UPEI invites students and employees to fully make use of UPEI Emergency Alert—UPEI's emergency mass notification system—by signing up to receive texts during an emergency or for storm closures.

All current students, faculty, and staff with an @upei.ca email have already been automatically entered into the UPEI Emergency Alert system and will receive email messages (the database is updated on a periodic basis to capture new students and employees). However, campus members need to opt-in to receive text notifications.

Visit upei.ca/alert for instructions on how to login, update your profile, and opt-in to receive texts, or read the updated UPEI Emergency Alert instruction guide

If you think you have already updated your UPEI Emergency Alert profile with your cell/smart phone number but still are not receiving texts, email Mark Pharand, Manager, Security Services. UPEI Security Services will also be set up in various locations across campus to assist people in updating their profile and opting-in to receive texts. A schedule and locations will be posted in the coming days via Campus Notices (click here to subscribe).

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is participating in GivingTuesday on November 27, an international day of giving that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The focus of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness of and funds for the Atlantic Veterinary College’s (AVC) Wildlife Service.

The AVC Wildlife Service provides primary veterinary care to injured, sick, displaced, and orphaned wildlife on Prince Edward Island. In a typical year, the service provides medical care for 250–275 animals. However, as of the end of October this year, that number stood at 300.

The service sees a wide variety of avian and mammalian species. Birds account for 85 per cent of the species seen by the service—from small songbirds such as warblers and finches to large raptors like owls and eagles. This year alone, the service has cared for seven eagles, more than in any other year. Mammals such as foxes make up the remaining 15 per cent. The service works closely with Prince Edward Island’s fish and wildlife division, which is responsible for wildlife on the Island, and with rehabilitation centres in the Maritime provinces.

The AVC Wildlife Service is a non-revenue-generating program supported by the College through time and expertise provided by clinicians, students, and staff. Donations to the AVC Wildlife Clinical Care Fund are gratefully accepted.

“The AVC Wildlife Service is an important part of our educational and service programming,” says Dean Greg Keefe. “Students who work with the service learn about the joys and the challenges of providing veterinary care to wild animals. As well, our work in this area provides a window on the health of wild animals and their environment.”

Second-year student Kate Rundle, who volunteers with the AVC Wildlife Service, says she has had some great experiences.

“I have seen some amazing animals up close and personal, learned new and different ways of caring for and rehabilitating wildlife, and have had the opportunity to observe a surgical procedure on a juvenile eagle and learn more about wildlife medicine. The AVC Wildlife Service gives me and many other students much needed experience to pursue these areas of veterinary medicine.”

This is the second year that UPEI has participated in GivingTuesday. Last year, the University community came together to raise funds to create an award in memory of the late Rocky Paquet, a long-time employee who was loved for his dedication to UPEI students.

Coming after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday opens the season of giving, inspiring people to take action to improve their local communities and give back to charities and causes they care about. Now in its sixth year, GivingTuesday continues to gain traction across the country, with thousands of partner organizations and millions of Canadians expected to take part.

Follow the AVC Wildlife Service campaign on AVC Friends and Family Facebook.
 

The public is invited to the first Harry Baglole Memorial Public Symposium in Island Studies. Measuring Quality of Life on Prince Edward Island will take place on  Thursday, November 22, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium (Room 242), UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. This event is sponsored by UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies and UPEI Research Services. 

The principal speaker will be Gwen Colman, who, in 1997, along with her husband Ron, founded Genuine Progress Index (GPI) Atlantic, a pioneering research organization in creating new measures of well-being and progress. Colman will discuss GPI’s work in collaborative development of well-being measures with communities in Bhutan, New Zealand, Thailand, and Nova Scotia. Recently, GPI has worked with a network of universities and NGOs in southeast Asia, developing a methodology for collaborative development of well-being measures at the community level. She will speak about recent work in two communities in Thailand and about previous work with the creation of community GPIs in two communities in Nova Scotia. Colman will identify the elements for creating successful community partnerships to measure well-being and their resultant impact.

Colman will be joined by panelists Dr. Jim Randall and Wendy MacDonald, who will address the relevance of GPIs to the health and prosperity of this island.

“Too often what we think constitutes quality of life is divorced from the everyday lives of people,” says Dr. Randall, UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, chair of the Institute of Island Studies, and coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies program at UPEI. “By asking people how they feel about themselves, their neighbourhoods, and their communities, we can start to get a better picture of islanders’ values, hopes, and dreams and whether these are being fulfilled.”

Wendy MacDonald worked in a range of policy and management roles in the provincial government before establishing her own consulting firm in 1998. In 2008, MacDonald rejoined the provincial government and in 2010 was appointed Clerk Assistant. She has worked on various policy projects including kindergarten, early childhood, education governance, and poverty reduction. As secretary to the cabinet committee on priorities, she works to support the cabinet decision-making processes and to strengthen policy capacity in government. 

The symposium will be chaired by Andrew Lush, a member of the Institute of Island Studies advisory committee.

Following the presentations, there will be time for discussion and questions from the floor. Admission is free. All are welcome.

The symposium series is being renamed in honour of Harry Baglole, the Institute of Island Studies’ first director, who passed away in May. Baglole was the architect of many public symposia over the years, born out of his passionate vision for strong, Prince Edward Island-made public policy frameworks.

For more details, visit islandstudies.com or contact the Institute at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

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 two student-athletes for their achievements and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Carolina Del Santo and Owen Headrick, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for November 12 to 18.

Carolina Del Santo is a third-year science student from Barcelona, Spain and a centre on the UPEI Women’s Basketball team. Del Santo had a stellar weekend in the Panthers’ back-to-back wins over Saint Mary’s University, tallying up 19 points, 26 rebounds, and six blocks. “Carolina was pivotal in the team’s two grind-it-out wins versus SMU at home this weekend,” said coach Matt Gamblin. “Last year’s defensive player of the year and rebounding leader has picked up where she left off in the AUS. She was a huge presence inside, blocking shots, but changing many others as well.”

Owen Headrick is a first-year arts student from Garden River, Ontario and a rookie defenceman on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Headrick scored a goal and notched an assist in the Panthers 5–3 win over St. Francis Xavier University. “Owen has been adjusting well to our league,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “He has a steady and calming influence to our defensive core, especially for a first-year player. It is nice to see him get rewarded offensively. He has high-end skill, and is a player we will continue to lean on!”

Panthers at Home, November 23–25

Coach MacPherson will get two more chances to lean on Headrick’s defensive skills as the Panthers play a pair of home games this coming weekend. UPEI Men’s Hockey hosts Acadia University Friday evening at 7:00 pm in MacLauchlan Arena. The team laces up again at home Saturday at 7:00 pm against Saint Mary’s University.

UPEI Women’s Hockey also sees home action this weekend, as the Panthers host St. Francis Xavier University on Sunday, November 25 at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre in Montague, PEI. All minor hockey players are admitted to the game free! Parents and guardians can get in with a special two-for-one ticket offer.

UPEI Women’s Hockey is the proud host of the 2019 and 2020 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championships!

Go Panthers Go!

The Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture’s fifth annual Faith And Knowledge Lecture presents Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese with an examination of the direction of Pope Francis. The event is Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. All are welcome.

Fr. Thomas J. Reese’s column for Religion News Service, Signs of the Times, appears regularly in the National Catholic Reporter. Father Reese entered the Jesuits in 1962 and was ordained in 1974. He was educated at St. Louis University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and at the University of California Berkeley, where he received a PhD in political science. He was an associate editor of America magazine, where he wrote on politics, economics and the Catholic Church, from 1978 to 1985, and editor-in-chief from 1998 to 2005. He was a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center from 1985 to 1998 and 2006 to 2013.

While at Woodstock, he wrote the trilogy on the organization and politics of the church: Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church (1989), A Flock of Shepherds: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops (1992), and Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church (1996). He also edited The Universal Catechism Reader (1990), an analysis of the first draft of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Episcopal Conferences: Historical, Canonical and Theological Studies (1989). He is also author of a NCR e-book, Caring for Our Common Home: A Readers’ Guide and Commentary on Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment (2015).

In 2014, Father Reese was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission that reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. He was reappointed to another two-year term in May 2016.

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 Music Department Recital Series is pleased to present the UPEI Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Professor Dave Shephard. The ensemble will be performing works such as Time after Time, Minnie the Moocher, I was a Fool, Sway, Blue Bossa and others. The program features UPEI vocal majors as well as a newly formed UPEI Jazz Combo.

The concert is Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall of UPEI’s Steel Building. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and are available for sale online at upeijazzensemble.bpt.me, or by contacting music@upei.ca or 902-566-0507.

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 Music Department Recital Series is pleased to present the UPEI Christmas Choral Concert under the direction of Professor Sung Ha Shin-Bouey. The concert features UPEI Choral Groups, voice majors, and guests on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30 pm at Park Royal United Church in Charlottetown. 

Come listen to Bach’s beautiful Magnificat and other Christmas favourites! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and are available online at upeichoir1.bpt.me, or by contacting music@upei.ca or (902) 566-0507.

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.

Clients of AVC’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) got a “behind-the-scenes” look at some of the new and expanded specialty services offered by the hospital during the College’s third annual Client Appreciation Reception on November 1.

About 85 people attended the event and had the opportunity to tour the VTH. Very special guests at the event were Emily, a ten-year-old Havanese dog being treated at the VTH for lymphoma, and her owners, Robert Budd and Monica Gillis, of Crapaud, PEI. As Monica held Emily in her arms, Robert spoke about their beloved dog’s journey with cancer and the great care that she receives at the VTH. Emily is currently in remission, he said with a big smile.

Dr. Charlotte Pye introduced guests to the VTH's recently established dermatology service, and Dr. Lynne O’Sullivan spoke about her role in the newly expanded cardiology service. Dr. Katie Hoddinott talked to guests about her interest in minimally invasive surgical techniques, and Dr. Ben Stoughton about the value of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in large animal medicine. Drs. Pye, O’Sullivan, and Hoddinott are all alumni of AVC. Fourth-year student Isabella Falardeau also spoke to the guests about the impact that the patients and clients of the VTH have on the students.

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

Dr. Joshua MacFadyen, an associate professor in the Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture program in UPEI’s Faculty of Arts, will launch his new book, Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent, on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 pm at Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown.

Flax Americana examines the story of flax, a plant that went in a few decades from a specialty fibre crop in the Great Lakes region to an oilseed empire that spanned continents and helped create urban industrial capitalism.

“Flax Americana touches on topics as diverse as Canadian Mennonites making homespun linen, escaped slaves and First Nations labourers participating in Ontario’s industrial transformation, and oilseed empires driving precarious agriculture into North and South American grasslands for the production of a luxury good—paint,” explained Dr. MacFadyen. “However, the book is really about what a deep dive into a single plant and the places that produced it can tell us about the emergence of commodity frontiers, industrial capitalism, and the modern world itself.”

Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent is published by McGill Queen’s University Press.

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.

Danielle Burnett, a student in AVC’s graduate studies program, presented at the 12th International Sea Lice 2018 conference held in Patagonia, Chile, from November 4–8. Her presentation, titled “Using a biological-physical model to quantify sea lice larval connectivity among salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada,” won top prize in the “Best Oral Presentation” category. She is working toward her PhD in aquatic epidemiology. Congratulations, Danielle!