UPEI will be recognizing the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or seriously injured on the job by lowering the flags on campus to half-mast on Thursday, April 28. The National Day of Mourning is not only a day to remember and honour those lives lost or injured due to a workplace tragedy, but also a day to renew the commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace and prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths. The Day of Mourning was first recognized in Canada in 1984, and has been marked in over 100 countries. 

Project Beacon, UPEI's organizational tranformation intiative, will be reaching its first "go live" milestone when components of the finance module on the myUPEI portal become operational on May 2, 2016. Over 200 people have been trained on the system, ranging from requisitioners, spending approvers, budget authorities, finance staff, researchers, and senior management. The following activities will now be performed using myUPEI:

• Entering external requisitions for yourself or on behalf of your department
• Providing approvals for purchases of goods or services
• Managing a departmental budget
• Receiving goods and services for yourself or your department
• Monitoring research project budgets

The Project Beacon team invites everyone to a "Go Live" Celebration on Monday, May 2 at 10 am in the second floor lounge in the Kelley Memorial Building.


Employees are kept updated on Project Beacon's progress with the On the Horizon newsletter which is distributed by email using the UPEI Faculty-Staff ListServ. 

The UPEI Music Society is proud to present its sixth annual Variety Show on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm. In the opening act, singers will perform backed by a house band comprised of current UPEI music students and alumni, the second act will feature a chamber orchestra, and the evening will close with a performance from the UPEI Jazz Ensemble. A cash bar will be available and there will also be a silent auction.

This year, the show will take place at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall (Holland College, Prince of Wales Campus). Doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are available in advance either from the Florence Simmons box office or website. Admission is $18. All proceeds from the show will go towards UPEI Music scholarships.

Vocalists will tackle tunes by Elvis, Matt Andersen, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and more. Singers will be backed by house band, The Newts, formed by Zachary Bernard (guitar), Parker Clements (keyboards), Michael Gallant (Drums), and Isaac Williams (bass).

UPEI student vocalists include Parker Clements, Lindsay Gillis, Leah Jordan, William Millington, Taylor Poirier, Emily Roberts, and Alexandra Smith. The UPEI Music Society is also excited to team up with three alumni of the Holland College School of Performing Arts Theatre Performance program Becca Griffin, Kristena McCormack, and Kaitlyn Post.

This year’s chamber orchestra will be presenting arrangements of Disney songs, with vocalists, under the baton of arranger, Travis Boudreau. The orchestra, comprised of UPEI music students, alumni, and community members will perform songs from Toy Story, Hercules, Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Little Mermaid and many other beloved classics. The UPEI Jazz Band lead by Professor David Shepard will close the night with charts from Bublé, Mangione, Strayhorn, and the Supremes.

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Prince Edward Island, announced today that three leaders in their respective health-related fields will be awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at Convocation ceremonies on May 7.

Receiving the highest honour the university can bestow will be Alzheimer researcher and policy writer Dr. Katherine L. Bick, sports medicine specialist and orthopaedic surgeon Dr. William D. Stanish, and entrepreneur and pharmacist Mr. Ray Murphy.

“Each honorary degree recipient exemplifies success in their chosen health-related field,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “We are so excited to honour these three distinguished individuals who have contributed so much to their communities. They are inspiring examples of how our graduates might use their talents, skills, and education to develop to their full potential and make their own special contributions to the world.”

The University’s Senate approved the honorary graduands at a meeting earlier this year in accordance with University policy that states that honorary doctorates of laws will be presented “to individuals who display the highest levels of achievement in public and community service.”

The Convocation ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 7 in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre with the first ceremony beginning at 10:00 am and the afternoon ceremony at 2:30 pm. Dr. Stanish will address the morning convocation while Mr. Murphy will speak during the afternoon ceremony. Each ceremony will be broadcast live on Eastlink TV and at upei.ca/live.

Dr. Katherine L. Bick

Born in Clyde River, PEI, Dr. Katherine L. Bick is a leader in Alzheimer research and policy, and credited with being a key part of the awakening of the public’s consciousness about this neurodegenerative disease. During her illustrious career, she carried out research on other diseases of the brain including multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s.

Dr. Bick graduated from Prince of Wales College in 1949, and received her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from Acadia University in 1951, Masters in 1952, and earned her PhD from Brown University in 1957. She held research positions at the University of Western Ontario and UCLA School of Medicine, and academic positions at California State University (Northridge) and Georgetown University. In 1976, Dr. Bick joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Washington, DC and later served as Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health until 1990. Dr. Bick received an honorary degree in science from Acadia University in 1990.

Dr. Bick continued to work on epidemiological studies of dementia in Italy and the United States on behalf of the World Health Organization, and then became a consultant to several foundations.

Dr. William D. Stanish

Dr. William (Bill) Stanish is a well-known leader in the field of orthopaedic surgery, specializing in sports medicine and innovative research in physiology and biomechanics of the tendon, ligament, and knee cartilage. Starting his academic studies at the Prince of Wales College in 1961, Dr. Stanish was a star athlete playing on the football, hockey, and basketball teams. Dr. Stanish went on to Dalhousie University’s medicine program where he continued his athletic abilities as captain of the football and hockey teams, earning him the 1965 and 1967 title as Dalhousie’s most outstanding male athlete. In 1970 he received the Malcolm Honour Award for being the top graduate of Dalhousie University.

Dr. Stanish has lectured worldwide, authored numerous book chapters and articles, and is considered an international leader in the field of sports medicine. His accomplishments are many; included among them Dr. Stanish is the founder and Director of the Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic of Nova Scotia, Chief Medical Officer for the Canadian Olympic Team, past Deputy Editor of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, member of the Order of Nova Scotia, and has been inducted into the UPEI and Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame. Dr. Stanish is Professor Emeritus–Surgery at Dalhousie University and was recently inducted as a Professor Emeritus to the International Federation of Orthopaedic Research.

Mr. Ray Murphy

Mr. Ray Murphy is a health and community leader on Prince Edward Island who is dedicated to the well-being of Islanders. Mr. Murphy has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Saint Mary's University and graduated in 1973 from Dalhousie University's College of Pharmacy. Murphy’s Pharmacies was founded in 1981 and has been nationally recognized for health promotion, patient care, innovation, and charitable work. Murphy Healthcare has expanded over 35 years to include pharmacies, medical centres, and retirement homes.

Mr. Murphy is a recipient of the Order of PEI, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal, and was named one of our country's 100 most influential pharmacists by the Canadian Pharmacists Association. In 2009 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement of PEI Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Murphy has been heavily involved in numerous charities and community organizations over the years including the United Way of PEI, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Chair of the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade, President for the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, and boards of directors for Maritime Electric and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

Mr. Murphy rejuvenated the former Basilica Recreation Centre into Murphy’s Community Centre, a non-profit facility that promotes healthier communities through programs and services such as sports, fitness, music, dance, childcare, camps, and a Teen Zone. Mr. Murphy is a strong advocate for the health of Islanders and his generous nature, advocacy, and vision are proof of his commitment for a better Prince Edward Island.
 

It’s Convocation Week at UPEI! Here are the details to help you find your way through our annual celebration of our graduating students.

The regular Convocation ceremonies are held indoors on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue in Charlottetown. The morning ceremony begins at 10:00 am; the afternoon ceremony begins at 2:30 pm. Each ceremony is preceded by a procession of graduates across campus. Approximately 520 graduates, along with their guests, will attend the morning ceremony, while approximately 420 graduates will attend the afternoon ceremony.

Due to safety regulations, seating is limited. All guests must present their invitations in order to be admitted to the Sports Centre. Each graduate can obtain up to five guest invitations at the Office of the Registrar from Monday, May 2 to Friday, May 6, 2016, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. No extra invitations will be issued.

Overflow seating and a live broadcast are available at McMillan Hall in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, or you can watch live on Eastlink TV and online at: upei.ca/live.

UPEI will confer honorary Doctor of Laws degrees to three distinguished members of the healthcare field. Full biographies of Dr. Katherine L. Bick, Dr. William D. Stanish, and Mr. Ray Murphy can be found here.

Making Convocation Day a memorable one for graduates and their family and friends is very important to UPEI, so we have provided several pages of information on the Convocation web page—what to expect, where to go, and what to do prior to, and during, Convocation.

A full news release with links to the graduating class list will be issued on Convocation Day. 

Please note: an earlier version of this news release listed Kyle Dutton as the winner of the Governor General's Silver Medal (undergraduate level). The actual winner is Megan George. Mr. Dutton received the H. Wade MacLauchlan Raised Expectations Award. Our apologies to both graduates.

The University of Prince Edward Island conferred degrees, diplomas, and certificates to more than 940 graduates today as part of Convocation 2016. This cohort includes the first international graduates—23 in total—from the new global perspectives cohort of the UPEI Master of Education (MEd) in Leadership in Learning program. The graduates began their journeys in China when they signed onto an English Academic Preparation program with a Chinese agent. After completing language and academic preparation in either Cape Breton or Toronto, they made UPEI and PEI their home.

The families and friends of the Class of 2016 gathered for two ceremonies today in UPEI’s Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, the first at 10:00 am, and the second at 2:30 pm.

UPEI Chancellor Don McDougall led both ceremonies; President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz addressed both ceremonies. “Although you have worked very hard to gain your education, it is not yours alone,” said Dr. Abd-El-Aziz. “Your knowledge is to be shared and harnessed for the benefit of our community—recognizing, of course, that our community is global. Share your knowledge humbly and respectfully. Higher learning and knowledge is not meant to set us apart—it is meant to bring us together.”

The University also conferred honorary Doctor of Laws degrees to three worthy recipients: Dr. Katherine Bick, a pioneer in the field of neurobiology and the study of Alzheimer’s Disease; Dr. William Stanish, athlete, educator, researcher, and a leader in the area of orthopaedic surgery; and, Mr. Ray Murphy, pharmacist, entrepreneur, and community builder. Dr. Stanish addressed the morning convocation ceremony; Mr. Murphy spoke in the afternoon.

“Do not forget this wonderful place,” said Dr. Stanish. “This garden of the gulf, the birthplace of scholars, writers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Do not forget the friends you have gathered around you, wept with, and shared many fun times over the last four years. Do not forget your lessons about living life with passion and purpose—principals that will stand you in good stead forever..”

Megan Larkin of Cavendish, who graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, was valedictorian of the morning convocation ceremony. Tatye Willows of Halifax, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Family Science, addressed the afternoon convocation.

Chancellor McDougall conferred the title of Professor Emerita to two esteemed members of the UPEI Faculty: Dr. Martha Gabriel (Education) and Dr. Donna J. Giberson (Biology).

UPEI held its annual Senior Class Awards at a ceremony the day before, where a number of academic and student prizes were awarded. The complete list will be posted in the coming days at upei.ca/seniorclassawards. The Governor General’s Academic Medals were presented during convocation ceremonies by the Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. The Governor General’s Gold Medal (graduate level) was awarded to Dr. Maria Forzan (AVC, Pathology and Microbiology). The Governor General’s Silver Medal (undergraduate level) was awarded to Megan George.

The UPEI International Relations Office (IRO) is recruiting volunteers for its Summer Language Camps and buddies for International Buddy Program.

Every summer, IRO hosts English Language Summer Camps where students participate in English Academic Preparation (EAP) courses in the morning and fun, educational activities during the afternoon. The camps will be ongoing through the summer beginning July 4 until October 1. For more information, please visit http://projects.upei.ca/englishsummercamp/.

IRO is looking for volunteers who are IB students, high school students, UPEI students, or Holland College Students be willing to spend time on the UPEI campus participating in activities with these visiting students. Volunteers will be encouraged to engage in conversation with students, accompany students on field trips, and to help students learn and develop their English language skills.

The UPEI International Buddy program matches incoming International Students with current International and Domestic Students at UPEI. The program orients new students to Canadian and Prince Edward Island culture by pairing them with domestic or current international students. IRO is searching for volunteers for the Buddy Program who can meet with a new student to assist him or her in orientation. This may include activities such as grocery shopping, showing the new student around, or attending Buddy Program planned activities. For more information, please contact Hammad Ahmed (buddy@upeisu.ca).

These opportunities will allow you to learn about another culture, participate in fun, socio-cultural activities, and help a fellow student practice their English. Please contact Nouhad Mourad (nmourad@upei.ca) with the UPEI International Relations Office or Hammad Ahmed (buddy@upeisu.ca) with the UPEI Buddy Program for more information on how you can get involved!

About the UPEI International Relations Office

UPEI's International Relations Office facilitates student exchanges, assists in official visits from international delegations, and provides academic and personal services to our many international students.

About UPEI’s English Language Summer Camp

Students aged 16-22 spend from 2-6 weeks learning English in the morning and participating in fun, cultural activities in the afternoons. Highly qualified and experienced English language instructors work very hard to help students make improvements in speaking and listening, and to improve their overall confidence in using English. Students share their cultures and learn about such things as Anne of Green Gables and L.M. Montgomery, Canadian culture, and history and sustainable energy.

About UPEI’s International Buddy Program

The primary purpose and goal of this program is to provide further assistance and a smooth transition for new international students on a student-to-student basis. By assisting new international students with things such as adapting to a new country, culture and environment, we hope to create a more relaxing and hospitable atmosphere for new international students at UPEI.

The Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI will celebrate the achievements of its graduate students and researchers at its 24th annual Graduate Studies and Research Days (GS&R Days) event on Thursday, May 12, and Friday, May 13, in Lecture Theatre A.

During the two-day celebration, 20 graduate students and six post-doctoral fellows at AVC will present their research findings. New students will present their research plans. Their presentations cover research topics ranging from terrestrial and aquatic animal health to environmental health and biomedical sciences.

GS&R Days will open on Thursday at 9 a.m., with welcoming remarks from UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning Richard Brown, and AVC Dean Greg Keefe.

Immediately following the opening remarks will be the annual R.G. Thomson Lecture, an endowed lecture honouring AVC’s founding dean, Dr. Reginald Thomson. This year’s R.G. Thomson lecturer, Dr. Dorothee Bienzle will present “Researcher, clinician and teacher: How best to move the veterinary profession forward.” Dr. Bienzle is an internationally recognized professor of pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph.

Dr. Bienzle will speak about the current state of academic veterinary medicine, and contributions she has made as a veterinary pathologist to research, teaching, clinical practice and the professional organization. Dr. Bienzle is a veterinary researcher funded by NSERC and numerous other sources for over 15 years and a Canada Research Chair holder for 10 years, and has been the principal advisor for 20 graduate theses. Her research pertains to immunity in cats and inflammatory lung disease in horses. She also teaches in multiple veterinary and graduate courses and chairs the redesign of the certification examination of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

On Friday, May 13, at 9 a.m., Dr. J Trenton McClure, professor of large animal medicine at AVC, will be presented with the 2016 Zoetis Research Excellence Award. He will give a presentation called “So many interests, too little time: A veterinary clinician’s experience in research.”

“This is our showcase event where we get to appreciate the great research and clinical pursuits of our graduate students and early career scientists,” says Dr. Larry Hammell, associate dean, Graduate Studies and Research at AVC. “We are proud of their contributions and eager to hear about the experiences of Dr. Bienzle and Dr. McClure, two researchers recognized for being at the top of their professions.”

AVC’s GS&R Days will conclude on Friday with an awards presentation in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, starting at 12:45 p.m. Click here to view the AVC GS&R program.

All are invited to attend this celebration of AVC’s graduate studies and research program.

University of Prince Edward Island Women’s hockey coach Bruce Donaldson is pleased to announce that Halifax, NS native Jenna Pellerin has committed to the Panthers for 2016–17. Pellerin, an honours student, currently attends Halifax West High School.

A member of Team NS for 5 years, the 17-year-old forward played this season with the Metro Boston Pizza in the Nova Scotia Midget AAA league. In 24 regular season games, Pellerin finished sixth in the scoring race, recording 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points. 

Metro Boston Pizza won the Midget Atlantic AAA Championship which were hosted in Charlottetown. Pellerin was tournament top scorer and was selected MVP. The Metro Boston Pizza team moved on to represent Atlantic Canada at the Esso Nationals in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The team finished with a one win, two loss, and one overtime loss record during which Pellerin scored 2 goals.

Coach Donaldson said, “We see Jenna as a player who works very hard at both ends of the building, clearly she can have offensive success and has been a strong leader for her program on the ice. Jenna continues to get stronger and stronger as a player and we look forward to adding some offensive depth into our line up.”

Pellerin will be entering the Faculty of Science at UPEI.

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 Faculty of Education is proud to be hosting PEI's inaugural Digital Pedagogy Lab institute (#DigPed) from July 13-15, 2016. The #DigPed model brings educators together to engage hands-on with key digital tools, concepts, and leaders to build sustainable and innovative educational practices. The three-day event aims to foster collaborative learning community across all levels of PEI education, building critical capacity in technology integration and digital literacies across our system.

Teachers, faculty, learning designers, librarians, and educational decision-makers from PEI and beyond will all contribute to #DigPed. Participants choose between one of two tracks—Networks and Digital Literacies—and work collaboratively in small workshop-style classes to apply ideas to their own professional contexts.

The keynote for #DigPed PEI will be delivered by celebrated education technology writer and critic Audrey Watters, at 3 pm July 13 in UPEI's Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Watters’ essays have appeared in venues including The Atlantic and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and her thought-provoking talks have been published in a number of collections. Watters' #DigPed keynote is free and open to anyone interested in PEI education.

“#DigPed is a powerful way to break down silos and build PEI's digital leadership capacity,” said event coordinator Dr. Bonnie Stewart. “The event will involve educators from K-12, from higher ed, and even from the US and UK, scaffolding ongoing conversations around this critical area of change and growth.”

“Our province is in a unique and exciting position to affect positive educational change,” said Dr. Ron MacDonald, dean of education at UPEI. “Optimism abounds within and across educational stakeholders groups, which is resulting in many fruitful collaborations. The #Digped Lab is proving to be an excellent example of one such multi-sectoral collaboration.”

See details at the #DigPed website. To register, click here. Join in the social media conversation at the hashtag #DigPed.

Save the date and join us for this community- and capacity-building event at UPEI!