Officials from UPEI and Holland College were on the UPEI campus today to sign a record number of diploma-degree agreements for the two Island post-secondary institutions.

The ten articulation agreements allow students who graduate from Holland College diploma programs to ‘block transfer' credits to enter the second or third year of the Arts degree program at UPEI.

'We are responding to research indicating that an increasing number of college students are interested in pursuing university degrees after completing their college diplomas as they see tremendous value in a university education,' says UPEI president, Wade MacLauchlan. 'And the more flexible options we can offer to potential students, the better it is for both institutions and for the Province of PEI.'

Brian McMillan, president at Holland College agreed, 'The agreements that include the business management programs are ‘remarkable' because of their breadth and cross-disciplinary nature. They allow graduates from these programs to integrate their business studies into the arts and pursue a degree in any arts major. Consequently, graduates will have a well rounded learning experience which will enable them to attain greater success in their personal lives and career paths.'

While the two institutions have 19 similar arrangements in place for other programs, today's signing ceremony is significant as the new agreements all result in an Arts degree. Diploma programs covered include Hotel and Restaurant Management, Tourism and Travel Management, Marketing and Advertising Management, Golf Club Management, Professional Golf Management, Accounting Technology, Business Administration, Retail Business Management, Human Services, and Child and Youth Care Worker.

Richard Kurial, Dean of Arts at UPEI worked closely with Michael O'Grady, VP Innovation, Enterprise and Strategic Development at Holland College in bringing today's event to fruition.

Hon. Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning added, 'The emerging job opportunities of both rural and urban Prince Edward Island will require both technical skills and high levels of education. The agreements signed today recognize that need and make it easier for your Islanders to gain the benefits of both college and university education. I'm very pleased to see these two schools cooperate for the good of young Islanders and of the whole Island community.'

For more detailed information on diploma-degree programs between UPEI and Holland College, visit www.upei.ca or www.hollandcollege.com.

Student athletes for the 2010-11 season were welcomed at a unique kick-off event September 7 by UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan; Director of Athletics, Ron Annear; media; and members of the Panther Sport community.

Athletes from the varsity teams-Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Field Hockey, Swimming, Women's Rugby, Men's Hockey, Women's Hockey, Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball - gathered at McMillan Hall for a chance to meet one another and get acquainted with coaches and staff of UPEI's Department of Athletics.

Annear said, 'The event is a great gathering opportunity to demonstrate to our student-athletes our support of them, and the great community support we have.'

Coaches, along with team captains, were introduced to those in attendance and gave previews of what the season will hold for their sport.

Men's Soccer

The 2010 season looks exciting for the UPEI Men's Soccer team, with the experience from last year's run to the CIS championship in British Columbia.

Led by the return of AUS all star, Jimmie Mayleh and rising stars, Jarod Murphy and Logan Dawson, the Panthers will be fast, skillful and exciting to watch. Josh Vessey will captain the team and provide important veteran leadership both on and off the field.

Newcomers, Brett Hogan, Andrew Hayers, and Keiran Dutton will also be looking to have a big impact in their first year. Another player looking to make his mark in the AUS will be Adam Lowther who had to sit out last year while recovering from a broken leg.

Field Hockey

With a strong group of returning players and an eager crop of rookies, the UPEI Field Hockey team is looking forward to another successful season. During a pre-season tournament in Montreal, the rookies showed that they are ready to contribute. Kristy Wu from Calgary, Alberta and Nicole Babineau from Riverview, New Brunswick have joined the squad as well as Islanders Eliza MacLauchlan, Jenna McLellen, Stephanie MacKinnon, Hilary Waugh, Leanne Doiron, Michelle Clow and Jenna Matheson.

Veterans Lydia Ellis, Amy Rawlinson, Ellen Dixon, Kathryn Hay and Erica Ross are taking on new leadership roles and are looking forward to the challenge. 2009 Rookie of the Year, Marina MacAulay, and sophomore Lacey MacLauchlan will be filling big holes left by graduating players.

The season will kick off at UNB on September 24-25 with the final tournament being held at UPEI on October 16-17.

Women's Rugby

The UPEI Women's Rugby Team is looking forward to the 2010 season. This team is ready for a new start and is fortunate to have excellent veteran players returning, including Ashley MacIntyre and Kaitlin Richard.

The combination of veterans and rookies leads the coaching staff to believe that this can be the season to rise in the standings. Having played two pre-season exhibition games in Quebec, including a loss to McGill and a victory over Bishop's, the team is in good shape and prepared to start off their season.

Swimming

UPEI Swimming is looking to continue the success of 2009-10 season this coming year. AUS Champion Eric Beaton will be back in the pool striving to defend his crown while Rookie of the Year, Sydney Morley, will also be back to make her mark in year two of her career. Several new recruits will soon be in the pool looking to secure a spot on the Varsity squad.

Men's Hockey

Head coach Forbie MacPherson is confident that the UPEI Men's Hockey team will build upon last year's strong finish to see the Panthers be a strong AUS contender in 2010-11.

With new recruits Guggenberger, Fraser, Malone, Cameron, and Boyle combined with returning CIS Rookie of the Year, Jared Gomes, and fifth-year star Cory Vitarelli, UPEI will be strong both offensively and defensively. The mix of former MJHL, OHL and AUS players will add a tremendous amount of depth and versatility to the UPEI line-up.

UPEI's season home opener is October 15 when they host University of New Brunswick.

Women's Hockey

The UPEI Women's Hockey program welcomes no less than ten rookies into their lineup this year: Anja Weisser from Germany, Shelby Lyons and Christine Kelly from New Brunswick, Daryl Kress and Ferran Brown from Alberta, Kristen Visser from Victoria, PEI, Lyndsay Oaks from Nova Scotia, Brooke Taylor Payne from Northwest Territories, Issy Lefebvre from Ontario, and Jessica Rosenbaum from Manitoba.

Returning scorers include Kelsey O'Donnell, Sue Cortilette, Amanda Armstrong, Jenelle Mackenzie, and team captain, Amber Gaudette. Both goalies Bailey Toupin and Kristy Dobson return for their second year and will look to continue the strong success that the team had last year. ‘Team Defense' will be led by last year's Team MVP, Jaime Lynn Donaldson, along with returning players Kristen Nash and Alicia Betts.

Defensively the team looks to continue to improve on its success from last year. With the added addition of some offence, the team looks to finish stronger, especially on odd-man situations.

Men's Basketball

With over half of the roster staying on the Island in the spring and summer months to train, all of the incoming and returning UPEI Men's Basketball student athletes are focused and prepared to bringing a defensive-minded, up-tempo style to the hard-court this season. This year happens to be the 25th anniversary of the Panthers' first AUS Championship in 1985-86.

The pre-season will see the return of UPEI's Mickey Place Memorial Tournament October 15-17, where UPEI will host York University, Brock University, and the University of New Brunswick. The team is then on the road for tournaments at McGill and St. Francis Xavier universities- excellent opportunities for the team to gel and integrate the addition of at least half a dozen new faces, including transfers from Maryland, Ontario, and Quebec, and high school recruits out of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

The home opener for Men's Basketball is November 19 when UPEI hosts University of New Brunswick.

Women's Basketball

This year's roster will feature plenty of new faces mixed in with the familiar faces, ranging from across the country, with student-athletes from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and of course, Prince Edward Island. The team is looking forward to merging the different skill sets of these young athletes into a competitive team on the court.

This will not be the tallest or biggest team in the league and will need to make good use of strong shooters at nearly every position. At the other end of the floor, the Panthers take great pride in their defense and plan to be one of the best defensive teams in the conference.

With only one fourth-year player, it is likely that the young team will experience some growing pains but there is no doubt they have the right character and work ethic to move in the right direction of rebuilding the Women's Basketball program.

Women's Soccer

"Make the playoffs, win the AUS, win the CIS" are the stated goals of this year's UPEI Women's Soccer team. Eighteen returning players, including nine starters from the 2009 team which lost the AUS final on penalty shots, provide much optimism for coach Mike Redmond, now in his seventh season, along with assistants Clarence Frizzell, Kim Swan, Janelle Blanchard and goalkeeper coach Trent Hayes. Adding to the optimism is the knowledge that UPEI is hosting the CIS championship November 11-14 in Charlottetown.

Redmond has been busy putting the athletes through sessions twice a day in preparation for exhibition games in Fredericton where they defeated University of New Brunswick, 3-0, and tied McGill, 1-1.

Experience and depth will be keys to the success of the team. Four returning AUS all-stars in key positions (keeper, centre back, centre midfield and centre striker) are an indication that the expectations for this team are high.

The Tourism Research Centre (TRC) at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) recently released research on the role that beaches play in motivating people to travel to a destination, and specifically, to PEI.

'The results show that visitors are making good use of the Island's beaches,' said Dr. Sean Hennessey, Faculty Director of the TRC. 'Although our beaches are generally not the primary reason visitors are drawn to PEI, they are certainly a secondary draw and definitely add to the overall satisfaction of visitors.'

The survey was distributed to an online survey group and was completed by 4,175 people, 3,327 of whom had previously been to PEI. Of those, about 92 per cent had visited one of the Island's beaches on a past visit.

'Survey respondents who visited PEI's beaches went an average of 4.38 times during their most recent trip to PEI and spent an average of just under two hours per visit,' Hennessey added. 'It is important to note that the average trip for these beach-going visitors was about seven nights, so they visited beaches about every second day on average.'

Of the six beaches visited by more than 20 per cent of participants, the top four were located within the PEI National Park. The other two (Red Point/Basin Head and Cabot Beach) were provincial parks.

'The results presented in the report reinforce the importance of the PEI National Park to the province. Park visitors appreciate the opportunity to connect with nature on the park's world-class beaches and benefit from the services and facilities provided by Parks Canada, such as surf guards, beach facilities, and interpretative programs and activities,' said Frances Gertsch, Parks Canada.

The report provides valuable information for federal, provincial and municipal groups responsible for beaches, including one of the most interesting findings regarding the willingness to pay entry fees for beach access - while only 30 per cent of respondents were willing to pay for access with few-to-no amenities, more than half (55 per cent) were willing to pay an entry fee when more amenities are offered.

Results also show that visitors have specific ideas about the amenities that should be available at a beach location. These include washrooms, environmental sustainability practices, boardwalks for walking with a water view, accommodations on/near the beach, showers and canteens. 'This sort of information provides the industry with information that will be useful in setting policies and programs in place so as to continue to increase beach visitation in the future,' said Dr. Hennessey.

Overall, 58 per cent of respondents felt that PEI beaches were on par with what they expected and 39 per cent agreed that the beaches were better than they expected. PEI beach visitors were asked to rate various beach attributes such as landscape, cleanliness, comfort afforded by the beach, safety, texture of the sand, and access to the beach, on a scale from one (very poor) to seven (excellent). Overall, respondents rated their PEI beach experience as very good (6.16 out of 7).

Respondents were also asked a series of questions around their future behavioural intentions which were rated on a scale from one (strongly disagree) to seven (strongly agree). The statements people most strongly agreed with were 'I would recommend PEI beaches to friends or relatives' (6.3) and 'On a future visit to PEI, I would visit a beach' (6.3). Visitors appeared to enjoy their time at PEI's beaches as 'My visit to a beach in PEI was a good way to spend my time' received an overall score of 5.7.

Data for this report was collected on behalf of Tourism PEI using the TRC's online research panel from March 3 to March 29, 2010. To read the full report, please visit www.trc.upei.ca. For more information about this or other TRC research, please contact trc@upei.ca or call (902) 566-6096.

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) signed an agreement September 9 to license medical research technologies to CNS CRO, a subsidiary of biotechnology company Neurodyn Inc. The agreement includes innovative technologies to be used in drug development and drug-testing for stroke, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.

'This is the product of research we've been conducting over the past ten years,' says Dr. Andrew Tasker, Professor of Neuropharmacology, and Director of the Atlantic Centre for Comparative Biomedical Research at UPEI's Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). 'The lead researchers involved in developing these technologies come from three separate departments in three separate faculties across UPEI. I think it speaks to the strength and potential of neuroscience at UPEI, the value of interdisciplinary approaches to science, and the spirit of collaboration in the research community here.'

The UPEI research team includes Dr. Tasker (Biomedical Sciences), Dr. Tracy Doucette (Biology), Dr. Catherine Ryan (Psychology), and Ms. Melissa Perry (Biomedical Sciences) as well as many post-doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students and research technicians.

'Just two weeks ago, we announced UPEI's first-ever licensing agreement with an outside body,' says Dr. Katherine Schultz, UPEI's Vice-President of Research & Development. 'Today, we celebrate our second. UPEI researchers are making a difference. This announcement rests on years of skilled investigation and consideration of real-world problems. We commend these innovators for the advances they have made and are very pleased to be working with our partners at CNS CRO and Neurodyn.'

The agreement licenses four pieces of medical technology developed at UPEI to CNS CRO, which will use it in pre-clinical testing of compounds that have shown promise as drugs for stroke, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.

Neurodyn CEO Ken Cawkell says, 'CNS-CRO is extremely pleased with the successful conclusion of these licensing negotiations, through which the company has gained access to UPEI's world class animal models of CNS disease. Together with our existing models, the CNS-CRO suite of leading edge drug discovery tools clearly differentiates the CNS CRO offering from that of existing CRO service providers.'

Today's agreement was facilitated and negotiated by Three Oaks Innovations, Inc. - UPEI's independent spin-off company with the mandate of helping university-created technologies and innovations make their way into real-world business applications.

'We are excited to have been a part of initiating the process and coordinating the follow-through that led to this deal,' says Sophie Theriault, Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization Coordination at Three Oaks Innovations. 'These are technologies that will make a real difference for people whose lives are affected by stroke, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. It's also gratifying to know CNS CRO will carry out this research on Prince Edward Island, and have a real impact on the province's economic development and sustainability.'

UPEI Panther Sport is excited to unveil the details for a new event during Homecoming 2010. The ‘Sport Legacy Celebration' will take place in McMillan Hall at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on September 23, 2010 at 6:30 pm.

The evening has been designed to combine some traditional events with new components, all to celebrate the legacies that Panther Sport creates.

First, RBC Olympian Rowan Barrett will speak. The basketball star played internationally for 17 years (12 years at the professional level) and won a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth championships with Team Canada. Barrett led the Canadian national basketball team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Barrett's keynote address will be followed by an acknowledgement of the 2009-10 Academic All Canadians. Again this year, UPEI has over 50 Academic All-Canadians from six different sports. These athletes have worked hard throughout the year to compete on a Canadian Inter-University CIS varsity sport team while at the same time achieving an over-80 per cent average as a full-time student.

In the past, athletic awards and scholarships were presented at a separate ceremony; now, those athletes will be recognized during this new celebration. It will also be the perfect opportunity to thank the many donors and families who support these awards.

To cap the evening, two new inductees will enter the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame - soccer great, Glenn Millar and field hockey star, Tracey McGee. These athletes were outstanding in their respective sports, earning award after award, not only in the Atlantic University Sport conference, but in the CIS as well.

Tickets are on sale now for $25 each, and include admission to the reception-style event that also features a silent auction. For tickets or information, contact Lynn Boudreau at (902) 566-0991 or lboudreau@upei.ca.

UPEI's Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research (CHBMR) will host seven high-profile and internationally-renowned venture capitalists during National Biotechnology Week.

'This event is made possible with the support of Innovation PEI, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the PEI BioAlliance,' said Dr. Juergen Krause, Director of the CHBMR. 'It is an important forum for researchers and Island Businesses to meet speakers who have been involved in the commercialization of high profile research, and who led a significant number of companies to success.'

The forum will be held on the UPEI campus on Thursday, September 23 and Friday, September 24 and includes an opening address from Premier Robert Ghiz; a keynote speech by Janice Bourque, managing director of life sciences for Hercules Technology Growth Capital; a networking luncheon; and a panel discussion. There is no cost for registration.

'This event will assist lsland businesses and researchers to advance their knowledge, establish out-of-province contacts and explore future collaborations,' said Minister Allan Campbell, Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

Also participating in the event are venture capitalists Dr. Peter Farina, Dr. Allan Johnston, Dr. Jens Eckstein, Dr. Christian Cortis, Dr. Luc Marengere, and Thomas Hayes.

'Our Government's vision is to attract highly qualified and resourceful personnel who have experience in sourcing capital, which our Island companies need to grow and prosper,' added Minister Campbell. 'We are fortunate to have individuals of this calibre visiting our Province, and I hope our local businesses take advantage of this tremendous opportunity.'

The CHBMR is an academic research group that specializes in supporting the Canadian health system and biotechnology & biopharmaceutical sectors through four pillars: research, knowledge translation, graduate training and data use, and is responsible for hosting and organizing the forum.

For more information or to register, click here.

About the speakers

Keynote speaker Janice Bourque, is Managing Director of Life Sciences for Hercules Technology Growth Capital, was senior vice president and group head-life sciences for Comerica Bank for four years and is the past-president/CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC). At Hercules, she provides venture debt and equity to venture capital- and private equity-backed technology and life science companies at all stages of development. Prior to leading the MBC, Ms. Bourque held several other senior managerial positions, including CFO/controller of Cambridge Medical Technology Corporation, senior public accountant for Coopers & Lybrand Emerging and Middle Market Group, and project manager of NASA Space Science grants.

Dr. Peter Farina is the Executive-in-Residence with Canaan Partners, a global venture capital firm. Dr. Farina is passionate about research and development in the fields of chemistry and biology. Prior to joining Canaaan in 2008, Peter served as senior vice president of development at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. where he was responsible for the North American development of drugs in the therapeutic areas of immunology/inflammation, virology, and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Allan Johnston is the co-founder and Managing Director of Synergy Ventures II LP, Synergy Partners International and Nikko Synergy Ventures LLC. Prior to joining synergy in 1996, Dr. Johnston was principal at Berkeley International Capital Corporation in charge of private equity investments in medical technology companies. Dr. Johnston has a PhD in bioinorganic chemistry from the University of Guelph and serves on the board of several private companies and maintains his status as outside director of Three Oaks Innovations (UPEI).

Dr. Jens Eckstein joined TVM Capital in 2004 as a general partner in the firm's life sciences practice where he focuses on early-stage investments. Prior to his involvement in TVM, Dr. Eckstein was director, lead discovery and research IT with Enanta Pharmaceuticals. He directed the company's lead discovery and knowledge management programs for novel therapeutics in hepatitis, asthma, psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders. Dr. Eckstein earned his doctorate, summa cum laude, in biological chemistry at the University of Konstanz and Harvard. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California and has authored more than twenty publications.

Dr. Christian Cortis joined Advanced Technology Ventures in 2006 and focused on healthcare investments in biotechnology, life science and diagnostics. Prior to joining ATV, Christian was the senior director of Business Development for Gemin X Biotechnologies where he was responsible for partnerships, licensing, mergers and acquisitions. Dr. Cortis holds a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from Columbia University and held a post-doctoral fellowship with Columbia in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.

Dr. Luc Marengere joined VenGrowth in 2001. He leads the team with his comprehensive knowledge of many therapeutic areas. As well, he has extensive experience in research and product development, partnerships, and financing - all within the biotechnology industry. With 18 years of experience in the life sciences industry, he has been involved with positioning a broad range of companies towards financial exits. Luc holds a PhD in Medical Biophysics and Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto, BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, and MSc from Queens University.

Thomas J. Hayes is President and CEO of GrowthWorks Atlantic Ltd. Tom brings managerial and senior executive experience in the private, public and volunteer sectors of GrowthWorks. Prior to an affiliate of GrowthWorks Capital taking over the management of the GrowthWorks Canadian Fund and the GrowthWorks Opportunity Fund in 2002, he was vice president of investments for those funds. Tom has 39 years of business and management experience and is a past-chair of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC).

The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) recently announced the winners of their 2010 regional awards for excellence in teaching and instructional leadership. Only three award-winners are chosen each year from the 18 universities represented by AAU, and UPEI's Dr. Jane Magrath, is one of them.

UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan said, 'We all join in extending congratulations to Jane, and through her example to the whole network of colleagues who practice and promote high standards in teaching and learning at the University of Prince Edward Island.'

The 18 member institutions of the AAU proposed nominees for the Teaching Awards program and the winners were selected by the AAU's Coordinating Committee on Faculty Development. The other two winners this year were Dr. Diana Austin from UNB and Dr. Brenda Robertson from Acadia.

An associate professor of English, Magrath's areas of expertise include 18th-Century and Women's Literature. She is also one of two co-founders of the Chinook Project, a unique interdisciplinary venture that began in 2006 and provides essential free veterinary care to isolated communities in Canada's North.

In 2004, she received the Hessian Merit Award for Excellence in Teaching, and she won the Janet Pottie Murray Award for Educational Leadership in 2006.

Magrath will receive the 2010 AAU Distinguished Teaching Award which recognizes outstanding teaching over a number of years at a gala dinner in Fredericton on September 28. She will also participate at the annual AAU Teaching Showcase, September 23, which is being hosted by UPEI.

Dr. Shannon Murray, a colleague of Magrath in UPEI's English department, said, 'Jane is such a lively, innovative, and loved teacher, and we're so pleased that she'll be acknowledged for her accomplishments in the classroom. At the AAU showcase, she'll present her thoughts on good teaching at a plenary session, and later she'll address the region's university presidents.'

The AAU represents the 17 universities in Atlantic Canada and the University of West Indies and is an advocate for the important role Atlantic universities play in preparing future leaders of our communities, in path-breaking research and innovation, and in contributing to the economic prosperity and quality of life of the Atlantic region.

The International Development Office will be hosting an information session open to all students who are interested in participating in student exchange. UPEI has partnered with a wide variety of schools to serve the needs of our students and to facilitate the best possible international learning experience.

Date: Friday, September 24th

Time: 3-4pm

Place: KCI Rm 104

For more information, click here.

(September 21, 2010) -- UPEI and the Government of Prince Edward Island announced the construction of a new building on campus that will house the School of Nursing, Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences and classroom and laboratory space.

Students, staff and faculty and nursing alumni gathered next to the building's future site with Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Health and Wellness; Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan; and Dean of Nursing Kim Critchley to celebrate the official kick-off to construction. Site preparation began in late August.

'The construction of a new facility for UPEI's School of Nursing and Family and Nutritional Science programs is a significant milestone for UPEI and the broader Island community,' said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. 'This will be an important platform to address our future health care needs and opportunities.'

The Government of Prince Edward Island is funding two-thirds of the project, $7.2 million, while UPEI will raise one-third, or $3.6 million, for a total construction cost of $10.8 million.

Minister Campbell said, 'This University has been going through a long period of growth and development as an institution of learning and research. We're happy to support this new facility and I am confident these new facilities will only improve what has become an excellent facility for the education of Islanders and students from around the world.'

'This new facility will be a tremendous asset for nursing education on Prince Edward Island and for nursing as a profession,' added Minister Bertram. 'The training, skills and commitment of nurses are essential to ensuring the highest quality of care throughout our one Island health system.'

Also during the announcement, Dean Critchley acknowledged the many current students and nursing alumni from UPEI and the former hospital schools in attendance, 'I am thrilled to see both former, current, and future members of the nursing community with us today. The new building will provide excellent learning resources for students, teaching facilities for faculty, and research opportunities that will result in benefits to our entire community.'

The facility is expected to be completed in fall 2011. To watch the construction progress, view the webcam.

About the School of Nursing building:

• The building will be approximately 39,000 square feet over three levels.
• BGHJ Architects were awarded the project along with the design team of MacKay Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited.
• Brighton Construction is the general contractor.
• The facility includes classrooms, offices and laboratory space for nursing programs as well as for the Family and Nutritional Sciences program.
• The facility is expected to be completed in fall 2011.

· The building is scheduled to be complete by early fall, 2011.

Defenceman Mathew Maione, the newest recruit for the UPEI Men's Hockey team, will provide some offensive upside from the blue line.

'Matt is an extremely focused, determined, and disciplined individual. He competes very hard, and will add some offensive punch to our attack,' says UPEI head coach Forbie MacPherson. 'He came to us late in the recruiting season. Through discussions with Matt's agent, we identified that he had interest in starting his college career as a 20-year-old.'

The 5'10', 198-lb defenceman played his minor hockey in Markham, Ontario. He was eventually drafted by the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Mississauga Ice Dogs, playing with the team for two seasons after they moved to Niagara, where he played with current Panther Mike MacIsaac. He played last year with the Guelph Storm, also in the OHL. Maione is the youngest player on the Panther roster, turning 20 years old on November 21.

'UPEI feels right because I can work on my academics and play hockey. I know there are a couple of defencemen (Aaron Dawson and James Cooley) not returning and hopefully, I can work hard and earn a spot,' Maione said.

Maione decided to forego his final year of junior eligibility to play at UPEI. 'I opted out of my last year of junior eligibility. Education is important in my family and I chose to go the education route before playing as an overage in the ‘O',' he said.

The UPEI campus feeling, the strength of the league and class size had an impact on his decision. 'I was a student at big schools like Brock and Guelph and I wanted to go to a smaller school-I liked UPEI because of its small class sizes,' Maione said. 'Once I decided to go to school, I knew it was going to be to the AUS because I feel it is the best league in the country and the most competitive. I think UPEI can surprise some teams. I can feel the passion about winning right away. I am competitive in everything I do so I came here because I want to be part of a winning program.'

Maione is the fourth recruit to commit to UPEI this year. Defenceman Matt Boyle, goaltender Marc Guggenberger, and forward Dana Fraser are the others while Cory Vitarelli and team captain Thomas Waugh are back for a fifth season. Vitarelli won the Mann Cup Lacrosse championship earlier this week with the Peterborough Lakers.

UPEI begins exhibition play this weekend at a tournament at UNB. They play defending national champion SMU on Friday night and depending on the result, either UNB or Guelph on Saturday.

The following weekend, they play in Moncton on October 1 and host SMU at Summerside, October 2.