AVC is accepting applications for its 2018 Summer Academy program, which will take place from August 5–10. This academically based program helps participants understand what is involved in getting an education in veterinary medicine. Participants take part in classroom lectures, field trips, and labs.

AVC Summer Academy is open to those who are currently enrolled in, have been accepted into, or have graduated from university. Participants must have a minimum B+ (77%) average or GPA 3.3, and be 18 years of age or older. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 25. For more information, please visit upei.ca/avc/summer-programs/academy.

The 2018 Canadian Association of Physicists National Lecture tour is coming to UPEI. Dr. Caroline Boudoux, an associate professor in the department of engineering physics at École Polytechnique Montréal, will present “Light at Heart—Fiber optics from laboratory to market” on Wednesday, March 14 at 4:00 pm in room 128B in UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering building.

Dr. Boudoux will discuss recent advances in medical endoscopy that offer the potential to further increase patient comfort and increase access to remote organs. Her presentation will explore the development of thin, single fibre endoscopes that can transmit more than 85 per cent of the input light. The information will be relevant to members of the public interested in healthcare and medical technologies. 

Dr. Boudoux has a PhD in biomedical optics from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program (USA) and she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at École Polytechnique (France). She is also an entrepreneur, having founded Castor Optics Inc. in a strategic partnership with Thorlabs Inc. She has won several teaching and research awards, including a Fulbright fellowship in 2015 to spend a sabbatical year at Stanford University.

The 2018 CAP National Lecture Series is brought to you by the Canadian Association of Physicists - www.cap.ca and is hosted by the UPEI Department of Physics.

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.

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Bailey Smith, the UPEI Panther Subway Athlete of the Week for March 5–11.

Bailey Smith is a second-year sprinter and a nursing student from Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island. She continued her climb up the national rankings in the 60-metre sprint at the U SPORTS Track & Field Championship, held last week at the University of Windsor. Bailey overcame a slight stumble at the start of her qualifying heat to finish fourth, tying her personal best of 7.63 seconds. This was enough to qualify her for the finals, where she finished in seventh place.

Go Panthers Go!

Sydney Gallant, a fourth-year business administration student from UPEI, is one of eight students across Atlantic Canada awarded the 2018 Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies.

Over her four years of undergraduate studies in UPEI’s Faculty of Business, Sydney has been involved in a number of societies. She is past president of Enactus UPEI, where she started an initiative called Financially Fit, presenting to more than 600 PEI high school students about making financial plans for their post-secondary education. She is a representative on the UPEI Business Society and a founder of the UPEI chapter of the PEI Business Women’s Association.

Sydney competed with her team in a number of case competitions, finishing third at the Atlantic Schools of Business Case Competition in 2016, second at the Alberta Not-for-Profit International Case Competition in 2017, and first place at the Atlantic Schools of Business Case Competition in 2017. She has also appeared on the dean’s list every year of her studies at UPEI.

“We are delighted and very proud that Sydney is a recipient of the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies. Besides being an excellent student, she spearheaded the implementation of new initiatives and activities at UPEI and beyond, and tirelessly served students and her peers,” said Dr. Juergen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business at UPEI. “She is a wonderful ambassador for the faculty and university and we congratulate her wholeheartedly for this prestigious achievement. ”

The Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies began in 1989 to support the development of future business leaders and business programs in Atlantic Canadian universities. Eight awards of $25,000 are offered each academic year to full-time undergraduate students of business studies in universities in the Atlantic Provinces.

The Frank H. Sobey Awards are awarded based on criteria that include entrepreneurial experience, university and community leadership, career aspirations, and overall academic achievement.

“We are delighted to welcome eight new future leaders to our alumni who exemplify remarkable entrepreneurial spirit and leadership within their Universities and communities,” said Paul D. Sobey, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies. “With an increased emphasis on entrepreneurialism, we are honoured to continue to reward young business talent within Atlantic Canadian universities who will build a brighter economic future for Atlantic Canada, and indeed, our country, over the years to come.”

Additional information about this year’s award winners and the qualification and nomination process can be found at http://www.frankhsobeyawards.com.

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.

A pair of researchers at UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering have been awarded funding from Mitacs to develop a detailed technical framework for PEI’s electrical system to increase renewable energy integration and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. With $150,000 from Mitacs Accelerate and the PEI Energy Corporation, Dr. Matthew Hall and Dr. Andrew Swingler will hire three graduate students and begin building a “roadmap” towards making PEI’s energy system 100 per cent carbon free.

“Prince Edward Island has a significant amount of renewable energy generation in the form of wind energy,” said Dr. Hall, an assistant professor at UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering (SSDE). “But we are also heavily dependent on less clean electricity coming across the Northumberland Strait from New Brunswick.”

Moving toward a carbon-free system isn’t just about adding more wind and solar capacity, explains Dr. Hall. Further growth in renewable energy is constrained by intermittency of the power generation and storage costs.

“At the same time, we have new technologies coming online that will increase our power usage,” said Dr. Swingler, an associate professor of sustainable energy systems at the SSDE. “Electric vehicles and new heating technologies mean we’ll be using more electricity, not less. And the idea is that ultimately all our electricity comes from carbon-free sources.”

The team will work with the PEI Energy Corporation, which will provide essential data, knowledge of the market, and networks of industry expertise.

“Prince Edward Island is a leader in wind energy and well positioned for leadership in emerging renewable energies,” said Heather MacLeod, Energy Assets Manager at the PEI Energy Corporation. “We are pleased to partner with the University of Prince Edward Island’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering on this important research.” 

The project will build a simulation-modelling tool for the PEI electrical system to explore a range of renewable energy integration solutions. It will assess the demand response and energy storage potential in PEI, and how they can be best leveraged. The team will also analyse the rising role of electrical vehicles in the PEI system, including impact on electricity load. The final goal is to lay out pathways toward 100 per cent  renewable electricity supply for the Island.

“It’s going to happen,” said Dr. Swingler. “We’ve got our eyes on the prize. We’re looking towards a carbon-free energy system. ”

Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for 18 years. Working with 60 universities, thousands of companies, and both federal and provincial governments, Mitacs builds partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada.

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.

A paper co-authored by UPEI’s Dr. Robert Gilmour will be featured in the March 19 issue of the journal Nature. Dr. Gilmour is UPEI’s vice-president academic and research. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Gilmour has continued his research into the mechanisms for the development of cardiac rhythm disturbances.

The paper, entitled “Electromechanical vortex filaments during cardiac fibrillation,” explores a combination of techniques, which enables, for the first time, simultaneous visualization of the 3D waves of electrical and mechanical activity that are responsible for many cases of sudden cardiac death. An accompanying editorial on the paper says the ideas within “could considerably advance our understanding of ventricular fibrillation. The study has potential implications for a broad range of researchers, from physicists to cardiologists.” Dr. Gilmour's co-authors include former colleagues and trainees from his tenure at Cornell University.

Congratulations, Dr. Gilmour!

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.

Bruce Donaldson, coach of UPEI Women’s Hockey, is pleased to announce Delaney Boehm of East St. Paul, Manitoba has committed to the Panthers for 2018.

“I watched Delaney at a tourney in Stoney Creek in early September and felt strongly she would be a great addition to our team,” said Donaldson. “We are looking to add size and offensive talent to our roster and Delaney offers both.”

Boehm plays for Balmoral Hall School in Winnipeg. She presently leads her team in scoring with 19 goals and five assists in 26 games.

“I chose PEI because it had the big town campus feeling provided in the small-town atmosphere, it felt like home,” said Boehm. “The hockey program and academic programs both are fantastic. Having come from a small high school, the class sizes are nice and not too overwhelming. Overall, it is a great fit to further both my athletic and academic career.”

Balmoral Hall competes in the Junior Women’s Hockey League, which includes teams such as the Boston Shamrocks and Chicago Young Americans.

“It's a very strong league which enables players that are having success to transition to the U-Sport level,” said Donaldson. “Delaney visited a number of interested schools, and UPEI was the last stop on her visits. We were very pleased when she confirmed that UPEI was her first choice and look forward to seeing her in our line come September.”

Boehm plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science majoring in biology.

Go Panthers Go!

The University of Prince Edward Island reminds students and members of the UPEI community to be wary of calls or emails from persons demanding money and claiming to be representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

UPEI was made aware of a nationwide scam targeting newcomers after a UPEI student reached out to the UPEI Recruitment and Admissions office last week when he received a phone call from someone identifying himself as a member of the RCMP. The student was told that he was under investigation and owed money, and if he didn’t pay, would be deported.

It is important to note that the RCMP or IRB will never ask for money.

As reported by several media outlets in 2017, the IRB is working with law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators and bring an end to this scam. In the meantime, UPEI is warning members of the campus community to limit the impacts of this fraud.

If anyone receives a call or email of this nature, do not comply with any of the demands and instead contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre advises people that they have the right to check a caller or message sender by requesting written information, a call-back number, references, and time to think. It also warns people never to trust caller ID displays or provide confidential personal information, especially banking or credit card details, over the phone or by email.

If you believe that you have fallen victim to fraud, you can contact UPEI Security Services at (902) 566-0384 or your local police agency.  Students can also contact UPEI Student Affairs at studentserv@upei.ca or (902) 566-0488 for further support.

The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the academic year on Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 pm at Park Royal United Church in Charlottetown. This has been a particularly busy and musically rewarding year for the Wind Symphony with highly successful performances throughout the fall and winter.

This recital will feature contemporary works for the modern wind band, with several emerging masterworks of the genre. The program will open with Pansori's Rhapsody, a virtuosic work by Korean composer Chang Su Koh. This work is imbued with Korean culture and, through Su Koh's masterful orchestration, creates innovative colours and effects. effervescent widgets, this recital's title work, is among the most rhythmically complex scores that the Wind Symphony has ever performed. Here, American Richard Drehoff Jr., creates, in musical terms, a narrative of a widget's journey through the modern manufacturing mechanism. To accomplish this, Drehoff Jr. uses repetitive ostinato passages which layer upon themselves to the point of collapse.

Percy Grainger, an Austrailian by birth but an American by choice, wrote his Children's March: Over The Hills and Far Away around 1919. Based on an original Grainger melody, it is a light, carefree work the utilizes the full symphonic resources and colour of the modern wind band. Grainger was among the first to use piano and mallet percussion as part of his works for wind band. Another featured work by an American composer is Julie Giroux's One Life Beautiful. It is an introspective work with some of the most lyrical lines. Additional works by Dimitri Shostakovich and Warren Benson will be performed.

This recital will be the final Wind Symphony performance for eleven of its graduating students – among the largest in the history of this ensemble. All have made significant contributions to UPEI, and the Wind Symphony in particular, throughout their undergraduate careers.

Tickets ($15 Adults; $10 Students) for this performance may be acquired in advance at the UPEI Music Department or at the door prior to the recital. 

The UPEI Wind Symphony received the 2014 Music PEI award for Achievement in Classical Music. Under the direction of Dr. Karem J Simon, the Wind Symphony has had a progressive approach to its programming, and in reaching a wider audience. With performances throughout PEI and beyond each year, partnerships with PEI school music programs, and utilizing unique performance spaces, the Wind Symphony is among PEI's most respected large ensembles. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble. In recent years performances at Zion Presbyterian Church, St. Dunstan’s Basilica, and Park Royal United Church have attracted capacity audiences.

The AVC Wildlife Service and the AVC Student Wildlife Club are celebrating National Wildlife Week with a public lecture at the Atlantic Veterinary College, Lecture Theatre A, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, at 7 p.m.

National Wildlife Week, which takes place from April 8–14 this year, is a program of the Canadian Wildlife Federation to celebrate Canada’s natural heritage and the importance of its conservation.

Fiep de Bie, technician with the AVC Wildlife Service, will give a lecture called “Island wild birds: Monitoring their health and well-being.” She will reflect on the outbreak of trichomonosis in finches in the summer of 2017 and address the question of whether people should feed wild birds. Other issues related to wild birds on Prince Edward Island will also be discussed.

There will be a fundraiser for the AVC Wildlife Service, including a silent auction of art, a raffle, and the sale of cupcakes. Proceeds will go towards the care of wildlife submitted to the service. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free.