Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jenna Mae Ellsworth and Milorad Sedlarevic, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for February 12–18.

Jenna Mae Ellsworth is a second-year guard on the UPEI Women’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown. The Panthers split a pair of games over the weekend with the University of New Brunswick, winning Friday 82–58, and losing Saturday 77–66. She scored 14 points the first night, shooting 34 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from the foul line. The next night she scored 21 points, and improved her shooting to 43 per cent and 62.5 per cent from the line. She grabbed seven rebounds over the weekend, made five assists, and grabbed eight steals. “Jenna Mae continues to be a great two-way play for our team,” said coach Greg Gould.

Milorad Sedlarevic is a fourth-year forward on UPEI’s Men’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Business Administration student from Jesenice, Slovenia. The Panthers dropped a pair of games over the weekend to the University of New Brunswick. “Milorad was the team scoring leader this past weekend with a combined total of 42 points over the two games,” said coach Darrell Glenn. “Milorad is competing hard and putting up consistent numbers for us.”

Go Panthers Go!

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science and minister of sport and persons with disabilities, recently announced the appointment and renewal of several members of the governing council for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Among the list is Dr. Don Desserud, professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.

SSHRC is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. The agency plays an important role in Canada’s research and scientific landscape and is committed to fostering greater equity, diversity and inclusion in the sciences. SSHRC invests over $350 million annually, supporting more than 8,000 graduate students and nearly 14,000 researchers.

“The appointment of Dr. Desserud to the SSHRC governing council is a singular honour for one of UPEI’s most widely recognized experts in political science. In addition, the appointment provides UPEI with an opportunity to help guide the development of research focus areas and funding priorities for one of the university’s most important sources of extramural research support.” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, vice-president academic and research at UPEI.

Prior to coming to UPEI in 2011 as dean of arts, Dr. Desserud was an associate dean of graduate studies at UNBSJ. He is a professor of political science and organizer of the Palmer Conference in Public Sector Leadership. He is also a public representative on the PEI Law Council.

Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick, Dr. Desserud earned his BA and MA from Dalhousie University and a PhD in political science from the University of Western Ontario. He also has an MA in English and creative writing from UNB. His research interests include parliaments and legislative assemblies, particularly the area of parliamentary and political law. He frequently comments on political issues on local and national media. He has represented UPEI as a SSHRC Leader since 2011.

Dr. Desserud is named to the governing council for a two-year term.

Congratulations!

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.

Vagabond Productions newest show, Fresh Brewed: Tales from the Coffee Bar by Henry Meyerson, promises to add a bit of a caffeine jolt to your regular theatre experience. The show is made up of a series of seven short plays with just two things in common: they all take place in a coffee shop, and they are all hilarious.

Since it is important to vary up scenery from time to time, Vagabond is stepping out of its usual venue of UPEI’s Faculty Lounge and into Receiver Coffee Co., 128 Richmond Street in Charlottetown. The authentic setting will truly bring audiences into the world of the play. Each scene in Fresh Brewed is wildly different from the next, which means the only thing you can be sure about in this show is there will be laughs aplenty.

The play runs March 5 to 10. The doors open at 7 pm for a 7:30 pm start. Admission is pay-what-you-can. Seating is limited, with no presale tickets, so come early and enjoy a coffee before the show to guarantee yourself a seat. The play contains adult language and mature themes, so viewer discretion is advised. For more information, contact Vagabond Productions at gdoran@upei.ca or 902-566-6013.

Vagabond Productions, created in 2005 by Dr. Greg Doran, is the student theatre company for UPEI’s Theatre Studies program.

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 UPEI School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences is hosting a series of research presentations about artificial intelligence and machine learning. The presentations are open to the public and are presented with the support of the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research.

Dr. Trung Ngo, an associate professor at UPEI, will present “Socially aware robot navigation with guarantee of human safety and comfort” on Monday, February 26 at 3:15 pm in the Cass Science Hall, room 101.

Dr. Kai Liu, an assistant professor at UPEI, will present “Predicting forage crop loss in the presence of systemic weather risk using remote sensing data: an insurance application” on Monday, March 12 at 3:15 pm in the Cass Science Hall, room 101.

On Monday, March 26 at 3:00 pm, Dr. Martin Mueller, professor and associate chair in computing science at the University of Alberta, will present “Computer Go: from the beginnings to AlphaGo Zero. Dr. Mueller is the grandfather of AlphaGo, in the sense that AlphaGo is created by Dr. David Silver (Lead Researcher on AlphaGo in DeepMind Inc.) and Dr. Mueller is his PhD supervisor.

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. Don McKay has been called the Canadian poet laureate of ecological philosophy. A revered poet, esteemed naturalist, distinguished scholar and editor, celebrated teacher, and famously witty speaker, Dr. McKay will give the 2018 UPEI Don Mazer Arts & Science Lecture on Thursday, March 1 at 7:00 pm in room 246 of UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. All are welcome.

Dr. McKay’s talk, “Dragon, or Tectonic Lithofacies Map of the Appalachian Orogen,” will be “an attempt to approach one of the most famous and important maps in geology from both sides of my brain, the scientific and aesthetic.”

The Appalachian orogenic belt is an ancient mountain range extending from Alabama to Newfoundland. Dr. McKay, who lives in St. John’s, will talk “poetically” about the tectonic theory of mountain building, and focus on Gros Morne in Newfoundland, with reference to New Brunswick and to PEI with its “detritus from worn-down mountains.”

Hank Williams will feature prominently in Dr. McKay’s talk: not the singer, but the legendary and colourful Newfoundland geologist. Williams advanced plate tectonics, as a unifying theory for continental drift and mountain belt evolution, inspired a new generation of geologists, and helped establish Memorial University as a leader in earth science research.

An expert mapmaker as well as visionary thinker, Williams produced the famous Appalachian Orogen map, a bestseller with 10,000 copies sold worldwide. The map also helped demonstrate relationships between our landforms and those across the Atlantic Ocean.

Dr. McKay will also give a poetry reading on Friday, March 2, at 7:30 pm in the Carriage House at Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown. His reading is supported by the UPEI Department of English and Dean of Arts, with assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts.

The UPEI Don Mazer Arts & Science Lecture is sponsored by UPEI’s Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. The lecture series is named in honour of Dr. Don Mazer, an esteemed UPEI psychology professor, whose interests have bridged the arts and sciences. The public is invited and admission is free.

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 UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams will play their final games of the regular season this weekend at home. On Friday, February 23, the Panthers host St. Francis Xavier with the women tipping off at 6 pm and the men at 8 pm. Action gets underway again at 6 pm on Saturday, February 24 when the UPEI women’s team takes on the Dalhousie Tigers. The UPEI Men’s Basketball team plays Dal at 8 pm.

“The team is hoping to finish the season on a winning note when they host St. Francis Xavier and Dalhousie,” said UPEI Women’s Basketball head coach Greg Gould. “We always want to be playing well heading into the AUS playoffs. We are in a position to finish as high as third in conference standings, but would need a sweep to have any chance of that happening.”

The Panthers will hold a weekend-long drive at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre to collect donations for the UPEI Food Bank. A collection box will set up in the lower lobby beginning Thursday evening. And, in keeping with the food theme, Panther fans should look for the “Cooking for KidSport” booth in the upper lobby to buy raffle tickets in support of Kidsport PEI.

Easter Seals Ambassador Brayden White will do the ceremonial tip-off at the men’s game Friday night while during half-time, the final qualifiers will be determined for the Domino's Shoot to Win Contest which will take place on Saturday. People who have qualified throughout the season for the “final” will now have their opportunity to shoot baskets for a chance to win $10,000. 

On Saturday, before the games, the Panthers will celebrate their graduating seniors. The UPEI women’s team will salute Leah Robinson, Jane McLaughlan, and Kiera Rigby while the men’s squad will honour Stefan Vujisic and Samy Mohamed. Saturday is also AVC Day at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. Dr. Greg Keefe, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College, will perform the ceremonial tip-off at the women’s game. Bell Tv1 will be broadcasting both of Saturday's games.

Go Panthers Go!

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Bailey Smith and Stefan Vujisic, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for February 19–26.

Bailey Smith is a second-year sprinter on UPEI’s Track and Field team and a nursing student from Mount Stewart, PEI. Smith won the 60 m race at the AUS Track and Field Championship, finishing in 7.63—a personal best. She was selected as the AUS Female Track Athlete of the Year. “Bailey proved once again that she is at her best when the competition is strongest and pressure is on,” said coach Colin MacAdam.

Stefan Vujisic is a fifth-year forward on the UPEI Men’s Basketball team and a Bachelor of Arts student from Kragujevac, Serbia. The Panthers lost a pair of games over the weekend to St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University, but Vujisic shone with 24 points and six rebounds. “Stefan had a strong weekend for us, a great way to finish his UPEI Panther career,” said coach Darrell Glenn.

Go Panthers Go!

The University of Prince Edward Island will host the tenth-annual Atlantic Universities Undergraduate History and Classics Conference (AUUHCC) March 2–4. The AUUHCC provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to gain experience in an academic conference setting—valuable skills for those heading to graduate school. The theme for this year’s conference is Shifting Paradigms: Revising the Past.

The conference is open to students from all universities in the Atlantic region. While the conference is focused primarily on history and classics, it is open to students of any discipline who are looking to gain experience presenting in an academic setting.

The AUUHCC is a student-led conference, which rotates to a different university across the Atlantic regional every year. This is the first time UPEI has hosted the conference since 2015.

“Participating in the AUUHCC last year was one of the best university experiences I've had to date,” said conference co-chair Ida Embleton. “It is such an awesome and accessible opportunity to learn, grow, and make valuable connections with people who share similar interests.”

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. James Moran, associate professor of history at UPEI. Dr. Moran will discuss his newest book, which examines madness and civil law in New England and the United States.

All events are open to the public.

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.

Students from UPEI’s Kinesiology program are seeking participants to complete the PEI Health Survey. The purpose of this survey is to assess the health of Islanders, and the relationships between different health-related behaviours.

Participants must be at least 16 years old, and reside in PEI.  For more information, or to participate in the survey, visit http://survey.upei.ca/index.php/181819/lang-en.

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. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Prince Edward Island, announced today that four exceptional leaders in their respective fields will be awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at the University’s Convocation ceremonies on May 12, 2018.

Honorary degrees will be conferred upon William (Bill) LeClair, Anne Love (née Michael), J. Weston (Wes) MacAleer, and E. Anne Smith.

“Each of our recipients is a distinguished individual who has made a significant impact in their respective fields and their University community,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “They are excellent role models for our graduates. By conferring them with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees, we acknowledge and thank them for their many contributions to society.”

The UPEI Senate approved the honorary graduands at a meeting earlier this year in accordance with the University’s policy that states honorary doctorates of laws will be presented “to individuals who display the highest levels of achievement in public and community service.”

The Convocation ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 12, in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre with the morning ceremony beginning at 10:00 am and the afternoon ceremony at 2:30 pm.

The 2018 honorary degree recipients from UPEI are as follows:

William (Bill) LeClair is an alumnus of UPEI, graduating in the University’s first class in 1970. He was president of the student union and was named life-president for the class of 1970 by his fellow students. Mr. LeClair was a varsity athlete during his time at Saint Dunstan’s University, one of the University’s two founding institutions, and later UPEI, playing men’s hockey.

In 2001, Mr. LeClair was named a distinguished alumnus by the UPEI Alumni Association. He has been a long-time volunteer with the Calgary Friends of UPEI, being the driving force behind a $1 million endowment to support Alberta students to attend UPEI. On top of his volunteer fundraising activities, Mr. LeClair created an award for a varsity athlete. He is a huge advocate of UPEI, recruiting students through his passion for his alma mater. That passion extends to his family; his daughter attended UPEI.

Anne (Michael) Love has spent her life contributing to her Island community. In 2001, she was awarded the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award, which is presented to groups and individuals whose voluntary contributions provide extraordinary help or care to people in the community. 

Mrs. Love is an avid supporter of post-secondary education and served as president of the University Women’s Group, an organization that raised money for scholarship funds, welcomed the spouses of new faculty members, and greatly contributed to campus social life by organizing many events. She often urged students to make volunteering part of their adult lives. She was a member of the UPEI Alumni Association Board, and she and her late husband, retired math professor Dr. Harry Love, established an endowment fund at UPEI to support an award to recognize student achievement in perpetuity. She was named a UPEI Founder in 2003, and Dr. Love was named a Founder in 2007—making them UPEI’s only Founders couple.

J. Weston (Wes) MacAleer is a graduate of Saint Dunstan’s University’s Class of 1966, and has served as a member of the UPEI Board of Governors, alumni representative on the UPEI Senate, and member of the UPEI Potential Within Campaign Steering Committee, which resulted in capital funding for the K.C. Irving building. Mr. MacAleer served for six years as the chair of the Nichola K. S. Goddard Foundation Fundraising Dinner, which supports an endowed scholarship at the University and a project for the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering. For decades, he has personally supported a scholarship in memory of his brother, Noel, an engineering student who passed away while studying at UPEI. 

Mr. MacAleer moved to the Northwest Territories in the late 1960s, where he had an immense impact on Yellowknife and the surrounding region. He led the organization of the first-ever Arctic Winter Games, and he started a cable TV station, which was the most northerly station in the world and the first private broadcasting enterprise in the Northwest Territories. He and his wife, Connie, moved back to PEI in 1988. He has worked tirelessly for those who are in need in the community, province, and country. Mr. MacAleer’s contributions to the Island community have been recognized through numerous medals and awards, including the 2014 PEI Humanitarian of the Year.

E. Anne Smith is a proud Islander, successful business woman, respected community leader, tireless volunteer, beloved mother, mentor, and friend. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a high level of professionalism, hard work, and dedication, which earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues. 

After 10 years of administrative service to former Premier Alex Campbell and then to Leader of the Opposition Joseph Ghiz, Ms. Smith embarked on a career as an investment advisor. She was a trailblazer in a male-dominated profession and an inspiration and role model to many women who followed in her path. She became a Designated Certified Investment Manager and Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, one of the highest honours in her field. She served on the UPEI Board of Governors from 1987 to 1995. Members of her family—sons Stephen and Andrew and grandsons Alex and Ben—are graduates of the University, and a granddaughter is a student in the Faculty of Nursing. In addition, Stephen received a UPEI Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.

Ms. Smith has given back to her community, locally, regionally, and nationally in countless ways, including currently as a volunteer with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation. What is especially impressive is the wide range of educational, cultural, economic, and community organizations and boards through which she has served her fellow citizens. The community’s respect and admiration for Ms. Smith is rooted in her personal reputation as a woman of impeccable integrity, ethics, and honour.

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.