Campus Notices
Title: Reinforcement learning in algorithm trading using python
Speaker: Dr. Atousa Assadi Senior Quantitative Manager, CIBC
Abstract: “Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL)”, is the extension of deep learning where the objective is not only learning through examples but also learning via try and error in a wise and autonomous way. It is based on a learning process in which an agent interacts with its environment to reach a pre-defined goal in such a way that the agent can maximize the number of rewards, and minimize the penalties given by the environment for each step made by the agent. RL in finance is now considered a key aspect of several financial services and applications, including trading bot, chat bot, risk optimization in lending, portfolio management, pricing strategy, recommendation system and more. In this presentation, I talk about the concept of reinforcement learning along with some demos. The first demo is about a bot for trading application. The second demo is about sentiment analysis to take the emotional angle out of the stock market by creating a trading indicator. I demonstrate how we can define customized environment and policy from the available libraries in python.
(For further information please contact Dr. Kai Liu at kailiu@upei.ca)
Date: Monday, November 29, 3:30 pm (Atlantic Time)
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/97342598765?pwd=SzNxOU0za1I4RmdSRFh0STlKN0 NtUT09
Meeting ID: 97342598765; Passcode: 316255
Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday! A global day where people around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give!
Giving is not just about making a donation...it is about making a difference!
UPEI students are extremely grateful for people like you who choose to give back through donations, volunteering, and genuine acts of kindness on GivingTuesday and throughout the year!
We are hoping you will consider designating your Giving Tuesday gift to the area of Performing Arts at UPEI.
All levels of donations matter and will help us expand artistic endeavors, support renovations to the beloved Dr. Steel Recital Hall, and purchase much-needed equipment that will enable our students to thrive!
We extend our deepest gratitude to the UPEI Alumni Association who have generously offered to be our "Matching Funds Partner"
Every donation made on Giving Tuesday designated to the Performing Arts will be matched by the UPEI Alumni Association up to $2,500, making your gift that much more impactful!
Thank you for your generous act of giving and for making a difference in the lives of UPEI students!
upei.ca/donate
GivingTuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Black Friday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” it is a time when charities, companies, and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. To learn more about GivingTuesday, you can visit givingtuesday.ca
The Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for a variety of awards. The new deadline is November 30, 2021, and students can access the eight remaining awards as follows:
- The online Scholarship and Award Application portal has been reopened to accept applications for five awards. Eligible applicants are encouraged to click the link provided to review the award criteria and submit an application. Applicants can also find the link listed on their MyUPEI account in the UPEI Forms section.
- The Scholarships and Awards webpage has three separate application awards remaining from the 1st Semester Award Cycle list. Eligible applicants are encouraged to click the links provided below to review the award criteria and submit an application.
Be sure to review the individual award criteria and submit your application in time for the November 30th deadline!
For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.
Dr. Karen Overall, professor of behavioural medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI, is featured in The New Human, a new episode of CBC’s The Nature of Things, which will air on Friday, November 26, at 9 pm. Click here for more information.
UPEI was saddened to learn of the death of philanthropist and Chancellor Emeritus Norman Webster in Magog, Quebec on November 19, 2021. He served as Chancellor from 1996–2004, and was elevated to Chancellor Emeritus in 2006 for his exceptional commitment and service to UPEI.
As Chancellor, he worked steadily and generously to promote and support the University, including the creation of the Webster Smart Campus Fund and the establishment of the Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning.
After having a distinguished career in journalism, Chancellor Emeritus Webster served as president of the R. Howard Webster Foundation of Montreal.
UPEI expresses condolences to Chancellor Emeritus Webster’s wife, Patterson (UPEI LLD’06), and his children David, Andrew, Derek, Gillian, and Hilary. There will be a memorial service in North Hatley, Quebec, next summer.
Vaccination Passes and IDs are required to attend this event. Children under 12 years will be permitted, but must provide proof of age. All patrons will be required to remain masked throughout the performance.
Join us for the inaugural UPEI String Orchestra concert! This new group will be presenting a varied program of both string orchestra favourites and some unknown gems.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students, payable at the door.
Advance registration is required as the seating capacity is limited. Click the link below to reserve your spot:
Title: Reinforcement learning in algorithm trading using python
Speaker: Dr. Atousa Assadi Senior Quantitative Manager, CIBC
Abstract: “Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL)”, is the extension of deep learning where the objective is not only learning through examples but also learning via try and error in a wise and autonomous way. It is based on a learning process in which an agent interacts with its environment to reach a pre-defined goal in such a way that the agent can maximize the number of rewards, and minimize the penalties given by the environment for each step made by the agent. RL in finance is now considered a key aspect of several financial services and applications, including trading bot, chat bot, risk optimization in lending, portfolio management, pricing strategy, recommendation system and more. In this presentation, I talk about the concept of reinforcement learning along with some demos. The first demo is about a bot for trading application. The second demo is about sentiment analysis to take the emotional angle out of the stock market by creating a trading indicator. I demonstrate how we can define customized environment and policy from the available libraries in python.
(For further information please contact Dr. Kai Liu at kailiu@upei.ca)
Date: Monday, November 29, 3:30 pm (Atlantic Time)
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/97342598765?pwd=SzNxOU0za1I4RmdSRFh0STlKN0 NtUT09
Meeting ID: 97342598765; Passcode: 316255
Giving is not just about making a donation...it is about making a difference!
UPEI students are extremely grateful for people like you who choose to give back through donations, volunteering, and genuine acts of kindness on GivingTuesday and throughout the year!
We are hoping you will consider designating your Giving Tuesday gift to the Performing Arts at UPEI.
All levels of donations matter and will help us expand artistic endeavors, support renovations to the beloved Dr. Steel Recital Hall, and purchase much-needed equipment that will enable our students to thrive!
We are thrilled that the UPEI Alumni Association has generously offered to be our "Matching Funds Partner"!
Every donation made on Giving Tuesday designated to the Performing Arts will be matched by the UPEI Alumni Association up to $2,500, making your gift that much more impactful!
Thank you for your generous act of giving and for making a difference in the lives of UPEI students!
upei.ca/donate
GivingTuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Black Friday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” it is a time when charities, companies, and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. To learn more about GivingTuesday, you can visit givingtuesday.ca
The deadline for Winter 2022 Tuition Waivers is December 17, 2021. We encourage you to have tuition waivers submitted as soon as possible to assist in the timely processing. Tuition Waiver forms must be submitted electronically.
Online Employee and Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver fillable forms can be found on the main page of MyUPEI under UPEI Forms.
If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at: (902) 566-0514 or hrgeneral@upei.ca.
The new hours for the weekly COVID-19 Testing Clinic will be 11:00 am - 2:00 pm on Fridays. The clinic will continue at McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Center. For those students, faculty, and staff who require weekly testing for COVID-19 because they are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated with an exemption and cannot come for testing during this time, you may also visit a Health PEI Testing Clinic and submit the results weekly.
Visit https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/covid-19-testing-in-pei for more information on how to get a test completed at a clinic outside of UPEI.
Please note: the testing clinic at UPEI is a rapid test used for screening purposes only! If you require a PCR test or you have symptoms of COVID-19 you must go to a Health PEI Testing Site for testing.
Are you willing to answer some questions on concussion knowledge and policies on PEI? The Concussion Awareness Program is conducting a brief (30 min max) survey and would love to hear from you.
If you are 18+, a PEI resident and involved with children/youth between the ages of 5 and 22, please reach out to us at jdeighan@upei.ca or 902-628-4300.
Title: Reinforcement learning in algorithm trading using python
Speaker: Dr. Atousa Assadi Senior Quantitative Manager, CIBC
Abstract: “Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL)”, is the extension of deep learning where the objective is not only learning through examples but also learning via try and error in a wise and autonomous way. It is based on a learning process in which an agent interacts with its environment to reach a pre-defined goal in such a way that the agent can maximize the number of rewards, and minimize the penalties given by the environment for each step made by the agent. RL in finance is now considered a key aspect of several financial services and applications, including trading bot, chat bot, risk optimization in lending, portfolio management, pricing strategy, recommendation system and more. In this presentation, I talk about the concept of reinforcement learning along with some demos. The first demo is about a bot for trading application. The second demo is about sentiment analysis to take the emotional angle out of the stock market by creating a trading indicator. I demonstrate how we can define customized environment and policy from the available libraries in python.
(For further information please contact Dr. Kai Liu at kailiu@upei.ca)
Date: Monday, November 29, 3:30 pm (Atlantic Time)
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/97342598765?pwd=SzNxOU0za1I4RmdSRFh0STlKN0 NtUT09
Meeting ID: 97342598765; Passcode: 316255
The new hours for the weekly COVID-19 Testing Clinic will be 11:00 am - 2:00 pm on Fridays. The clinic will continue at McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Center. For those students, faculty, and staff who require weekly testing for COVID-19 because they are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated with an exemption and cannot come for testing during this time, you may also visit a Health PEI Testing Clinic and submit the results weekly.
Visit https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/covid-19-testing-in-pei for more information on how to get a test completed at a clinic outside of UPEI.
Please note: the testing clinic at UPEI is a rapid test used for screening purposes only! If you require a PCR test or you have symptoms of COVID-19 you must go to a Health PEI Testing Site for testing.
The Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for a variety of awards. The new deadline is November 30, 2021, and students can access the eight remaining awards as follows:
- The online Scholarship and Award Application portal has been reopened to accept applications for five awards. Eligible applicants are encouraged to click the link provided to review the award criteria and submit an application. Applicants can also find the link listed on their MyUPEI account in the UPEI Forms section.
- The Scholarships and Awards webpage has three separate application awards remaining from the 1st Semester Award Cycle list. Eligible applicants are encouraged to click the links provided below to review the award criteria and submit an application.
Be sure to review the individual award criteria and submit your application in time for the November 30th deadline!
For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.
Reminder from Human Resources
Christmas Holiday Schedule
Depending on the work requirements of university departments, the Christmas schedule will be in effect from December 24, 2021, through January 3, 2022, inclusive. Office and regular business hours will resume Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Payroll deadlines:
For the December 24 pay, the deadline for PTFs, pay changes, etc. are due by noon on November 25. Electronic timesheets/overtime are due December 13.
For the January 7 pay, the deadline for PTFs, pay changes, etc. are due by noon on December 9. Electronic timesheets/overtime are due January 4 @ 10:00am.
For the January 21 pay, the deadline for PTFs, pay changes, etc. are due by noon on December 23. Electronic timesheets/overtime are due on January 10.
Additional information regarding the Christmas Holiday Schedule can be found at: https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/HR/Documents/Christmas%20Holiday%20Schedule.pdf
The UPEI Health, Safety and Environment Department (HSE) is offering Emergency and Standard First Aid/CPR training sessions in December.
Emergency First Aid/CPR
December 17, 2021
8:30 am–3:30 pm HSB 104
This basic one-day course offers lifesaving first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills.
Standard First Aid/CPR
December 15 & 16, 2021
8:30 am–3:30 pm HSB 105
This comprehensive two-day course offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement (high risk areas such as labs).
Cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, Priority will be given to First Aiders in each campus building who need to renew their certification. Please note that lunch will not be provided.
Please contact Melissa Bender at mbender@upei.ca or 902-566-0901.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is pleased to announce an upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense on Thursday, November 25th at 1:30 pm. RODOLFO NINO- ESPARZA will defend his thesis titled, "DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND APPLICATION OF A SELECTIVE SALIVA-BASED CORTISOL BIOSENSOR"
The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://upei.zoom.us/j/68772106519?pwd=OUlVVmFZTUc0bnBGYTlEdHN1c0ZxQT09&from=addon
Meeting ID: 687 7210 6519
Passcode: 835968
Please contact Lisa Sanderson - lmsanderson@upei.ca for more information.
Are you willing to answer some questions on concussion knowledge and policies on PEI? The Concussion Awareness Program is conducting a brief (30 min max) survey and would love to hear from you.
If you are 18+, a PEI resident and involved with children/youth between the ages of 5 and 22, please reach out to us at jdeighan@upei.ca or 902-628-4300.
UPEI Procurement Services is currently taking bids on some used fitness equipment.
- LifeFitness 93X Elliptical 2
- Hammer Strength ground base leg extension
- Cybex plate loaded leg extension
Bids are being accepted in the University's e-tendering portal Bonfire until December 6, 2021, at 2:00 pm. This portal requires you to register by creating a username and password as your UPEI credentials are not connected to this system. When registering for the Bonfire portal, please put your name in the Vendor Name and Contact Name fields. You can access the information on this opportunity at the following link:
