Dr. Tess Miller, associate professor of education at UPEI, invites parents and teachers to a special event designed to help improve the math ability of students on Prince Edward Island. The event is Wednesday, December 6, from 4:30–6:00 pm in room 104 of UPEI’s Health Sciences Building.

Dr. Miller has developed a series of math videos to teach concepts in multiplication, fractions, and decimals. The videos provide strong visual aids to help anchor concepts, which, for some learners, are difficult to grasp.

“When learning difficult topics, students often resort to memorizing algorithms, which may lead to the correct result but does not provide a deep understanding of what is really happening,” explained Dr. Miller. “By using diagrams to explain the concepts, students can not only come to a correct answer but fully grasp how they got there.”

Participants will be divided into small groups to watch short videos on individual concepts. Dr. Miller and her team will also engage the groups in practicing the concepts in the videos.

All are welcome. Please let Dr. Miller know by December 1 if you plan to attend.

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.

Since 1888, the Estate of Owen Connolly has helped thousands of Prince Edward Island students of Irish Catholic heritage gain a higher education. Leonard Cusack (SDU ’69) has written the rags-to-riches story of Owen Connolly, the remarkable man behind the money. We invite you to celebrate the launch of Owen Connolly: The Making of a Legacy on Thursday, November 30, at 7:00 pm at the PEI Brewing Company in Charlottetown. The event will feature the Irish group, Omos. All are welcome.

Owen Connolly first stepped onto the docks in Charlottetown in 1839 as a poor young Irish immigrant escaping the poverty and repression of his homeland. Forty years later, he was one of the wealthiest men on Prince Edward Island.

Connolly was a special kind of entrepreneur; with little formal education, he could write well and was good with figures. When he died in 1887, he left almost all his fortune to provide bursaries to poor Irish Catholic students from PEI.

The Connolly bursary has funded more than $3 million to help Island students of Irish Catholic heritage gain a higher education, many of them at SDU or UPEI. But because the bursary was handled externally, there are no easy records of which students received it.

The UPEI Alumni Office is issuing a special call to SDU and UPEI alumni who benefited from the Connolly bursary over the years. If you received the Connolly bursary, please contact Anthony Gill at adgill@upei.ca.
Soft cover and souvenir copies of the book will be available for sale and signing at the launch on November 30. Owen Connolly: The Making of a Legacy is published by Island Studies Press and the Estate of Owen Connolly.

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.

The University of Prince Edward Island recently held a signing ceremony for the pension agreement between the UPEI Board of Governors and UPEI's four unions: UPEI Faculty Association (bargaining units 1 and 2), IBEW 1928, CUPE 1870, and CUPE 501. The agreement was ratified by the unions and approved by the Board of Governors in November 2016.

“This signing is momentous as it officially marks UPEI’s transition to a jointly sponsored pension plan, which will ensure sustainability for UPEI employees,” said Jackie Podger, Vice-President Administration and Finance.

Taking part in the signing were (from left to right) Tracy Carmichael, President CUPE 1870; Donald Large, IBEW 1928; Pat Sinnott, Chair, Board of Governors; Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Nola Etkin, President, UPEI Faculty Association; and Wayne Squarebriggs, President CUPE 501. Also on hand to witness the historic occasion were (from left to right) Dr. Wayne Peters, UPEI Faculty Association; Blair Somers, IBEW 1928; and Jackie Podger.

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Megan Sullivan and Samy Mohamed, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for November 20–26!

Megan Sullivan is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student from Bathurst, New Brunswick and a goalie on the UPEI Women’s Hockey team. The team split a couple of games over the weekend, beating Dalhousie University 3–2 and losing to Saint Thomas University 3–2 in overtime. Sullivan stopped 48 of 53 shots over the weekend, posting a save percentage of 90.7.

“Megan played very well this weekend, making a few big saves when we needed them,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “Megan had a great week of practice and, along with the entire team, felt confident going into the weekend. We ask our goalies to give the team an opportunity to win, and that means making some key saves at critical times. Megan did just that, and we earned 3 out of 4 possible points.”

Samy Mohamed is a fifth-year guard on the UPEI Men’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Business Administration student from Scarborough, Ontario. The team lost 88–78 to Acadia University over the weekend, but Mohamed scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds, and made three assists.

“Samy’s potential to impact the entire game was on full display Saturday night,” said coach Darrell Glenn. “Our team is getting better, and we will rely heavily on Samy’s consistent contributions moving forward.”

Don’t forget to pick up your Panther Package! For just $75, the package includes admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

In L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables, the Avery Scholarship was an object of fierce competition between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. The Avery Award is a very real, new award at UPEI, established in appreciation of the legacy of Montgomery, and its very first recipient is Michaela Wipond, a third-year English major from Calgary, Alberta.

Wipond first fell in love with the writings of Montgomery as a lonely 11-year-old at summer camp, when a copy of Anne became her closest companion. She spent the next six years devouring every title of PEI’s most famous literary icon she could put her hands on. Indeed, it was her love of Montgomery which brought her to UPEI.

“Moving across the country to a province I had never been to before was not an easy decision to make, but it was undoubtedly the right one,” wrote Wipond in her application essay. “I accomplished one of my dearest ambitions when, in the summer of 2016, I took English 333: L.M. Montgomery. I found inspiration, a mentor, and a kindred spirit in Professor Deirdre Kessler.”

The Avery Award comes with a $1000 cash prize, and an opportunity to work with mentor Melanie Fishbane. Fishbane is the social media coordinator and member of the management committee of the L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI). She is also the author of the critically acclaimed novel Maud, inspired by the life of L.M. Montgomery. Fishbane will mentor Wipond in social media initiatives of the LMMI and help her connect with a passionate international community of scholars and readers.

“When I first met Michaela at the LMMI conference in 2016, I remember thinking how wonderful it was that we had a student at the conference, who had such passion and focus for Montgomery and her work,” said Fishbane. “Michaela is part of the next generation of scholars, and it is imperative that the LMMI supports this any way it can. I’m thrilled that Michaela won the Avery Award and have this opportunity to nurture her ambitions, showing her best practices in how to engage with the Montgomery community online and around the world.”

The Avery Scholarship (now the Avery Award) was originally established by Jeannette Arsenault and Don Maxfield, the owners Cavendish Figurines Ltd. (now Shop & Play), and their staff. The award was created in appreciation of the legacy of L.M. Montgomery on PEI and in tribute to the “spirit of Anne.” The award supports UPEI students with an interest in Montgomery and a desire to pursue excellence in writing.

Congratulations, Michaela!

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. 

Dr. Basil Ikede, retired professor and chair, AVC Department of Pathology and Microbiology, contributed to the 11th edition of Veterinary Medicine: A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs and Goats, published recently by Elsevier. The book’s four authors and nine coauthors come from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Ikede wrote the sections on foreign animal diseases, especially major exotic viral and protozoan diseases, and on necropsy and specimens for confirmation of diagnosis. He has contributed to this textbook since the 8th edition published in 1994.

The first edition of the book was published in 1960, authored by Blood and Henderson. Since then, it has been the standard text and reference material for veterinary students, graduate students, practicing veterinarians, and field workers. It is the most extensively cited textbook in veterinary medicine, with a total of 4,267 citations (Google Scholar, May 2016). It has been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.

Published in two volumes, the 11th edition has been extensively revised; its format is substantially different from the 10th edition. The new edition uses the organ system approach, and has had more than 150 new figures added. As before, each major disease has a synopsis for quick reference. An electronic edition is also available from the publisher.

Dr. Ikede is also a retired professor and head, Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

After spending a month at AVC’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, a northern saw-whet owl was released in southern Kings County in late October.

The bird was found near the home of Melissa Mullen and Rob MacLean in Lewes, PEI, on the morning of September 27. Gary Kennedy, who found the owl, took it to AVC where the Wildlife Service determined through a physical examination and radiographs that it did not have any broken bones. However, the bird could not fly or stand without support. The wildlife team suspected that it was suffering from head trauma caused by striking a window, and the best treatment would be supportive care and time to heal.

AVC Wildlife Service staff and students fed the owl until it was able to eat on its own. It gradually improved, flying short distances, and was moved into a larger enclosure with more room to fly. After making sure it was able to fly and forage well, the wildlife team released it close to where it was found.

Northern saw-whet owls are tiny birds with catlike faces, oversized heads, and bright yellow eyes. They are efficient hunters, silently swooping down on their prey—primarily small rodents. One of the most common owls in North America, these nocturnal owls live in mixed-woods forests.

Congratulations to Zoe Grutzner, AVC Animal Resources, on winning the 14th annual Lab Products Technician Award for Canada from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS). This award provides a deserving animal care technician from each of the eight AALAS districts and Canada with the opportunity to attend their first AALAS national meeting. Zoe received her award at the national AALAS meeting in Austin, Texas, in October.

Clients of AVC’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) got a “behind-the-scenes” look at some of the specialty services offered by the hospital earlier this month, including dentistry, oncology, theriogenology, and CT scanner technology, during the College’s second annual Client Appreciation Reception.

About 70 people attended the event. Guest speakers included Donna Hassard, a long-time client and vice-chair of the veterinary medicine priority in UPEI’s current INSPIRE! fundraising campaign, and Cheryl Jewell, of Jewell Dale Farm Inc. Jewell Dale Farm is a client of the VTH and has been since it opened in 1988. The Jewell family plays an important part in the College’s teaching program, providing opportunities for thousands of veterinary students to learn about bovine medicine, herd production, and management. For their contributions to AVC and veterinary medicine, the Jewell family and Jewell Dale Farm were awarded the College’s 2017 Honourable Eugene F. Whelan Green Hat Award earlier this fall.

The reception was jointly organized by the UPEI Department of Development and Alumni Engagement and the AVC Dean’s Office, with support from the VTH.

Forty-eight UPEI students were recognized for effective writing skills at the sixth annual MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing celebration held in Don and Marion McDougall Hall on Friday, November 24.

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing were established in 2011 by the MacLauchlan family to honour Premier Wade MacLauchlan for his contributions to UPEI as president and vice-chancellor from 1999–2011. The prizes recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz congratulated the award winners and thanked the MacLauchlan family for their generosity, and Premier MacLauchlan, an accomplished writer and author, for his commitment to encouraging excellence in writing among students.

Dr. Ed MacDonald, professor and chair of the Department of History—and an award-winning writer—addressed the gathering, saying effective writing communicates, convinces, and inspires.

“Martin Luther King … knew something about the power of words both spoken and written. The descendant of slaves, he knew that one of the ways to keep a people in chains was to keep them ignorant. To deny a people the chance—or the incentive—to read and write was to deny them knowledge and learning and—to some large extent—the ability to fulfill their aspirations and their ideas. But literacy by itself is not enough. To grasp the potential in a language, to make it your servant, to bend it to your will, is to free yourself and to give you true power. That is why effective writing matters.”

Stephanie Cairns, third-year Science, and Lindsay MacGregor, fourth-year Arts and Science, read from their award-winning submissions. After a short address, Premier Wade MacLauchlan presented the winners with their prizes. He congratulated the winners and thanked the faculty who help students develop their writing skills.

2017 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing recipients:

Faculty of Arts: Eric Andersen, Michele Fabienne Bub, Dana Doucette, Emily Eddie, Robbi Henderson-Canning, Elizabeth Iwuna, Charlotte Large, Tristan Lewis, Lindsay MacGregor (Arts and Science), Amy Mol, Rebecca Mullen, Brett Roche, C. Lorraine Rumson, Nick Scott, Elizabeth Shangguan, Katie Van Leeuwen, Grace Wedlake, and Michaela Wipond

Faculty of Business: Jillian Craig, Nathan Hood, William McGuigan, Dami Emmanuel

Faculty of Education: Joseph Doohan, Zachary Gauthier

Faculty of Nursing: Olivia Cass, Jaime MacDonald, Hannah Myers, Kemi Monsurat Tajudeen

Faculty of Science: Ngozichukwuka Agwagom, Stephanie Cairns, Jenny Campbell, Adèle Corkum, Collin A. Dares, Michael J.D. Hannah, Imene Hank, Morgan King, Heather A. Laiskonis, Ama Lawson, Alex McFadyen, Janél Mackay, Precious Oluwabukunmi Ojo, Liam Payne, Kali Ross, Emma Taylor

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: Jessica D’Amico, Jaimee Gillis, Julia Kenny, Jenna Lane

Faculty/staff: Dr. Marti Hopson, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing distribute up to $30,000 annually in awards. The family has made previous contributions to the Harry W. MacLauchlan Scholarships in Entrepreneurial Leadership, MacLauchlan Arena, Robertson Library, athletic scholarships, and student prizes in mathematics and entrepreneurship.