One year after UPEI announced the launch of the School of Sustainable Design Engineering, the association for professional engineers on PEI recognized President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz with the prestigious “Friend of the Profession Award” at its annual awards banquet.

Presented to someone who is not a professional engineer, the “Friend” award pays tribute to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the practice of Engineering on PEI. New Engineers PEI President David Taylor, who happens to be Manager, Environmental Services at UPEI, read the citation.

“Dr. Abd-El-Aziz has worked closely with groups inside and outside the University to identify and develop new programs that benefit students and our communities. One such development is the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering, the first of its kind in Canada,” said Taylor. “Through its innovative model, this program provides students, industry, and community organizations with unprecedented opportunities to collaborate on ‘real world’ challenges and solutions.”

“He has contributed great time and energy to fulfilling a vision of UPEI becoming a national leader in Sustainable Design Engineering, and has done so ‘at the speed of business’.”

“Dr. Abd-El-Aziz has engaged many PEI engineering professionals and UPEI alumni to ensure the integrity of the program and candid input of employers and industry is considered at all times. He has also led the building of an outstanding Engineering Industry Advisory Committee to ensure the program maintains timely input on industry needs.”

“I am so honoured to receive this award from Engineers PEI, and especially to receive it from my colleague and new President of the association, David Taylor,” said President Abd-El-Aziz while accepting the award.

“Three years ago I spoke of the dream that UPEI and Engineers PEI shared, to build a School of Sustainable Design Engineering,” added Abd-El-Aziz. “And now, due to the efforts of many in the engineering and broader community, that dream has come true. I share this award with, and thank, everyone who has worked on making this program a reality.”

Engineers PEI President Taylor’s final comment summed up the sentiment in the room.

“Dr. Abd-El-Aziz’s willingness to take a risk in programming and his considerable passion in following through on this vision is historical for UPEI and our province.”

The UPEI School of Business case competition team of Harrison Wood, Erin Devine, Bobby McIsaac, and Megan Martin has qualified to compete at the prestigious NIBS Worldwide Business Case Competition from February 28-March 2, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. The UPEI team is one of only three from Canada to qualify!

The Network of International Business Schools, or NIBS, business case competition consists of a qualifying round and a championship round. In the qualifying round, students receive a business case that they had never seen before, to read and analyze. They then submit a written report within a few hours that includes strategies and recommendations to solve issues facing the business. This is the fourth time a UPEI team has both attempted and qualified to compete at the NIBS championship event. 

Congratulations to Harrison, Erin, Bobby, and Megan, and coach Mary Whitrow. UPEI is ‘Panther Proud’ and will be cheering for you during the championship round!

This month, Dr. Etienne Côté of the Atlantic Veterinary College celebrated his 3M national teaching fellowship with a four-day teaching retreat at the Banff Springs Hotel. He joined nine other extraordinary teachers from across the country in conversation about the future of teaching in higher education. The retreat is sponsored by 3M Canada, which has for the last 30 years supported and celebrated innovative teaching in higher education.

Dr. Côté joins five other 3M National Teaching Fellows at UPEI, and as the Globe and Mail’s report on Universities 2016 points out, “With six prestigious 3M teaching awards under its belt, the school is in the top three in Atlantic Canada by number of 3M awards.” For Dr. Cote’s full citation for the 3M, please visit the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Dr. Côté will join the Faculty Development Summer Institute at UPEI as a facilitator in 2016.

Submitted by Dr. Shannon Murray

More than 65 delegates from a cross-section of groups from across the country gathered today at UPEI for The Consultation on Culture and Language Learning 2015: Perspective for the Future. The symposium was presented by UPEI and Canadian Parents for French PEI, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

More than 17,000 people on Prince Edward Island speak French, including more than 5,000 who speak it as a first language. With more young people than ever seeking the benefits of bilingualism, participants at today’s symposium discussed their challenges and opportunities.

“This symposium is just a start to the discussion on how we can improve and enhance language learning for Island students,” said Brittany Jakubiec, President of Canadian Parents for French PEI. “We are thrilled with the quality of the conversation today and looking forward to the next steps identified by this group.”

Participants discussed ways to encourage both first and second French language speakers to live more fully in French: at work, at home, and in public. Dr. Ronald MacDonald, UPEI’s Dean of Education, spoke of education’s role in encouraging a flourishing French community.

“In PEI and across the country there is a French teacher shortage. All of our BEd (français langue second) graduates find work, sometimes even before they graduate,” said Dr. MacDonald. “ This province-wide partnership created to support French language and culture will surely contribute to this gap in the workforce.”

The symposium operated with a think-tank approach, which a variety of open space sessions to encourage dialogue. The day included a special presentation by Graham Fraser, Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages and music from local young entertainers Julien Kitson and Zakery Cormier.

The inaugural symposium was an opportunity to bring together educators and community to network, strengthen partnerships, and identify shared priorities for improving teaching and learning, addressing achievement gaps, and sharing best practices for supporting the well-being and educational outcomes of PEI students.

Organizing groups for the symposium included the PEI Department of Education, Early Childhood Development and Culture, the English Language School Board, La Commission scolaire de langue français, Collège Acadie de Î.-P.-É., Holland College, UPEI Faculty of Education, UPEI Department of Modern Languages, UPEI Faculty of Arts, and Canadian Parents for French PEI.

Congratulations to Ana Victoria Reyes! Her video, “International education isn’t just what you learn in class,” was selected as the runner up in the Canadian Bureau for International Education’s #IEW2015 photo and video contest.

On its website, the CBIE says the video “captures the full international student experience in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Coffee, friends, class, and missing home are all part of the study-in-Canada experience, showing that international education goes beyond the classroom.”

University of Prince Edward Island Women’s Hockey Coach Bruce Donaldson is pleased to announce that Havelock, New Brunswick native, Faith Steeves has committed to the Panthers for 2016–17.

Steeves is currently attending Petitcodiac Regional High School and plays for the Moncton Midget AAA Rockets. In 28 games this season, the forward has recorded 28 goals with 9 assists and 13 minutes in penalties.

Highlights for Steeves over the past few years include attending the Esso Cup twice and scoring a hat trick against the Edmonton Thunder in 2014, playing with the New Brunswick provincial team for three years, and participating in the 2015 Canada Games on Team NB.

“After reviewing many different opportunities,” Steeves said, “I felt that UPEI was the best fit for me both academically and athletically. I’m very happy to be joining the Panther family and look forward to helping my teammates carry on the Panther tradition of hard work”.

Coach Donaldson comments, “Our program has one main priority for next year, improve our offense attack by adding skilled offensive forwards and one offensive defenceman. Faith clearly is a goal scorer; she has had success in every year of her Midget career and is a key offensive member of the Moncton program. I see her helping our power play out, and scoring from either side of her stick.”

Steeves is enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and plans to major in Psychology.

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

Two veterinary epidemiologists from the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) recently received prestigious international awards from the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE).

The ISVEE presented Dr. Ian Dohoo, professor emeritus of epidemiology at AVC, with the inaugural Roger Morris ISVEE Award for extraordinary lifetime achievement and Dr. Charles Caraguel, a former graduate student at AVC, with the first ISVEE Emerging Scientist Award at its annual meeting in Mexico in November.

During the ISVEE meeting, it was also announced that the internationally renowned UPEI Centre for Epidemiological Research (CVER) at AVC was awarded the hosting of the 2021 ISVEE conference, which brings together over 500 epidemiologists and economists world-wide to discuss veterinary epidemiology and economics related to global food systems, public health, and interactions between humans and domestic and wild animals. Canada last hosted the ISVEE conference in 1991. This will be only the second time the conference has been held in Canada.

“The contributions of Drs. Dohoo and Caraguel and their collaborative research, teaching and service networks are vital to the well-being of our world’s human and animal populations,” says Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, president and vice-chancellor of UPEI. “Their work impacts food systems, public health, disease surveillance and control, and the policies that guide improvements in health, safety and quality of life. I congratulate and thank them for their achievements and leadership.”

“I congratulate Drs. Dohoo and Caraguel on receiving these prestigious awards,” says Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC. “Dr. Dohoo has left an indelible mark on the College and on me personally as a mentor and my graduate supervisor. Dr. Caraguel, as a former graduate student, bears witness to the excellence of our epidemiology and aquatics programs.”

Dohoo is known worldwide for his expertise in veterinary epidemiology. A founding faculty member at AVC, he led the development of the College’s internationally recognized research program in veterinary epidemiology, becoming the first director of CVER. He has a long list of awards, honours, and publications to his credit, including co-authorship of Veterinary Epidemiologic Research, the standard text used for epidemiology curricula in veterinary schools worldwide.

After completing his veterinary degree in France, Caraguel earned his Master of Science and PhD degrees at AVC, under the supervision of Dohoo and internationally renowned aquatic epidemiologist Dr. Larry Hammell. At UPEI’s 2010 Convocation, he received the Governor General’s gold medal for graduate studies. Now a faculty member at the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Science in Australia, he has developed a strong epidemiology program in that school’s veterinary curriculum. He also works with food production industries in Australia.

“The awarding of the two medals to Charles and to me confirms that our international peers view the veterinary epidemiology program at AVC to be among the strongest in the world,” says Dohoo.
 

The University of Prince Edward Island invites the nomination of candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at Convocation in May 2016.

Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, “for the sake of honour,” and are intended to recognize outstanding provincial, national, and international contributions in any field(s) of endeavour. Contributions should reflect extraordinary intellectual or artistic achievements or significant service to society at a standard of excellence that merits the University’s highest honour.

The deadline for nominations is January 4, 2016.

For more information, call (902) 566-6780 or email senateassistant@upei.ca

To submit a nomination, visit upei.ca/nominatehdr

Below is a message from President Abd-El-Aziz that was issued to the campus community.

Dear members of the University community,

With the first semester already behind us and winter on our doorstep, we can now reflect on the past year and prepare to usher in 2016.

I hope that the entire campus community had a wonderful first half of the academic year, full of personal and professional advancement. I am confident that everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved break.

Looking back, our first semester was a successful one. Our students, faculty, and staff were recognized for their academic, athletic, and community achievements. We saw improved first-year retention rates; growth in international, domestic, and graduate student enrolment; and even a new program approved. While these are great gains to be celebrated, we are always striving to do better. I look forward to continuing these efforts in the New Year and beyond.

Every year, the pace of life in general seems to increase. We communicate faster, witness incredible technological advances, and continue pursuing success in everything we do. The holidays are a window to pause, even if briefly, and relax. We have had some moments to gather as colleagues at various socials on campus throughout December, and now it is time to enjoy time with family and friends.

Whether you are here on the Island or travelling elsewhere, let us not forget those less fortunate this holiday season. Find a moment to give back to your community and assist those who might need it. I thank everyone who contributed to our collection at the President’s Holiday Social for the UPEI Food Bank, and applaud those who volunteered at various “study relief breaks” across campus or at the Chaplaincy Centre's Annual Chili Lunch where over 800 students were served a warm meal.

I wish everyone a peaceful and joyous holiday season, and I hope to see you at our annual New Year’s Day Levee to kick off a prosperous, healthy, and happy 2016.

Let’s continue working together, to advance our shared objectives and support student success.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Blessed Eid, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year—Season’s Greetings!

Best wishes,

Alaa

Dr. Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Prince Edward Island

Veterinary care is difficult—often impossible—to obtain in remote northern communities in Canada. But for the past ten years, teams of veterinarians and veterinary students from the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI have been heading north to give free veterinary care to animals in some of those communities.

The Chinook Project was founded in 2005 by AVC professor Lisa Miller and then-UPEI English professor Jane Magrath. With financial assistance from the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at AVC, the first Chinook Project trip took place in the summer of 2006.

Since that first trip, 52 fourth-year veterinary students, 15 veterinarians, and two veterinary technicians have cared for over 1,400 animals at 16 mobile clinics held in ten locations in Canada’s North. They have performed 728 spay and neuter surgeries, given countless vaccinations and doses of dewormer, treated numerous medical conditions, and educated hundreds of people about animal care and welfare. Most of their patients have been dogs, but they also care for other animals, including cats and the occasional rabbit.

Because of the lack of veterinary services in many areas of the North, communities there are often overrun with dogs, with attendant issues of parasites and disease outbreaks. In turn, these problems result in issues such as aggression between dogs and towards people, and neglect and abuse of the animals. Larger centres like Iqaluit and Yellowknife have veterinary services, but people living in smaller communities have to fly their animals to these cities at great cost.

Now coordinated by Miller and Dr. Marti Hopson, the Chinook Project responds to requests from northern communities for veterinary services. Teams of veterinarians, students, and veterinary technicians spend three to 10 days in the communities, providing essential veterinary services. Under the guidance of veterinarians, the students work long hours, performing surgeries and other veterinary services in temporary clinics set up in firehalls, community centres, schools and other venues. They also go out into the countryside to care for sled dogs, which are usually kept outside community borders.

The students gain valuable experience practicing veterinary medicine during their time with the Chinook Project, but they get other benefits as well. They get to know the people and, through them, the culture of the North. The communities they visit often arrange formal events such as feasts, drum dancing and community games nights, and informal activities like iceberg sightings and hikes. As part of their learning experience, the students hone their writing skills by keeping personal journals and writing blogs about their experiences.

Getting the veterinary teams to the North is no easy task. Hopson, who has travelled north with Chinook almost every year, spends many hours, dealing with every aspect of the trip—from arranging transportation and accommodation to getting supplies needed by the veterinary teams. She works closely with people in the communities that the Chinook Project teams will visit.

Sending people and supplies to the North would not be possible without the financial assistance of the many sponsors and donors who support the Chinook Project. Among the major sustained donors are the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Rathlyn Foundation, Ann McCain Evans, Zoetis Animal Health, Air Labrador, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Iams-Eukanuba.

Planning is well underway for the 2016 Chinook Project. Veterinary teams will visit Nain and Sheshatshiu, Labrador, and Iqaluit, Nunavut. For more information about the Chinook Project, please visit chinookproject.ca