The Nichola K.S. Goddard Foundation has donated a total of $25,000 to the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) for the College’s cardiology service.

Dr. Tim and Sally Goddard, founders of the Nichola K.S. Goddard Foundation, presented Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, with a cheque during the foundation’s annual dinner in November. A former dean of the UPEI Faculty of Education, Dr. Goddard is currently coordinator of the faculty’s graduate programs. Sally Goddard is an educational consultant at AVC.

“At AVC, our mission is to provide future veterinarians with a high quality education, conduct research for the benefit of animals and people, and give expert and compassionate care to animals and their owners,” says Dr. Keefe. “The support of individuals and organizations like the Nichola Goddard Foundation is very important in helping us to fulfil our mission and to continue to grow in reputation and the services we provide. We are deeply honoured that you have chosen AVC as a recipient for your generosity.”

The donation will be used to purchase equipment for the cardiology service, which provides specialized care for diverse species, including horses, cats, dogs, and birds. The service is led by Dr. Etienne Côté, the only board-certified veterinary cardiologist in Atlantic Canada and one of ten in Canada. This gift brings the total amount donated to UPEI by the foundation to over $100,000 since 2011.

The Goddards established the foundation in memory of their daughter, Captain Nichola Goddard, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on May 7, 2006. She had numerous pets during her life and had planned to establish a kennel when she had completed her military career.

Captain Goddard’s parents honour her memory through scholarships they have established at UPEI and the University of Calgary, and through a project in Papua New Guinea—where Captain Goddard was born—to install solar-powered LED lighting systems in rural health care facilities. Among other tributes, a Canadian Coastguard Hero class vessel was named in Captain Goddard’s memory; the Calgary Board of Education established the Captain Nichola Goddard School in Calgary; and the Government of Saskatchewan named a lake in her honour.
 

December is one of the busiest months in the academic year and for students it’s filled with final assignments, exams, and presentations. Eating properly, sleeping, and taking care of one’s physical and mental health become secondary as a student’s time is consumed with studying and the need to meet deadlines. December 2016 saw a host of activities, that were employee-led-and-initiated, geared towards supporting UPEI students and relieving end-of-the-semester stress: 

• Meet and Greet with treats and Santa Claus, Student Affairs
• Festive Coffee, Hot Cocoa, and Cookie Break, Office of the President
• Chili luncheons, Chaplaincy Centre
• Stress-Free Zone with board games and  treat breaks, Robertson Library and Chartwells
• Bo the Golden Retriever therapy dog and board games, International Relations Office
• a variety of healthy grab-and-go snacks provided by various departments across campus

“It is clearly a gesture that demonstrates how staff care for these students on a personal level,” said Dr. Christine Hoffman, a parent who was comforted by the kind actions of UPEI employees at the Chili Luncheon, hosted by the Chaplaincy Centre and led by Rocky Paquet and Sister Sue Kidd. “As a parent I was actually emotional to know that a group of staff members felt it was important to prepare a meal to nourish and comfort students just like would happen if they were at home.”

Hoffman wished to thank everyone who kindly spent hours preparing, planning, and serving students at the many activities and events hosted by UPEI staff during the exam period. “All of your efforts and thoughtfulness are truly appreciated.” 

UPEI is proud of the kind and caring faculty and staff that take time “out from behind their desk” to serve students during this typically stressful time of year.

Two teams from UPEI’s School of Business made an impressive showing in the ninth edition of the Options Trading Simulation. More than 3,000 undergraduate and MBA students from 38 Canadian universities competed over the course of eight weeks. Go Panthers Go, a team made up of Jeremy Heartz and Quentin Ng, took sixteenth place overall. Darcy Norton, competing as a one-man team, took twentieth place.

Ng and Heartz ended the competition with a balance of $148,391, on an initial “investment” of $100,000. Norton’s final balance was $141,762. The teams’ returns were impressive, at 48.4 per cent and 41.8 per cent respectively.

Heartz explains one of the successful trades his team made: Suncor Energy Inc. “We had a good idea that the stock could only perform better than expected due to it being in the oil and natural gas sector—where expectations were low because of the current price of oil—as well as Suncor having lost facilities in the Fort McMurray wildfire. The stock rose by about 7 per cent, and our options responded by increasing by 500-600 per cent; on a total investment of $9,000 we made $55,000.”

“The teams deserve all the credit,” said faculty supervisor Dr. Andrew Carrothers. “I simply explained the basic concepts and demonstrated how to trade. These two teams made 340 transactions over the eight weeks of competition. Clearly the phenomenal performance was a result of their decision-making. It is very satisfying when UPEI punches well above its weight class.”

Teams from UPEI’s School of Business have enjoyed great success in recent years in regional, national, and international case competitions. As the Globe and Mail recently reported, the successes have helped raise the profile of the school in the world of academia and with potential international students.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

UPEI’s administrative offices will be closed Saturday, December 24 through Monday, January 2, 2017, inclusive. Office and regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

For on-campus assistance during this period, please contact Security Services at security@upei.ca or 902-566-0384.

The Department of Development and Alumni Engagement at 618 University Avenue will be open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on December 28, 29, and 30.

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Atlantic Veterinary College will be available for emergency services only through the holiday period.

The UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sport Centre will be open December 24 from 8:00 am to noon. It will close Christmas Day and reopen Boxing Day at reduced hours.

December 26, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
December 27, 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
December 28, 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
December 29, 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
December 30, 6:00 am to 8:00 pm
December 31, 8:00 am to noon
January 1, closed

The Sports Centre resumes regular hours on January 2, 2017.

Happy Holidays!

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

UPEI’s annual New Year’s Day Levee at the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering proved to be a popular stop for members of the community who were carrying on the tradition of spreading good cheer across the province.

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Valerie Abd-El-Aziz, along with UPEI Student Union President Nathan Hood, UPEI Board of Governors Chair Pat Sinnott and Darlene Sinnott, and UPEI Alumni Association President Curtis Toombs, greeted close to 500 guests at the 2017 edition of the University’s time-honoured event.

A group of international students provided a helpful hand as they welcomed attendees, wrote out presentation cards, and helped to collect and hang up coats.

Once again, UPEI alumni and friends were highly visible on the levee circuit as they sported the latest version of the highly sought-after, argyle-knit UPEI alumni scarf. This year’s fashion accessory was black in colour and accented in UPEI rust.

Lisa Moore, novelist and short story author from St. John’s, Newfoundland, and one of Canada’s most popular and innovative fiction writers, will read in Charlottetown on Monday, January 16, at 7:30 pm in the UPEI Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building.

Intending to be a visual artist, Moore earned a BA at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Returning to St. John’s, she studied at Memorial and began writing fiction. This career change has resulted in three Scotiabank Giller Prize for fiction nominations, a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Canadian Authors Association Jubilee Award, legions of fans, and many writers being inspired by her work.

Moore’s second novel, February, was long-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The novel focuses on Helen in the decades after her husband drowned in the Ocean Ranger oil rig disaster off the Newfoundland coast. Moore’s latest novel, Caught, a fast-paced adventure story, is the story of David Slaney, a Newfoundlander and escaped convict who makes a second attempt at smuggling marijuana from Colombia to Canada.

As a short story writer, Moore has joined the ranks of Canada’s most gifted, engrossing, and provocative practitioners. As a younger author from our region, Moore lands us smack-dab in contemporary scenes and crises, with Atlantic Canadian characters born a generation or two after Alistair MacLeod’s fishers, miners, farmers, and home-makers. We’re not in mid-twentieth century Cape Breton anymore, Dorothy.

Novelist Jane Urquhart, in her introduction to The Selected Short Fiction of Lisa Moore, writes, “Here we have the young urbanites of St. John’s, their bars and their apartments, the taxis they rode in and the fraught love affairs they endured and celebrated. This was the membership of a whole new tribe...I followed these young people through marathon parties, interpersonal claustrophobia, breakups, childbirth, and world travels...and always completely life-enhancing.”

As the bounty of cod vanished from Newfoundland’s waters, a plenitude of fiction writers rose from its shores to re-imagine and chronicle its history and present, its hardships and glories -- from Joan Clark, Bernice Morgan, and Wayne Johnston to Donna Morrissey and Michael Crummey. And Lisa Moore. 

Winter’s Tales is sponsored by UPEI’s English Department, Faculty of Arts, and Vice-President Academic and Research, with funding from The Canada Council for the Arts. A reception and book signing will follow Lisa’s reading. Admission is free.

Here is this week's upcoming game schedule for your UPEI Panthers! For more information, visit gopanthersgo.ca.

Friday, January 6

7:00 pm UPEI Men's Hockey vs Dalhousie at MacLauchlan Arena

Saturday, January 7

3:00 pm UPEI Women's Hockey vs Dalhousie at MacLauchlan Arena
6:00 pm UPEI Women's Basketball vs Dalhousie at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre**
7:00 pm UPEI Men's Hockey vs St. Francis Xavier at the Eastlink Centre, on Kensington Road
8:00 pm UPEI Men's Basketball vs Dalhousie at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre**

Sunday, January 8

2:00 pm UPEI Women's Hockey vs St. Francis Xavier at MacLauchlan Arena

* All games webcast on AUStv
** Saturday's basketball games broadcast on Bell TV1

University of Prince Edward Island Women’s Hockey Coach Bruce Donaldson is ringing in the New Year by announcing that Miramichi, New Brunswick native Shelby Foran has committed to the Panthers for 2017–18.

For the past three years, Foran, a forward, has attended the Winchendon School, a college preparatory boarding school in Winchendon, Massachusetts where she has played several varsity sports, with hockey being her favourite. Prior to Winchendon, she played for the North Stars Midget Triple AAA team in Miramichi and with the New Brunswick provincial team.

“I am very excited to play with the UPEI Panthers because, even at a young age, I always wanted to play university hockey. I can’t imagine a better place to make those dreams come true than at UPEI. When I toured UPEI and the city of Charlottetown, it felt like home. I look forward to working hard, both academically and athletically at UPEI, and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“Shelby is a strong, offensively-minded forward who will greatly complement our line-up. She has great reach, is a strong skater, sees the ice very well, and, most importantly, can finish with consistency. While we expect that she will immediately be an impact player, we see Shelby as one of those athletes who will continue to improve each year as the team continues to build towards the future.”

Foran has been accepted into the Faculty of Science at UPEI and plans to complete a degree majoring in kinesiology.

As part of its community outreach, the UPEI Women’s hockey team recently raised $860.40 in a door-to-door campaign to support the Alzheimer's Society of PEI. The squad will head to Fredericton this Saturday, January 14 for its first game away after the Christmas break, taking on St. Thomas at 3:00 pm. UPEI plays the Université de Moncton on Sunday, in Moncton, at 2:00 pm.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
UPEI Athletics and Recreation supports UPEI’s mission by providing leadership in the promotion of athletic excellence and the delivery of quality physical activity programs and services that enhance health, wellness, and a sense of community. The Department provides opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and community members to support UPEI’s varsity and club Panther Sport teams and to take part in recreation and fitness programming.
 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jane McLaughlin (Women’s Basketball) and JC Campagna (Men’s Hockey), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for January 2-8!

Jane McLaughlin is a third-year forward on the Women’s Basketball team from Fortune, PEI. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing student scored 25 points in the Panthers recent 88-74 win over Dalhousie University. McLaughlin shot a phenomenal 67% from the field, including sinking eight of twelve three-point attempts. She also had eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. “Jane’s toughness and leadership was outstanding,” said coach Greg Gould. “She made all of her teammates better.”

JC Campagna is a third-year forward on the Men’s Hockey team. The Bachelor of Arts student from Dublin, Ohio scored a goal and three assists in the Panthers’ two most recent games against Dalhousie University and St. Francis Xavier University. “JC, Beau (McCue), and Gabe (Guertler) showed some chemistry early as a line,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “There was a lot of heart from that group, and JC was rewarded by contributing on the score sheet.”

The Panthers have just one game at home this week when Men’s Hockey plays a make-up game Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm against the Saint Mary’s University Huskies (rescheduled from December 1). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.