The public is invited to attend an astronomy lecture at UPEI on Monday, May 9 by Dr. Davis Philips on "Large Optical Telescopes." The talk will outline his experiences in the early 80s as the first American observer to use the Soviet Union's six-metre reflector in the Caucasus. He will detail the history of large telescopes, those currently being built, and some of what is planned for the future. It takes place in the Lecture Hall of KC Irving Building, UPEI, beginning at 8:00 pm.

Dr. Philips is a professor in the Physics department at Union College, Schenectady, New York, and the president of the Institute for Space Observations and the Davis Press. His presentation is part of the prestigious Shapley lecture series, named after Harlow Shapley who discovered the dimensions of our galaxy and the location of its centre. Dr. Philips' visit to UPEI on May 9 and 10 will also include technical lectures for faculty and students.

The May 9 public lecture builds on the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) series lecture given earlier this year at UPEI. Dr. Cliff Burgess spoke on the topic, "What is the Universe Made Of? The Case for Dark Matter and Dark Energy" to a standing-room-only crowd. Dr. Burgess is an associate member of the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, and a visiting professor in the Physics and Astronomy department at McMaster University.

The UPEI Physics department and the Charlottetown chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society also run a volunteer public outreach series. Since the summer of 2004, there have been opportunities to view the Sun, Moon and Saturn through the UPEI telescope. Heather Hughes, the astronomy lecturer at UPEI, says that the last of these, "Saturn on Saturday" has proved the most popular. More than 200 people attended over the three nights. "It is an ideal opportunity to involve the community, in particular children, in the wonder of the universe. We hope that everybody goes home with a sense of amazement and that it leads to a desire to find out more," Hughes says.

Two of the volunteers for astronomy events are physics students, Evan O'Connor and Jason MacWilliams, who are going through the Physics co-op program which was launched at UPEI in 2003. Their interest in astronomy has led them into work placements with the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, part of the National Research Council, in both Victoria and Penticton, British Columbia.

For further information on Dr. Philips lecture, please contact the UPEI Physics Department at 566-0491.

Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island will be the focus of a special theme day on May 5 at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan.

Kate Macdonald Butler, granddaughter of author L.M. Montgomery, and Duncan McIntosh, member of the L. M. Montgomery Institute's International Advisory Board, representing Prince Edward Island, will attend "Anne Day" at Expo 2005 and will announce the launch of a Japanese-language website about L.M. Montgomery's personal scrapbooks and images of her book covers, and a special year in honour of Anne of Green Gables that will take place in 2008.

The website is a gift from the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island to the people of Japan in recognition of their love of Anne and in celebration of Expo 2005. It is a translation of Picturing A Canadian Life: L.M. Montgomery's Personal Scrapbooks and Book Covers, a website developed by the L.M. Montgomery Institute, the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Guelph, Virtual Museum of Canada, Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace, and National Library of Canada. The url for the website is http://lmm.confederationcentre.com.

Ms. Macdonald Butler and Mr. McIntosh will also announce a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of the novel Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island in 2008. Eri Muraoka and Mie Muraoka, grandchildren of Hanako Muraoka who translated the novel into Japanese, will be guests at the announcement. Jennifer Toulmin, who plays Anne Shirley in the Charlottetown Festival's production Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153; and Wakana Uchibayashi, who has played Anne in Tokyo, will sing two songs from the world-famous musical. Toulmin is one of six Canadians featured in the Canadian Pavilion during Expo 2005.

A committee consisting of representatives of the L.M. Montgomery Institute, Tourism Prince Edward Island, Parks Canada, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the provincial Department of Education, various tourism businesses and the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. is already working to plan the celebration. The Honourable Marion Reid, CM, a long-time Montgomery enthusiast and former lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island, is honourary chair of the celebration.

"Through her writings, particularly Anne of Green Gables, and her life-long love of her native Island, L.M. Montgomery has drawn our beautiful province to the attention of millions of people around the world," said Macdonald Butler and McIntosh, on behalf of the Honourable Marion Reid, CM, who was unable to travel to Japan for Anne Day. "Each year hundreds of thousands of people come to the Island to see for themselves the natural beauty that she expresses so eloquently in her novels, poems, letters and journals. We invite the people of Japan to come to Prince Edward Island in 2008 and join us as we celebrate our beloved L.M. Montgomery and her creation, Anne."

While the planning process is just beginning, the Anne2008 Centennial Committee's goal is to create a celebration of imagination, inspiration and creativity that will solidly link L.M. Montgomery and her fictional character Anne to their birthplace Prince Edward Island. The celebration will involve academic and cultural events such as the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial international conference scheduled for 2008, the Charlottetown Festival's production of Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153;, the annual L.M. Montgomery Festival and much more. The committee has set up a website, http://www.anne2008.com, where information about the celebration will be posted as it becomes available.

Funding partners are the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Tourism Prince Edward Island and the University of Prince Edward Island. L.M. Montgomery is a trademark of the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc. and Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables - The Musical are trademarks of the AGGLA and used under license.

Dr. Brian Wagner, Chair of the Department of Chemistry, has been selected for a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and 3M Canada. The 3M is Canada's exclusive national award for university teaching and leadership. Faculty members from the University of Prince Edward Island have carried off four 3M awards in the last five years, which demonstrates an outstanding record of teaching excellence.

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Dr. Wagner's Citation

Students wait in line at pre-registration to make sure they get into Brian Wagner's first-year chemistry class, and no wonder. From his interactive anonymous quizzes to his writing-across-the-curriculum techniques to his use of real-life research in the classroom, Brian connects the student to chemistry and chemistry to the world. In1998, he won UPEI's Merit Award for Excellence in Teaching, and his student evaluations include comments like "better than the best" and "Dr. Wagner, you are a chemistry god!"

But Brian's passion goes beyond chemistry; he was a founding member of UPEI's Environmental Studies Group, and he team-teaches in the core course of a new Environmental Studies Minor. That collaborative spirit extends to his colleagues on campus and beyond. Even with a heavy load as Chair of his Department, Brian volunteers each year as a teaching mentor in UPEI's New Faculty Program. A leader in promoting active learning even in large science classes, Brian shares his passion for teaching with international university and college teachers as a facilitator in UPEI's Faculty Development Summer Institute on Active Learning.

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Teachers with Reach: Announcing recipients of the 20th Anniversary 3M Teaching Fellowship Awards

Montreal, QC, May 13, 2005 -

Forty-three years ago, after three sleepless nights and worrying that he'd made a career mistake, John Thompson stepped into his first classroom; 10 minutes later, he knew he wanted to teach for the rest of his life. And now, he and nine others will receive Canada's only national award for university teaching and leadership: the 3M Teaching Fellowships.

Every member of John's cohort shares his sense of joy and dedication to teaching. At the University of Saskatchewan, Richard Schwier, believes that the most powerful technologies are the soft ones: "how we engage students, excite them and empower them." Dalhousie's Srinivas Sampalli is so loved by his computer science students that they established a teaching award in his name.

3M Teaching Fellows are also innovators in pedagogy: Georg Gunther at Newfoundland's Wilfred Grenfell College has developed an original set of cartoon characters who model math problems, and fliers advertising "Math Problems at Low Prices!" engaging the mathphobes among his students. The University of Ottawa's Aline Germain-Rutherford has developed software that allows students to graph and see the progress of their French accents. David Dunne's students in the University of Toronto's School of Management work with industry leaders to produce ads for clients like the Salvation Army and the Alzheimer's Society. And the University of PEI's Brian Wagner connects his students to chemistry and chemistry to the world.

The 3M Teaching Fellows also demonstrate extraordinary leadership in university teaching. York's Janice Newton has established new academic programs; Western's Anton Allahar has introduced new programs as far as St. Petersburg, Russia. And History professor Kenneth Bartlett founder of the Office of Teaching Advancement champions the "Academy of Teaching" that will be announced at the University of Toronto.

Teachers, innovators and leaders, these 3M Teaching Fellows will be introduced to the membership of the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) on June 9th at the University of Prince Edward Island. They will also meet at the Chateau Montebello on November 5th and#150; 7th for an intense and exciting weekend retreat.

This is the 20th anniversary of the Fellowships Program, supported by former President of 3M Canada, John Myser who knew the impact his teachers had made on him. Myser collaborated with STLHE to recognize and value teaching in Canadian universities and to celebrate teachers with reach.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Program Coordinator

3M Teaching Fellowships

Tel. (514) 848-2424 x 2928

Fax: (514) 848-4500

E-mail: arshad@jmsb.concordia.ca

The University of Prince Edward Island held its 36th Convocation exercises on Saturday, May 14 in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. A record-setting 717 diplomas, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees were awarded during two ceremonies. This year the graduate list included students from 17 different countries, reflecting the increasing number of international students now attending UPEI.

"Convocation is a celebration of student success. For the individual graduate, and for the entire University, this is a celebration of talent, sustained effort, and belief in the importance of learning," said President Wade MacLauchlan. "Just as important, Convocation is a celebration of the fact that UPEI is an excellent university supported by a wonderful community."

The 2005 Honorary Degree recipients were women and men who have demonstrated that strong sense of community commitment. They were: Honourable James Lee, Colin MacDonald, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, John Joe Sark, and Charles Stewart Scranton who gave the morning address. Mr. Scranton, who is now in his 90th year, has had a life-long career in agriculture. He has served as a director of many agricultural organizations, including the PEI Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Hereford Association. He was also a founder of Camp Segunakadeck, one of the largest Baptist camps in Atlantic Canada.

The afternoon address was delivered by Sister Lauretta White who accepted an honorary degree on behalf of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha. The activities of "The Marthas" have had a powerful and positive influence in PEI. They have participated extensively in higher education at St. Dunstan's University and UPEI, and in primary and secondary education as teachers and administrators. The congregation has also made significant contributions to the welfare of Islanders through its work in health care and child welfare, as well as parish and prison ministry.

Jeffrey David Berkshire of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia was the valedictorian for the morning ceremony. Jeffrey graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The afternoon valedictory was delivered by Deidre Charlotte Kelly of Kingston who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, first-class standing.

This was the first year for graduates of the Bachelor of Education Specializing in Teaching French Immersion. Jennifer C. Albrecht of Tryon and Rachel Charlene Grigg of Northam were the first students to complete the new program which is offered collaboratively with l'Universitand#233; de Moncton. The Family and Nutritional Science department celebrated two firsts; Emily Garrity from Charlottetown and Sophia Wadowska from Bonshaw were the first graduates in the new honours program, while Tasha Ellis of St. Ann's, Anne Lane of Charlottetown, and Melanie Dawn Shea of Tignish were the first to complete a minor in Family Science.

For Don and Judy Gillis of Mermaid it was a very special day. Don Gillis taught engineering at UPEI for 35 years. Their son, Robert James, graduated with a Diploma in Engineering and he plans to continue his studies at Dalhousie in Mechanical Engineering. Robert was the last of the seven Gillis children to graduate from UPEI. They now have five engineers and two medical doctors in the family.

Lara Cusack of Charlottetown was one of a number of exceptional veterinary graduates this year. Lara took her external rotations in BC, Alberta, Australia, and South Africa. Her experience included working with lions and elephants on African wildlife reserves and rehabilitating wildlife in the Australian outback. She is currently raising funds to participate in Envirovet program which takes leaders in environmental health and wildlife conservation and puts them together for eight weeks in the US and South Africa.

It was a bittersweet occasion for the Department of Music as four members of the wind symphony said goodbye to UPEI. Stephanie Cole, trombone, Matthew McCrady, trumpet, Celeste Brink, saxophone, and Angela Mason, flute, have been with the symphony for more than five years. Now they are moving on to apply their outstanding musicianship skills to graduate work and teaching careers.

Many 2005 graduates have made valuable contributions to the growing sense of school spirit that has been especially evident since the opening of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. Brandy Lee Anne MacLellan of Wellington Centre was one of them. Brandy graduated with a Sociology/Anthropology degree. She also received accolades for her commitment to New Student Orientation, the UPEI Yearbook, and the Student Council.

Convocation Day 2005 captured the considerable pride in accomplishment at UPEI that President Wade MacLauchlan has expressed this way: "Every single graduate represents a story of achievement and of wonderful promise for the future. They can be proud of their UPEI education and of the university they will be attached to for the rest of their lives."

Just two years after launching its ambitious $25 million Building a Legacy campaign, the University of Prince Edward Island has exceeded its original objective and is now working towards a new $50 million goal for private donations.

At a "Grand Celebration" in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on May 16 Building a Legacy campaign chair Fred Hyndman announced that private investments in the University have reached $27 million. After thanking the many volunteers whose efforts have generated widespread financial support for UPEI, locally and across the country, Hyndman stated that there is still much more to accomplish.

"This is time to continue Building a Legacy and to pass the torch," he said as he introduced Mike Schurman, who will lead Building a Legacy to its new $50 million target. Schurman is a well-known PEI entrepreneur and community leader who has served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of UPEI. In taking on the leadership of Building a Legacy, he urged:

"Take a look around this beautiful and historic campus and see the need to invest in infrastructure, in funding the best of Canada's researchers, and in supporting a culture of quality teaching. Join me as we drive toward new heights for UPEI and for this province. Let's work together to make it $50 million."

The University announced ambitious plans to expand and renovate the campus through a combination of private donations and government support. President Wade MacLauchlan unveiled artists' renderings of a new school of business administration to be located in what is now Marian Hall student residence. It will be renovated to provide 22,000 square feet of new teaching and office space. The campaign to generate private financial support for the School will be led by Tim Banks, President of the APM Group and Dr. Roberta MacDonald, Dean of Business. The provincial government has already pledged $4 million to the renovations as part of a $25 million commitment for capital renewal at UPEI over 10 years.

The event was also an opportunity to announce plans for the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship to be constructed adjacent to the new school of business administration. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is contributing $1.69 million to the new centre.

The Honourable Joe McGuire, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) today announced a $1.69 million contribution to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) for the establishment of the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (CEE).

The physical structure will involve a 20,000-square-foot facility adjoining the UPEI School of Business Administration. Key features will include a biotech hall, a 350-seat lecture theatre as well as a range of meeting rooms. The space will have resources for training, networking, incubation, business development, conferences and biotechnology industry events.

The work of the CEE will support and promote PEI's strategic sector priorities including biosciences, tourism, diversified manufacturing, food development and information technology.

"Initially the centre will focus on the bioscience cluster. In fact, the CEE will be the hub that will coordinate efforts of learning institutions, industry and government in the development of the bioscience cluster," said Minister McGuire. "If Prince Edward Island is to be a leader in entrepreneurship or any field, we must constantly be looking to the future, and finding ways to do things more creatively, more efficiently and with better results."

The CEE is also the catalyst for a new beginning for the School of Business Administration. A renovated Marian Hall will become the new home of the School of Business Administration and a focal point will be the CEE. Work on both the CEE and the business school is expected to be complete by Spring 2006.

"The CEE will be a major catalyst in achieving a new generation of entrepreneurship at UPEI and on Prince Edward Island," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "ACOA's financial support for the CEE combines with other investments in innovation and research to create an outstanding knowledge economy success story."

The Atlantic Veterinary College's 13th Annual Graduate Studies and Research Days will be held Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, 2005 in Lecture Theatre A at AVC. For the first time the University of Prince Edward Island's Faculty of Science will join AVC by also having a series of graduate presentations on Thursday May 19, in Lecture Theatre B at AVC. AVC and Faculty of Science graduate students will present recent research findings on a variety of projects.

"It's exciting to see the Graduate and Research Days expanding. We're pleased the Faculty of Science is teaming up with AVC," says Dr. Jim Bellamy, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research. "Graduate students bring energy and curiosity to a university. These two days give us the chance to recognize their integral role in teaching, research, and service here at the Atlantic Veterinary College." Since the opening of AVC in 1986 the College has graduated more than 150 graduate students.

Although this is the first year the Faculty of Science has held a Graduate Research day, it is the fifth anniversary of the Program. In the last five years, 15 students have graduated with their Master of Science through UPEI.

"Our Graduate programs in Biology and Chemistry have proven to be a huge success," says Dr. Roger Gordon, Dean of Science at UPEI. "Students have been carrying out cutting-edge research that has benefited their own careers as well as further energizing the research programs of our faculty members."

The Faculty of Science's guest speaker is Dr. William Whelan, Ryserson University, who is a visiting Researcher here at UPEI. Dr. Whelan's talk, entitled "Physics for the Mind and Body" is on Thursday, May 19 in Lecture Theatre "B" at AVC at 2:30 p.m.

For AVC's part, presentations on biomedical science, animal welfare, and clinical research, will be delivered on Thursday, May 19. Graduate students will present their research in the areas of population health and aquatic animal research present on Friday, May 20.

The annual AVC R.G. Thomson Lecture will be presented by Dr. Barry T. Rouse, University of Tennessee. His presentation, entitled T-call regulatory effects in viral immunology and immunopathology in AVC Lecture Theatre A on Thursday, May 19 at 9:30 a.m.

Fifty-six graduate students are currently enrolled at the AVC in Master of Science, Master of Veterinary Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs.

A detailed agenda of Graduate Studies and Research Days can be found at www.upei.ca/~avc/program.pdf . Media and the general public are invited to attend the presentations.

Contact:

Lauranne MacNeill, AVC, UPEI, (902) 566-0533 or laumacneill@upei.ca

Heather Hughes, Faculty of Science, UPEI, (902) 566-6022 or hhughes@upei.ca

Dr. Vianne Timmons, UPEI Vice-President of Academic Development, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Buchanan as the University's new Registrar. Alan Buchanan was born and raised in Belfast, PEI, where he still lives. He obtained his BA from UPEI and his MA in Political Studies from Queen's University.

He has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of PEI and as a Cabinet Minister. He has also held positions as a senior bureaucrat and policy advisor, and as a university lecturer. Before establishing his own consulting and communications company in 2003, he was Director of Government Relations for Aliant. His volunteer roles have included serving as president of the Belfast Historical Society and chair of Ars Longa, the organization responsible for the Arts Guild building in Charlottetown. He has recently completed a five-year appointment as a commissioner of the Law Commission of Canada.

"I am really excited about becoming a part of the university community once again," says Buchanan. "UPEI is a very interesting place to be these days. I look forward to working with the management team, and with the great professional people who work with the Office of the Registrar."

"Alan Buchanan brings extensive human resource management experience and conflict resolution skills to the position, as well as a passion for students," says Dr. Timmons. "His extensive background and knowledge of UPEI and the community, his strong leadership skills, and his love of learning will make him an ideal Registrar."

Dr. Timmons also extends congratulations to Dr. Clive Keen who has been selected as the new Director of Enrolment Management. In addition to his existing duties as Director of the Centre of Life-Long Learning, Dr. Keen's new responsibilities will include coordinating institutional efforts to create a student-centred approach to recruitment and retention, and developing a comprehensive marketing, recruitment, and enrolment plan. Before joining UPEI in 2002, Dr. Keen was Executive Director of Public Affairs for Athabasca University. For six years he was Director of Communications at the University of Northern BC. He is the author of six books and many articles on aspects of enrolment management.

"Enrolment management is one of the most interesting and exciting of all challenges for universities," he says. "I tremendously look forward to playing an expanded role in this area, and helping put a new UPEI Academic Plan into effect."

Dr. Andy Tasker, well known Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) professor and researcher at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), recently became Chair of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). This is the first time a for PEI representative to be Chair of the CCAC which includes representatives from more than twenty national organizations.

The CCAC is the national organization responsible for overseeing the care and use of animals in research, teaching, and testing in all universities and government agencies in Canada, as well as most industrial research programs.

"The CCAC is recognized and respected world wide for its programs and commitment to cooperative improvement of the scientific and ethical standards of animal use in Canada," says Dr. Tasker. "It is an honour to be able to further contribute to the organization and its goals."

Dr. Tasker has served as one of four representatives of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada since 2001 and last year was the CCAC Vice-Chair. His term as Chair runs from April 1, 2005 until March 31, 2006.

"Dr. Tasker's appointment as Chair of the CCAC is a considerable achievement," says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of AVC. "He is extremely committed to health research and I'm confident the CCAC will benefit greatly from Dr. Tasker's leadership and experience."

As AVC's past Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Dr. Tasker played a significant leadership role in a number of successful initiatives, including achieving an all time high in graduate student numbers for the College.

Dr. Tasker's research is in the area of behavioural neuroscience. As, part of the Canadian Stroke Network, he is a member of a multi-researcher team actively developing a new class of drugs to help prevent brain damage caused by stroke. Dr. Tasker also leads a major federally and industry-funded research program to better understand the regulation of brain development and its relation to neurological diseases such as epilepsy.

Dr. Tasker is also one of the lead scientists of the new Atlantic Centre for Comparative Biomedical Research (ACCBR) at UPEI. This federally funded Centre will be the first of its kind in Canada and will bring together animal health and human health researchers to develop a better understanding of medical treatments and allow for discovery and development of new products for both markets. This centre will be housed with other AVC centres of expertise in a new 57,000 square foot research complex to be built as part of AVC's $32 million expansion and renovation project. AVC is gearing up to break ground this Fall.

The Master of Arts Programme in Island Studies (MAIS) and the Institute of Island Studies (IIS), both at UPEI, are pleased to host a public lecture on the theme of Local and Global Heritage in Island Cultures. The event will be held in the Faculty Lounge, ground floor, Main Building, UPEI on Wednesday June 15, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

The presentation will be led by Dr Philip Hayward, Chair of the Department of Contemporary Music Studies at Macquarie University, Australia. The session will be introduced by well-known Island Folklorist John Cousins.

Dr Hayward MA, PhD is also the coordinator of the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI), an international network of scholars interested in the study and celebration of small island cultures, and which also manages an on-line reference resource on island cultures (www.sicri.org). Laurie Brinklow, a graduate student in the MAIS programme at UPEI, attended the inaugural SICRI conference held in Kagoshima, Japan, last February.

Dr Hayward has also authored or edited various books and papers exploring music, social history and cultural identity in islands, with a particular reference to Japan and the South Pacific.

The June 15 event is free of charge, and light refreshments will be provided after the lecture, courtesy of the Dean of Arts. For more information, please contact Laura Lee Howard at 566-0377 or lhoward@upei.ca