Campus Notices
Come say hi, have a snack, and play a round of Jenga with UPEI's new Employee Engagement Officer, Jessica Field!
Jessica would like to hear from you and get your thoughts on all things employee engagement. How do you think we should welcome new employees to UPEI? How would you like to be recognized for the work you do? What professional growth opportunities would be most meaningful to you? What initiatives would you like to see on campus that would enhance your experience while at work? What are some areas that make our workplace great that we should leverage? How can we make a positive impact in our communities, both on and off campus?
Thursday, August 1, AVC 280N, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Wednesday, August 7, SDU Main Building 201 - Faculty Lounge, 12:00-2:00 pm
Tuesday, August 13, Kelley Memorial Building 234, 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Open to all employees at UPEI. Complimentary light refreshments will be provided, and attendees will have a chance to win UPEI swag!
Unable to attend?
Stay tuned for future opportunities. If you'd prefer to connect individually, please feel free to reach out to Jessica at jfield@upei.ca
Dana Hospitality will host a weekly BBQ every Thursday this summer from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm (weather permitting) in front of the AVC main doors. Check out the menu here. For potential weather cancellations and up-to-date information, please visit @UPEI_Eats.
World Hepatitis Day 2024 is annually observed on July 28. This day was identified to provide advocacy and education about hepatitis, in particular hepatitis B and C. The theme this year is "It's Time for Action".
An estimated 304 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B or C. For most, testing and treatment remain beyond reach. Viral hepatitis is the second leading infectious cause of death globally, with 1.3 million deaths per year—the same as tuberculosis. Of these, 83% are caused by hepatitis B and 17% by hepatitis C. In Canada it is estimated that 1/100 Canadians have hepatitis C and 13.1 per 100,000 individuals in Canada have hepatitis B.
In the WHO European Region, an estimated 10.6 million people are living with hepatitis B and 8.6 million with hepatitis C. These types of hepatitis account for an estimated 53 000 deaths.
While guidance and tools exist to diagnose, treat and prevent chronic viral hepatitis, services are often out of reach for communities and are sometimes only available at centralized or specialized hospitals.
The new WHO guidelines on hepatitis B prioritize simplified treatment criteria for adults and adolescents, and expanded eligibility for antiviral prophylaxis for pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus.
The guidelines also focus on enhancing diagnostics through point-of-care viral load testing, addressing diagnosis of hepatitis D coinfection using testing protocols, and delivering high-quality services.
Contact the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre (healthcentre@upei.ca; 902.566.0616) to request a test today!
All are invited to view the online thesis defence of Anthony Harris for Master of Science (Mathematical and Computational Sciences) on Wednesday, July 31, at 1 pm.
Title of the Thesis: “Spatial Temporal Connection: A Disaster-Resilient Application-Level Protocol”
Abstract:
We live in a digital age where communication networks are accessible from even the most remote locations on earth. Unfortunately, a side effect to this high availability is an increased dependency on centralized communication networks such as internet and cellular service providers. This reliance translates to more corporate oversight to handle the data processing and transmission, exposing us to governing, privacy and network fragility concerns in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
This thesis explores these centralized communication vulnerabilities through a disaster-resilient lens and proposes a novel solution in the form of an application-level protocol named Spatial Temporal Connection or STC. This protocol, when combined with the open-source, mobile Android application DewSTC, provides an ease-to-use messaging service when centralized networks fail.
Founded on the dew computing principles of Independence and Collaboration, DewSTC acts as both client and server, relaying local and neighboring user data in a delay-tolerant and ad hoc Bluetooth mesh network. Text messages can eventually reach their destination using the concept of movement-over-time without the need for cables, a constant power supply, or even pre-established connections.
While the protocol cannot guarantee message delivery, its routing architecture increases user autonomy, network adaptability and robustness during periods of limited to no connectivity.
Dana Hospitality will host a weekly BBQ every Thursday this summer from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm (weather permitting) in front of the AVC main doors. Check out the menu here. For potential weather cancellations and up-to-date information, please visit @UPEI_Eats.
We have a variety of outdoor games to sign out for use on campus with your colleagues. Games include bocce, croquet, ladderball, washers, and yard-zee. You are encouraged to sign out items for more than one day.
Come out and try pickleball and/or spikeball with fellow UPEI staff and faculty every Thursday at noon for the summer (weather permitting) near the new residence.
You do not have to register online. To sign out equipment, contact Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca
The Healthy Campus Committee coordinates these initiatives through the UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy supported by the Joints Benefits and Advisory Committee.
World Hepatitis Day 2024 is annually observed on July 28. This day was identified to provide advocacy and education about hepatitis, in particular hepatitis B and C. The theme this year is "It's Time for Action".
An estimated 304 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B or C. For most, testing and treatment remain beyond reach. Viral hepatitis is the second leading infectious cause of death globally, with 1.3 million deaths per year—the same as tuberculosis. Of these, 83% are caused by hepatitis B and 17% by hepatitis C. In Canada it is estimated that 1/100 Canadians have hepatitis C and 13.1 per 100,000 individuals in Canada have hepatitis B.
In the WHO European Region, an estimated 10.6 million people are living with hepatitis B and 8.6 million with hepatitis C. These types of hepatitis account for an estimated 53 000 deaths.
While guidance and tools exist to diagnose, treat and prevent chronic viral hepatitis, services are often out of reach for communities and are sometimes only available at centralized or specialized hospitals.
The new WHO guidelines on hepatitis B prioritize simplified treatment criteria for adults and adolescents, and expanded eligibility for antiviral prophylaxis for pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus.
The guidelines also focus on enhancing diagnostics through point-of-care viral load testing, addressing diagnosis of hepatitis D coinfection using testing protocols, and delivering high-quality services.
Contact the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre (healthcentre@upei.ca; 902.566.0616) to request a test today!
DId you know that the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre is a distribution site for HIV self-test kits? We have partnered with Reach Nexus, developers of the "I'm Ready to Know" campaign or "I'm Ready".
Established in June 2021, I’m Ready is a national program that is implementing and evaluating low-barrier options for access to HIV self-testing. The goal is to reach the undiagnosed and give people choices about how to connect to the care they need. The program is an integrated and online technology platform that allows clients to access up to three free HIV Self-Test Kits (HIVST kits), to learn about HIV self-testing initiative and to get support before, during and after testing. This fully integrated solution allows clients to access resources and support either through a website or a mobile app. The website directs clients to download the mobile app to arrange for delivery of the HIV self-test kit or pick up at one of many community-based organizations. Once received, the app guides clients through the self-test administration, survey completion and uploading of test results. At any time while using the mobile app, the client can choose connect to a peer navigator (live person) through a scheduled appointment using a secure telehealth platform.
• If someone wants to “know my status”, they can: • Download the I’m Ready, Test app, register for the program and complete a survey • Order up to 3 free HIV self-testing kits for either delivery or pick up • Upload your results • Once they have the kit(s), they can use the app to test on their own and get more information about HIV care and prevention • Along the way, they will answer survey questions through the app • Can book time with a peer navigator for support with testing and connection to care at any point before, during or after they take the test.
In summary, download the I'm Ready app (apple app or google play) and register. Come to the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and pick up 3 kits. Take the kits to a location of your choosing and complete the test. Log into the app for support before, during and after your test. Your results are known only to you and if you choose to tell someone. If your test is positive, you will need a confirmatory blood test and that can be arranged at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.
All are invited to view the online thesis defence of Anthony Harris for Master of Science (Mathematical and Computational Sciences) on Wednesday, July 31, at 1 pm.
Title of the Thesis: “Spatial Temporal Connection: A Disaster-Resilient Application-Level Protocol”
Abstract:
We live in a digital age where communication networks are accessible from even the most remote locations on earth. Unfortunately, a side effect to this high availability is an increased dependency on centralized communication networks such as internet and cellular service providers. This reliance translates to more corporate oversight to handle the data processing and transmission, exposing us to governing, privacy and network fragility concerns in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
This thesis explores these centralized communication vulnerabilities through a disaster-resilient lens and proposes a novel solution in the form of an application-level protocol named Spatial Temporal Connection or STC. This protocol, when combined with the open-source, mobile Android application DewSTC, provides an ease-to-use messaging service when centralized networks fail.
Founded on the dew computing principles of Independence and Collaboration, DewSTC acts as both client and server, relaying local and neighboring user data in a delay-tolerant and ad hoc Bluetooth mesh network. Text messages can eventually reach their destination using the concept of movement-over-time without the need for cables, a constant power supply, or even pre-established connections.
While the protocol cannot guarantee message delivery, its routing architecture increases user autonomy, network adaptability and robustness during periods of limited to no connectivity.
Renewal of Employee Parking Permits who use payroll deduction is now open for Faculty and Staff for 2024–2025. Please visit the UPEI Security web page and select “Buy a staff or faculty parking pass” or click on the app link below (note: app will not work with Internet Explorer). Permits holders in Lots B, C, DRC, and reserved spaces have no expiry date, but must be renewed yearly as well.
Please DO NOT select the lot you may wish to move into—that is what the wait list is for (see below). New employees will be assigned to the General Lots. All permit holders will be reassigned to their current lot/space.
We would like to advise that there will be an increase in permits this year. The last increase for a permit was in 2014. The cost of a permit will increase by 5%. This change will affect any permits issued or sold for the 2024-2025 school year. If you use payroll deductions your biweekly deductions will increase on September 13, 2024.
If you use payroll deduction, and no longer use a UPEI lot to park, please email parking@upei.ca so we can stop your deduction.
Employees taking a leave of absence from UPEI and using parking lots B, C, F, G, or DRC must email parking@upei.ca with their ID#, name, departure date, and expected return date to maintain access to their assigned lot.
All fields with a red asterisk must be filled in, including office phone number and if you have an electric vehicle.
If you have a student in your household that is starting UPEI in September and they have their own vehicle, remember to include the vehicle info, their name, and ID# on the application if you are paying for their parking. Students will only be assigned a general permit.
If you are in a gated lot and you have a student that will be using your vehicle to come and go during the workday, please include their information on the application as an additional driver. If you wish to add additional information after you have submitted your form, you must resubmit a new application and inform parking@upei.ca that you have done so.
If you change your vehicle, please email parking with the Make, Model, Province/State, Plate #.
If you would like to be added to the wait list for a designated lot or wish to change lots, please email parking@upei.ca with the following information. (Note: if you are already on the wait list there is no need to resubmit.) While you are on the waitlist, you will be assigned to your current lot until a spot opens in your requested location.
Employee ID #:
Name (last, first):
Contact Email:
Phone Number:
Current lot:
Requested lot:
Please direct any questions or information changes to parking@upei.ca
If you have already applied for your 2024-2025 Parking Permit, you can disregard this email.
902-566-0312
parking@upei.ca
NOTE: Metered parking is enforced on weekdays from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, year-round but is not enforced on weekends or holidays.
The Office of Research Services has launched a new internal funding program intended to enhance research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. The SSHRC Seed Funding program supports activities that will strengthen a SSHRC grant proposal and lead to the submission of an application by March 31, 2026.
- VALUE: up to $2500
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 15, 2024 by 4 pm
- ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Tenured, tenure track, and term UPEI faculty members in Arts, Business, Education, IKERAS, Nursing, Medicine, Science, or Sustainable Design Engineering, and Librarians, who are employed by UPEI at the time of application and for the duration of the award. Faculty members in Veterinary Medicine may participate as a co-applicant but cannot be the Principal Investigator. A professor emeritus or adjunct professor may apply as co-applicant with a tenured/tenure-track UPEI faculty member.
- FOR MORE INFORMATION: Program guidelines and application instructions can be found here.
To apply, please use the UPEI Romeo Researcher Portal.
For questions, contact Leslie Cudmore, Research Grants Coordinator, at lcudmore@upei.ca or 902-566-0709.
There will be a UPEI Bloodborne Pathogen Training Session on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, from 10:30 am-12:00 pm.
This session is for those individuals whose research involves human blood, tissue, and other bodily fluids. If you wish to attend you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell at HSE@upei.ca before Thursday, August 8, 2024. Please provide your name, department and email address.
If you have any questions about this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare, rspeare@upei.ca.
Come say hi, have a snack, and play a round of Jenga with UPEI's new Employee Engagement Officer, Jessica Field!
Jessica would like to hear from you and get your thoughts on all things employee engagement. How do you think we should welcome new employees to UPEI? How would you like to be recognized for the work you do? What professional growth opportunities would be most meaningful to you? What initiatives would you like to see on campus that would enhance your experience while at work? What are some areas that make our workplace great that we should leverage? How can we make a positive impact in our communities, both on and off campus?
Thursday, August 1, AVC 280N, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Wednesday, August 7, SDU Main Building 201 - Faculty Lounge, 12:00-2:00 pm
Tuesday, August 13, Kelley Memorial Building 234, 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Open to all employees at UPEI. Complimentary light refreshments will be provided, and attendees will have a chance to win UPEI swag!
Unable to attend?
Stay tuned for future opportunities. If you'd prefer to connect individually, please feel free to reach out to Jessica at jfield@upei.ca
Dana Hospitality will host a weekly BBQ every Thursday this summer from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm (weather permitting) in front of the AVC main doors. Check out the menu here. For potential weather cancellations and up-to-date information, please visit @UPEI_Eats.
The Department of Physics is once again hosting public viewings of the sun using our solar telescopes throughout the summer. At these events, you can view the sun's chromosphere through our ground-based telescope before climbing to the observatory and viewing the sun's photosphere through a different telescope. And if you don't know what a chromosphere or a photosphere is, we'll teach you!
Our next viewing is scheduled for Friday, July 26, from 12:30-2:00 pm. As of Thursday afternoon, the forecast is calling for clouds, which would prevent our viewing, but we can't be sure until Friday morning. Check our website mid-morning Friday to find out if the event has been cancelled. We will also be trying again in two weeks, on Friday, August 9.
All are invited to view the online thesis defence of Anthony Harris for Master of Science (Mathematical and Computational Sciences) on Wednesday, July 31, at 1 pm.
Title of the Thesis: “Spatial Temporal Connection: A Disaster-Resilient Application-Level Protocol”
Abstract:
We live in a digital age where communication networks are accessible from even the most remote locations on earth. Unfortunately, a side effect to this high availability is an increased dependency on centralized communication networks such as internet and cellular service providers. This reliance translates to more corporate oversight to handle the data processing and transmission, exposing us to governing, privacy and network fragility concerns in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
This thesis explores these centralized communication vulnerabilities through a disaster-resilient lens and proposes a novel solution in the form of an application-level protocol named Spatial Temporal Connection or STC. This protocol, when combined with the open-source, mobile Android application DewSTC, provides an ease-to-use messaging service when centralized networks fail.
Founded on the dew computing principles of Independence and Collaboration, DewSTC acts as both client and server, relaying local and neighboring user data in a delay-tolerant and ad hoc Bluetooth mesh network. Text messages can eventually reach their destination using the concept of movement-over-time without the need for cables, a constant power supply, or even pre-established connections.
While the protocol cannot guarantee message delivery, its routing architecture increases user autonomy, network adaptability and robustness during periods of limited to no connectivity.
The Office of Recruitment and First-Year Advisement is hosting the Summer Open Day today for all incoming first-year students at UPEI this fall to join us for an exciting and information-filled morning at the UPEI campus, followed by lunch at the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall! Incoming students can take campus and residence tours, participate in a mini-student service fair to understand the services and resources available as incoming UPEI students, and attend sessions to learn about everything UPEI!
Renewal of Employee Parking Permits who use payroll deduction is now open for Faculty and Staff for 2024–2025. Please visit the UPEI Security web page and select “Buy a staff or faculty parking pass” or click on the app link below (note: app will not work with Internet Explorer). Permits holders in Lots B, C, DRC, and reserved spaces have no expiry date, but must be renewed yearly as well.
Please DO NOT select the lot you may wish to move into—that is what the wait list is for (see below). New employees will be assigned to the General Lots. All permit holders will be reassigned to their current lot/space.
We would like to advise that there will be an increase in permits this year. The last increase for a permit was in 2014. The cost of a permit will increase by 5%. This change will affect any permits issued or sold for the 2024-2025 school year. If you use payroll deductions your biweekly deductions will increase on September 13, 2024.
If you use payroll deduction, and no longer use a UPEI lot to park, please email parking@upei.ca so we can stop your deduction.
Employees taking a leave of absence from UPEI and using parking lots B, C, F, G, or DRC must email parking@upei.ca with their ID#, name, departure date, and expected return date to maintain access to their assigned lot.
All fields with a red asterisk must be filled in, including office phone number and if you have an electric vehicle.
If you have a student in your household that is starting UPEI in September and they have their own vehicle, remember to include the vehicle info, their name, and ID# on the application if you are paying for their parking. Students will only be assigned a general permit.
If you are in a gated lot and you have a student that will be using your vehicle to come and go during the workday, please include their information on the application as an additional driver. If you wish to add additional information after you have submitted your form, you must resubmit a new application and inform parking@upei.ca that you have done so.
If you change your vehicle, please email parking with the Make, Model, Province/State, Plate #.
If you would like to be added to the wait list for a designated lot or wish to change lots, please email parking@upei.ca with the following information. (Note: if you are already on the wait list there is no need to resubmit.) While you are on the waitlist, you will be assigned to your current lot until a spot opens in your requested location.
Employee ID #:
Name (last, first):
Contact Email:
Phone Number:
Current lot:
Requested lot:
Please direct any questions or information changes to parking@upei.ca
If you have already applied for your 2024-2025 Parking Permit, you can disregard this email.
902-566-0312
parking@upei.ca
NOTE: Metered parking is enforced on weekdays from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, year-round but is not enforced on weekends or holidays.
Everyone is welcome to attend the MSc (Mathematical and Computational Sciences) thesis defence of presenter Bowen Xu on Friday, July 26, at 10 am in HSB 105.
Title of the Thesis: “Deep Reinforcement Learning for Smart Restarts In Exploration-only Exploitation-only Metaheuristic Hybrids”
Metaheuristic algorithms excel in addressing challenging optimization problems but often face the issue of premature convergence, limiting their potential during extended optimization periods. This research aims to overcome this limitation by integrating Reinforcement Learning to implement intelligent restart mechanisms in metaheuristic processes. The objective is to enhance the algorithms' ability to explore and exploit the solution space more effectively, thereby improving performance in complex optimization scenarios.
The study starts with a review of current metaheuristic algorithms, highlighting the issue of premature convergence. It then explores Reinforcement Learning principles, particularly their decision-making capabilities, to optimize metaheuristic performance. A novel framework is proposed where Reinforcement Learning agents monitor the optimization process, identify stagnation phases, and initiate intelligent restarts. These restarts are strategically guided by the agents' learned policies, ensuring diversified search when necessary and focused exploration of promising regions.
Experiments on benchmark optimization problems demonstrate that integrating Reinforcement Learning significantly mitigates premature convergence, leading to superior solution quality and robust performance across various domains. This research not only addresses a critical limitation in metaheuristic optimization but also suggests new applications of Reinforcement Learning for enhancing algorithmic efficiency. The findings underscore the potential of intelligent restart mechanisms to transform optimization, enabling more effective and adaptive metaheuristic solutions.
Join us for a Cultural Social Night! Show off your unique cultural attire and enjoy an unforgettable evening of board games, laughter, and socializing at the Dawson Lounge (Rm. 520), 5th Floor, SDU Main Building.
Date: Friday, July 26
Time: 5:00–8:00 pm
Presented by the UPEI Campus Life Program. This event promises fun, connection, and cultural celebration. Don’t miss out—mark your calendars and invite your friends! See you there!
