As part of UPEI’s 50th anniversary, the Robertson Library is presenting a lecture series to celebrate the historical roots of higher education on Prince Edward Island and its future. The series is named after educator Frank Pigot, honoured as a UPEI Founder for his work building the Library’s PEI Collection and University Archives.

Dr. Edward MacDonald’s will deliver the first lecture of the series on Tuesday, March 26 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building. Dr. MacDonald’s presentation is titled “The School of Experience: A Patchwork Quilt of Informal Island Education, 1825-1965.”

While the Island’s formal education system evolved slowly and painfully across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, other, more informal modes of teaching and learning developed to answer Islanders’ educational needs. From the agricultural societies and mechanics’ institutes of the first half of the 20th century, through the farmer’s institutes that followed, to the adult education underpinning of the Antigonish Movement and the DIY ethos of community schools in the 1960s, these informal systems of education shared one characteristic: they emphasized various kinds of practical, applied learning for Islanders who found themselves outside the province’s structured educational system.

Refreshments will be provided. Everyone is welcome.

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.

From: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

News release

March 14, 2019 – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Canada is home to highly trained and creative health researchers, and the Government of Canada is proud to support their important work.

Today, while touring the research facilities at the University of Prince Edward Island, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, highlighted a recent federal investment in health research.

The $745,000 awarded to UPEI is part of a $275 million national investment to support Canadian researchers studying the full spectrum of health issues affecting the lives of Canadians. This investment in health research supports our economy and creates high-quality middle-class jobs. Every $100 million invested in health research represents 1,800 jobs for researchers and trainees.

MP Casey met with grant recipient Dr. Adam Johnston to celebrate his achievements and to learn more about his research project. Dr. Johnston is investigating whether a special cell found in small nerves in the skin could hold the answer to treating non-healing wounds, such as those experienced by people living with diabetes.

Dr. Dany MacDonald, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, Dro Adam Johnston, Mr. Sean Casey (Member of Parliament for Charlottetown), Dr. Katherine Gottschall-Pass, Dr. Nola Etkin

Quotes

“Investments in health research are some of the most important that we can make as a nation. These federally funded projects hold the potential for scientific advancements, new treatments, and improved quality of life for Canadians living with a variety of health conditions, while creating high-quality middle-class jobs at hospitals and universities across the country.”

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health

“Congratulations to Dr. Adam Johnston on receiving this funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. With this support, Dr. Johnston and his research team will be able to carry on their world-class research, bringing pride to UPEI and the promise of improved health and quality of life to Islanders.

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean and the Canadian Coast Guard

“Health research has the power to help us tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing us as a society, and Canadians should be proud of the incredible work being done from coast to coast to coast. As a researcher myself, I can say that the work is rarely glamourous—but it is always worthwhile, and I am excited to watch these CIHR-funded projects unfold.”

Michael J. Strong, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
 

"Neuropathy and wound healing deficits are two of the most common complications of type-II diabetes; however, their interrelationship has not been explored.  Here, we will investigate if the impairment in diabetic wound healing is potentially due to the loss of nervous system cells, known as Schwann cells."  

Dr. Adam P. Johnston, Assistant Professor, University of Prince Edward Island

"Dr. Johnston is an outstanding scientist, and this is a tremendous opportunity for his lab and students," said Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, president and vice-chancellor of UPEI. "I'm excited to see the collaborations this research will bring between researchers in the Faculty of Science and the Atlantic Veterinary College. This represents the building of research capacity and scope by sharing expertise. It's an exciting time at UPEI."

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor, UPEI

Quick Facts

• The projects funded through the $275M investment are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)’s largest funding program.
  • This program, called the Project Grant program, is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential to advance health research and the health care system.
  • It supports projects of varying sizes and duration through a highly competitive and rigorous review process.
  • CIHR runs two Project Grant competitions per year.
  • The results from the latest competition were released in January 2019, and the funding ($275M) will begin on April 1, 2019.
• Eighty-two of the grants from the latest competition were awarded to early career researchers (those within the first five years of their first academic appointment).
• Eleven of the grants funded are focused on Indigenous health research. CIHR is proud to support these projects as part of its commitment to invest 4.6% of its annual budget in Indigenous health research.

Related products

• Overview of Project Grant competition results

Contacts

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Thierry Bélair

Office of Ginette Petitpas Taylor

Minister of Health

613-957-0200

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

As part of UPEI’s 50th anniversary, the Robertson Library is presenting a lecture series to celebrate the historical roots of higher education on Prince Edward Island and its future. The series is named after educator Frank Pigot, honoured as a UPEI Founder for his work building the library’s PEI Collection and University Archives.

PEI historian and folklorist John Cousins will present the second lecture in the series, entitled “Stand for Your Lessons: Educational Change and Cultural Reaction.” This illustrated talk will be Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the Eptek Centre in Summerside.

The period between 1960 and the early 1970s brought the most dramatic change in Island education since the creation of the one-room district schools in the early 1850s. The consolidation of the public schools saw the disappearance of a major element in Island culture. This presentation will examine the impact of that change on rural Island communities, on their families and on the children who were “consolidated.” Further, a main question remains to be examined: what lessons can learned by using prior experience as a guide to evaluate how elements of culture may react during dramatic, and sometimes traumatic, change?

Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome.

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.

Over 50 people, including many local and international students taking courses in Asian/Korean Studies attended UPEI Asian Studies’ Fifth Annual Lunch and Program Info Session in celebration of the 2019 Lunar New Year’s Day on Wednesday, February 6.

Asian Studies students, instructors, staff, and supporters were invited to enjoy this special event with lunch. Dr. Neb Kujundzic, Dean of Arts, offered a greeting, and Dr. Edward Chung, Asian Studies Director, gave a brief information talk on the program, new Korean Studies courses, and student scholarship and international opportunities. Both took the opportunity to thank students, instructors and staff and interdisciplinary program participants and supporters. For a surprise, Mandy Niu, Chinese language instructor, also performed a special “Lion Dance” in celebration of the Happy 2019 Lunar New Year!

To enjoy event photos, visit the online gallery.

This event is supported by an international  Seed Program for Korean Studies grant (AKS-2017-INC-2230001) through the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service (KSPS), the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).

Submitted by Dr. Edward Chung

The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the academic year on Sunday, March 31, at 7:30 pm at the Homburg Theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. This has been a particularly busy and musically rewarding year for the Wind Symphony, with highly successful performances throughout the fall and winter. 

This recital will feature contemporary works for the modern wind band, with several emerging masterworks of the genre. “Kokopelli’s Dance,” by American Nathan Tanouye, is the first classical composition by this predominantly jazz composer. It is a light-hearted, spirited work conveying the culture of this native legend from southwestern America. Another American, William Pitts, has written a minimalistic work, with layered sounds, trumpet fanfares, and sections alternating between atonal and swing jazz figures. Titled “Conniption,” the concept of hysteria is an appropriate emotional context for this work. “Colonial Song,” by Percy Grainger, will also be performed. It is a sentimental work conveying the land and people of the composer’s native Australia.

Soloist for this recital is tubaist Gregory B. Irvine. Dr. Irvine will be retiring in June following a twenty-nine year career as professor of brass studies at UPEI. He will be performing Edward Gregson’s “Tuba Concerto,” which consists of alternating rhythmic and lyrical themes.

This recital will be the final Wind Symphony performance for five of its graduating students. All have made significant contributions to UPEI, and the Wind Symphony in particular, throughout their undergraduate careers. They include Leah Jordan, clarinetist; Joanna McKearney, saxophonist; Justin Amador, hornist; Zachary Benard, trombonist; and, Ryan Drew, percussionist.

The UPEI Wind Symphony received the 2014 Music PEI award for Achievement in Classical Music. Under the direction of Dr. Karem J Simon, the Wind Symphony has had a progressive approach to its programming, and in reaching a wider audience. With performances throughout PEI and beyond each year, partnerships with PEI school music programs, and utilizing unique performance spaces, the Wind Symphony is among PEI's most respected large ensembles. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble. In recent years performances at Zion Presbyterian Church, St. Dunstan’s Basilica, and Park Royal United Church have attracted capacity audiences. 

Tickets ($15 for adults, $10 for student students) for this performance may be acquired in advance at UPEI’s music department and at the Confederation Centre Box Office. The public is cordially invited 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.

Dr. Jim Randall, coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies program and UNESCO co-chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, recently gave a keynote address at the 3^rd Annual Growth and Resilience Dialogue on the island of St. Kitts. This one-day symposium, organized and sponsored by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), included the prime minister or finance minister from eight Caribbean island countries, as well as members of the official oppositions, youth, civic society members, and church representatives.

Dr. Randall spoke on the topic of “Building Resilient Islands/Institutions for Growth and Sustainability: The Prince Edward Island and Institute of Island Studies Experience.” As he noted, “It is not often that you have an opportunity to address stakeholders from so many different groups. I commend the ECCB for hosting this event. A dialogue like this is one of the best ways to implement policy in a collaborative rather than an adversarial way.” 

Dr. Randall’s PowerPoint presentation can be found on the UNESCO Chair website.

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 Honourable John Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary and MP for Charlottetown, visited UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College on Wednesday, March 13, as part of the Minister's 2019 Oceans Campus Tour. During this tour, the minister is visiting universities on both Canadian coasts offering programs focusing on issues that are key to Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate. These include marine mammals, climate change, marine protected areas, oceans plastics, marine pollution, conservation, and aquaculture. 

Minister Wilkinson and Mr. Casey toured AVC with Dr. Greg Keefe, Dean of AVC, and Dr. Larry Hammell, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for UPEI and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for AVC. The federal officials also held a town hall meeting with students and faculty to discuss issues including climate change, environmental sciences, and protection of the environment and North Atlantic right whales, and opportunities for students in particular to become involved.
 

Chris Huggan is getting worked up. The Director of Athletics and Recreation at UPEI is clicking through tabs on a spreadsheet on his computer, trying to make a point.

“Look, we have a different minor hockey team from the Island assigned to cheer on each of the eight university teams here for the tournament,” he says. “Imagine what that’s going to sound like in that arena. No matter who is playing, from wherever they come from in Canada, they’ll have a crowd of kids screaming for them, cheering them on. I think that’s exciting. That’s what I think Panthers UN1TE is all about.”

Huggan considers Panthers UN1TE to be the key ingredient to this week’s 2019 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship, hosted at the University of Prince Edward Island. It’s a concept he dreamed up two years ago as a guiding principal of the UPEI Panthers.

“UN1TE is a powerful word for me,” says Huggan. “We want to bring together this Island around the UPEI Panthers. We have a really unique opportunity here, and that’s what we’re trying to capture.”

The “1” is especially important to Huggan.

“One—be the best you can be,” he explains, “be it as a student, athlete, or citizen. It’s also the power of one. One person can make a difference; we’ve all seen it happen. And we have one university for this entire province. No one else can say that in Canada. So we can gather support like no one else.”

With Panthers UN1TE in mind, two years ago, Huggan and his team shot for something big: to host a national championship.

“And we did it with the help of volunteers, organizations, individuals, and businesses from tip to tip,” says Huggan. “It’s no accident that our three honorary chairs come from Souris, Charlottetown, and Alberton. We wanted to reflect the entire Island, but also to tap into the contacts and resources from their respective communities.”

In the last year, the UPEI Women’s Hockey team has played games in arenas across the Island. They’ve built a fan base, and they’ve built relationships.

When the puck drops on the first game of the tournament Thursday, there will be 266 minor hockey players in the stands. Half will be cheering for the University of Guelph. Half will be cheering for the University of Manitoba.

“They’re going to raise the roof,” said Hugan. “As an athlete myself, I know how important that is—to have the crowd cheering me on.”

The organizing team has been working for more than a year building support, and the Island has responded. This tournament will succeed based on the concept of Panthers UN1TE.

Special thanks must go to:

• Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club
• Rotary Club of Hillsborough
• Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty
• Boys & Girls Club of Charlottetown
• PEI Aboriginal Sports Circle
• Sport PEI
• Minor sports teams from across the Island
• Islands from across the Island
• More than 40 members of the Panthers UN1Te $100 club

Go Panthers Go!

Games begin on Thursday, March 14 at 3:00 pm with the championship game on Sunday, March 17. The UPEI Panthers head into the tournament seeded seventh, and will take on the l'Université de Montréal Carabins Thursday at 7 pm. Tournament passes and game tickets are available at the Eastlink Centre or online at www.gopanthersgo.ca/uswhctickets.

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For media wishing to cover the U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship, please contact Nicole Phillips to arrange for accreditation.  Only accredited media will be allowed entry into MacLauchlan Arena.

The Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity, Saint Mary’s University will host a community forum on “Immigration, Mobility and Economy,” in the UPEI W.A. Murphy Student Centre’s McMillan Hall, on Friday, March 15, from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The forum is presented in partnership with the University of Prince Edward Island, the PEI Newcomers Association, and the PEI Immigration Partnership. Attendance is free, and lunch is provided. All are welcome. RSVPS are required. For information or to RSVP, please contact Wimal Rankaduwa at (902) 449-0727 or wrankaduwa@upei.ca

Congratulations to Jessica D’Amico, AVC Class of 2020, for winning a 2019 Jack Walther Leadership Award at the Western Veterinary Conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in late February.

This annual award recognizes veterinary students who portray leadership and promote a lifelong service to the profession. This year, the award was bestowed upon 37 DVM students from Canada and the United States for their leadership skills at their schools and service to the veterinary profession.

Jessica has taken on a number of leadership roles at AVC, including vice-president of the Society of Atlantic Veterinary Students; treasurer of her class; president of the AVC Animal Welfare Club; Peer Helper, AVC Wellness Committee; wildlife representative and volunteer for the AVC Wildlife Service; and DVM student representative on the UPEI Animal Care Committee. She has been a piping plover guardian for the Island Nature Trust for several summers, and she has written several animal care articles that have been published in The Guardian’s Animal Talk column.

“In reading about Dr. Walther’s life, I was most impressed about a foundational principle guiding his life: the belief that to better help animals we must not only promote and improve the science of animal care, but we must also empower individuals involved in animal care. Receiving this award is special to me because it confirms that I am on the right path to improving myself and empowering others as we all work together towards helping animals and each other. Thank you to the Western Veterinary Conference and to Dr. Jack Walther and family for this honor. I will take the WVC experience and Dr. Jack Walther’s influence with me throughout my career as I aim to support my colleagues, clients, and the veterinary community with leadership roles and especially by example.”