The Office of the President invites students to enjoy a festive study break on Wednesday, December 5 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm, in the lobby of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. There will be free hot cocoa, coffee, and cookies along with holiday music -- all to help ease the stress of studying and exams, and to celebrate the holiday season. All students are welcome!

SPEAKER: Dr. Anil Kalupahana, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Experimental infection of SPF chickens with avian orthoreoviruses isolated from winter crow mortality events in eastern Canada - a pilot study

At the next Research on Tap, we’ll discuss why some of the pretty flowers you enjoy in your garden may be causing genetic damage in the Island’s native plants. Join us Tuesday, December 4, 7 pm at The Pourhouse, above The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Charlottetown. Dr. Karen Samis, Assistant Professor of Biology at UPEI, will lead a discussion entitled “Only bad people plant non-native species in their garden.” Research on Tap is a series of public discussions led by UPEI researchers. For more information, contact Dave Atkinson at 620-5117, or datkinson@upei.ca.

UPEI music and theatre students will come together at The Guild to present a special holiday variety show in support of the UPEI Music Society on Wednesdaym December 19. This concert will be a unique combination of comedy, dance, and musical performances - from jazz to folk to monologues – and will feature many holiday classics. This show will not only present the diverse talents of the UPEI music and theatre students, but also special guests from the PEI community. Spectators are sure to enjoy the talents of the UPEI Jazz Ensemble, Theatre Society, Saxophone and Brass ensembles, Charlottetown Jazz and much more. Hosts Andrew Murray and Thayne Campbell of English Words are also sure to have the audience in stitches with their lighthearted tomfoolery. Funds raised through this event will go towards university scholarships and annual bursaries to UPEI music students and ensembles such as the Wind Symphony and jazz band. The show will begin at 8:00 pm and tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or in person through The Guild box office.

Scott Rice-Snow, visiting professor to Island Studies from Ball State University in Indiana, has been on PEI this fall researching the geometry of PEI drainage basins. He will summarize his results-to-date at a Lunch and Learn session on Thursday, December 13 in the Main Faculty Lounge from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Dr. Rice-Snow is Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences at Ball State University, and is a Research Associate of the UPEI Institute of Island Studies. His specialties are in geomorphology and hydrology, with research focusing on natural landscapes sculpted by rivers, groundwater, and glaciers. In addition to Prince Edward Island, his field investigations take him to the central and western U.S. and Caribbean. He has published more than 20 research articles on landscape form and process, and has also made contributions in geoscience education, geoarchaeology, and paleoclimatology. For more information, contact Island Studies at 566-0386, or inovaczek@upei.ca.

Scott Rice-Snow, visiting professor to Island Studies from Ball State University in Indiana, will make a public presentation on "protecting high-quality groundwater from petroleum development." Dr. Rice-Snow will discuss his research on this topic, gained from studying landscape and aquifer interactions near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The presentation and discussion will be in the Faculty Lounge in Main Building, UPEI, beginning at 7:00 pm Thursday, December 13. Dr. Rice-Snow is Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences at Ball State University, and is a Research Associate of the UPEI Institute of Island Studies. His specialties are in geomorphology and hydrology, with research focusing on natural landscapes sculpted by rivers, groundwater, and glaciers. In addition to Prince Edward Island, his field investigations take him to the central and western U.S. and Caribbean. He has published more than 20 research articles on landscape form and process, and has also made contributions in geoscience education, geoarchaeology, and paleoclimatology. For more information contact Island Studies at 566-0386, or inovaczek@upei.ca.

All staff and faculty are invited to the 2012 President's Holiday Social. Please join us in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons and rooms 286 and 287 at AVC. Tuesday, December 18 2:30 - 4:30 pm

Join your friends and colleagues for the annual SugarPlum Lunch in the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall on December 19, 2012. Enjoy a festive turkey dinner, caroling, and a visit from Santa! Tickets can be reserved by contacting catering@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island and the UPEI Alumni Association invite everyone to our New Year's Levee. Please join us on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Schurman Market Square. For more information, contact Debbie MacDonald at (902) 566-0687.

Dr. Andrea Bourque is a Clinical Professional, Diagnostic Anatomic Pathologist with Diagnostic Services at the Atlantic Veterinary College and is a candidate for adjunct & graduate faculty with the Department of Pathology & Microbiology. Dr. Bourque will be presenting a seminar on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. in AVC Lecture Theatre B. Her presentation is entitled "Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry: Witchcraft or the gospel? Or maybe somewhere in between". All are welcome.