The Dr. Frances Gray Music Performance Competition 2015 Finals concert will be held Thursday, January 22nd at the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, UPEI at 7:30 pm. This annual competition was recently renamed in honour of Dr. Gray's retirement from the UPEI Music Department.

The six students chosen from the preliminary round to perform in the finals are: Rebecca Apps, soprano; Jillian Clow, mezzo soprano; Leah Inman, piano ; Lucas MacPhail, alto saxophone; Kailey Norris, clarinet and Hannah Rollwage, mezzo soprano.

Originally from St. Catharine's, Ontario, Rebecca Apps is currently in her final year of the Bachelor of Music program at UPEI, majoring in voice under the tutelage of Prof. Sung Ha Shin-Bouey. She holds a Diploma in Musical Theatre Performance from St. Lawrence College (2010). Rebecca has been a featured soloist with the UPEI Concert Choir, the UPEI Chamber Ensemble, the UPEI Jazz Ensemble, the Kirk of St. James Senior Choir, and the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble. Rebecca's master-class experience has allowed her to work with some of Canada's top classical musicians. Her hard work and dedication to the craft have led her to numerous competitive opportunities, including the CFMTA National Voice Competition (2013), the Atlantic Young Artist Tour Competition (2014) and the UPEI Music Performance Competition.

Jillian Clow is a mezzo-soprano in her fourth year as a UPEI voice major. Originally from New London, she attended school in Kensington where she played trumpet in the Jazz and Concert bands. She was a cast member in the Confederation Centre of the Arts Young Company production of Les Feux Follets in 2012. She has also performed with the UPEI Concert Choir as a featured soloist in works such as Vivaldi's Gloria and Bach's Christmas Oratorio. In 2014, Jillian was invited to compete at the provincial level of the Kiwanis Music Festival after being awarded the Robert C. Schurman Memorial Trophy for being the most outstanding individual performer at the East Prince Music Festival. She also had the pleasure of being featured in the Indian River Festival as a part of the Youth Legacy Program.

Leah Inman, originally from Augustine Cove PEI, is a 4th year piano student studying under the instruction of Dr. Frances Gray. Leah is the pianist for the UPEI Wind Symphony and has been performing annually in the PEI Kiwanis music festival for over 10 years. She has represented this festival multiple times on the provincial level in both piano and vocal categories. Leah is also passionate about art, musical theatre and animals.

Lucas MacPhail, a native of Warren Grove, PEI, is in his fourth year of the Bachelor of Music program at UPEI, studying Saxophone Performance with Kevin MacLean. He is currently the Principal Alto Saxophonist for the UPEI Wind Symphony and a member of the UPEI Jazz Ensemble. Through the PEI Kiwanis Music Festival, Lucas was the recipient of the Suzanne Brenton award to perform with the PEI Symphony Orchestra in the 2014-2015 season and was the winner of the 2014 UPEI Music Department Performance Competition. Lucas has competed twice in the FCMF National Music Festival, where he received the Honourable Mention in Woodwinds in the 2014 competition. This past summer, he attended the American Saxophone Academy at the Eastman School of Music, where he had the opportunity to work with six saxophone professors from the United States. Upon graduation from UPEI, Lucas intends on pursuing graduate studies in saxophone performance.

Kailey Norris is a fifth-year clarinet student in the Bachelor of Music Education program at UPEI. From Long Creek, PEI, Kailey has been playing the clarinet for eleven years and has taught intermediate music both as a senior instructor with Cadets Canada and as director of the Bluefield High School Choir. Kailey has studied under Dr. Karem Simon for five years and is currently the principal clarinetist with the UPEI Wind Symphony. Her future plans include teaching music internationally, and eventually returning home to Prince Edward Island as a public school instrumental and choral instructor.

Hannah Rollwage, mezzo soprano, is in the fifth and final year of her Bachelor of Music degree at UPEI. Originally from Toronto, she moved to PEI in 2006 and attended Colonel Gray Senior High School. She has been featured as a soloist in many recitals in the UPEI Music Department and in programs across the Island. In addition to her studies in the classical field, which have involved performances in UPEI ensembles and the PEI Symphony Orchestra, Hannah enjoys performing in folk, roots, and jazz capacities. A multi-instrumentalist, Hannah has studied piano, cello, and string bass. She works as a session musician, private instructor, church music director, and choral conductor. Hannah was proud to be the recipient of the Lynn Grishko Memorial Bursary at the 2013 Metro Credit Union Music PEI Week. She was selected as the alto representative for P.E.I. in the 2014 National Youth Choir which included a tour of Atlantic Canada. Hannah studies with Sung Ha Shin Bouey and Stephen Bouey.

Judges for the competition are well-known PEI musicians and educators: Reg Ballagh, Peter Bevan Baker, Ken Fornetran, Karen Graves and Anne White.

Tickets are $15 / $10 for Students & Seniors and are available at the door or in advance online at www.upeirecitals11.bpt.me or by calling 902-566-0507 or by email at music@upei.ca.

UPEI Music Department contact: Sue Williams, 902-626-8059

This weekend, UPEI Athletics and Recreation will honour the 1964-65 and 1984-85 Men's Hockey teams at a pre-game reception, in addition to having players participate in the opening face-off at the UPEI-St FX game on Friday at 7:00 pm. This celebration is in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the SDU 1964-65 Maritime Championship and the 30th anniversary of the UPEI 1984-85 AUAA Championship.

The Friday night events are in the lead up to the annual UPEI Hockey Alumni Night which takes place on Saturday, January 24. For more information on Panther action, visit gopanthersgo.ca.

Read the special to The Guardian written by volunteer Alf Blanchard, Friends of UPEI Hockey.

A case team, made up of UPEI business students Trevor White, Luke Gaudet, and Kaitlyn Lord, recently won third place at an international competition at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. The Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.) is Canada's longest-running undergraduate business case competition.

UPEI's team competed in the Business Policy category against teams from 26 schools from around the world in the preliminary round of I.C.B.C. in October, 2014. The competitors analyzed a case detailing real-world problems that a business was experiencing and provided a written case analysis. Their strong showing in the preliminary round earned them an invitation to the final round competing against Concordia University, the University of Calgary, the University of New South Wales, Chulongkorn University in Thailand, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

'It is refreshing to see UPEI go toe to toe with such large schools from across the globe and get results like this,' said Mary Whitrow, coach of the UPEI case team. 'The students worked tirelessly and represented UPEI well. The support they received from faculty and the School of Business has been remarkable.'

'Being able to compete against schools from Thailand and Australia was amazing,' said team member Trevor White. 'To top that off with having industry professionals from the Boston Consulting Group judging your presentation is something that I will never forget. There is no doubt that this UPEI team put in so much work to be our best and I am proud of my teammates for what we were able to accomplish this weekend.'

White's teammate Kaitlyn Lord said I.C.B.C. was an incredible experience. 'It was fascinating to watch groups from all over the world present and to understand their thought process when analyzing a case. I'm excited to take what I've learned and improve my own abilities.'

Team member Luke Gaudet agreed. 'It was a privilege to be able to represent UPEI against schools both throughout Canada and across the world. I am grateful for the support our faculty gave us to have had such an experience, and I am proud to have done so alongside a fantastic coach and teammates.'

The final round of I.C.B.C. took place January 15-17 at Queens University. Students were tasked with assessing a case, analyzing available information and crafting a strategic solution in only 5.5 hours. They then had 20 minutes to present and defend their recommendations to a judging panel of industry professionals.

"The Inter-Collegiate Business Competition at Queen's School of Business in Kingston, ON, counts as one of today's most prestigious business case competitions,' said Dr. Juergen Krause, Dean of UPEI's School of Business. 'For our team to qualify as a top 6 finalist for the championship round in the business policy category was a great achievement. To win the third place against such strong competition is another great success for UPEI and makes us very proud of our great students and their coach in the School of Business."

Find out more about the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition at the I.C.B.C website.

Congratulations, team!

The UPEI Men's Soccer team will be awarded "SCORE! Team of the Year," Sport PEI announced this week. The provincial sport federation also announced that UPEI Men's Soccer player Jared Murphy is a finalist for "Intercollegiate Male Athlete of the Year". He will find out if he wins the award at the annual Sport PEI Amateur Sport Awards presentation on Wednesday, February 4 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel.

The UPEI Men's Soccer team earned the nod based on its CIS bronze medal performance at last November's CIS Men's Soccer National Championship. The team made history as the first Panther soccer squad to win a national CIS competition medal, defeating the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins 2-1.

Murphy, a fifth-year business student from Charlottetown, PEI was one of two Panthers named to the tournament's all-star team in addition to be being named UPEI Athlete of the Week three times during the 2014 regular season.

For more information on the awards, read Sport PEI's official release and The Guardian article.

Economic impact assessment highlights University's role in PEI's knowledge economy

UPEI's direct expenditures of $137.5 million boosted Prince Edward Island's gross domestic product by $150.1 million in 2013, representing nearly three per cent of the province's total GDP, according to a report released today.

'Most are already aware that UPEI is a major contributor to the Island's economy,' said President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'But this report demonstrates how significant and far reaching its contributions are, and provides clear evidence that the University is a catalyst for PEI's knowledge economy. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our community and government partners in order to pursue more opportunities to further expand this positive impact.'

The 'University of Prince Edward Island Economic Impact Assessment' illustrates that UPEI directly employed over 1,100 people and that there are 4,403 students enrolled in 2014, of which 1,636 were from outside the province. Its direct expenditures, including campus student spending, supply chain spending, and indirect impact effects supported more than 1,400 full time equivalent jobs across the Island. This economic activity produced $35.4 million in total tax revenue in 2013, including almost $20 million in provincial tax revenue.

The report was commissioned by UPEI, with support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, to better understand the many ways in which the university impacts the provincial economy. It was prepared by David Campbell, President and principal consultant with Jupia Consultants Inc., based in Moncton, New Brunswick.

This study estimates the economic impact of UPEI arising from its operations including direct, indirect, and induced effects. The report illustrates that UPEI turns out skilled talent for the labour market, makes an important direct economic contribution, drives PEI's research and development activities, and supports PEI's efforts in attracting skilled immigrants by recruiting international students.

Highlights:

• In 2013, the direct GDP contribution of the university sector on PEI was the second highest among the 10 Canadian provinces as a percentage of total GDP.

• The University's economic footprint sustained 23 out of every 1,000 jobs on the Island in 2013. The employment supported by the university represents higher skilled and higher wage jobs. The average weekly wage for a worker associated with UPEI is 46 per cent higher than for an average worker across Prince Edward Island.

• Businesses large and small across the Island benefit from having a large university located in Charlottetown. In the fiscal year 2014, the University did business with over 930 local suppliers (one out of every nine business establishments on the Island). In total, these firms generated $24.8 million worth of revenue from the UPEI.

• Beyond the direct supply chain, the economic activity generated by UPEI led to an estimated $69 million worth of consumer spending on the Island including $9.9 million on food expenditures, $4.3 million on clothing and accessories and $15.7 million on transportation. An estimated $5.5 million was spent on recreation during 2013 as a result of UPEI's economic activity.

• The report also models the projected economic impact associated with the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering and Centre of Engineering Design and Industry Partnerships. The initial construction phase will boost provincial GDP by $17 million and support 251 FTE jobs. At full ramp up in 2021-22, the GDP impact rises to $20.6 million per year, 198 FTE jobs and $4.6 million worth of annual tax revenue to governments.

• A greater share of Prince Edward Island's overall research and development spending occurs in higher education sector compared to all but two other provinces in Canada. Based on Statistics Canada's input-output model, the university's direct spending on research lifted the province's research and development sector revenue by an estimated $29.5 million in 2013.

• UPEI provides good value for the provincial taxpayers' investment. On Prince Edward Island, provincial government funding makes up only 34 per cent of total university and college revenue ranking the province's post-secondary education system third lowest among the 10 provinces for reliance on provincial funding.

• UPEI is also a significant driver of export revenue for the province. The number of international students is up more than three fold over the past decade. In total, 37 per cent of all students are from outside the province. Statistics Canada tracks the value of interprovincial and international services revenue by selected industries. In 2011, the most recent year data is available, the education services sector on PEI generated $27.3 million worth of interprovincial and international export revenue. On a per capita basis, no other province in Canada generated more export revenue from education services than did Prince Edward Island.

• UPEI's primary role as a provider of skilled talent will be even more important in the years ahead. Most of the industries on PEI that are in growth mode-biosciences, IT, aerospace, and defence-require a higher percentage of post-secondary educated workers. These and other knowledge-intensive industries will need the talent UPEI will supply.

A full copy of the economic impact assessment is available online.

The UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of January 19-25 are Darcy Zinck, Women's Basketball, and Mason Wilgosh, Men's Hockey. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases talented athletes on a weekly basis to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Darcy Zinck, Women's Basketball; and Mason Wilgosh, Men's Hockey

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of January 19-25

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why: Zinck, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student from Halifax, Nova Scotia, had a dominant game on Friday night in the Panthers 60-40 win over the previously unbeaten Saint Mary's Huskies. Zinck had 15 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals. On Saturday night, the 5'8' guard recorded 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal during the Panthers 57-49 win over the UNB Reds.

Wilgosh, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student from Winnipeg, Manitoba, scored two goals, including the game winner, in a 3-1 Panther win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Saturday night. Saturday's win was a character effort led by team captain Wilgosh especially after Friday's penalty-filled, 5-1 loss to St. FX that resulted in the suspension of UPEI coach Forbes MacPherson.

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
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• 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

UPEI's Executive MBA program is pleased to announce that it will be offering a one-time special focus on public sector management targeted at provincial, federal and municipal public sector employees. This special focus offering will only be available for the upcoming program intake in September 2015.

Students who opt for the new public sector focus will take eight core courses in fundamental management topics and four specialization courses, including courses in Innovative Management in the Public Sector, Innovative Culture and Leadership, Public Policy, and Business and Government. In addition, each student will complete a signature project and be encouraged to pursue a topic in an area of public sector management.

The UPEI Executive MBA Program Office has been working with its counterparts in the provincial, federal, and municipal governments and has identified the need for new management education initiatives that are specifically targeted for the public sector. This new public sector focus has been tailored to address the changing needs of today's professional public servant.

'This new offering provides a fantastic opportunity for public sector managers looking for a public sector focus while simultaneously getting a full MBA experience,' said Dr. Don Wagner, director of UPEI's EMBA program.

'There are no existing options at the graduate level for public sector management on PEI, and we see this as a real opportunity to provide public servants with this focus,' said Dr. Susan Graham, coordinator of the UPEI Public Administration program since 2007. 'Management in the public sector presents challenges that differ from the private sector, and I believe that the public service would benefit from a curriculum that has a specific focus on public sector environments.'

Information sessions will be held in the coming weeks for public servants at the provincial, federal, and municipal levels.
Launched in September 2008, the UPEI Executive MBA program provides a unique opportunity for working professionals to advance their education while continuing to work. The UPEI EMBA program is a recognized pioneer in evidence-based management (EBMgt), teaching students how to use research findings to make more informed decisions.

For more information on the public sector management focus, or UPEI's executive MBA program, contact the Executive MBA Coordinator, Grace McCourt, at (902) 566-6474 or mba@upei.ca.

Not that long ago, novelist Craig Davidson, author of Cataract City, completed UNB's graduate program in creative writing and published his first book of stories, Rust and Bone (2005). Since then, this high-energy writer has been short-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize for fiction and seen the film version of a Rust and Bone story premier at the Cannes Film Festival. With imaginative drive similar to that of his admirer Stephen King, Davidson has published three literary novels and five novels in the horror genre under the pseudonyms Nick Cutter and Patrick Lestewka.

Davidson will read from his fiction on Thursday, February 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Confederation Centre Art Gallery. His reading is sponsored by the UPEI English Department with support from The Canada Council for the Arts. A book signing will follow.

While he rapidly became a favourite of horror fiction fans, Davidson's literary writing gained the public's attention with the success of the French film Rust and Bone (De Rouille et D'os) at Cannes in 2012. The Giller nomination for Cataract City raised his profile, but the novel's artistic excellence and strong narrative appeal for readers are primarily responsible for his emergence in the literary limelight.

Clive Barker, the popular fantasy and horror author and film director, writes 'There is a strikingly original tone to Mr. Davidson's stories. The prose is spare yet elegant, the insights are fresh and real, and best of all there is a boundless humanity...a love of life that is beautifully woven with an acute sense of its darkness.'

Davidson says on his website that he 'has written a few books... about boxing and dog fights and zombies and werewolves and lunatic prison inmates... and vampires and sex addicts.... Not all in the same book, mind you.'

Davidson will bring his potent blend - as Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club writes - of 'comedy and horror, cruelty and mercy' to the Island. 'Stay a spell,' writes Davidson on his website. You will be spellbound.

Research on Tap returns for its sixth season of public discussion, debate, and ideas presented by researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island. Join our next conversation on Monday, February 2 at 7:00 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Dr. John McIntyre, an associate professor in the department of English, will lead a discussion entitled: Beyond Flanders Fields: Representing the Great War in Literature and Culture

The 2014-2015 season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada's national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists.

Research on Tap meets the first Monday of every month from October to April. The full schedule of speakers can be found at upei.ca/research/research-on-tap

The University of Prince Edward Island's Board of Governors recently accepted the recommendation of the search committee for the Dean of Science. Interim Dean Dr. Debbie MacLellan was successfully appointed.

'I look forward to continuing to work with Debbie on a number of initiatives that will enhance the overall student experience in the Faculty of Science,' said Vice-President Academic Christian Lacroix. 'Our University community as a whole will benefit from her experience as a faculty member, decorated professional, and researcher.'

In 2005, Dr. MacLellan received her PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. She holds a MSc (Nutrition) from University of Alberta and her BSc (Home Economics) from UPEI. She came back to UPEI in 1990 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences before becoming Associate Professor in 1998, and Professor in 2007.

Dr. MacLellan is also Adjunct Professor at Dalhousie University and serves as Graduate Faculty, supervisory status for the Master of Science at UPEI, and co-supervisory status for the Master of Education at UPEI. She has been Interim Dean of Science since July 2012.

A Registered Dietitian, Dr. MacLellan has been extremely involved in her profession, chairing the Board of Directors and serving on a number of national committees for the Dietitians of Canada. Her research is extensive and includes a variety of topics but recently has focused on the dietetic practice and policy development for elementary school nutrition.

In 2014, Dr. MacLellan received the Centennial Alumni of Influence award from the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan and the Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Teaching at UPEI.

'On behalf of the University community, I congratulate Debbie on her appointment as Dean,' said President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'The Faculty of Science, under her leadership, is poised to further distinguish itself and excel at providing students with experiential learning, research, and service opportunities. I thank the Vice-President Academic and other members of the University community for their dedication in serving on the search committee for the Dean of Science.'

She will begin her new role for a six-year term effective March 1, 2015.

Congratulations, Dr. MacLellan!