The UPEI Iranian society is hosting a bilingual ceremony in Persian/Farsi and English on March 24 at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre to celebrate Nowruz. Nowruz (from "Now" meaning new and "Ruz" meaning day) marks the beginning of the Persian New Year. Nowruz is celebrated in many countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, etc. It is celebrated on the first day of spring that marks a new beginning for all nature. 6:30-8:30 pm - Potluck dinner 8:30-10:30 pm - Entertainment (live music, poetry, and dance) 10:30-12:00 pm - Iranian DJ Tickets are $10 in advance until March 22 and can be purchased from: - PEI Photo Lab, 55 Queen Street, Charlottetown - Brits Fish and Chips, 41 University Avenue, Charlottetown - Emailing UPEI Iranian Society at: iraniansociety@upeisu.ca

Join Marisa Berry Mendez of the Canadian Council for Refugees for a public presentation on Immigration and Refugee issues in Canada. This presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30 pm in room 213, Main building, UPEI. Immigration, refugee, and citizenship policies in Canada have been changing at a fast and furious pace in recent years. Canada has made a policy shift towards temporary migration, with the number of temporary migrants in Canada outnumbering those entering Canada on a permanent basis. Refugee determination has become more restrictive, as has access to basic services such as healthcare for refugees. There are new limits on refugees resettled from overseas. Many policy changes have been alarmingly framed as strategies to "protect" Canada and Canadian Citizenship from fraudulent foreigners. Despite the wide range of changes, little public discussion has taken place about the significant reorientation of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Programs. Marisa Berry Mendez will address new developments in immigration and refugee policy in Canada, making room for a discussion about these important issues which are changing the face of Canadian society. This presentation and public town hall is hosted by WUSC UPEI and CUPE in conjunction with The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC). This presentation is free and all are welcome to attend.

SPEAKER: Xiaofeng Wang, Biomedical Sciences TITLE: n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) Alleviate Mast Cell Activation By Disrupting FcεRI Aggregation In Lipid Rafts

The campus community is invited to a portrait unveiling of President Emeritus H. Wade MacLauchlan in recognition of his 12 years of service and leadership to the University of Prince Edward Island. The event will take place on March 28, 2013 at 4:30 pm in the Robertson Library at UPEI.

Don't stress about Convocation! Attend Countdown to Convocation presented by the UPEI Alumni Association on Wednesday, March 27 from 11:00 am–1:00 pm at W.A. Murphy Student Centre. You'll find out everything you need to know about convocation 2013. Find out more about grad week activities, Alumni Association benefits, post-graduate studies and scholarships, and more. Pre-order your degree frame for pick-up at convocation, by doing so, you'll receive a 10% discount! Convocation is a time for celebration, not stress—so come out and get your convocation questions answered and have the chance to win a Kobo eReader.

The University of Prince Edward Island has many programming options available for adult learners. Whether you are looking for degree, diploma, certificate, or professional development programs, the Centre for Life-Long Learning can help you determine a path that works best for you. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that we may be able to give you credit for some of your previous education or life learning. For more information on what programming is available to adult learners and how you can fit education into your busy life, please join us for the following information session: Thursday, April 11, 2013 – UPEI campus, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Charlottetown – 6:00pm – 7:00pm People attending these sessions will have the opportunity to meet other adult learners and hear about UPEI’s Bachelor of Integrated Studies program; the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process; Certificates in Business, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Public Administration; and professional development programming that are designed to fit into the busy work and home lives of adult learners.

The University of Prince Edward Island has many programming options available for adult learners. Whether you are looking for degree, diploma, certificate, or professional development programs, the Centre for Life-Long Learning can help you determine a path that works best for you. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that we may be able to give you credit for some of your previous education or life learning. For more information on what programming is available to adult learners and how you can fit education into your busy life, please join us for the following information session: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 – Loyalist Lakeview Resort, Summerside– 12:15pm – 1:15pm People attending these sessions will have the opportunity to meet other adult learners and hear about UPEI’s Bachelor of Integrated Studies program; the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process; Certificates in Business, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Public Administration; and professional development programming that are designed to fit into the busy work and home lives of adult learners.

SPEAKER: Ana Gradil, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Temperature effects on immunological development and responsiveness in juvenile shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) SPEAKER: Heather Wotton, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Development of an in vitro method of testing an anti-attachment factor on Lepeophtheirus salmonis

The Second Annual UPEI Walk for Wishes will be held on April 6 at 2:00 pm at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre walking track. This event is in support of the Children's Wish Foundation, PEI Chapter. Children’s Wish grants wishes to children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are facing a life-threatening illness. The wishes granted by the organization helps boost the morale of these children who are facing a tough time. There will be prizes for top fundraisers including a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses! If you are interested in being part in this event, please contact Mark Scott at mascott@upei.ca. All members of the community are welcome to join! Staff and faculty are encouraged to help recruit students as well as participate in this event.

The Institute of Island Studies and Environmental Studies are hosting a noon-hour discussion on Thursday, April 4 for students, staff, and faculty to talk about ongoing concerns around land use on PEI: the quality of our groundwater, the protection of our farmland, and the protection of our coastal areas, to name three concerns. If you live on PEI, your opinion matters. In April the newly formed land-use task force will hold public consultations with Islanders on these issues. This task force wants to speak to the UPEI community about what they think. So let's talk about land use. Free pizza for lunch. RSVP to Joan at ispstaff@upei.ca
 or 566-0386.