Despite torrential rain, UPEI Athletics and Recreation hosted the Panther Golf Classic on Friday, July 26 at Green Gables Golf Course. The annual event which brought together 108 golfers raised $14,000 to support student-athletes at UPEI.

For information:

Ron Annear

UPEI Athletics & Recreation

(902) 566-0991

annear@upei.ca

Winning scramble event female team

Winning scramble event male team

UPEI Athletics and Recreation is proud of all Panthers participating at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, over the next two weeks.

'Congratulations to all entering and returning student-athletes who are not only wearing the Island green but the Panther green at the Canada Games,' commented UPEI Director of Athletics and Recreation Bill Schurman. 'We wish each and every one of you the very best of luck. It is a wonderful opportunity and experience for all to enjoy.'

The following UPEI Panthers are on Team PEI:

A pioneer in the field of biomedical optoacoustics will give a public lecture at the University of Prince Edward Island about how doctors are using light to better detect breast cancer. The lecture by Dr. Alexander Oraevsky begins at 7 pm on Wednesday, August 7 in room 242 of UPEI's Don and Marion McDougall Hall.

Dr. Oraevsky is the chief technology officer at TomoWave Labs and is an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Houston. His lecture-titled 'New imaging technology uses light to make cancer ‘sing' to the doctor'-discusses emerging technology that replaces harmful radiation with light and sound.

The drawbacks of the current breast cancer detection technique, mammography, are many: it uses uncomfortable compression; it misses 20 per cent of cancerous tumours in elderly women; it cannot visualize tumours in the breasts of young women; it cannot tell the difference between a cancerous and non-cancerous tumour, exposing some patients to unnecessary surgery; finally, mammography exposes patients to harmful ionizing radiation.

Dr. Oraevsky will discuss new imaging technology that uses red light instead of ionizing radiation. The light is converted into sound within the tumour. This causes the tumour to produce a sound, which can be detected by a doctor using a special array of detectors to determine the tumour location and its medical condition. This technology takes advantage of the fact that aggressive cancers develop their own system of microscopic blood vessels to support rapid growth. The red light can be absorbed in cancerous tumours, producing signals that can be reliably detected by doctors.

'Based on early clinical results, optoacoustic imaging is positioned to be a significant enhancement of breast ultrasound and potentially a future alternative to (x-ray) mammography and MRI scans,' said Dr. Bill Whelan, an optoacoustics researcher in the departments of physics and biomedical sciences at UPEI.

Dr. Oraevsky is the recipient of multiple research awards advancing biomedical applications of the optoacoustic-imaging sensing and monitoring. He is the primary inventor of 17 patents, has published five book chapters, and more than 200 scientific papers dealing with novel laser technologies applicable in biology and medicine.

For more information about Dr. Oraevsky's visit to UPEI, or to organize a time to meet with him, please contact Dr. Bill Whelan, Department of Physics at 566-0419, wwhelan@upei.ca.

Beginning in September 2013, UPEI's departments of physics and biology will offer a new minor in biomedical physics.

Biomedical physics is an interdisciplinary field of study in the life sciences that involves the application of physics methodology to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. In the areas of physiology and health, physics and physical methods are applied to understand the production, operation, and safe use of ionizing radiation, microwave, radiofrequency, radioactive, magnetic, optical, and acoustic sources and their interactions with living tissues.

The objective of this minor program is to better prepare students who are interested in a career in the healthcare spectrum from biomedical research to clinical services. Due to the rapidly growing and changing aspects of biomedical technologies, there are extraordinary demands on professionals in the healthcare sector.

'I believe students who can think critically at the intersection of biology and physics will have a competitive advantage when moving to the next stage of their healthcare career path,' said Dr. Bill Whelan, professor in UPEI's Department of Physics.

The biomedical physics minor exposes students to medical imaging and therapy technologies, integrated with the underlying anatomy and physiology of the body. The knowledge and skills obtained can be applied to graduate studies, medical school, or post-baccalaureate degrees in one of the many healthcare professions.

For more information on the new minor, visit http://www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/biology or contact Dr. Sheldon Opps at (902) 566-0421, sopps@upei.ca or Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon at (902) 566-0633, msweeney@upei.ca.

UPEI welcomes all new students and their families to campus for the second annual Welcome Day on Saturday, August 31, 9:00 am-3:00 pm in Don and Marion McDougall Hall's Schurman Market Square. Welcome Day is a chance for new students to tour campus, pick up their UPEI student ID card, shop at the Bookstore, pay for tuition and other services, meet staff, faculty, Student Union executives, and new friends, and kick-off O-Week-all before classes start up in September!

This year's Welcome Day will also include parent sessions for parents of residence and non-residence students and a barbeque for all from 12:00-2:00 pm. Representatives from Accounting, the Registrar's Office, Residence Services, Robertson Library, Student Affairs, Webster Academic Services, and more will be available to provide academic and administrative support throughout the day.

The UPEI synchro club hosted their second annual 'Bingo for Synchro' event on Wednesday, August 7 at the Holy Redeemer Church Hall. The event ran smoothly and was a great success as the club raised just over $2,000. In addition to bingo, the fundraiser also included prize draws, baked goods, local fries for purchase, and a cash bar.

' ‘Bingo for Synchro' is one of our club's biggest fundraisers, and allows us to cut down on some of the costs associated with our sport,' said club member Katie Carter. 'We are the only university synchronized swimming club in Atlantic Canada, so travel costs can be high. This year, we raised a little over $2,000 with this event which was a big help to our club. We would like to thank all the businesses that helped out by donating prizes; we wouldn't have been able to have this fundraiser without them. We are also looking forward to our upcoming season defending our title as synchro's top university in Canada.'

'Congratulations to the UPEI synchro club for their initiative,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. '‘Bingo for Synchro' is a wonderful event to raise funds and awareness for the club.'

Two associate professors in the department of history lead national research associations

In a coincidence that reflects the expertise within UPEI's Department of History, two faculty members are currently presidents of their respective national research associations. Dr. Ed MacDonald is in his second year as president of the Canadian Catholic Historical Association (CCHA), and Dr. James Moran is beginning his first year as president of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine (CSHM).

UPEI Athletics and Recreation has launched the 2013-14 Panthers Season Pass program. Season Passes are now available for Men's/Women's Soccer, Women's Rugby, Men's Hockey, Women's Hockey, and Men's/Women's Basketball. All teams have been busy preparing for the upcoming season, and have bolstered rosters with a strong combination of incoming and returning student-athletes. This year, UPEI is proud to host the AUS (W) Rugby Championship October 26-27 and the AUS (W) Basketball Championship March 7-9.

New this year is a youth rate, non-UPEI student rate, and the availability of a family game ticket and season pass. This new offering is an affordable way for families to take in a Panthers game and to provide young people an opportunity to get to know and watch UPEI student-athletes.
In 2012-13, the Panthers excelled both on and off the playing surfaces with 14 AUS All-Stars, 4 AUS All-Rookie Team Members, 3 CIS All Canadians. For the 2011-12 season, 57 were named CIS Academic All-Canadians. Team highlights included playoff visits by Men's/Women's Soccer, Men's Basketball, and Men's/Women's Hockey. With a strong recruitment effort, the 2013-14 season promises to reach even greater heights as teams pursue AUS and CIS championships.

Revenues from season pass sales go directly to the teams to support costs and to fund Athletic Financial Awards for student-athletes.

Season pass renewals have begun and now are open to the greater public for purchase by either visiting Panther Central at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, calling 566-0368, or e-mailing panthercentral@upei.ca. For more information, visit gopanthersgo.ca.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

The UPEI Panthers are busy this weekend-at community events across PEI, at the 2013 Canada Summer Games, and one, Suzanne Nicholson, even swimming across the Northumberland Strait, raising money for the UPEI Swimming team.

Pride the Panther was spotted at the Gold Cup Parade in Charlottetown on Friday accompanying the Ocean/Hot 105.5 parade float. Members of the UPEI Men's Hockey team will also join Pride in eastern PEI on Saturday when they make an appearance at the 2013 Kraft Celebration Tour in Morell as TSN gets set to broadcast Sportscentre live from the banks of the Morell River. During the broadcast, it is expected that former UPEI Men's Basketball coach George Morrison, from the Morrell area, will be profiled.

In Sherbrooke, Quebec, the 2013 Canada Summer Games will wrap up on Saturday. Nineteen UPEI Panthers either competed with or coached Team PEI at the two-week, multi-sport event. The team will be arriving home at the Charlottetown airport midday Sunday.

Suzanne Nicholson, a fifth-year UPEI student-athlete will embark on her 'Suzanne conquers the Strait' fundraiser on Sunday, August 18, selected as the best day for tides, wind, and weather. This year marks Nicholson's last on the team and she hopes her fundraiser will motivate her teammates and the UPEI community-she hopes to raise $10,000 for the UPEI swim team. She expects to leave New Brunswick at 7:45 am and arrive in Borden around noon. Donations can be made by calling Panther Central at 902-566-0368 or by visiting Suzanne's Facebook page called Suzanne conquers the Strait.

Go Panthers go!

Forbes MacPherson, head coach of the UPEI men's hockey Panthers, is pleased to announce the addition of European forward Robin Soudek to this year's lineup.

'Soudek is a gifted playmaker, he can score goals, and he has a very solid two-way game that will complement our style of play,' said MacPherson. 'Soudek has been high on our radar for a couple of years because we know he will add depth to our club in all facets of the game. We are very pleased that he has committed to the University of Prince Edward Island.'

Soudek, a native of České Budějovice, Czech Republic played four years in the Western Hockey League, scoring 27 goals and 57 points for the Victoria Royals in 2011-12. He started last season in the Czech pro league playing alongside locked-out NHL stars Andrew Ference, Vinny Prospal, and Martin Hanzal, but was limited to 11 games due to injury. Soudek also played for the Czech Republic in two World Junior Hockey Championships.

'One of my former coaches referred to me as a European-skilled player with a North American heart which is a great description of the player I desire to be,' said Soudek, a 5'11', 194-lb right winger. 'I like to think I bring a lot of experience and leadership to the Panthers. I feel my game is very well-suited for the Atlantic University Conference, and I hope to contribute in many ways to the Panthers.'

Soudek said his partial season in the professional ranks has given him a better understanding of the importance of being a more complete and team-focused player.

'To be successful, you have to play within the team structure, follow the game plan, and you have to be prepared to do the little things. Even if you are the most skilled player on the team, you have to be a hard worker in all ends of the rink, and that is what my focus will be as a member of the Panthers,' said Soudek.

The 22-year-old has never been to Prince Edward Island but has done some research on the province, the team, and the fans.

'I chose PEI because they play in the best university hockey conference in Canada and the team is moving in the right direction. The university is small, friendly, and the PEI fans are in love with the team. I can't wait to get there and take the next step in my hockey career,' he said.

The Panthers finished as the #9 ranked team in the CIS last year.

'Being a student-athlete at UPEI is a unique and rewarding experience. I want to welcome Robin Soudek to the Panther family and I look forward to the many positive contributions he will make to our University on and off the ice,' said UPEI Director of Athletics and Recreation Bill Schurman.

Season passes for 2013-2014 are now on sale. Tickets are $160 for all 14 games and they guarantee a seat for playoff games. This year, student and youth rates have been added. For more information visit gopanthersgo.ca.