The next meeting of the UPEI Environmental Studies Book Club will focus on the energy history of Prince Edward Island. The event is Friday, February 15, 2019 at 4:00 pm in The Fox & Crow, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, on the UPEI campus. All are welcome.

The Environmental Studies Book Club’s discussions probe into past and present environmental changes on PEI, and how and why the Islanders are particularly sensitive to environmental issues and enmeshed in their landscape in a way that is unique among Canadians.

At the February meeting, the club will discuss energy transitions in PEI history, as featured in Time and a Place: An Environmental History of Prince Edward Island (2016), specifically the chapter by Kathleen Stuart: “Two centuries of energy on Prince Edward Island.” Those interested in more information about the province’s energy policies in the 1973–1990 period can also read the book by Alan MacEachern, The Institute of Man and Resources: An Environmental Fable (2003).

The club organizers are thrilled that the authors and editors of these books, Ms. Kathleen Stuart, Dr. Alan MacEachern, and Dr. Josh MacFadyen, will join the discussion. 

Time and a Place: An Environmental History of Prince Edward Island and The Institute of Man and Resources: An Environmental Fable are available at UPEI’s Robertson Library. The former is available as an e-book at library.upei.ca. The first chapter of the latter book is available on library reserves as a digital file. 

Please contact Dr. Nino Antadze at nantadze@upei.ca for more information.

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.

UPEI’s Robertson Library has been awarded funding from CANARIE’s Research Data Management (RDM) program to integrate RDM practices and workflows into the new, as-yet-unreleased version of Islandora. Islandora is an open-source software framework designed to help organizations collaboratively manage, discover, and share digital assets using a best-practices, standards-based approach.

The Robertson Library, one of nine successful recipients, will collaborate with Simon Fraser University and the Islandora Foundation to develop software components and tools that will facilitate the adoption of best practices by Canadian researchers in managing data resulting from scientific research. The Library team will build RDM capacity and integrations using the latest version of Islandora.

 “This funding provides us with a fantastic opportunity to develop an innovative and open data management platform for researchers,” said Donald Moses, interim university librarian at UPEI, “and will benefit the entire community by providing access to research data.”

Mark Jordan, Chair of the Islandora Foundation’s Board of Directors, says “This work funded by CANARIE will significantly accelerate the development of the next generation of the Islandora platform and enable it to serve as a robust platform for Research Data Management and other repository services.”

Data management practices impact the entire research lifecycle, from project planning and execution, to sharing, publication and reuse of data, and finally to its long-term preservation after the investigation is complete. RDM best practices help ensure the protection of data during the research lifecycle and beyond. The project will develop integrations with identifier, metadata, authentication, storage and dissemination systems that are informed by FAIR principles and the research data lifecycle.

“Islandora is a software, but it’s also a fantastic community that has a ton of expertise based on diverse-use cases and needs,” said Rosemary Le Faive, digital infrastructure and discovery librarian at UPEI. “But migration to this latest version is daunting. It’s a paradigm shift. We’ll be one of the first institutions to jump aboard, and by building out real-use cases with real data, we hope to make the transition easier for the community.”

CANARIE and its twelve provincial and territorial partners form Canada’s National Research and Education Network. This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues. Beyond the network, CANARIE funds and promotes reusable research software tools and national research data management initiatives to accelerate discovery, provides identity management services to the academic community, and offers advanced networking and cloud resources to boost commercialization in Canada’s technology sector. Established in 1993, CANARIE is a non-profit corporation, with the majority of its funding provided by the Government of Canada.

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 Camille Scherger and Matthew Mancina, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for January 28 to February 3!

Camille Scherger is a second-year science student fro Lloydminster, Alberta and a goalie on the UPEI Women’s Hockey team. Scherger gave up just a single goal in the last three games stopping 64 of 65 shots, as the Panthers defeated Mount Allison and St. Francis Xavier University, but lost 1–0 to Dalhousie University. “Shuggs has been playing with a lot of confidence, strong rebound control, and gives us an opportunity to put points on the board,” said coach Bruce Donaldson.

Matthew Mancina is a second-year business student from Windsor, Ontario and a goalie with the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Mancina had a .949 save percentage in the Panthers 4–2 victory over Université de Moncton. “Matthew was very good and made key saves in key moments,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “Early in the game, U de M had a five-on-three penalty plan. There were a couple of big saves, we killed the penalties, and even scored a short-handed goal. It was a big boost, and Matthew was dialled in the rest of the game.”

Panthers at Home

Both hockey programs are in the final stretch of the regular season. UPEI Men’s Hockey hosts Dalhousie Friday night at 7:00 pm and St. Francis Xavier University on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Both games are in MacLauchlan Arena.

Also in MacLauchlan Arena, UPEI Women’s Hockey hosts St. Francis Xavier University Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

Go Panthers Go!

The UPEI Music Department Recital Series will present “Variations” featuring David Rogosin on piano. The concert is Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall of UPEI’s Steel Building.

Rogosin divides the program into three sections: a central part consisting of tonal music by Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, flanked on either side by non-tonal works. Two late Renaissance composers precede: the Englishman Orlando Gibbons, and Jan Pieters Sweelinck from the Netherlands. The program will close with post-tonal contemporaries: first the American composer (and Tin Pan Alley aficionado) Milton Babbitt, followed by Kevin Morse of Mount Allison University.

“The groundwork for the variations concept was laid by the earliest keyboard composers, and in many ways, their methods prevailed even through the twentieth century,” said Rogosin. “Babbitt’s 1956 Semi-Simple Variations—all two minutes of it—stands out from the others in almost every way, yet even there the variation principle is alive and well. As for ‘semi-simple,’ Babbitt is characteristically tongue-in-cheek. They are insanely complex, though I hasten to reassure you—they are delicate and harmless, and I have come to love playing them as much as the others.”

Pianist David Rogosin has performed across Canada, in the American Midwest, the Caribbean and France. Praised for the brilliance, clarity, and passion of his performances, he is highly regarded as a performer, adjudicator, and clinician. Aside from solo recitals, Rogosin is a frequent collaborator and chamber player with a particular passion for the two-piano repertoire. He has released two solo recordings, Incandescence (2005) and Evocation (2012), the latter nominated for Classical Recording of the Year at that year’s ECMAs.

Professor at Mount Allison University since 2001, he was awarded that institution’s Paul Paré Excellence Award in 2013. His first sabbatical in 2007–08 was spent in Paris preparing a recital program based on Messiaen’s Visions de l’Amen for two pianos. A second sabbatical in 2015–16 was used to prepare two new solo programs, Variations and Ludus Tonalis, a program centered around Paul Hindemith’s contrapuntal opus of the same name, a kind of twentieth-century Well-Tempered Clavier. A month of this time was spent as artist in residence at The Banff Centre.

Rogosin holds a master’s degree from the Université de Montréal and a doctorate in performance from the University of British Columbia. Apart from classical music he enjoys jazz, world music, cooking and woodworking, and holds the rank of shodan in aikido, a martial art that he has taught on the Mount Allison campus since 2015.

Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets are available at the door.

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 Climate Research Lab will host an information session on new Canadian drone regulations on February 20 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in room 235 of UPEI’s Robertson Library.

The event features Roger Smith of Transport Canada and the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Task Force. The new regulations come into effect June 1.

The UPEI Climate Research Lab has done extensive work with drone technology, including studying dune systems, coastal erosion, shoreline armouring, wind turbine inspection, and waste management.

Space is limited. Please contact climate@upei.ca with your name, affiliation, email and mailing address to reserve your spot. All are welcome.

Please direct all inquiries regarding the RPAS Task Force or Transport Canada drone regulations to Transport Canada at (613) 993-0055 or media@tc.gc.ca.

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 Department of Music held the final recital of its annual Dr. Frances Gray Music Competition on Friday, February 1. The event was adjudicated by a panel of external judges: Steve Bellamy, Shannon Scales, Don Fraser, Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, and Valerie MacKenzie. Professor Emerita Dr. Frances Gray was on hand to distribute the awards as follows: Taylor Donald (soprano), first place with a $750 scholarship; Ryan Drew (percussion), second place with a $500 scholarship; and, Joanna McKearney (saxophone) and Ian Soloman (tenor), tied for third place with a $350 scholarship each.

Congratulations to all the finalists!

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 Bailey Smith and Sam Aulie, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for February 4 to 10!

Bailey Smith is a third-year nursing student from Mount Stewart, PEI and a sprinter on the UPEI Track and Field team. Smith set a new personal best in the 60-meter dash at the Saint Mary’s University Open Indoor Track and Field Meet over the weekend with a time of 7.48 seconds. Smith automatically qualifies for the U SPORTS championship meet.

“Bailey had a great race, and she put herself in a strong position for the U SPORTS Championships in March,” said coach Colin MacAdam. “7.48 seconds is the second-fastest time in U SPORTS this year and one of the fastest ever in the AU—a fantastic run!”

Sam Aulie is a fourth-year business student from Lumsden, Saskatchewan and a forward on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Aulie picked up a goal and an assist in each of the Panthers final two games of the season, as UPEI defeated Dalhousie University and St. Francis Xavier University.

“Sam had a great weekend, leading our team with a goal and an assist in each game,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “We needed to capture all four points in order to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of play-offs. Sam’s efforts were a big part in that success.”

Panthers at Home

Both UPEI hockey teams are in the playoffs!

UPEI Women’s Hockey kicks off the first round of the playoffs on the road tonight against the University of New Brunswick. Game two is Sunday in MacLauchlan Arena at 2:00 pm. Game three, if necessary, is Tuesday in Fredericton.

The men play game one of their best-of-three series against Université de Moncton tonight at 7:00 pm in MacLauchlan Arena. Game two is Saturday in Moncton. Game three, if needed, is back on home ice Monday, February 17 at 7:00 pm.

UPEI Men’s and Women’s Hockey playoff tickets are available for purchase at the Eastlink Centre Box Office, by calling (902) 629-6625 or Online at www.eastlinkcentrepei.com.

UPEI’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams play Acadia University at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on Friday and Saturday night for their final regular season games at home. The women play at 6:00 pm and the men tip off at 8:00 pm both nights.

Go Panthers Go!

Dr. Susan Dawson, professor of anatomy at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), has been named a 2019 3M National Teaching Fellow by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) and 3M Canada.

Each year, STLHE and 3M Canada reward exceptional teaching and learning at Canadian universities by selecting ten teaching fellows. Dr. Dawson was nominated for the prestigious award by Dr. Etienne Côté, professor of cardiology at AVC.

In his nomination letter, Dr. Côté says that Dr. Dawson believes in allowing students to develop their own aptitudes and skills within a framework she provides as their professor rather than prescribing the path they follow. She empowers students to drive their own education, providing guidance when needed.

“… Sue is a deeply respected, outstanding teacher of veterinary anatomy. However, it is Sue’s courageous and innovative work outside the anatomy classroom that explains her outsize impact on UPEI’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine—the Atlantic Veterinary College—the broader UPEI community, and the world at large.”

She is well-known for innovation and leadership in the classroom and beyond. In 1997 she created and implemented a course called Veterinary Integration of Structure and Function at AVC; this case-based learning approach is now the norm in most veterinary colleges. She also uses innovative methods and tools to teach her students and has championed the importance of teaching communication, ethics, interpersonal skills, and wellness in veterinary education. She is AVC’s inaugural director of instructional design and teaching innovation and an ex-officio member of the College’s curriculum committee.

Dr. Dawson has influenced teachers at UPEI and other institutions through presentation of her work on teaching and learning at 14 regional, national, and international pedagogical conferences; creation of a mentorship platform for new faculty across UPEI; and peer review of manuscripts submitted for publication in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. She has won numerous teaching and leadership awards.

“On behalf of UPEI, I congratulate Dr. Dawson on this great accomplishment,” said UPEI and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. “With her dedication and passion for teaching and learning, she is most deserving of this honour. She is a leader in the development of innovative teaching strategies as well as with her service to the University. I am so very pleased to see her recognized as a 3M National Teaching Fellow.”

Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, also congratulated Dr. Dawson on her achievement. “Dr. Dawson’s exemplary work as a teacher, mentor, and leader has helped us improve the way we teach veterinary medicine and enhance the strength of our program. As director of instructional design and teaching innovation, she has had a positive impact across the College.”

Dr. Dawson is the seventh faculty member at UPEI to be named a 3M National Teaching Fellow. Other 3M National Teaching Fellows at UPEI are Dr. Shannon Murray and Dr. Brent MacLaine, Department of English; Dr. Brian Wagner, Department of Chemistry; Dr. Philip Smith, Department of Psychology; Dr. Fiona Walton, Faculty of Education; and Dr. Etienne Côté, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Congratulations, Dr. Dawson!

Students from 16 of the world’s top international business schools have converged on UPEI for the 24^th Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) Worldwide Case Competition championship. Over a week of intense competition, students will draw on every ounce of skill, training and teamwork they have to prove they are the best of the best. This is the first time in the competition’s 24-year history that an institution in the Maritimes has been chosen as host.

NIBS is a worldwide association of business schools united by a belief in the importance of global perspective, cultural insight, and international experience in management education. Founded in 1993, the organization has more than 70 member institutions in over 30 countries.

“We’re delighted to be holding this year’s competition in Charlottetown, and grateful to the UPEI organizing team for making it possible,” said Hans van Oudheusden, president of NIBS. “It’s a testament to the excellence and international reach of the UPEI Faculty of Business. These students are some of the best and brightest anywhere in the world. The NIBS Case Competition gives them an opportunity to connect with their peers from other countries and see business from different perspectives. It’s a transformative experience that will connect them to PEI for the rest of their lives.”

Since 1996, a key component of the NIBS portfolio has been the Worldwide Case Competition. The process begins with a qualifying round, involving more than 30 top business schools from across Canada and around the world. Participants compete in teams of four—one team per school—and have eight hours to analyze a case and prepare a report with their recommendations.

UPEI’s Faculty of Business has enjoyed tremendous success over most of the last decade in case competitions around the world, including NIBS, punching well above its weight and drawing the attention of The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. This track record of success, wrote the Globe, “raised the profile of a business school that offers a four-year undergraduate business administration degree and an executive MBA program. The school has scored top-three finishes in at least four competitions a year over the past five years.”

The top 16 teams advance to the championship round, hosted this week at UPEI, where the winner is determined through a series of head-to-head matches. With as little as three hours between the time they receive their cases and the moment they present their solutions to expert judges, teams need every ounce of insight, training and teamwork they can muster. In each match, the deliverable is a 20-minute presentation, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.

A key element of the NIBS case competition is judging. While some competitions rely primarily on academics to evaluate the ideas and solutions proposed by students, NIBS also reaches out to senior managers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who understand the realities of doing business. UPEI’s Faculty of Business has tapped its extensive network of alumni and industry mentors to ensure that teams are being judged by the best minds in Canadian business.

“We are very proud to be hosting this prestigious business competition as part of the celebrations for UPEI’s 50th anniversary,” said Jurgen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business at UPEI. “It gives us the unique opportunity to showcase the excellent work being done at the Faculty of Business on the global stage. The success of this competition would not be possible without our NIBS organizing committee, chaired by Mary Whitrow, our devoted faculty and staff, and all the volunteers who are helping us ensure that the competition runs smoothly this week.”

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.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL SPACES FOR THIS PROJECT ARE NOW FILLED

A UPEI Faculty of Education research project is seeking children in grades 4 to 8 who need a little extra help with math, or simply enjoy doing math. Beginning March 5, students will be invited to a free, eight-week after-school program. In these one-hour sessions, students will have an opportunity to develop foundational skills in key areas which act as building blocks for higher-level math.

The program will begin with strategies for addition and subtraction and move onto multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals.

This after-school program is part of a UPEI Faculty of Education research project. Students will complete short pre- and post- assessments for each lesson and provide feedback on the different strategies used to teach mathematics.

For more information, or to sign up your child, contact Dr. Tess Miller at tsmiller@upei.ca. Please indicate your child’s grade level and ability as struggling, doing okay, or excelling. Parents will be emailed a letter of information describing the study and a letter of consent giving your child permission to participate.

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.