After winning the Nationals last year for junior design in engineering, UPEI students Caleb Curtis, Gabriel Landry, Daniel Palmer and Hannah Sutherland will get the chance to do it again. They took first place in junior design at the Atlantic Engineering competition held this past weekend and will be heading off to Saskatoon for the Canadian Engineering Competition, March 8-11. The team was given a random engineering challenge and given a day to come up with a solution.

A UPEI team also placed second in the junior design category and will also be heading to Nationals. A third team in the consulting division tied for first place. This team of second- and third-year students tied with a team of fifth- year students from another university. Students were given a week to develop a consulting report on alternative energy uses for a

multi-use centre in Edmundston, New Brunswick.

This is the first time that three teams from UPEI will head to the national competition.

Professors from the University of Prince Edward Island are applying their skills as educators and researchers to assist the Ampara District of Sri Lanka. They are working with Canadian and local organizations to improve living conditions for people in the area whose lives were devastated by the tsunami two years ago.

Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice-President of Academic Development at UPEI, is overseeing three Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded projects in the Ampara District. The first is called The Development of a Holistic Child Intervention Program. She is working with Dr. Kim Critchley, UPEI Dean of Nursing, to develop a program for children who have been placed in a safe house. These children are former child soldiers or children who have experienced domestic violence.

"The safe house is a haven for children who experience violence and are removed from their homes by the courts. Children stay in the safe house for up to three months. There are three staff members at the present who provide care only," explains Dr. Timmons who, like Dr. Critchley, is a member of the UPEI Children's Health Applied Research Team (CHART). CHART will be working with South Eastern University, the Probation Department of the Government of Sri Lanka, and UNICEF to set up a demonstration site in the safe house which trains community workers to assess children's needs, develop programs, and evaluate their effectiveness.

The second project, Human Rights and Peace Education, involves Dr. Graham Pike, Dean of Education, and Dr. Wimal Rankaduwa, Coordinator of the UPEI International Development Studies Program. As its title suggests, the project aims to develop awareness and skills in children and youth on issues relating to human rights and peace. They will be working with South Eastern University, teacher training colleges, and local NGOs to prepare training workshops that focus on communication skills, team building, self-esteem building, decision-making and negotiation skills.

Dr. Rankaduwa, in cooperation with Professor Tim Carroll from the UPEI School of Business, will also play a key role in a third project to develop a practical business planning program to assist the small- and medium-sized business sector to overcome the considerable challenges that face the sector in a post-tsunami environment. He is working in association with the business faculty at South Eastern University.

After the tsunami of 2004 ravaged Sri Lanka, Dr. Rankaduwa helped to start a fundraising drive at UPEI to create the Island People's Medical Centre. Members of his extended family, who live in Sri Lanka, led this effort in which 12 centres treated people displaced by the tsunami in the southern area of the country.

UPEI is working in Sri Lanka in conjunction with the Canadian Agro Sustainability Partnership Inc. (CASP), Canada's largest strategic alliance that mobilizes and co-ordinates Canadian interests and expertise in international sustainable agriculture.

Three UPEI students were presented with Millennium Excellence Awards by Dr. Vianne Timmons, UPEI Vice-President, Academic Development, on February 9. Lauren Keefe of Summerside, third-year Business, received a $4,000 award. Jaclyn O'Brien of Charlottetown, third-year Chemistry, received $5,000, renewable for a second year. And Waylon Wiseman of Kippens, NL, third-year biology, received $4,000. The recipients were selected based on academic achievement, community service, leadership, and interest in innovation. Created by the federal government, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for Canadians to learn, grow, and contribute to their communities.

The UPEI Alumni Association and the UPEI Student Union are once again partnering on their annual winter fundraising dinner for student bursaries. The 2007 Winter Banquet will be held on Thursday, February 15 in McMillan Hall of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre and the evening will be highlighted by the energetic improv group, 4 Skit's Sake, comprised of current UPEI students Derek Bondt and Colin MacDonald, former UPEI student now studying at Concordia, Fraser McCallum, and graduate Adam Gauthier.

"We are delighted to have 4 Skit's Sake performing at our annual fundraising dinner for student awards," says UPEI alumni association president Phil MacDougall. "This annual event has raised money for more than 20 bursaries for students and we are looking forward to increasing that this year."

"4 Skit's Sake won the Atlantic University Improv Challenge in 2004 and 2006 and they have had three successful summer seasons at The Guild. Their evening of skits, games and sketches is something the audience is sure to find hilarious," says UPEI student union president Ryan Gallant. "And we will once again be providing a complimentary valet service which is something everyone likes especially on a cold February night," adds Gallant.

The reception starts at 6pm with the dinner at 7pm. The Nick Howard trio will be providing music and noted Island-storyteller and UPEI Registrar Alan Buchanan will be Master of Ceremonies

Tickets are $100.00 each or a table of eight for $750.00 and a charitable tax receipt will be provided. For more information please contact Alf Blanchard, UPEI Alumni Officer at alumni@upei.ca or (902) 566-0761.

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is giving 15 students the chance to snorkel over Bahamian coral reefs and explore the ocean for marine organisms. Taking a field course in the chemistry and biology of drug discovery from marine organisms, students will study for two weeks in The Bahamas under UPEI Faculty of Science researchers, Dr. Russell Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products and Dr. Sydnor Withers, J.-Louis Land#233;vesque Postdoctoral Fellow.

"This is a chance for UPEI students to gain international research experience and explore the cutting-edge science of natural products drug discovery in a practical and hands-on way," says Dr. Kerr. "Field work like this is critical to get young scientists out from behind the bench. Conducting research with the sun on your back and salt in your hair is a great motivator for students to better understand how to tap into nature's potential while using sustainable methods."

This intensive course, entitled Medicines from the Sea, will familiarize students in the areas of marine natural products, marine taxonomy, field-based biological assays of relevance to drug discovery, marine microbiology, and biotechnology.

For more information on the course goto: http://www.upei.ca/~science/html/sea.html or eMail seamedicines@upei.ca

Faculty, staff, students and clients of the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island gathered in Charlottetown on February 14 to participate in the launch of Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Dogs and Cats, a book by award-winning teacher, researcher, and clinician Dr. Etienne Cand#244;tand#233;, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology, Small Animal Internal Medicine).

Dr. Cand#244;tand#233;, who is one of five animal cardiologists in Canada, is an assistant professor in the Atlantic Veterinary College's Department of Companion Animals. In addition to providing expert care to clients from throughout Atlantic Canada in the College's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Dr. Cand#244;tand#233; is actively involved in the College's teaching and research programs.

"We are very proud of Dr. Cand#244;tand#233; and his most recent achievement, the publication of the Clinical Veterinary Advisor," says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI. "Dr. Cand#244;tand#233; is an outstanding individual who has an extraordinary commitment to his students, colleagues, clients and animals. He is passionate about veterinary medicine and this passion shows in all he does." Published by Elsevier, the Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Dogs and Cats provides cutting-edge clinical information that follows the natural progression of a typical case, with easy-to-navigate sections covering: Diseases and Disorders, Procedures and Techniques, Differential Diagnosis, Laboratory Tests, Clinical Algorithms, and a Drug Formulary. It also includes access to a fully searchable companion website featuring an electronic version of the text, a searchable drug formulary, and 100 customizable Client Education Sheets.

"The book brings together the expertise of 21 internationally recognized authorities as contributing editors and 300 leading clinician-authors and#150; several of whom are giants of the veterinary medical world," says author Dr. Etienne Cand#244;tand#233;. "It is my hope that this book will provide veterinarians and veterinary students with cohesive information that is immediately useful and beneficial to the health and well being of their patients."

An editorial review on Amazon.com says "no other quick reference comes close to providing this much accurate, timely, and clinically useful diagnostic and therapeutic information. It's like six books in one..." A record-setting best seller at the recent North American Veterinary Conference, the Clinical Veterinary Advisory: Dogs and Cats is available at the UPEI Bookstore or online at www.upei.ca/bookstore. To celebrate the launch of Dr. Cand#244;tand#233;'s book, a 10% discount is available on the purchase of the book from February 14 to 28, 2007.

An award-winning English professor at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) has been elected as the new representative for Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and PEI on a national association that is dedicated to the improvement of post-secondary teaching and learning. Dr. Shannon Murray is the first UPEI professor to represent the region on the steering committee of Canada's Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).

Murray has taught Renaissance Literature, Drama, and Children's Literature for the past 14 years. She was one of the founders of the First-Year Advantage Program (FYA) at UPEI. Designed to develop critical thinking skills, FYA gives students special opportunities to become known as individuals to one another and to their professors. "The program is a popular choice for first-year students looking for a shared focus and intellectual challenge in a more intimate, community setting," she explains.

Murray first received national recognition for her commitment to excellence in teaching in 2001 when she was awarded a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship by STLHE and 3M Canada. The 3M distinction is reserved for a select group of faculty across Canada who excel in teaching, leadership, and the development of academic programs. UPEI has celebrated an unparalleled four 3M Teaching Award winners in five years.

"UPEI supports faculty members' commitment to quality teaching through the Faculty Development Office of the Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning," explains the Director, Dr. Barbara Campbell. "We offer resources to assist them in creating new and exciting methods of teaching and connecting with their students. Shannon Murray is a creative teacher who has coordinated many unique projects. Her leadership and commitment will be invaluable in her national position with STLHE and we are delighted to support her."

The national council of 3M Canada has selected Murray as the 2007 facilitator of the annual retreat for 3M award-winning faculty that takes place in Montebello, Quebec. She will also be an instructor with UPEI's unique Faculty Development Summer Institute on Active Learning and Teaching which celebrates its 24th year of faculty professional development this year.

Social sciences and humanities students and researchers in PEI will soon have direct access to many of the world's leading electronic journals and resources through the Robertson Library at UPEI.

More than half of all academic researchers and students in Canada are engaged in the social sciences and humanities. Their work is recognized as having an enormous impact on all aspects of Canadian society. Now the Canada Foundation for Innovation has announced a $19.1 million investment to support a new infrastructure for social sciences and humanities research. The funds have been awarded to the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) and#151; a consortium of Canadian universities that provides desktop access to research content through licensing and purchase agreements with Canadian and international publishers. The University of Prince Edward Island is a member of this national network.

"This new service through the Canadian Research Knowledge Network will significantly enhance our access to scholarly information in a cost-effective way," says Mark Leggott, University Librarian. "National collaborative initiatives like this are powerful tools that help us create a level playing field for students and researchers across the country. Here in PEI, we will all benefit and#150; students, educators, and members of the public who are carrying out research in these important areas." He adds that expanded access to social sciences and humanities information is a boost to researchers in the natural and health sciences as well because of the increasing importance of interdisciplinary research.

"The new digital content infrastructure will make a profound difference to the way that people in Prince Edward Island conduct research in the social sciences and humanities," says Dr. Katherine Schultz, Vice-President of Research Development at UPEI. "The scope of this access extends beyond the library as a physical place to the desktops of researchers and students across the province."

The new initiative is an expansion of an already successful CRKN program that provides researchers with access to international content in the natural and health sciences.

INTRODUCTION

As a result of the efforts of an extraordinary cross-sectoral partnership involving the university, federal and provincial levels of government, and the private sector, a new world-class centre of discovery and development is now operating on the UPEI campus. Its work will build on existing research strengths at UPEI and those of the broader PEI biosciences cluster.

On Friday, February 16, our partners in this new initiative celebrated the official opening of the NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH). The NRC-INH is the major tenant in the UPEI-owned building.

It is over six years since the planning process began for this new multi-disciplinary centre. The richness of the partnerships, the rightness of the strategic focus, and the sureness of our commitment to succeed have been the three most important qualities that have kept this initiative moving forward. These same qualities will serve us well as we launch ourselves into the real work of discovering new sources of knowledge, health, and wealth for Prince Edward Island, for Atlantic Canada, and for the entire country.

The University of Prince Edward Island is proud to play a pivotal role in this development. We look forward to many years of rich collaboration with our federal, provincial, and private-sector partners as we work together to take hold of our own future, and to turn our shared vision into a bio-economy success story that will benefit generations to come.

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NRC Opens Institute for Nutrisciences and Health on UPEI Campus

February 16, 2007, Charlottetown, PEI and#151; The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) today officially opened the NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The $13.5 million state-of- the-art facility creates a dynamic research and commercialization hub for the province's emerging bioresources sector. Here, NRC scientists will work with their counterparts from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) to see how compounds found in nature can be used to tackle critical health problems such as infection and immunity-related issues, neurological problems such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, and complications related to obesity.

"This project corresponds to Canada's New Government's new economic plan, Advantage Canada, and solidifies our commitment to support research excellence,'' noted the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for NRC. "Today, we are not only unveiling a new building, we are celebrating an innovative approach to addressing health issues. Collaborative research carried out at this facility will translate into health benefits for all Canadians."

Researchers at the Institute will also be working with their private-industry counterparts to help turn PEI's expertise in bioresources into marketable products for disease prevention and therapy and#151; positioning Canada to further capitalize on a global nutrition market valued at more than $182 billion annually.

Nutrisciences, a field of research focusing on the health benefits of renewable and naturally occurring land and marine-based resources (bioresources), is a fast-growing global industry. Growth in PEI's bioresources cluster has been impressive. The province is home to more than six major research organizations and to a host of private-sector companies with expertise in life sciences.

The NRC-INH, located on UPEI's campus, features open-concept labs and offices where 60 scientists, technical staff, and students share space,resources, and ideas. By 2008, the number of scientists is expected to rise to at least 100. This facility will enable nutriscience companies in the early stages of research to work in the facility's "incubator labs" to

benefit from the equipment and collaborative expertise offered on site.

NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe noted that NRC facilities maximize the benefits of collaboration and commercialization, producing the most value for Canada. "This new facility helps address one of Canada's key priorities and#151; health and wellness. Here, scientists will come together to undertake cutting- edge research, working closely with industry to ensure that opportunities for economic benefits are maximized, not only for this community, but for the whole country."

The NRC-INH was established through a cooperative funding arrangement between NRC, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Province of Prince Edward Island, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the University of Prince Edward Island.

"Canada's New Government is committed to research that will benefit the nutrition and health of people and animals. The work of our scientists will support the growing functional food and nutraceutical sector and create new opportunities for agriculture and agri-food producers," said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board.

"The Government of Prince Edward Island is pleased to be involved in this successful partnership with the federal government and UPEI," said the Honourable Pat Binns, Premier of Prince Edward Island. "It's one thing to talk about innovative ideas for our province's future prosperity, but it's another thing to stand here today and see the hub of activity taking place as a result of this partnership. NRC and partners are helping to create jobs and wealth for our province, and our growing biosciences cluster will only continue to flourish as we move forward."

UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan remarked that the Nutrisciences and Health research facility builds on existing research strengths at the university and in the broader PEI biosciences cluster. "This whole initiative represents a spectacular bringing together of talent, facilities, and special collaborations to address health issues of national and international importance."

Recognized globally for research and innovation, Canada's National Research Council is a leader in developing an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology.

David McMurray, a Canadian professor of Humanities and Intercultural Studies from the International University of Kagoshima (IUK) in Japan, met recently with students and faculty at UPEI to share information about an exchange program between the two universities. The International University of Kagoshima is located in southern Kyushu, south west of Japan's main island of Honshu. With approximately 5000 students, IUK integrates a graduate school, three faculties, and a junior college. Professor McMurray is the leader of the Canada Project, a multi-disciplinary research team of linguists, anthropologists, education, and childcare specialists based at IUK's Canadian Studies Centre.

The exchange agreement makes it possible for UPEI students to spend one or two semesters at the International University of Kagoshima while obtaining credits towards their UPEI degrees and paying UPEI tuition rates. Staff and faculty are also eligible to take part in the exchange. Students, staff, and faculty from IUK enjoy equivalent opportunities at UPEI.

"We've been working hard to make our campus in Kagoshima comfortable and attractive to Canadians. We've developed a vibrant Canada Studies Centre on campus. Our students, staff and professors go to great lengths to learn about Canada from Canadians," says Professor McMurray.

While he was on the UPEI campus Professor McMurray met with business, education, and modern language students as well as staff and faculty who work with international students.