The Sierra Club of Canada, one of Canada’s largest and most reputable environmental organizations, has awarded two of its five annual prizes to a student and a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, in part for their work on the “Sustainable UPEI” project.

Joshua S. Darrach, a fourth-year student majoring in philosophy with a minor in environmental studies, received the Sierra Youth Coalition of Canada (SYC) Inspiration Award. The award marks an outstanding contribution by a Sierra Club of Canada member under 25 years old and comes with a $2,000 scholarship to further the recipient’s education.

Darrach received the award for his work with “Sustainable UPEI”; his advocacy in SYC Sustainable Campuses; and for joining and co-organizing the Canadian Youth Delegation to the UN Climate Change meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2006, and Bali, Indonesia, in 2007.

“UPEI Environmental Studies and Sustainability has been a life-changing experience,” says Darrach. “Many students like myself are now active in provincial, national, and international sustainability work. It has been a real incubator for youth leaders committed to positive, constructive change toward a sustainable world and future.”

Dr. Almut Beringer, a professor of environmental studies and sustainability at UPEI, received the Sierra Club of Canada Conservation Chapter Award for her contributions to the “Sustainable UPEI” initiative. Only one such prize is awarded across the five regional chapters of the Sierra Club.

Members of the University of Prince Edward Island's history and religious departments are featured in a P.E.I.-produced television series that is being broadcast on the Canadian Learning Television (CLT) at 9 p.m. AST on Monday nights this winter.

'Voices in Time: Great Speeches of the 20th Century' is a 13-part, half-hour television series focused on the people, events and moments in time captured by a famous speech or speeches that helped shape the course of history during the last century. This series blends archival footage, interviews and re-enactments to give viewers an insightful and moving look at historical events and the people involved in them.

Produced by Seahorse Entertainment, a P.E.I. production company, this second cycle of programs (episodes 14-26) includes shows about Fidel Castro, Lech Walesa, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mahatma Gandhi, Mikhail Gorbachev and Harry S. Truman. The episodes about Castro and Walesa aired on December 10 and 17 respectively.

The series is hosted by Professor Ian Dowbiggin, chair of the Department of History at UPEI. In several episodes, he is joined by Professors Phil Davis and Joe Velaidum, of the Department of Religious Studies, who provide additional insight and commentary on specific subjects.

Executive producer Larry LeClair is very pleased with the results. 'It's no easy task to produce a TV series using P.E.I. talent entirely at every stage of production. Certainly it wouldn't have been possible without the participation of Ian and his colleagues at UPEI.'

For his part, Dowbiggin was also happy to have been involved. 'This series is a tribute to LeClair's imagination, skills, knowledge and hard work. It's great when different parts of the P.E.I. community, including UPEI, can come together to produce such fine programming,' he says.

UPEI staff member Cathy Gillan accepted the 2007 UPEI Staff Achievement Award from President Wade MacLauchlan during the university's annual Christmas social recently.

Gillan, who has worked at UPEI since 1989, is currently coordinator of UPEI's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program for international students. Under her leadership, the program has grown from 21 students taking 42 EAP courses in the 2002/2003 acdemic year to 89 taking 212 courses in 2006/2007. In addition to assisting students academically, she serves them as a teacher, mentor and counselor.

Fiction writer Kathy Page will give a public reading on January 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the UPEI Faculty Lounge, Main Building, during her tour of the Maritime provinces this month.

Born in London, England, Page was a rising British literary star when she moved to Salt Spring Island, B.C., in the 1990s. She is best-known for her recent novels, The Story of My Face, long-listed for the 2002 Orange Prize for fiction, and Alphabet, nominated for the 2005 Governor General’s Award.

The Story of My Face gives us Natalie, a teenage girl looking for someone or something to latch on to. Her seemingly innocent involvement with a religious sect leads to the revelation of a long-kept secret and devastating events which change not only her face but also the course of her life. This novel is a psychological thriller and the archaeology of an accident which shaped a life.

In Alphabet, Simon Austen is serving a life sentence for murder. Intelligent and charming, but damaged and manipulative, he admits to what he's done but his motives are far from clear, even to himself. From his prison he begins an illicit correspondence with a series of women. The more he learns - about them and himself - the higher the stakes become. Simon finds himself on a perilous and unpredictable journey, stumbling towards self-knowledge and redemption.

In addition to her numerous posts as a writer-in-residence (including in a prison setting) and creative writing teacher, Page was a counsellor and psychotherapist earlier in her career. This experience contributes to the compelling reality of her characters, and to her fiction’s faith in personal transformation: “the magic by which a bad hand becomes a good chance.”

Page’s reading is sponsored by the UPEI English Department, with support from the Canada Council of the Arts. Admission is free. For further information, call (902) 566-0389.

Matt Cassidy, a second-year student in the School of Business at UPEI, has won the prestigious Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business.

Cassidy is one of only six university students in Atlantic Canada to receive this honour. The award, which is valued at $10,000, recognizes business students who have excelled academically, and demonstrated a commitment to extracurricular and community activities.

“We are very pleased that Matt has been selected to receive the Sobey award. The competition is always very impressive, so it’s a great testament to the calibre of Matt’s achievements,” noted Roberta MacDonald, dean of the School of Business. “He excels in his academic studies, participates in many extracurricular activities, and has demonstrated a commitment to his entrepreneurial ambitions. He is a great role model, and I am certain he will continue to succeed in all his endeavours.”

Cassidy is actively involved with many local organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society, the PEI Young Liberals and the Holy Redeemer Parish Council. He is a familiar face at the School of Business, where he is a second-year representative with the Business Society.

He demonstrates keen interest in entrepreneurial pursuits. For example, while still in high school, he began and ran his own lawn care business. Academically, he has received recognition as the highest-standing student in the first year of the business program and received the Harry W. MacLauchlan Scholarship in entrepreneurial leadership last fall.

“I am delighted to be one of the recipients of the Frank H. Sobey Award, which was named in honour of one of Atlantic Canada’s greatest entrepreneurs,” said Cassidy. “I strongly believe that entrepreneurial excellence and ambition are key to a strong local business community, and this award recognizes that.”

Cassidy will join the other award-winners for a luncheon and special presentation in March, which will be attended by members of the Sobey family and the boards of directors of the Sobey and Empire corporations.

Since the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies were established in 1989, more than $650,000 has been awarded to business students in the four Atlantic provinces.

After almost two decades in animal care, long-time animal lover and humanitarian, Dr. Leland Thomas of Saint John, New Brunswick is trading in his stethoscope for a well deserved retirement.

Leland Thomas has been saving lives of the animal kind for close to 18 years. Vaccinations, examinations and surgeries have filled Thomas' days since he and his wife Janice opened All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Saint John following Thomas' graduation from the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) in 1990.

"I can remember hearing about the possibility of a veterinary school opening in the Maritimes," reflects Thomas, surrounded in his Saint John home by his three dogs and six cats. "I was 34 and working as a mechanic at the time. I was ready for a change and saw veterinary school as an opportunity to do something different. I have always loved animals so the veterinary profession was a good choice for me and has resulted in a very rewarding career."

As a member of AVC’s first graduating class, Thomas has enjoyed a long history with the college. It was this connection and Thomas' desire to honor his clients' pets that led to a very special act of giving over the years.

"When someone loses a pet, they are deeply affected. People spend a lot of time with their pets and develop strong bonds with them," says Thomas. "There is a big change when their pets are no longer around. I wanted to find a way to give comfort to my clients, so I began making donations in memory of their companions to AVC's Companion Animal Trust Fund. It seemed to mean a lot."

AVC's Companion Animal Trust Fund supports work aimed at improving the health of companion animals. Funds provide a means of continuing research on animal diseases and improving facilities and equipment for the Atlantic Veterinary College's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The most recent fund grant was awarded to a research project exploring obesity in dogs and its effects on heart function.

"The Companion Animal Trust Fund is a wonderful way to recognize the special bond people share with their pets," says Dr. Sherri Ihle, a member of AVC's Companion Animal Department and Director of the Fund. "Dr. Thomas and the staff of the All Creatures Veterinary Hospital have been paying tribute to animals through this fund since it started almost 20 years ago. Both his clients and the Atlantic Veterinary College are fortunate to benefit from his compassion and generosity."

Over the course of Thomas' career, his clinic has donated more than $16,000 to the Companion Animal Trust Fund. "I feel the fund is a worthwhile initiative," says Thomas. "We have to rely on each other to support work like this. We can not always depend on government to fund research."

Thomas' retirement plans include long summers on Deer Island, restoring an old sailboat and working with local environmental groups.

Funded by the four Atlantic Provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research, and professional services. The College has graduated more than 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, is known around the world for its research capabilities, and is Atlantic Canada's only full service veterinary referral hospital.

For more information on the Companion Animal Trust Fund, visit www.upei.ca/~avc/catf.

Applications are now being accepted for this summer's AVC Vet Camp in July. The only camp of its kind in Canada, AVC Vet Camp offers an educational adventure like no other - learn about anatomy, wildlife medicine and animal behaviour, visit our large- and small-animal hospitals, and take a trip to a working dairy farm. Find out what being a veterinarian is really like! Students must be entering Grade 7, 8 or 9 in the fall to be eligible. Deadline for applications is March 14, 2008. It's the tenth year for AVC Vet Camp, so please join us as we "Paws for Celebration." For more information, visit http://upei.ca/avc/camp/. 

Dr. Alfonso Lopez (DVM, MSc, PhD), a professor within the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI’s Pathology and Microbiology Department and co-ordinator of the College's international programs, was recently awarded the 2007 Innovation in International Education Award by the Canadian Bureau for International Education at a ceremony in Ottawa. The award recognizes outstanding achievement, of national and international magnitude, in the field of international education.

“This award acknowledges Dr. Lopez’s contribution to the internationalization of veterinary medicine, his work with developing countries, and his innovative contributions to international education throughout his 30-year career,” says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). “We are extremely proud of Dr. Lopez and feel his recognition is very much deserved.”

Since joining AVC in 1988, Lopez has successfully designed several international education initiatives including two academic mobility projects. The mandate of these projects was to promote and fund international experience and the cultural enrichment of Canadian students, and to facilitate Mexican and American students to experience academic life at AVC. The projects succeeded and became models for other mobility projects at other academic institutions. Also, Dr. Lopez implemented a major project financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Lopez’s contributions to international education also include the establishment of an International Veterinary Medicine Rotation that allows AVC students to receive credit for courses or professional experiences in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. “In a globalized society, it is essential to create opportunities for our students to travel and learn from other places and cultures,” says Lopez.

Lopez is an advocate for sharing AVC course materials with the world via the Internet. “There is nothing more professionally rewarding to me than knowing students, veterinarians, and specialists in remote areas of the world benefit from what we do for students at AVC,” continues Lopez. “The work done at AVC can advance the quality of education and diagnostic services in developing countries.”

Funded by the four Atlantic Provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research, and professional services. The College has graduated more than 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, is known around the world for its research capabilities, and is Atlantic Canada’s only full-service veterinary referral hospital.

CBIE is a national, bilingual, not-for-profit, membership organization dedicated to the promotion of Canada’s international relations through international education.

Photo:

Dr. Alfonso Lopez accepts the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) Excellence Award from CBIE Board Member Nancy Blain.

The University of Prince Edward Island was recognized for its leadership in research and innovation on Monday, January 21, with the announcement of up to $4.3-million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's (ACOA) Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) for major projects focusing on cancer treatment and lobster health.

The funding was announced on Monday, January 21, by Rob Moore, Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay.

"UPEI continues to emphasize innovation and education through ground-breaking research projects such as these," says Dr. Katherine Schultz, Director of UPEI's Office of Research Development. "P.E.I. is an important generator of new knowledge through significant growth in research initiatives and capacity. External research at UPEI has grown by more than 600 per cent in the past ten years."

With this round of funding, UPEI has garnered close to $30-million in AIF support since the fund was established in 2002 for top-quality research projects, including bioactive compounds, marine bioproducts, biomedical research, aquatic health and milk quality research.

A biophotonics research project, led by Dr. Bill Whelan, Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Optics at UPEI, will receive up to $2-million over five years to develop new biomedical imaging and cancer treatment technologies that may lead to improved treatment options for cancer patients.

Initially focusing on prostate cancer, the project will see the development of laser thermal therapy and optoacoustic imaging technologies that use light and sound to destroy solid tumours and monitor treatment effectiveness. Equipment designed through the project will supplement existing cancer therapies and diagnostic medical devices.

The project will also enhance P.E.I.' s capacity for the development and manufacture of biomedical instruments. Private sector partners include Seno Medical Instruments in San Antonio, Texas, and Fiber Connections in Summerside, P.E.I.

The Atlantic Veterinary College's Lobster Science Centre will receive up to $2.3-million over five years for a research project that aims to develop a greater understanding of the life cycle of the lobster, including health, moulting and reproduction. The project will focus on the wild lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and the Northumberland Strait.

This project is significant because of the economic importance of the Atlantic Canada lobster fishery, estimated at $1-billion annually. The southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishery makes about 40 per cent of total lobster landings in Atlantic Canada.

"We are delighted that UPEI and AVC have once again been successful in attracting AIF funding with these two important research projects," says Schultz.

Photo #1: Dr. Bill Whelan

Photo #2: Dr. Jean Lavallée, Dr. Spencer Greenwood and Dr. Andrea Battison

The PEI Health Research Institute’s (PEI HRI) Café Scientifique, postponed due to a major snow storm in December, will be held on Thursday, January 31, from 3-5 p.m., at the Culinary Institute of Canada, Room 246.

Members of the public are invited to attend this free event, which will explore ways to improve the health of Canadian youth through discussion and debate.

Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie, of the UPEI Department of Psychology, will give a presentation called “Inviting pregnant adolescents into tobacco research: How can we improve our reach into the community?” And Dr. Jennifer Taylor, of the UPEI Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, will give a presentation called “Beyond Hotdogs and Potato Chips: Do school nutrition policies work?”

Sponsored by the federal Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Café Scientifiques offer insight into health-related issues of interest to the general public, and in turn provoke questions and provide answers. This is the first time that a Café Scientifique has been held on P.E.I.

Located at UPEI, the PEI HRI supports, promotes and enhances quality research related to human health on Prince Edward Island, contributing to the health of Islanders and Canadians, and to the economy of P.E.I.

For more information, contact Jennifer Jelley, PEI Health Research Institute, at (902) 894-2812 or peihri@upei.ca.