from the MacLauchlan family to the UPEI Building a Legacy campaign.

"These scholarships will help us attract high-achieving students who have a commitment to entrepreneurship. The quality of our students ensures that the UPEI School of Business stands out regionally and nationally," says Dean of Business Roberta MacDonald. "This gift is a wonderful example of leadership-giving from the community. Such strong support is critical to our development, especially at this pivotal time when we are constructing our new School of Business."

Four renewable $3,000 Harry W. MacLauchlan scholarships will be awarded to business students entering UPEI each year, for a total of sixteen scholarships valued at $12,000 each over four years of studies.

The final report from a key study to identify the current and future skills and knowledge required by Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) on Prince Edward Island has just been released. Respondents to the study identified a high need for formal and informal continuing education, indicating nurses' commitment to maintaining competence in their profession.

The study was guided by the Nursing Continuing Education Task Group, with representatives from the UPEI School of Nursing, Holland College, PEI Nurses Union, Association of Registered Nurses of PEI, Licensed Practical Nurses Association of PEI, PEI Licensed Practical Nurses Registration Board, the PEI Department of Health and Department of Education. The group mailed questionnaires to the 1541 members of the Association of Registered Nurses of PEI and to the 650 LPNs registered with the PEI Licensed Practical Nurses Registration Board.

Janet Bryanton, an assistant professor at the UPEI School of Nursing and co-principal investigator for the study stated, "We were really pleased with our response rate of 48.7 per cent, with 731 RNs and 326 LPNs completing the survey. Ninety-nine per cent of those who responded, regardless of age or area of work, identified a very strong interest in continuing education across a broad spectrum of skills and knowledge. There was a striking similarity in the continuing education needs of RNs and LPNs."

Keys findings of the study included:

and#149; There are major barriers to addressing current and future knowledge and skills gaps including not being able to get time off from work (no one to backfill shifts); too many work demands; and lack of financial support from professional associations, employers, and post-secondary institutions.

and#149; Nurses in rural areas identified barriers to accessing continuing education resources, such as access to hospital or university library resources, and to high-speed Internet.

and#149; The most commonly identified topics for continuing education included stress management, legal issues, computerized charting, pain management, and assertiveness training. Nurses also require support to improve general computer skills.

While LPNs identified a need for further education in specific areas, many also highlighted the fact that their existing competencies are not always recognized. Forty per cent of LPNs

indicated that they have no opportunity in their work sites to practice to their level of training and education. Sharon Drake of the LPN Association of PEI remarked, "The study confirms that LPNs believe they are not able to practice to the level that they are educated. We informally heard this from our members but now have the evidence to substantiate this belief."

The study's findings gave rise to 22 recommendations that address the barriers to continuing education and building nursing capacity within the health care system, and that reflect the shared responsibility of all stakeholders. The first two recommendations are seen as key to addressing many of the issues identified by the study. They focus on the need for PEI to develop a comprehensive human resources strategy for nurses, and they stress the importance of reinstating a nursing leadership position to coordinate such a strategy. The report notes that in other jurisdictions a Chief Nursing Officer plays such a leadership role.

Helen Flynn, President of the Association Registered Nurses of PEI stated, "This is the most comprehensive study of educational needs of RNs and LPNs ever conducted on PEI. The findings will guide the advancement of continuing education and will assist in retention of nurses in the workplace. Task group members will work together to develop a strategy to address the recommendations."

Funding for the project was provided through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Labour Market

Development Agreement, co-managed by Service Canada and the provincial Department of

Development and Technology. More information on the study is available at

http://www.upei.ca/nursing/Executive_Summary.pdf or contact Janet Bryanton, UPEI School of Nursing, at jbryanton@upei.ca. A copy of the final report is available at http://www.upei.ca/nursing/Compressed_repor_app.pdf.

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Contact Information

Janet Bryanton, UPEI, 902 628-4344 (study methodology and findings)

Sylvia Poirier, ARNPEI and co-chair of the study, 902 566-9517 (concerns of registered nurses)

Margaret Duffy, PEI Nurses Union, 902 892-7152 (nurses' working conditions)

Sharon Drake, LPNAPEI, 902 894-2192 (concerns of licensed practical nurses)

Dr. Kim Critchley, 902 628-4300, UPEI School of Nursing (degree programs)

It all started nearly 20 years ago with a lobster supper that the Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club prepared for over 800 veterinarians. The Lions cleared $5000 from the supper and decided to donate the proceeds to UPEI to create an endowment fund for scholarships. Since then the club has donated enough money to the University each year to substantially increase the size of the endowment. This level of support means that future generations of students will benefit as well as current students. The value of the annual scholarship is now $2000 and the total fund has topped $60,000.

"The way that this Lion's Club has gradually built up a substantial scholarship fund is very impressive and we are grateful," says Tracey Comeau, Stewardship Officer at UPEI. "This is a prime example of how service clubs can support the needs of our students today, while perpetuating their scholarships through an endowment fund."

The Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club Scholarship is awarded during Deans' Honours ceremonies every October. The most recent recipient was Jacques Arsenault.

Killam Properties, a professional management company that has recently purchased town houses in Brown's Court across from UPEI, is introducing a new Academic Scholarship Program as part of its initiative to improve Brown's Court to make it a safe and comfortable place to study and live. "At Killam we want to encourage UPEI students in their studies. That is why we are pleased to offer good students several awards," says Wayne Beaton, Killam Property Manager PEI.

The company is offering a $1,000 scholarship for the top new Killam tenant, a $1,000 for the top returning Killam tenant, and Mid-Year Academic Achievement Awards worth $250 for the top ten Killam students. Other prizes such as bookstore credit and free rent will also be available. The deadline to apply for these awards is August 15, 2006. Please contact Killam Properties Inc. at (902) 394-5417 for more details on living in Brown's Court and the Academic Scholarship Program.

Eight projects that will benefit dogs, cats, and horses recently received a total of $240,000 in funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. More than 100 projects have been funded by the Centre since it was established in 1994.

"We are very grateful to the Friends of the Christofor Foundation for their ongoing support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre," says Dr. Alice Crook, the Centre's Coordinator. "This year the Centre has funded five new research projects and renewed funding for three service projects. We are particularly excited about the new Chinook Project, through which AVC clinicians and students will provide veterinary services to a small community on Baffin Island."

This year's projects, which were determined to be eligible for funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre's 2006 funding competition, will be carried out by faculty and students at the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI.

Originally established as the Animal Welfare Unit in 1994, the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre funds projects that benefit companion animals, horses, and wildlife. Since 1994, approximately 85 faculty, 12 graduate students, and hundreds of veterinary students from the Atlantic Veterinary College have been involved in animal welfare projects funded by the Centre. For information on the Centre, please visit the web site at: www.upei.ca/awc

Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research and veterinary service. Over the past 20 years, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region's only full service veterinary referral hospital.

Information is provided below on each of the eight projects funded through this year's competition:

Evaluation of platelet function in ill dogs (Dr. Shelley Burton)

Platelets are small blood cells that are important in the formation of blood clots. Dogs with various illnesses, including liver, kidney, heart or inflammatory disease, or cancer, can have changes in platelet function that can lead to serious complications or death. Existing tests of platelet function are crude in nature and somewhat uncomfortable for patients. Tests may require shipment to specialized laboratories, which is expensive and time-consuming.

The situation has improved recently in human medicine with the development of a simple machine, the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100, that assesses the function of platelets through a measurement called closure time. In a pilot project funded through the SJDAWC last year, Dr. Burton established normal AVC reference values for healthy dogs using the PFA-100. The current project will use the analyzer to assess results in ill dogs with possible increased or decreased platelet function. This knowledge will assist in diagnosis and treatment of these ill canine patients, and, once the results are published, of future patients at AVC and elsewhere.

Survival profile of Standardbred horses on PEI (Dr. Susan Dohoo)

There have been few studies looking at longevity of horses. The profile of the life span of Canadian Standardbreds, including reasons for career termination, is not known. This is a very specialized breed, and few of the horses that are unsuitable for racing or breeding move into a second career as a performance or recreational horse.

PEI has a very strong Standardbred industry, with many stables involved in breeding and racing. This study will provide a profile of a sub population of horses involved in all sectors of the industry, over a one-year period. For each horse enrolled in the study, baseline data will be collected, including age, sex, breeding and racing history, present health status and management factors. Each month, the farm owner/manager will be visited, and data collected on any changes in health status, management factors, or racing performance of the individual horses, as well as changes to the herd, including reasons for culling. The data will be analyzed to describe the life span of Standardbreds on PEI, and to identify major risk factors for early end of career. This will provide guidance for future studies to modify these risk factors, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life and longevity of Standardbred horses in Canada.

Health management services for the PEI Equine Retirement Society, Inc. (Dr. Wendy Duckett)

The PEI Equine Retirement Society Inc. (PEIERS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of horses destined to be destroyed or shipped for the meat industry, and to finding new homes for them as pets or pleasure horses. Since its founding in O'Leary in 1996 by Mr. Dale Cameron, the Society has taken in 27 horses, of which 14 have been placed in new homes, six have been euthanized due to intractable health problems, and seven are currently at the facility. Through the support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, AVC has provided preventive medical care to the horses at the Society from the beginning.

Funding for this project has been continued for two more years. The program includes a physical exam on all horses that come to the PEIERS, a parasite monitoring and control program for the facility, dental work, routine vaccinations, and minor surgical and medical procedures as needed. The program includes vaccination against Eastern, Western, and West Nile Virus Encephalitis, and screening of all horses arriving at the facility for equine infectious anemia. AVC senior veterinary students, interns, and residents all participate in the care of these horses. This project provides significant benefits to the horses through basic preventive medicine in preparation for adoption, and by minimizing respiratory disease and parasite burden at the facility.

Health management services for Handibear Hills Equine Sanctuary, Inc. (Dr. Wendy Duckett)

Similar to the project outlined above, this project provides preventive medical care to the horses at the Handibear Hills Equine Sanctuary, Inc. For 20 years, this facility in South Granville, PEI has provided a refuge for horses needing a home. Through programs such as the Trailblazers Club, young people and adults spend time at Handibear Hills learning to ride, groom, and generally care for the horses.

Funding for this project is continued for two more years. The program provides regular dental care and vaccinations for the 21 horses currently at the sanctuary, as well as parasite monitoring and control. The program includes vaccination against Eastern, Western, and West Nile Virus Encephalitis. AVC senior veterinary students, interns and residents all participate in the care of these horses.

The Chinook Project - Providing veterinary care to Kimmirut, Nunavut (Dr. Lisa Miller)

This project will provide basic veterinary care to an isolated community on the south shore of Baffin Island. The community has a population of 450, many of whom maintain a traditional lifestyle involving hunting, fishing, and several strong sled dog teams. There is an estimated dog population of 115. No veterinary care is currently available.

A volunteer team of one co-ordinator, two clinicians, one senior veterinary student, and up to four additional vet students, will travel to Kimmirut for one week in August. Team members will provide veterinary care for sled dogs and homebound dogs in the form of vaccinations, examination and treatment for parasites, spaying and neutering, and some medical and surgical treatments (such as tumour removal). The AVC volunteers will also provide an educational program for interested community members. Adults will be given basic information about emergency care, vaccinations, and parasite prevention; and supplies will be left with them to improve the well-being of their animals. Children will receive information about animal welfare and caring for the dogs.

Chinook team members will also participate in a cultural exchange, to allow them to broaden their understanding of Canadian diversity. Participants will also keep journals during their stay, which will be compiled into a record of the experience. This inaugural project provides funding for two summers; it is anticipated that the programme may travel to other Northern Canadian communities in the future.

Development of an objective scoring system for changes to the equine pituitary gland in aged horses (pilot project) (Dr. Lisa Miller)

Equine Cushing's disease, or PPID, occurs in about 30% of horses over 20 years of age. The disease results from overproduction of hormones by the pituitary gland, with resulting impairment of immune and metabolic function. This causes an array of clinical syndromes, including laminitis (frequently resulting in euthanasia), pneumonia, muscle wasting, and diabetes. There is effective treatment available for PPID, but there are difficulties with diagnosis, due in part to inconsistencies among veterinary pathologists in interpreting histopathological changes in the pituitary gland.

This pilot project will involve three pathologists who will evaluate, individually, histopathological changes in the pituitary glands of aged horses which were euthanized for unrelated reasons. Information about the horse's age, clinical history and hormone levels will be collected before death. The pathologists will develop and verify objective criteria for grading the changes, which will eventually allow veterinarians to more accurately diagnose, and subsequently treat, PPID.

Medical and surgical care of homeless animals (Dr. Caroline Runyon)

Since first receiving funding in 1994, more than 2,750 dogs and cats have received care through this program. Funding has been granted to this project for a further two years to continue to address the problems of pet overpopulation and homeless animals in the region. Injured or ill animals brought in to the AVC Veterinary Teaching Hospital by the PEI Humane Society or Good Samaritans receive physical examinations, x-rays, and/or other diagnostic procedures, emergency medical care, and continued medical or surgical care (including neutering as required) in consultation with the shelter. Some lost animals are claimed by their owners, while most, once healthy, are placed in homes through standard shelter adoption. Some animals are placed in "special needs" adoptive homes because they require specific care during recovery. Animals with severe illness or extensive injuries are humanely euthanized.

Assessment of a new diagnostic test for inflammatory airway disease in the horse

(Dr. Maureen Wichtel)

Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) causes cough and reduced performance in horses of all ages. It affects a large proportion of stabled horses and, if left untreated, may lead to chronic lung damage, commonly known as "heaves." Equine pulmonary function testing (PFT) can lead to earlier diagnosis of airway inflammation; however such testing is not available in Maritime practices or at the AVC because of equipment costs and lack of portability.

This project will look at a new, non-invasive, portable PFT system (Open Plethand#153;) which shows promise as a practical screening test for IAD. Dr. Wichtel will compare lung function, using the Open Plethand#153; system, with lung inflammation, as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and other traditional diagnostic techniques. If the non-invasive, portable and affordable PFT system correlates well with the results of BAL, then it will likely become the method of choice for the diagnosis of IAD in horses. Earlier diagnosis will prevent the progression of IAD to heaves, one of the most debilitating respiratory diseases in the horse.

Since the first symposium in 1994, the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial conferences at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) have brought together scholars, researchers, students, and Montgomery enthusiasts to explore the world and the works of PEI's most famous author. This year's conference on the theme of "Storm and Dissonance" is no exception, having attracted registrants from Canada, U.S., Germany, U.K., Finland, Australia, Japan, Lithuania, and South Africa.

More than 30 presenters from all over the globe will explore the theme of conflict in Montgomery's work, from June 21 to 26, with topics ranging from the differences between public and private lives, to life on the Home Front in Canada during WWI, to the challenges of mothering. For the first time, a special Montgomery course is being offered at UPEI in connection with the conference. World-renowned scholars, Dr. Elizabeth Waterston and Dr. Jennifer Litster, are presenting English 333: The Literature of L.M. Montgomery. The course started on June 15.

The L.M. Montgomery Institute is benefitting from some special connections with Finland this yearand#151;two of the keynote speakers come from Helsinki and two Finnish poets are participating in the international poetry event at The Guild in Charlottetown at 7pm on June 21. This free event is open to the public and includes readings by Riina Katajavuori, Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen, Frank Ledwell, Deirdre Kessler, John MacKenzie, and John Smith.

Just a few of the highlights of the conference include a keynote address on June 22 by author Margaret Doody on the topic, "L.M. Montgomery: the Darker Side" and a keynote address on June 23 by Suvi Ahola and Satu Koskimies entitled, "Anne, Emily and the Finnish Women: Love and Corntroversy For More than Eighty Years." A special workshop called "Rilla of Ingleside: Canada's War?" led by Dr. Andrea McKenzie, Director of Writing in the Disciplines at New York University, is scheduled for June 24. This workshop is open to the public at a cost of $40. It runs from 9am to 12pm and takes place in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre at UPEI.

More details are available on the L.M. Montgomery website at www.lmmontgomery.ca/lmmi/ or by calling (902) 628-4346.

A unique painting by well-known Canadian artist James Lumbers was unveiled at UPEI today as part of the international L.M. Montgomery conference. It has been donated to the UPEI Permanent Collection. The painting captures the magical essence of the beloved home of L.M. Montgomery at the homestead of her Macneill grandparents in Cavendish.

The work was commissioned last year by Montgomery researcher and collector Donna Campbell to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the completion of Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery wrote her famous novel in the Macneill house in 1905. She also wrote Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard, and The Story Girl, as well as hundreds of short stories and poems there.

A century later, the property is a National Historic Site. Although the house structure no longer exists, the Macneill family preserves the original stone foundation and the beautiful surrounding landscape. An apple tree from 1905 continues to thrive at the site.

James Lumbers has combined the past and the present in the painting which is titled Twilight Sorceries. The original apple tree is included, and so are the spruce trees to the right of the house that Montgomery described as "...dark, slender, witch-maidens weaving their spells of magic." He has recreated the house and painted a ghost-like image of the author standing at the centre of the front lawn, cradling a grey cat in her arms.

The University is hoping to benefit from the immense popularity of James Lumbers' work through the sales of prints and notecards of Twilight Sorceries. The funds raised will be used to support the work of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI.

Lumbers has had numerous exhibitions across Canada and through the United States. A recurring theme in all his work is the importance of heritage in Canada and of the traditions that make us what we are. He is well known for his portraits of distinguished subjects such as the late John Deifenbaker, Chief Dan George, and hockey legend Gordie Howe. In recent years his nostalgic "Moments in Time" series has been extremely popular. In these paintings he uses his distinctive technique of "ghosting"significant figures from the past into a scene from the present.

More information about Twilight Sorceries prints and notecards is available from the L.M. Montgomery Institute at 628-4346.

Representatives of Pfizer Animal Health were in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island today to announce a $80,000 commitment to the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI to recognize innovation in teaching.

The Pfizer Innovative Teaching Methodology Fund will provide $20,000 a year for the next four years for AVC faculty in support of developing and utilizing innovative teaching and/or assessment methodologies in either the College's doctor of veterinary medicine or graduate studies programs. The fund will be competitive and adjudicated by AVC's Dean's Council.

"AVC is very excited by Pfizer Animal Health's leadership in recognizing the value of innovation and excellence in teaching," said Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean, Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. "AVC is proud to further its partnership with Pfizer in a way that enables our world class faculty to deliver an ever increasing high quality education to our veterinary medicine and graduate students."

Pfizer is a long time supporter of the AVC through the sponsorship of several high level annual awards for faculty and students. These awards include: The Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, The Pfizer Graduate Student Award, The Pfizer Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, The Pfizer Award in Pharmacology, and the recently established Pfizer Award for Excellence in Food Animal Medicine.

"Pfizer Animal Health enjoys a strong partnership with AVC," said Mr. Don Sauder, Division Director for Pfizer Animal Health in Canada. "This commitment reinforces our mutual goal of leveraging innovation to the long-term benefit of veterinary medicine."

Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research and veterinary service. Over the past 20 years, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region's only full service veterinary referral hospital.