UPEI Sport Legacy Dinner and Hall of Fame induction

The annual Sport Legacy Dinner to honour Academic All-Canadians from the last varsity season and to celebrate named award winners takes place on Thursday, October 11, in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre's McMillan Hall, with a reception at 6:30 pm and dinner to follow at 7:00 pm. The UPEI Hall of Fame induction will also take place during this year's annual celebration.

The UPEI Sports Hall of Fame committee is pleased to announce that it will induct UPEI basketball star Jennifer Moore (née Johnston), and UPEI's football defensive star Hubert 'Socky' MacDonald.

Johnston played basketball at UPEI for five years and is one of only three female basketball Panthers to be named an AUS MVP, others include Paula Edwards and Janet Nichols. Johnston was a three-time AUS all-star, and in 1998-99, was named a second-team CIS All-Canadian. She played a key role in the Panthers winning the AUS championship in 1997-98.
MacDonald was a football standout, playing five years for the Panthers and winning awards for each of those years. In 1975-76, he was named Rookie of the Year, followed by being named all-conference defensive back for the next three consecutive years. In 1979-80, he finished his football career at UPEI and was recognized as the University's Male Athlete of the Year.
The UPEI Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletic programs at the University of Prince Edward Island, St. Dunstan's University, or Prince of Wales College. Each year, individual athletes, teams, and builders are inducted to honour their contributions towards the University's athletic success or community leadership.
Tickets are available for purchase by the general public for $75 each by contacting UPEI Athletics and Recreation at (902) 566-0432. A tax receipt will be issued for the non-meal portion, and all proceeds from the event will go towards the Panther Endowment Fund.
For more information:
Lynn Boudreau
UPEI Athletics & Recreation
Communications & Events
(902) 566-0991

UPEI faces off against UdeM in men’s hockey opener

The UPEI men's hockey team begins their regular season on Friday, October 12, when they host rival Université de Moncton at 7:00 pm at MacLauchlan Arena. Members of the AUS championship winning UPEI women's hockey team will be on hand to drop the ceremonial puck at 6:55 pm.

Although the Panthers have lost AUS all-star forwards Jared Gomes and Matt Carter who graduated this spring, they have retained most of their core players. Last weekend's pre-season exhibition game in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, saw UPEI defeat Université de Moncton 3-1, so the team will look to continue its recent success in the ultra-competitive AUS men's hockey conference.

'There is no question that we lost some great players due to graduation,' said Head Coach Forbes MacPherson. 'Those players had been with me since day one, and they are to be credited with being part of the solution that has taken our program to the next level. The goal this summer was not to re-build, but to re-load, and we are excited about our new group going into the season.'

Continuing the trend from last year, the Panthers' line up will be filled once again with local talent-nine Islanders have committed to the program. New to the Panthers this season is Cole MacMillan, a rare dual athlete at UPEI, who played last season with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, and the Amherst Ramblers, and will join the hockey Panthers following the soccer season. Also new are Colin Beck (Truro Bearcats), Mason Wilgosh (Tri-City Americans), Tyler Brown (Kingston Frontenacs and Sarnia Sting), and Jordan Mayer (Mississauga Majors and Belleville Bulls).

Dylan Quaile, in his second year as captain, alongside Jordan Knox, Chris Desousa, Harrison McIver, Matt Maione, and Matt Boyle will round out the leadership group. Desousa, an AUS All-rookie forward is attending an AHL camp for the Chicago Blackhawks. Goaltending will be a strength for the Panthers this season with all-star Mavric Parks, and former team MVP Wayne Savage returning.

'We will be a very hard working team that will offer an exciting brand of hockey,' added MacPherson. 'There has been a tremendous amount of interest in our program recently and I believe that we will be a team the community will enjoy watching.'

The men will host St. Thomas University next on Saturday, October 13 at 7:00 pm at MacLauchlan Arena.

Season seats are still available but are selling quickly. Visit gopanthersgo.ca to purchase tickets. The Box Office will open at 6:00 pm on October 12.

For Information:
Lynn Boudreau
UPEI Athletics & Recreation
Communications & Events
(902) 566-0991

Engineering students demonstrate their “Rube Goldberg” machines

UPEI's second-year engineering design class students will be demonstrating their 'Rube Goldberg' machines on Friday, October 12, from 3-5 pm in McMillan Hall. These contraptions are deliberately over-engineered or overdone machines that perform a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The student devices are extremely complex, colorful, extravagant, entertaining, and unpredictable. The best of the useless machines will win a cash prize donated by Engineers PEI!

UPEI and Engineers PEI are pleased to work together to provide a fun competition for engineering students and to reward creativity and hard work through the 'Rube Goldberg' machine competition.

Come check out these hilarious contraptions and meet with engineering students, faculty, and representatives from Engineers PEI. All are welcome to attend.

UPEI hosts PWC memorabilia showcase

On Friday, September 28, UPEI hosted a Prince of Wales College (PWC) memorabilia showcase. PWC alumni and friends gathered together in UPEI's Robertson Library to display and donate their memorabilia to the University Archives & Special Collections unit. As an added bonus, graduates of PWC reconnected over conversation and refreshments, taking a nostalgic walk down memory lane.

One artifact donated-among the many-was a correspondence seal that was found by Rogers Bell in his late father's belongings. His father, PEI Supreme Court Justice Reginald Bell, was a PWC alumnus and served on PWC's Board of Governors from 1965-1969. Justice Bell would have had the seal in his possession for various official College correspondence.

'I'm pleased to grant this to its rightful place-UPEI-the successor institution of Prince of Wales College' said Bell.

Dr. Ernie Prowse, a graduate of the last class of PWC, the only year in which PWC granted degrees, travelled from Truro, NS, for the event to donate his PWC 1969 graduation ring in mint condition for the archives. Russell Pickard, from Moncton, NB, brought many items including an issue of The Guardian newspaper dated May 16, 1969 that featured portraits of each graduating member of the PWC Class of 1969. It was a popular item-as attendees read the edition over Pickard's shoulder, four 1969 classmates realized their connection and were reunited.

UPEI's Director of Advancement Tracey Comeau was pleased to see PWC alumni come together to preserve their memorabilia and re-establish a special camaraderie. 'As the successor institution, UPEI has a sense of obligation to preserve the memories of our predecessor institutions which set the rigorous post-secondary education standards that remain the common threads in the fabric of a UPEI education,' said Comeau. 'When the PWC Alumni Executive made a decision to assign contributed funds to support preservation of their history, UPEI was able to put a call out for memorabilia with the ways and means to preserve and share these treasures.'

For nearly 40 years, the UPEI Archives & Special Collections unit has been collecting, preserving, and sharing unique material relating to the province of Prince Edward Island and the University. This includes PWC's vital contribution made to PEI's heritage of higher learning. As such, these archives have served as an invaluable source for writers and historians.

UPEI continues to accept memorabilia from its predecessor institutions. View the current collection online at http://vre2.upei.ca/pwc/. For more information, contact the UPEI Alumni Office at (902) 566-0687 or alumni@upei.ca.

Johnston and MacDonald inducted into UPEI Sports Hall of Fame

UPEI basketball star Jennifer Moore (née Johnston) and UPEI football defensive star Hubert 'Sock' MacDonald were inducted into UPEI's Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 11 during the third annual Sport Legacy Celebration. Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Academic All-Canadians from the last varsity season and named financial award winners for this year were also celebrated.

The event welcomed approximately 200 student-athletes, coaches, donors, sponsors, family, and friends to the W.A. Murphy Student Centre's McMillan Hall for a reception at 6:30 pm, followed by a dinner and award presentations at 7:00 pm.

'This is a wonderful time of year-during the excitement of the fall sports season-to pause and celebrate accomplishments from long-ago and from the most recent season,' said Ron Annear, Director of UPEI Athletics & Recreation. 'Tonight is an opportunity to pay tribute to these success stories.'

John Horrelt, owner of Sporting Intentions and longtime sponsor of Panther Sport, was guest speaker. He described how he first began supporting UPEI field hockey by providing the team with supplies to build a baby barn to raffle off, so they could leverage his investment many times over, raising thousands of dollars over the years. For Horrelt, supporting sport is more than cutting a cheque-it's about knowing that by providing resources, he and other donors and sponsors are involved in enabling student-athletes to succeed both in their athletics and academics.

The following is a list of CIS All-Canadians and named award winners:

CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians if they have maintained a grade point average of 80 per cent, or better, over the previous academic year while competing on one or more of their university's varsity teams. This year, UPEI celebrated 57 Academic All-Canadians-that's over 30 per cent of the student-athlete population:

Dual Athlete: Jenelle MacKenzie-rugby and hockey

Basketball: Katelynn Donahoe; Julia McKenna; Marie-Christine Parent; Geoffrey Doane; Matthew McKenna

Field Hockey: Michelle Clow; Ellen Dixon; Leanne Doiron; Kathryn Hay; Danielle LeClair; Marina MacAulay; Lauren Matheson; Amy Rawlinson; Erica Ross; Kristy Wu

Hockey: Jared Gomes; Jordan Knox; Travis McIsaac; Harrison McIver; Devan Praught; Jhase Sniderman; Ryan Taylor; Patrick Wall; Jaimelynn Donaldson; Olivia Doughart; Ashley Fitzpatrick; Amber Gaudette; Jessie-Anne Howard; Christina Kelly; Melanie Matthews; Kristen Nash; Jessica Rosenbaum; Samantha Sweet; Bailey Toupin

Rugby: Hannah Austin; Monique Bernard; Megan Larkin; Marley MacInnis; Shannon Moore; Sumara Profit; Rebecca Robison

Soccer: John Chandler; Jared Murphy; Colby O'Donnell; Marc Pineau; Giuseppe Scichilone; Trevor White; Andrea Archibald; Kayla Balderston; Allyson Seviour; Sara Stewart; Lynn Symington

Swimming: Stephanie Alp; Genevieve Cormier; Janet Gamble; Rebecca Milton

UPEI Alumni Engagement Awards: Allyson Seviour, women's soccer; Logan Dawson, men's soccer; Hannah Austin, women's rugby; Leanne Doiron, field hockey; Jamielynn Donaldson, women's hockey; Dylan Quaile, men's hockey; Julia McKenna, women's basketball; Terrence Brown, men's basketball, Sydney Morley, swimming

The Dennis Clough Men's Hockey Scholarship: Matt Boyle

The Neil and Lila MacLeod Memorial Scholarship: Shannon Moore

The Urban McInnis Memorial Awards: Aaron Robbins and Marie-Christine Parent

The Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan Scholarships: Travis McIsaac and Jordan Knox

The Gerry Gillis Memorial Scholarship: Alex Wall

The Grant Thornton 'Harry MacLauchlan' Scholarship: Matt Maione

The Michael and Jennifer (Johnston) Moore Mentor/Mentee Program: Danielle MacDonald (Mentor) and DJ Smith (Mentee)

The Keefe Family Hockey Scholarship: Alex Wall

The Andrews Hockey Growth Scholarship: Harrison McIver

The Colin F. MacDonald Scholarship: Katherine Koughan

The Peter J. Tremblay Memorial Award: Leanne Doiron

The Cox & Palmer Awards: Allyson Seviour, women's soccer; Hannah Austin, rugby; Marina MacAulay, field hockey; Rebecca Milton, swimming

The Profit Family Athletic Awards: Genevieve Cormier, swimming; Shannon Moore, rugby

For Information:
Lynn Boudreau
UPEI Athletics & Recreation
Communications & Events
(902) 566-0991
lboudreau@upei.ca

Sister Susan Kidd celebrates 25 years

University chaplain Sister Susan Kidd celebrated 25 years as a sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame on Sunday, October 14. A special Mass was held at 6:00 pm in the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre followed by a light reception.

Before her time here at UPEI, Sister Sue was a high school gym teacher, a religion teacher, a master of divinity student, a vocational director, and a missionary in Africa.

Sister Sue sees her role here at the University as a privilege and opportunity. 'Whether I'm in my office or at the food bank, whether I'm meeting people on campus, at the gym, the coffee shop, or just wandering through in my day, it's an opportunity for my life to get richer because I'm touched by other people's lives.'

UPEI students, staff, and faculty all love spending time with Sister Sue and sharing their views, questions, and concerns about faith with their University chaplain. 'Sister Sue is one we can talk to when we have questions or doubt about our faith and she gives us very solid answers and strength to continue to pursue our faith on campus,' said UPEI student Shannon Moore.

'Where is it all going in the future? I don't have a crystal ball. And in fact, I don't think I want one,' Sister Sue added. 'God has gently nudged me all along and I think God continues to do that-whether it be my work, my relationships, or my role in the church.'

UPEI congratulates Sister Sue on her recent accomplishment and wishes her all the best in her future endeavours-wherever her path may lead her!

Gairdner's national program brings great medical minds to UPEI

2012 Canada Gairdner Award winners to share medical discoveries

Today, the University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to host one of the Gairdner Award winners as part of Gairdner's National Program lecture series. Dr. Lorne A. Babiuk is sharing his award-winning medical insights, inspiring UPEI to continue striving towards innovation excellence and encouraging the next generation of Canadian scientists.
Lorne A. Babiuk, OC, SOM, PhD, DSc, FRSC, Vice-President (Research), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
The challenge: Over 30 newly emerging and re-emerging diseases have occurred over the last 30 years, 70 per cent of which have been transmitted from animals to humans. These diseases are the cause of significant mortality and morbidity and international infrastructure was needed to address this problem.
The work: Dr. Babiuk's work has focused on studying how diseases are transmitted from animals to humans, while developing innovative vaccination approaches to control infectious diseases such as the rotavirus. Through his study of infectious disease, and leadership role in the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and at the University of Alberta, Dr. Babiuk has helped to relieve mortality, morbidity, and economic hardship caused by infectious disease.
Why it matters: The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one-third of all human deaths are caused by infectious disease. Dr. Babiuk's work has shown how diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, and how innovative vaccines will help to bring down the number of deaths caused by infectious disease.
'The opportunity to learn from the world's greatest medical minds is one we hope will inspire students across the country to be imaginers, innovators, and ultimately, cultivators of the future of medicine in Canada and around the world,' said Dr. John Dirks, President and Scientific Director of Gairdner. 'Gairdner's National Program is our way of helping to ensure that Canada continues to grow as a global leader in medical science.'
The Gairdner National Program is a month-long lecture series given by Canada Gairdner Award winners to over 6,000 students at 21 universities from St. John's to Vancouver. The National Program reaches students across the country, making the superstars of science accessible and inspiring the next generation of researchers. Along with the Canada Gairdner Awards, the National Program is part of Gairdner's efforts to promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country.
The Gairdner Foundation: Making Science Matter
The Canada Gairdner Awards were created in 1959 to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. They are Canada's only globally known and respected international science awards, and Gairdner is the only national organization that consistently brings the world's best biomedical researchers to Canada to share their ideas and work with scientists across the country. In so doing, it enlarges networks and enhances Canada's international reputation, while providing a realistic and unbiased benchmark for Canada's leading scientists.
For Information:
Dave Atkinson
Research Communications Officer
University of Prince Edward Island
(902) 620-5117, datkinson@upei.ca

AUS women’s hockey champions host home opener this weekend

The UPEI Panthers will face-off against StFX in this year's home opener on Friday, October 19 at 7:00 pm at MacLauchlan Arena. UPEI's women's hockey team claimed their first-ever AUS banner last season, having upset StFX, the top-ranked AUS team and fourth-ranked CIS team, 2-1 in the semi-final, advancing the Panthers to the finals where they defeated Mount Allison.

Prior to the game, the UPEI Panthers will host a meet-and-greet social at 6:15 pm in the MacLauchlan Arena hospitality room for sponsors and season-ticket holders to meet with players, alumni, and the coaching staff. At 6:45 pm, the AUS 2011/2012 championship banner will be raised, former UPEI women's hockey players who are present will be recognized, and former captain Amber Gaudette will drop the ceremonial puck prior to the official face-off.

Head Coach Bruce Donaldson said the team is very excited about the game and lead-up events on Friday. 'Any time you can share in a piece of UPEI history, it is an amazing experience,' said Donaldson. 'Hosting StFX for the home opener is fitting, as their program has a long tradition of winning AUS banners, and last year's battle against them were very competitive.'

With six new players added to the Panther lineup, UPEI is focusing on a fast-paced, aggressive style of play, with a strong forecheck and disciplined defensive zone strategy. 'When we deliver on our systems, we have good success, so that's the focus at this time of the year,' added Donaldson. 'The players are excited to defend their title and look forward to a competitive AUS league once again.'

Season tickets are still available, visit gopanthersgo.ca to purchase tickets. The box office will open at 6:00 pm on October 17.
For Information:
Lynn Boudreau
UPEI Athletics & Recreation
Communications & Events
(902) 566-0991

Second-year nursing students provide teddy bear clinic to primary students

UPEI students enrolled in Nursing 213-Nursing of Young Families visited Westwood Primary School in Cornwall today to put on a special teddy bear clinic for kindergarten classes.

Each child brought in a teddy bear or doll to be examined by the student nurses, while the kindergarten student acted in the role of the parent in order to observe an encounter with a health-care professional. The clinic was a fun way for the children to learn about health care in a friendly and structured environment.

An examination room was set up at the clinic, and each bear was weighed, measured, and examined by real equipment. By introducing this type of role-playing to the children, nursing students can help them overcome their fears when visiting their doctor or hospital.

'This experience is mutually beneficial for the children and our nursing students,' said Patrice Drake, assistant professor at UPEI's School of Nursing. 'Our nursing students gain invaluable experience by interacting with the children and applying what they have learned about communicating with children, growth and development, and health promotion and teaching.'

The purpose of the teddy bear clinic was to help children establish trust with a professional in a warm and friendly environment, to familiarize the children with commonly used medical equipment, and to help them work through, and express, their feelings. In addition to the clinic, UPEI's nursing students gave presentations to the children on a health promotion topic.

The focus of Nursing 213-Nursing of Young Families is on caring for children and families with children. It is a community-based course and includes experiences not only in schools but also home settings and community agencies that provide services for children and families.

UPEI to host worldwide database of forest biodiversity for the Smithsonian Institution

New agreement would also see UPEI and SI co-host international symposia on climate change, biodiversity, and islands

The University of Prince Edward Island signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The MOU will see the two groups work together on publications; organize seminars, lectures, and symposia; and collaborate on teaching and training. As part of the agreement, UPEI will also host the SI's database of international forest biodiversity.

The MOU was signed by all parties at a ceremony at the SCBI in Front Royal, Virginia.
'UPEI is very excited to establish a relationship with the renowned Smithsonian Institution,' said Dr. Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor of UPEI. 'This MOU will allow both institutions to work together on biological conservation and climate change with a goal of sharing this scientific knowledge broadly and, particularly, with our students.'
UPEI and SI will work together on a project which collects, stores, and maintains data from the international network of one-hectare forest biodiversity monitoring plots, established using methods developed by the Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring and Assessing Biodiversity program (SI/MAB). This includes forest measurements from over 650 research plots in over 33 countries. The collection's database will be housed at UPEI.
'The Smithsonian Institution recognizes the importance of collaboration in helping meet its goal of understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet,' said Dr. Monfort, Director of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. 'Our work with the University of Prince Edward Island helps bring the significant issue of climate change to our understanding of protecting the world's plants and animals.'
The collaboration will include seminars, lectures, and symposia to be held in Washington, DC and in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The ceremony to commence the MOU was held during a course led by Dr. Adam Fenech, Director of UPEI's Climate Lab, entitled Applied Climate Change: Gaining Practical Skills for Climate Change Adaptation this week in Front Royal, Virginia.
'We look forward, through this MOU signing, to continuing our work with the Smithsonian Institution in co-hosting scientific studies and science symposia, co-writing scientific papers and books, and co-teaching courses and training sessions,' said Dr. Fenech.
The SCBI is an umbrella organization of the Smithsonian Institution's global efforts to conserve biological species and train future generations of biological conservationists. The SCBI facilitates and promotes biological research programs based at Front Royal, at the National Zoo in Washington, and at field-research and training sites around the world.
For Information:
Dave Atkinson
Research Communications Officer
University of Prince Edward Island
(902) 620-5117