All are invited to register for the Atlantic ConnecTions Conference on Sustaining Women in SETT, to be held at UPEI on May 30 and 31. The ACT Conference is the regional conference for CCWESTT (Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Sciences, Trades, Technology) and is held every other year when CCWESTT is not held. Women and men in SETT professions, students, faculty, and staff are welcomed to this one-and-a-half day conference that includes a workshop on communication and panel discussions on hiring, retention, and diversity and inclusion in SETT workplaces. Early bird registration is open now until April 19! Registration and more information can be found here: http://atlanticconnections.ca/

On Monday April 8, 2019, the AVC Wildlife Service and the AVC Wildlife Club will hold their annual Wildlife Art Silent Auction and Raffle from 9:30 am-4 pm. on the College's main floor, near the cafeteria.

The AVC Wildlife Service provides veterinary care for sick, injured, and displaced wildlife, with over 300 admissions each year. Every year, our talented students, faculty, and staff generously provide art and wildlife-related items for the fundraiser. There will be delicious wildlife-themed cupcakes during the day and a prize draw at 4 pm. This event is being held during National Wildlife Week, which runs from April 7–13. Please come and check it out! 

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Chair of The INSPIRE! Campaign J. Gordon MacKay cordially invite you to INSPIRE! 50, an event to celebrate reaching and exceeding our campaign goal and to mark the successful completion of our joint efforts!

All are welcome!

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 10 am
The McCain Foundation Learning Commons
Atlantic Veterinary College

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Chair of The INSPIRE! Campaign J. Gordon MacKay cordially invite you to INSPIRE! 50, an event to celebrate reaching and exceeding our campaign goal and to mark the successful completion of our joint efforts!

All are welcome!

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 10 am
The McCain Foundation Learning Commons
Atlantic Veterinary College

The E-Learning Multimedia Development Grant is being offered for the second time as an opportunity for faculty and staff members to create a multimedia course resource with the help of the E-Learning Instructional Multimedia Specialist over the Summer 2019 semester. Find out more about the grant here.

If you have questions related to your multimedia project ideas, please contact Kristy McKinney at kmckinney@upei.ca.

Closing date for applications is April 5, 2019 and completed application forms can be sent to dmoses@upei.ca with the subject line “E-Learning Multimedia Development Grant Application 2019.”

The UPEI Multicultural Choir holds its final rehearsal Wednesday, April 3, 4:30 - 5:30, followed by refreshments. Join in sharing voices, songs, and cultures- take a break for relaxation, fun, and camaraderie. This event is held in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI's SDU Main Building

Our final post for the semester. "U Sports revises equity policy to include transgender student athletes" explores another way in which dividing up the world into only two genders--in this case, through university sports teams--can work to exclude students, and force others to express gender in particularly rigid ways. Head on over to http://projects.upei.ca/arts-equity-and-inclusion, click on the 'join the discussion' image, and let us know what you think! While we'll stop posting weekly discussion items for the summer break, the website, with many more resources than what we've posted all semester, is still there--and we'll be continually adding to it too. And we have plans for the fall -- for more discussions (in person too) and to get more of the campus community involved in helping us produce materials for the website too. So stay tuned for lots more focus on how to transform UPEI into a more equitable campus for all.

April fools reminds us how important to get into the habit of locking your computer when you leave your desk. It keeps your work and study private, and means your co-workers can't play tricks on you (it's very VERY tempting). When you leave your work space hit Windows + L (this will lock the screen requiring your password to reopen). If you work on a Mac it's Cmd+Ctrl+Q. It's really simple and takes a second.

As part of the Molecular and Macromolecular SciencesnSeminar Program, Mark Nabuurs will be presenting on "Evaluation of a Potential Biopesticide Product Intended for the Emerging Canadian Cannabis Production Industry" 

All are welcome to attend. This event is Wednesday, April 3 at 12:30 pm in KC Irving 104. 

DR. KATHERINE SCHULTZ RESEARCH RECOGNITION AWARDS:

Two (2) awards will be granted annually to a UPEIFA member, staff member, and/or a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the research enterprise at UPEI.

From Dr. Schultz’s letter that established the fund:

The research success of an institution rests fundamentally on the excellence, dedication and insights of its researchers and their teams of collaborators, trainees, students, and technicians. However, their success also rests on the work of those who might be labeled the “unsung heroes” of the research enterprise – that is, those whose work behind the scenes and serve to make it all possible – faculty, staff, and volunteers who focus their service on the committees that enable research to proceed; ethics, policy development, and internal grants. For example: those who bring their expertise to ensuring legislative, regulatory and best practice compliance; and those who keep the accounts, fine tune the proposals, develop contracts, and steer strategic initiatives that enable research success. These contributions could include the design or development of a new research policy or procedures, chairing, or being a member of, a compliance committee during a particularly demanding time, providing key support to the development of institutional proposals for significant research funding, and/or continuously going above and beyond to enhance the research experience at the university.

Nomination forms can be found here: https://files.upei.ca/scholarships/dr_katherine_schultz_research_awards.pdf

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jan Coffin at jdcoffin@upei.ca. Nomination material can be submitted via email to scholarships@upei.ca, or dropped off in hard copy at Scholarships and Awards in Student Accounts in 2nd Floor of Dalton Hall.

The Healthy Campus Committee is providing a 45 minute class that offers meditation and gentle yoga stretches. The meditation segment of the class creates more calm, inner peace and balance that benefits both your emotional wellbeing and overall health. This is a class for all fitness levels. The class will be held on Thursdays at 12:10 pm - 12:55 pm in Fitness Studio #1, April 4 - May 30. Instructor: Pam Harris. Free but pre-registration required. Please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator at amarchbank@upei.ca to reserve your spot.

This award was created in honour of Dr. J. Regis Duffy, and is awarded annually to a graduating UPEI student who has demonstrated to an outstanding degree the qualities of scholarship and leadership within the University community, and who is not receiving a Governor General's Medal. A cash prize of $1,000 and medallion will be granted to the successful student recipient. 

Further information on student nominations can be found here (https://files.upei.ca/scholarships/dr_regis_duffy_academic_achievement_award.pdf) and can be made by any member of the university community. Recommendations can be forwarded to the Scholarships and Awards Office in Dalton Hall in person, by mail or email at scholarships@upei.ca. The deadline to nominate students will be Monday, April 1. If there are any questions, please contact our office at (902) 620-5187.

March is colorectal cancer awareness month and the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre is encouraging all faculty & staff to educate themselves about the benefits of early screening for colorectal cancer. 

Colorectal cancer does not always display obvious symptoms, especially in early stages, but free testing is available to help identify when the illness may be developing.

Screening using the FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) Kit is recommended every two years for those of average risk who are 50 to 74 years of age. Average risk means no family history of colorectal cancer (parent or sibling) or no symptoms such as a change in bowel movements, visible blood in the stool, or excessive vomiting. The test screens stool for signs of blood which can indicate the presence of polyps or cancer cells.

Testing is simple, can be done in the comfort of your home and takes only a few minutes.  Anyone can do this test to detect warning signs of cancer and take action while you are still feeling healthy. It’s convenient, free and improves your chances of survival.  Pick up a FIT kit at the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre, 2nd Floor North, Murphy Building.