The University of Prince Edward Island celebrated today the launch of a new contract research company based partly on UPEI technology. Bio-valuation Outsourcing Solution (BioVOS) provides services to the pharmaceutical industry to test new drugs and treatments for neuro-inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders, including stroke and heart disease. “Pharmaceutical companies face real challenges when bringing a new drug to market,” says Dr. Tarek Saleh, Professor of Biomedical Sciences at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College and CEO of BioVOS. “Drug development takes up to 15 years with a success rate of just one in five thousand at an average cost of more than a billion dollars. Contract research organizations, such as BioVOS, can help streamline that process and make it more affordable.” BioVOS has exclusive agreements in place to use more than...

Lorenzo Parker, of the Horton High School Griffins, has committed to attend the University of Prince Edward Island in the fall of 2012. The 6'3” guard has been an all-star or MVP in every tournament that his team has entered this season, and he has scored 40 or more points in several games this year. Parker will be rejoining Coach Tim Kendrick with the Panthers, after having had him as a high school coach for two years in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  Parker is excited to join the UPEI Panthers next year, “I’m looking forward to being reunited with Coach Kendrick at UPEI, and competing for the chance to win some AUS and CIS championships.”  “We are thrilled to have Lorenzo joining us. He is a very good player with tremendous potential. We certainly had him rated as one of the top high school players in the Maritimes...if not the top,” said UPEI...

UPEI’s Family and Nutritional Sciences (FANS) Society is committed to building a strong community, and this year was no different. The student group, which includes foods & nutrition, family science, child studies, and kinesiology students, was recently involved in a number of fundraising and awareness initiatives, which raised over $3,800.  Their monthly fundraising began in September, with a FANS team taking part in the annual CIBC Run for the Cure. The students had a coffee and muffin sale to raise funds and they also sought out sponsors. Despite poor weather conditions, the team was awarded the “Post-Secondary Individual Challenge Award 2011” for being the top post-secondary fundraising team in PEI. Samantha Smith, co-president of FANS, thanks the society for enhancing her overall experience at UPEI, “FANS has succeeded in making real change on...

UPEI will be celebrating its eleventh annual International Development Week (IDW), February 6-12, with all events open to the public. The 2012 theme will be “Building Democracies: Instilling Civil Societies and Developing Democratic Processes.” IDW is a national event held each year to increase awareness of Canada’s role in international development. The events also serve to educate the general public on life in developing countries.  Some of this year’s IDW Week events include a community luncheon, global jam, student symposium, film screenings, and special guest presentations including Nadia Kostiuk, Vice-President of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).  Kostiuk will speak on current challenges to development cooperation.  The full schedule of events is posted on upei.ca/idw. For more information, contact Dr. Christian Lacroix, Dean...

With funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Aboriginal Youth Internship Program, the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI is sending two interns to Chiloe Island, Chile, in February.  Olivia Levi of Miramichi, NB, and Samantha Lewis of Lennox Island First Nation, PEI will spend the next four months working with aboriginal communities in Chile.  Chiloe Island is part of a large archipelago located off the coast of southern Chile. Many of their native youth migrated to urban areas in recent decades, seeking work in industrial aquaculture. Now they are returning home, after the collapse of the industrial aquaculture industry in which they were employed. However, these young men and women return without knowing the traditional ways of their native Williche community and without the skills necessary to make a living at the traditional livelihoods of...

The UPEI Business Society are hosting “UPEI Panthers Mean Business,” a pre-game reception for all business students, staff and faculty before the UPEI men’s hockey game on January 27, at 5:30 pm at The Wave.  The reception will provide an opportunity to mingle and network before heading over to the MacLauchlan Arena to cheer on the Panthers. Prizes will also be up for grabs, including Empire Theatre movie passes, Adidas hoodies, UPEI apparel, and a 42” Toshiba 120hz LED HD TV.  The UPEI Panthers are playing the Dalhousie Tigers at 7:00 pm. The game will start off with a ceremonial puck drop between the respective Panther and Tiger mascots. A seating section in the rink has been reserved for students to take in the action! The reception and Panther game are free student events; everyone is invited to come out and show some Panther Pride, and to have a...

Both the UPEI basketball and hockey teams will be hosting “alumni nights” on January 28, 2012. The events will welcome former Panthers and recognize athletes, coaches, and others who have added to the history of sport at UPEI. The UPEI women’s and men’s basketball teams will host a double header against the Memorial University Seahawks at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, respectively, in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. There will be a special ceremony immediately following the women’s game to introduce a new UPEI sports recognition program, which will honour former athletes, coaches, and builders who have contributed to UPEI basketball. These individuals will also qualify for future UPEI Sports Hall of Fame consideration. Andy Packard, former Panther athlete, will be recognized at this ceremony for his tremendous basketball accomplishments from 1971-74.  All...

The UPEI men’s hockey team will play their final season game at Credit Union Place in Summerside, as part of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. The Panthers will face the St. Thomas Tommies on February 11 at 2 pm.  UPEI Director of Athletics and Recreation Ron Annear arranged for a venue change after approaching Atlantic University Sport, and his counterpart at St. Thomas University.“The local organizing committee approached us to be a part of the programming for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada events, and it was too great an opportunity to pass up. It allows us to bring Panther hockey to Summerside, engage our alumni in Prince County, as well as be a part of a national celebration of Canada’s favourite past-time.” This marks the first time in the 12-year history of the CBC event that it will be held in PEI. Hosting of the event is a local partnership between...

The UPEI Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Karem J. Simon, will feature an encore performance of “The Lord of the Rings” on Sunday, February 5 at 3:00 pm in the Homburg Theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. As UPEI’s Dr. Steel Recital Hall was filled to capacity for the December 1 concert, this additional performance will hopefully satisfy the demand of those unable to take in the initial recital. Moreover, the opportunity to hear the Wind Symphony in the Homburg Theatre, an excellent concert hall, will make for an enhanced experience for audience members. Dutch composer Johan de Meij’s Symphony No. 1 “The Lord of the Rings” is based on the trilogy of that name by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book has fascinated many millions of readers since its publication in 1955. The symphony consists of five separate movements, each illustrating a...

Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, UPEI’s Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity, has been awarded funding by the Canadian Water Network (CWN) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to construct a long-term monitoring program in the watersheds in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the Northumberland Strait. Dr. van den Heuvel will lead a team of researchers across five universities and government departments to develop a program that measures how land-use affects the overall health of the species and estuaries within the Southern Gulf. “We’ll focus on two key sources of stress related to land-use: nutrients and sediments” said Dr. van den Heuvel. “And we’ll determine how to best monitor how these things affect the fish, invertebrates and vegetation in the waters of the southern gulf.” Dr. van den Heuvel’s team...

The UPEI men’s soccer team is pleased to present its second annual dinner and roast on Friday, March 2. Bruce Norton will be the featured guest/‘roastee.’ The event is hosted by the UPEI Friends of Men’s Soccer, a group representing alumni, members of the soccer community, and PEI soccer supporters. Bruce Norton has been involved in sport at UPEI, the Prince Edward Island School Athletic Association (PEISAA), and many community and club teams. Norton’s time at UPEI was spent as both an athlete and a coach. He played football with the Panthers from 1973-1976, and soccer from 1975-1976. He was also a member of the curling team for a couple of seasons. In 1990 and again from 1994-99, Norton was head coach of the men’s soccer team and, in 1996, was named AUS Coach of the Year. In 1998, Norton led the men’s team to an AUS championship, and then...

UPEI will be celebrating its fourth annual Diversity Week, January 23–27, with all events open to the public. The 2012 theme will be “Celebrate, Educate, Motivate” with an aim to celebrate the rich diversity at UPEI, further educate and motivate the public about diversity, and personal promotion of inclusion.  Ruth Freeman, Diversity Office Coordinator, is looking forward to the annual event. “This is the fourth year that we have held UPEI Diversity Week, and it has become a popular campus tradition,” she said. “All of the events are open to the public, so it’s a great opportunity for the broader community to share and contribute.”   Some of this year’s Diversity Week events include a diversity film fest; an international pavilion and marketplace which will feature cultural displays, craft sales, international dip tastings...

The Canada-Wide Science Fair is coming to Prince Edward Island this year for the first time ever! UPEI will host CWSF 2012 from May 13 to 18.  The Host Committee is planning a Community Launch for the fair with an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer. Information about the CWSF and volunteer roles will be presented, as well as fun activities. This will take place from 4-6 pm on Thursday, January 19, at the Atlantic Veterinary College McCain Foundation Learning Commons.   The first national CWSF competition with 45 student winners representing 12 regions was held in 1962. Since then, this national competition has grown to more than 100 regional science fairs across Canada. Needless to say, the 2012 CWSF is a tremendous opportunity for the winning students who represent these regions and who will be competing for the national...

Five business students recently took part in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.) hosted at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. UPEI brought an ethics team and a business policy team to compete in Canada’s premier undergraduate business case competition. The ethics team, consisting of Duncan Sturz and Kathleen Van Ekris, were awarded second place, while the business policy team, consisting of Alana McKie, Becky Arnold, and Janell MacDonald, were finalists. The competition’s preliminary round brought together 165 submissions from 38 universities across Canada and around the world in eight divisions including: accounting, business policy, debate, ethics, finance, HR, marketing, and management information systems. Sturz enjoyed preparing for and competing in the competition, “It’s been an excellent learning, networking, and team-...

The University of Prince Edward Island announced the creation of a new position today: Vice-President Student Affairs. This role enhances relationships between the departments and areas that serve and support students, ensuring that a dedicated voice supporting positive student experience operates directly within the senior management team. Dr. Wendy Carroll, currently Associate Professor in the School of Business and Faculty Director of the MBA program, has agreed to accept the position of Vice-President Student Affairs on an interim basis, commencing immediately, while a formal search process gets underway. Students see the new role as a positive move and in keeping with the structure of most other Canadian universities. UPEI Student Union President Rob Livingstone said, “It is very encouraging to see UPEI create this position—it clearly shows that senior administration...

Six students from UPEI’s bachelor of applied science in radiography (BScR) program were awarded the top and second- place prizes in a recent Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) video and photo contest.  Marla MacAusland, Krista Betts (MacDonald), Sue Donahoe, Lisa Norton, Holly Manning and Rob DeWolfe entered CAMRT’s ‘Very Image of Care’ contest, submitting both a video and photo. Their entry, “We NOD because we care,” demonstrated the daily tasks of an MRT and the importance of their role within the healthcare team. Their video portion, the grand prize winner, promoted the main goals of MRTs including radiation safety, the NOD approach, and patient care. Their photo, which earned second place, illustrated MRT equipment which they incorporated into the CAMRT logo. All contest entries were judged by a jury and then...

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, recently announced a new Canada Research Chair at the University of Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). Dr. Sophie St-Hilaire joins UPEI as the Canada Research Chair in Integrated Health Research for Sustainable Aquaculture.  Dr. St-Hilaire moves her research to the AVC from Idaho State University. Her research has taken her across the world, having studied aquaculture in Chile, Europe, and both coasts of North America. “As an epidemiologist, I work on many different problems,” said Dr. St-Hilaire. “The breadth of my research projects enables me to collaborate with many different types of researchers, from microbiologists to agricultural engineers. The ultimate goal of my research is to improve aquaculture systems and make them more economically...

From Sunday, May 27 to Wednesday, May 30, 2012, the University of Prince Edward Island will host the annual conference of the Atlantic Association of College and University Student Services (AACUSS).  Every spring, professionals who work directly with students at post-secondary institutions across the Atlantic provinces gather to share best practices, professional development, and research. This year’s conference theme is Collaboration: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The focus will be on sharing pragmatic collaborative solutions and creative strategies for making the student experience successful. The AACUSS membership is made up of student affairs officers and professionals from counselling, health services, financial aid, housing, accessibility services, international services, career services, and other areas that deal directly with student life. At this year’s...

UPEI Environmental Studies 409B students are hosting the first student-led environmental symposium on January 12 in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. The symposium will focus on the true costs of what we eat, wear, and use. The students will present posters that relate to their term papers which discuss true costs and impacts on the local, national, and global economies. The poster presentation will take place from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.  Evening activities, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm, include three informative guest speakers followed by a student video presentation and panel discussion. Guest speakers include Phil Ferraro from the PEI Adapt Council, UPEI Associate Professor of Chemistry Michael Shaver, and Halifax author Chris Benjamin. Speaker topics range from sustainability by using food resources to a bioregional approach to local economy, sustainability, and responsibility, to the true...

UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz was amazed by the turnout and warm greetings at UPEI’s New Year’s Day levee. This was his first time hosting a UPEI levee since his installation as UPEI’s sixth president.  He mentioned that when most people speak about PEI, they often forget to give credit to the amazing community and its people, “This is what makes PEI a special place in Canada” he said.    With more than 20 levees taking place throughout Charlottetown, the annual tradition saw hundreds of people spend the first day of 2012 wishing others well.   Pictured below are proud parents Alan and Stephanie Andrew of British Columbia holding baby Vera, the youngest UPEI levee attendee (and future UPEI student!)  

The Centre for Conflict Resolution Studies at UPEI hosted a graduation on November 29 to award the Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies. Among the 42 graduates were 22 women who participated in the program through the Supporting, Training and Enhancing Problem Solving Skills (STEPS) for Women project. The STEPS project was created to extensively train women engaged in community organizations across the province to gain skills to become educators and supporters for their peers.  Dr. Jim Randall, Vice-President Academic, was on hand to greet the graduates and present them with their certificates. “All of these graduates lead busy hectic lives. I congratulate them for persevering in the face of their many commitments,” said Randall. “The knowledge and skills they have gained will benefit their careers, their families and the social and economic future of their...

Limited service will be provided from December 26, 2011, through January 2, 2012, inclusive. Office hours and regular business will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. The following lists some limited holiday hours: • Security services will continue 24 hours a day • Shipping/Receiving and mail services will resume regular hours on January 3, 2012 • Department of advancement will be open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm December 28-December 30 • Veterinary teaching hospital will be available for emergency service only throughout the holidays • Diagnostic services laboratory will be open December 27-29 from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and December 30 from 8:00 am to noon. • Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre hours: -December 24: closed at noon -December 25 and 26: closed -December 27-30:  6:30 am to 10:00 pm -December 31: closed at noon -January 1:...

A new award has been established to honour UPEI’s football tradition and to support a UPEI student athlete. Marcus Dunphy, a fourth year arts student, is the first recipient of the UPEI Football Alumni Scholarship, awarded annually to a qualifying UPEI student athlete playing on the Holland Hurricanes Community Football Team.  Dunphy, who hails from Souris, PEI, anchored the Hurricanes defense as a middle linebacker. The team captain was also selected as the Hurricanes’ defensive player of the year for the past two years. Dunphy is described as a dedicated, hard working, and team oriented player.  Founding directors of the UPEI Football Alumni Scholarship Fund, Ken Hubley and Gerry Lajeunesse agree that the scholarship’s first recipient was deserving of the new award. “Marcus Dunphy is a very worthy first recipient of the UPEI Football Alumni...

The University of Prince Edward Island community was saddened by the passing of Professor Emeritus Edward Leslie Edmonds, PhD KStJ, on December 4 at the age of 95. Born in England, Dr. “Eddie” Edmonds studied under C.S Lewis while at Oxford University, earning his BA and master’s of arts.  He also earned a master’s of education from Sheffield University and his PhD from Leeds University along with a number of university diplomae in literature, teaching, public administration, and educational administration before moving to Canada.  After teaching and serving as a department head at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Edmonds came to the newly constituted University of Prince Edward Island, becoming the first dean of education. Dr. Edmonds is widely published, with many books to his credit (including two of poetry) and was recognized in later years for...