The E-Learning Office is hosting online tutorials on how to use Moodle for basic course editing (August 11th and August 12th) and using Moodle for activities and assessments (August 18th and August 19th). Recordings of the webinars will be available for those unable to attend. For more information, or to register, see https://www.upei.ca/teaching-and-learning-centre/learning/workshop-calendar

The Arts and Sciences (our newly merged group) Equity and Inclusion committee is holding another reading group discussion, building on the EDI and Accessibility Guidebook we produced earlier this summer. Join us on Monday, August 17, via Zoom, for a discussion of two chapters from Radical Hope: a teaching manifesto, by Kevin Gannon (West Virginia University Press, 2020): "Teaching and Learning Inclusively" and "Making Access Mean Something." The chapters are available on the committee's google folder. (anyone at UPEI can view this link; use your UPEI email address to log on). Send an email to Greg Doran, at gdoran@upei.ca for the Zoom link information. Grab a friend and come talk more about teaching and equity concerns of all kinds in the classroom.

BlackBoard Collaborate is web conferencing software that allows instructors to do many things to engage with their students. Free for faculty and staff at UPEI, BlackBoard Collaborate can be used to both hold live sessions with participants as well as make recordings that can be watched at a later time. Share your presentation, use the interactive whiteboard, form breakout groups or conduct a poll, BlackBoard Collaborate allows you to set up a complete virtual classroom. It’s simple, easy and reliable. Facilitated by the E-Learning Office, who also create accounts and provide tech support for Collaborate on campus, this webinar will take place on Wednesday, August 12th from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. REGISTER

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Abhishek Pokharel.  

Title:  Application of biochar for efficient municipal wastewater treatment

Date: Friday, August 7, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: A more circular and therefore more sustainable economy requires us to value our waste. Something like wastewater can be an unconventional source of nutrients, energy, and water. Thus, far from being something to discard or ignore, wastewater can be a resource option. Similarly, biochar is the solid byproduct of pyrolysis and its cascading use can offset the cost of the process. A wide variety of research on biochar has highlighted its ability to absorb/adsorb nutrients, metals, and complex compounds; filter suspended solids; enhance microorganisms’ growth; retain water and nutrients as well as increase carbon content of soil. The thesis analyzes the effect of biochar in two biological treatment processes, activated sludge for municipal wastewater and anaerobic digestion for sludge at Charlottetown Pollution Control Plant located in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The analysis is carried out using Response Surface Methodology for varied size and dose of two types of carbon, namely biochar from wood pellets and non-treated activated carbon sourced from Sigma Aldrich Inc. A higher COD removal efficiency of above 80%, 82% and 88% in the retention time of 1, 4 and 24 hours respectively is achieved in the region of lower size and higher dose for AC.  Whereas, for similar conditions and variation, the reactor fed with biochar achieved COD removal efficiency of 60, 78 and 69 for HRT 1, 4 and 24 hours, respectively. The study showed that the biochar improves the settleability of the sludge. A sludge volume index as low as 37.33 was obtained with biochar. It was also found that the use of carbon in anaerobic digestion has an effect on the biogas yield and the quality of the biosolids. This study has shown that types of biochar have significant impact on the biological systems in the wastewater treatment process and could be a viable way for valorization of wastewater. In addition, sustainable biochar systems are an attractive approach for carbon sequestration and total waste management cycle.

Abhishek is supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Friday, August 7, at 10:00 am.   

The Arts and Sciences (our newly merged group) Equity and Inclusion committee is holding another reading group discussion, building on the EDI and Accessibility Guidebook we produced earlier this summer. Join us on Monday, August 17, via Zoom, for a discussion of two chapters from Radical Hope: a teaching manifesto, by Kevin Gannon (West Virginia University Press, 2020): "Teaching and Learning Inclusively" and "Making Access Mean Something." The chapters are available on the committee's google folder. (anyone at UPEI can view this link; use your UPEI email address to log on). Send an email to Greg Doran, at gdoran@upei.ca for the Zoom link information. Grab a friend and come talk more about teaching and equity concerns of all kinds in the classroom.

Students can now pay tuition using a credit card through their myUPEI student portal.

Tuition credit card payments must be made online and will be subject to a non-refundable convenience fee of 2.5%, charged to your card by PayPath. Credit cards accepted for tuition include MasterCard and VISA.

UPEI will continue to accept VISA, MasterCard and Amex for payment of Application fees and Deposits.

A list of all accepted payment methods can be found on the UPEI website here: https://www.upei.ca/fees/payment-options

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Nazar Hussain. 

Title: Development of a Smart Variable Rate Sprayer using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Site-specific Application of Agrochemicals

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: 

Potato production in Canada typically involves approximately 20 uniform applications (UA) of agrochemicals during a growing season, while usually ignoring spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of weeds and diseased plants within potato fields. However, UA poses a serious threat to the environment and substantially increases the cost of crop production. Spatial distribution of weeds and diseased plant patches within potato fields emphasizes the need to develop a smart variable rate sprayer (SVRS). Innovations in development of precision agriculture technologies have enabled engineers to develop SVRS using machine vision (MV) and deep learning (DL) to accurately identify and encounter the targets (weeds and diseased plants) in real-time for within-fields variable rate application (VA) of herbicides and fungicides. Five potato fields were selected to collect images of spatially and temporally variable healthy potato plants, diseased potato plants, weeds and their combinations among them and with bare soil patches. Results indicated that the SVRS was capable of significantly reducing the use of agrochemicals during VA, when compared with UA, both in lab and field environments. The SVRS was able to save 47 and 51% of agrochemicals for weeds and simulated diseased plant detection experiments, respectively, under all weather conditions. The results of this study suggested that the developed SVRS has a great potential to reduce the use of agrichemicals, lower environmental risks, and ultimately improve farm profitability of potato producers. 

Nazar is supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Tuesday, August 4 at 4:00 PM.   

The Arts and Sciences (our newly merged group) Equity and Inclusion committee is holding another reading group discussion, building on the EDI and Accessibility Guidebook we produced earlier this summer. Join us on Monday, August 17, via Zoom, for a discussion of two chapters from Radical Hope: a teaching manifesto, by Kevin Gannon (West Virginia University Press, 2020): "Teaching and Learning Inclusively" and "Making Access Mean Something." The chapters are available on the committee's google folder. (anyone at UPEI can view this link; use your UPEI email address to log on). Send an email to Greg Doran, at gdoran@upei.ca for the Zoom link information. Grab a friend and come talk more about teaching and equity concerns of all kinds in the classroom.

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Nazar Hussain. 

Title: Development of a Smart Variable Rate Sprayer using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Site-specific Application of Agrochemicals

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: 

Potato production in Canada typically involves approximately 20 uniform applications (UA) of agrochemicals during a growing season, while usually ignoring spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of weeds and diseased plants within potato fields. However, UA poses a serious threat to the environment and substantially increases the cost of crop production. Spatial distribution of weeds and diseased plant patches within potato fields emphasizes the need to develop a smart variable rate sprayer (SVRS). Innovations in development of precision agriculture technologies have enabled engineers to develop SVRS using machine vision (MV) and deep learning (DL) to accurately identify and encounter the targets (weeds and diseased plants) in real-time for within-fields variable rate application (VA) of herbicides and fungicides. Five potato fields were selected to collect images of spatially and temporally variable healthy potato plants, diseased potato plants, weeds and their combinations among them and with bare soil patches. Results indicated that the SVRS was capable of significantly reducing the use of agrochemicals during VA, when compared with UA, both in lab and field environments. The SVRS was able to save 47 and 51% of agrochemicals for weeds and simulated diseased plant detection experiments, respectively, under all weather conditions. The results of this study suggested that the developed SVRS has a great potential to reduce the use of agrichemicals, lower environmental risks, and ultimately improve farm profitability of potato producers. 

Nazar is supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Tuesday, August 4 at 4:00 PM.   

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Nazar Hussain. 

Title: Development of a Smart Variable Rate Sprayer using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Site-specific Application of Agrochemicals

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: 

Potato production in Canada typically involves approximately 20 uniform applications (UA) of agrochemicals during a growing season, while usually ignoring spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of weeds and diseased plants within potato fields. However, UA poses a serious threat to the environment and substantially increases the cost of crop production. Spatial distribution of weeds and diseased plant patches within potato fields emphasizes the need to develop a smart variable rate sprayer (SVRS). Innovations in development of precision agriculture technologies have enabled engineers to develop SVRS using machine vision (MV) and deep learning (DL) to accurately identify and encounter the targets (weeds and diseased plants) in real-time for within-fields variable rate application (VA) of herbicides and fungicides. Five potato fields were selected to collect images of spatially and temporally variable healthy potato plants, diseased potato plants, weeds and their combinations among them and with bare soil patches. Results indicated that the SVRS was capable of significantly reducing the use of agrochemicals during VA, when compared with UA, both in lab and field environments. The SVRS was able to save 47 and 51% of agrochemicals for weeds and simulated diseased plant detection experiments, respectively, under all weather conditions. The results of this study suggested that the developed SVRS has a great potential to reduce the use of agrichemicals, lower environmental risks, and ultimately improve farm profitability of potato producers. 

Nazar is supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Tuesday, August 4 at 4:00 PM.   

Starting July 6th, 2020, Accessibility Services students will be expected to book their tests and exams using AccessDeck, regardless of whether or not tests are online or in person. This is a change from previous practices.

Students will now see new options for booking online. Please select "Online - to be written at home" as we are not currently proctoring any exams on campus.

When students book their second summer session tests/exams on AccessDeck we will send reminders to their professors about students’ accommodations, including extra time.

Regular timelines for booking tests and exams will still be in place (at least one week in advance).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to accessibility@upei.ca.

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Nazar Hussain. 

Title: Development of a Smart Variable Rate Sprayer using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Site-specific Application of Agrochemicals

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: 

Potato production in Canada typically involves approximately 20 uniform applications (UA) of agrochemicals during a growing season, while usually ignoring spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of weeds and diseased plants within potato fields. However, UA poses a serious threat to the environment and substantially increases the cost of crop production. Spatial distribution of weeds and diseased plant patches within potato fields emphasizes the need to develop a smart variable rate sprayer (SVRS). Innovations in development of precision agriculture technologies have enabled engineers to develop SVRS using machine vision (MV) and deep learning (DL) to accurately identify and encounter the targets (weeds and diseased plants) in real-time for within-fields variable rate application (VA) of herbicides and fungicides. Five potato fields were selected to collect images of spatially and temporally variable healthy potato plants, diseased potato plants, weeds and their combinations among them and with bare soil patches. Results indicated that the SVRS was capable of significantly reducing the use of agrochemicals during VA, when compared with UA, both in lab and field environments. The SVRS was able to save 47 and 51% of agrochemicals for weeds and simulated diseased plant detection experiments, respectively, under all weather conditions. The results of this study suggested that the developed SVRS has a great potential to reduce the use of agrichemicals, lower environmental risks, and ultimately improve farm profitability of potato producers. 

Nazar is supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Tuesday, August 4 at 4:00 PM.   

BlackBoard Collaborate is web conferencing software that allows instructors to do many things to engage with their students. Free for faculty and staff at UPEI, BlackBoard Collaborate can be used to both hold live sessions with participants as well as make recordings that can be watched at a later time. Share your presentation, use the interactive whiteboard, form breakout groups or conduct a poll, BlackBoard Collaborate allows you to set up a complete virtual classroom. It’s simple, easy and reliable. Facilitated by the E-Learning Office, who also create accounts and provide tech support for Collaborate on campus, this webinar will take place on Wednesday, August 12th from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. REGISTER

Starting July 6th, 2020, Accessibility Services students will be expected to book their tests and exams using AccessDeck, regardless of whether or not tests are online or in person. This is a change from previous practices.

Students will now see new options for booking online. Please select "Online - to be written at home" as we are not currently proctoring any exams on campus.

When students book their second summer session tests/exams on AccessDeck we will send reminders to their professors about students’ accommodations, including extra time.

Regular timelines for booking tests and exams will still be in place (at least one week in advance).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to accessibility@upei.ca.

As part of our campus high voltage distribution system upgrade project, we will be required to have a number of power interruptions. These power interruptions are necessary to transfer the power from the existing UPEI high voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building. 

The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below. This schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required, Facilities Management will send out a new campus notice listing the updated schedule.

The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.

Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034

July 30, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building, Steel Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 11, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

August 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

All Campus Buildings

The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications and nominations for the 2020 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing. 

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made another leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial program of awards to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift is to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing is the largest such student-oriented program in Canada.

A total of 60 awards valued at $500 each are available in 2020 for successful applicants.

Returning undergraduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for a MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing based on criteria for four categories:

MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Community)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Course Work)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Webster Centre)

The UPEI learning community is encouraged to review the four categories of prizes for details on submission criteria. The deadline for submissions is October 6, 2020.

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.

Starting July 6th, 2020, Accessibility Services students will be expected to book their tests and exams using AccessDeck, regardless of whether or not tests are online or in person. This is a change from previous practices.

Students will now see new options for booking online. Please select "Online - to be written at home" as we are not currently proctoring any exams on campus.

When students book their second summer session tests/exams on AccessDeck we will send reminders to their professors about students’ accommodations, including extra time.

Regular timelines for booking tests and exams will still be in place (at least one week in advance).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to accessibility@upei.ca.

Congratulations to the UPEI Student Union for kicking off the 2020 PEI Pride Festival, July 26–August 2, by hosting several Pride events over the last two weeks. The University will join in the celebration by flying the Pride flag all week at the flag plaza in front of Kelley Memorial Building. On Wednesday, July, 29, join UPEI Student Affairs staff by donning your bright colours, and wearing your rainbow to express your support for our UPEI 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

As part of our campus high voltage distribution system upgrade project, we will be required to have a number of power interruptions. These power interruptions are necessary to transfer the power from the existing UPEI high voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building. 

The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below. This schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required, Facilities Management will send out a new campus notice listing the updated schedule.

The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.

Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034

July 30, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building, Steel Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 11, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

August 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

All Campus Buildings

The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications and nominations for the 2020 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing. 

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made another leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial program of awards to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift is to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing is the largest such student-oriented program in Canada.

A total of 60 awards valued at $500 each are available in 2020 for successful applicants.

Returning undergraduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for a MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing based on criteria for four categories:

MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Community)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Course Work)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Webster Centre)

The UPEI learning community is encouraged to review the four categories of prizes for details on submission criteria. The deadline for submissions is October 6, 2020.

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.