Sociology students at the University of Prince Edward Island are translating into action the lessons they are learning in the classroom.

On Friday, March 28, students in Professor David Varis' Sociology 102B course will host a kitchen party to raise awareness about poverty and funds to fight it. The party will be held in the courtyard of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre from 1 to 4 p.m.

Varis says that a number of students came up with the idea of contributing back to the community, after spending the last year learning about social inequality, poverty and other social issues in his introductory course.

"I am very proud of my students for organizing this awareness event," he says. "It reflects the degree to which students of this generation are responding to issues that are global in nature but require attention locally."

The event will feature guest speaker Mike MacDonald, manager of the Upper Room Soup Kitchen, as well as remarks from event co-ordinator Joan Diamond and entertainers Tim Chaisson, Tian Wigmore, David Wigmore & Friends, Jeremy Murphy and Colette Cheverie. Donations will be accepted at the door, and all proceeds will go to the Upper Room Soup Kitchen in Charlottetown.

For more information, please contact Joan Diamond at jdiamond@hollandc.pe.ca or (902) 629-4248.

Graduate students from Arts, Science, and Veterinary Medicine showcased their research March 11 to 14 during the University’s annual Graduate Research Days. Awards were presented by each faculty for the top presentations.

Janice Pettit received the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) award for a student in the beginning stages of research for her presentation, "Seasonal Home-Owners: Friends or Foes?" She looked at concerns related to non-resident land ownership, including the impacts on islands and islanders—with a special emphasis on Prince Edward Island— in areas such as the economy, natural resource management, society, the environment, and public policy.

Laura Lee Howard received the MAIS award for a student in the latter stages of research for her presentation, "Liminality Enlarged by Islandness: ‘PEI wasn't very open to foreigners … you either had to be an Islander, or you were kinda looked upon, eh.'" This case study of first- generation Chinese Islanders exemplifies the patterns and processes of new settlers to an island, while hearing the lived experiences of the participants themselves.

Carrie Snow, Chemistry, received the Faculty of Science award for best presentation by a junior MSc student for her presentation, "The promotion of S2 and other Excited State Fluorescence through Host Inclusion." The award for second-best presentation by a junior MSc student went to Shawn MacDougall, Chemistry, for his presentation, "The Use of Supramolecular Hosts to Enhance the Fluorescence of Pesticides in Natural Waters."

Adam MacLean, Biology, received the award for best presentation by a senior MSc student for his presentation, "Evaluating the Potential Anticancer Activities of Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in Hormonerefractory Cancer Cells." The award for second-best presentation by a senior MSc student went to Amber Adams, Biology, for her presentation, "Neonatal Treatment with Domoic Acid: A Potential Animal Model of Schizophrenia.”

Twenty research awards and scholarships were presented in conjunction with the Atlantic Veterinary College's Graduate Studies and Research Days. Julia Montgomery was presented with the Gold Prize for her Animal Health Research Presentation, "Effect of Selenium Source on Selenium Status and Immune Function in Horses." Paul Young received the Fundamental Aquatic Research Gold Prize for his presentation, "The Binding Characteristics of Emamectin Benzoate to the Glutamate-gated Chloride Channels of Lepeoptheirus salmonis Expressed in a Fish Cell Line." In the category of Applied Aquaculture Research, Tim Burnley won the Gold Prize for his presentation on "Investigation of Handling Associated Mortality in Aquaculture Field Trials." Daphne Gill was the Gold Prize recipient in the Human Health Research category for her presentation, "Perinatal Administration of Low-Dose Domoic Acid Alters Central Nervous System Excitability in the Adult Rat."

Tim Carroll, Associate Professor at the UPEI School of Business, will give a public lecture called “PEI Agriculture and Flying Frogs” on March 26, from 7-9 p.m., in Lecture Theatre D of the Atlantic Veterinary College. This public lecture will present new ideas for PEI agriculture in terms of financing, environmental sustainability and a local food strategy. A question period will follow Dr. Carroll's lecture. All are welcome to attend.

A new business succession initiative aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship opportunities for people aged 34 years and younger has been developed by the UPEI School of Business and the PEI Department of Development and Technology.

As a new initiative, “The Adopted Son or Daughter Program” encourages youth to consider a career as an entrepreneur by removing such obstacles as financing, lack of experience and the need for ongoing mentoring. In addition, many Island business owners are looking to reduce their workload or to retire, and are currently contemplating options to begin the process of ownership change. Bridging the gap between youth and existing business owners is a win-win situation.

PEI Business Development will provide five-year, interest-free loans to enable participants to purchase a minimum of 10 to 25 per cent of the shares in an existing business. “These loans will give young entrepreneurs access to equity that they may have difficulty acquiring on their own,” says Richard Brown, Minister of Development and Technology. “This program will also address the needs of business owners who are looking for someone to take over when they retire. It’s addressing the needs of both young entrepreneurs and the business community.”

"The Adopted Son or Daughter Program" was developed by local businessperson and UPEI entrepreneurship professor Mike Cassidy. “The biggest problem we have in entrepreneurship is: Does the person stepping into a business really understand the business? Do they know how to operate the business on a daily basis?” says Cassidy. “This program allows the young person to gain valuable experience and equity in the business. The young entrepreneur has to keep in mind the concept of ‘work to learn,’ not ‘work to earn,’ and the benefits of long-term gain.”

Mike Cassidy experienced the benefits of this business model when he and 29-year-old Cory Peters purchased Enviroage Plastics Industries Limited in 2004 on a 50-50 basis. The arrangement has worked out so well that the two have also acquired the Charlottetown OK Tire Store business. Cory Peters, a UPEI/UNB graduate, says, “The fact that I have a senior, more experienced and successful business person to bounce ideas off of, to redirect me and to show me how to tackle situations that arise in business — it’s huge. I owe it all to Mike for taking me under his wing.”

Dr. Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the UPEI School of Business, is excited about the program and believes it fills a need within the province. “We have many young people wanting to get into business knowing that experience and finance are two of the biggest challenges,” she says. “'The Adopted Son or Daughter Program' addresses both these issues. We are thrilled our program has attracted the attention and funding support from the John Dobson Foundation, a strong supporter of entrepreneurial activities at post-secondary institutions in Canada. Without our provincial government and the Dobson Foundation, 'The Adopted Son or Daughter Program' could not have been launched.”

Anyone wanting more information on the program can contact Joan Fleming at the UPEI School of Business, 566-0975, jofleming@upei.ca, or Brian Keefe, PEI Business Development, 368-6300, bwkeefe@gov.pe.ca.

A “green” chemist at the University of Prince Edward Island who is working to develop vegetation-based plastics to reduce our dependence on petroleum-based products and minimize our impact on the environment has just been recognized by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Dr. Michael Shaver will receive $83,731 towards the cost of essential equipment for his research on the design of homogeneous catalysts for application in green chemical reactions and polymerizations.

Green chemistry is a set of chemical ideals that drive many chemists towards sustainable and environmentally friendly operations. Dr. Shaver's research goals involve the making and breaking of bonds in order to create value-added products. Some products are precursors for drugs, some are polymers (plastics) with special properties unavailable through other methods, while others produce biodegradable and renewable plastics.

"Research on the environment is a definite strength in the Faculty of Science and the University as a whole. This award to Dr. Shaver is a testament to his innovative research program," says Dr. Christian Lacroix, UPEI Dean of Science.

"I am excited about receiving this recognition from CFI and the infrastructure it will bring to my laboratory," says Dr. Shaver. "This equipment will kick-start our research into biodegradable plastics and also provide UPEI chemistry students with hands-on access to state-of-the-art instrumentation."

Currently, Dr. Shaver is focussing on the synthesis of a biodegradable, renewable polymer, polylactic acid or PLA, which is made from agricultural by-products. He is using novel catalysts to control the properties of the polymers produced and build them into larger structures. This will expand the number of applications that the plastics can have by giving them increased stability and a much higher melting point. The future applications will lead to collaborations with engineers and biomedical scientists who can use these specialty polymers in their fields without having to worry about any associated waste.

The $83,731 investment from the CFI will assist UPEI to purchase a high-performance liquid chromatography system for gel-permeation chromatography, a single station glove box equipped with a carbon solvent filter, and a gas-chromatography/mass spectroscopy system.

CFI is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.

Photo: Guided by Dr. Michael Shaver, of the UPEI Department of Chemistry (right), Marieke Hutchinson, a third-year chemistry student, works with chemicals in a glove box in the UPEI chemistry department’s synthetics lab.

The University of Prince Edward Island has appointed Dr. J. Tim Goddard, of the University of Calgary, to the position of Dean of Education for a six-year term beginning July 1, 2008.

“It’s a real coup for UPEI and for the entire PEI educational system to attract Dr. Tim Goddard as our Dean of Education,” says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. “He was selected through a very competitive process, with top calibre candidates, and we look forward to many continuing successes for our Faculty of Education.”

Goddard is currently a Professor of Education and Vice-Provost (International) at the University of Calgary. He had earlier been Associate Dean (Research & International) in the Faculty of Education at that institution.

“I am very excited by the prospect of moving to Charlottetown,” says Goddard. “UPEI has some exciting plans for the Faculty of Education, and it is an honour to be selected to lead these positive developments over the next six years.”

Born in Leeds, England, Goddard trained as an art and geography teacher at the Hockerill College of Education (1974) in the United Kingdom. He has a B.Ed. in Native Studies, Indian and Northern Education (1988), and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration (1990) from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1996 he received a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Alberta. He has extensive experience in Canada and abroad as an educator and administrator at all levels of education.

Goddard's research is in educational administration with a focus on educational leadership and management across cultures. He is currently engaged as the lead investigator in a major international study that is examining ways in which policy implementation by principals facilitates or hinders access to schools by children from minority and marginalized cultures.

He coordinated the leadership component of the Kosovo Educator Development Project, a six-year regional initiative funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) that supported educational reform in southeastern Europe. He was also project leader for a two-year leadership reform project in Lebanon, funded by the World Bank. He has published extensively in various journals, and is a regular presenter at national and international conferences.

Goddard will succeed Dr. Graham Pike who is completing a successful six-year term as Dean of Education. In 2006 Pike received the Canadian Bureau of International Education’s award for innovation in international education. After taking a year’s administrative leave, Pike will continue as a professor in the UPEI Faculty of Education.

MacLauchlan expressed appreciation for Pike’s contributions as dean, saying: “Under Graham Pike’s leadership, UPEI’s Faculty of Education has seen many fine achievements, and we can expect to see this record continue into the future.”

Members of the public are invited to the launch of the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network’s report, “Bridging Public Investment and Social Value: An examination of the supports for the Social Economy on Prince Edward Island,” on Monday, April 7, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the UPEI Main Building Faculty Lounge.

Communications specialist Barbara Groome-Wynne, who was commissioned by the Network to do the study, will present her report, including the findings from a public workshop held in November 2007 in Charlottetown, during the event. A new book of policy documents “Pulling Strings,” which has recently been published by Island Studies Press, will also be available for purchase. Refreshments will be available at the launch.

The study documents how federal and provincial governments support social service organizations on Prince Edward Island. The study also inquires into the impact of changes to these supports in recent years. Recommendations are made on how the social sector, policy makers and the public can work together to improve the quality of life for Islanders, especially the most vulnerable members of Island communities.

The Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network, coordinated on PEI by the Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, commissioned the study, which took place during the summer and fall of 2007. A total of 30 social organizations generously donated their time to be interviewed. The study was funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and supervised by Dr. Irene Novaczek, of the Institute of Island Studies, and Janice Pettit, of the Executive Council Office.

The report will be distributed widely to social organizations and government policy makers. It will also be used by academic researchers who collaborate with UPEI to document the social economy and to strengthen and promote this sector.

The Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network seeks to increase the region’s capacity for a dynamic social economy built on partnerships, knowledge and networks. University researchers and community partners collaborate to meet the research needs of the community and to influence policy at the provincial and federal levels.

For information about this event, please contact the Institute of Island Studies at (902) 566-0377.

The Centre for Life-Long Learning (CLLL) at UPEI is bringing solutions to a nationwide trend as it offers a workshop entitled “Inspiring a Multi-Generational Workforce” on April 9 on the campus.

Designed for those who seek to learn more about managing a multi-generational workforce, this workshop will bring new approaches to working with teams made up of members from all generations. The characteristics and expectations of the different generations found within a workplace call for innovative strategies. This one-day workshop will inspire owner/managers to use generation-friendly methods to encourage excellence among team members.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Main Building on the UPEI campus, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown. The cost is $195.00.

Sherry Pelkey, of the Marrek Group, the trainer for this session, says “For the first time in history, we have four generations working side by side. Each generation has different values and work ethics. How do you get everyone on your team understanding one another and working together? Each person needs to respect the ideas and thoughts of the other person, no matter what the generation. This one-day workshop provides participants with strategies and leadership techniques to effectively motivate and inspire work team members from all generations.”

Jeanette MacAulay, Director of the CLLL, comments, “We are reminded on a daily basis that one of the keys to finding and retaining good staff is to provide a stimulating, supportive work environment. We are offering this workshop to directly assist management in creating a compelling workplace with highly engaged workers of all ages.”

For more information and to register, please contact Lisa MacKinnon-Laybolt at the UPEI Centre for Life-Long Learning at 566-0336 or by email: extension@upei.ca.

The Centre for Life-Long Learning is located at the University of Prince Edward Island and offers certificate, continuing education, and non-credit courses and programs to adult learners.

Over the past few months, over 120 third-year marketing students at UPEI’s School of Business have been learning first-hand the business of bioscience. Working with six local bioscience companies, 25 teams of business students have been designing winning marketing strategies for the companies’ products and services, to be used in their national and international promotion and sales activities.

Course instructor Kent Hudson approached the PEI BioAlliance in the fall of 2007 about the possibility of engaging local companies and UPEI business students in a project that would give the students real life, real product and real marketing experience in this growing economic sector for PEI. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to experience first hand the bioscience industry and the real issues and opportunities in this global market. We really appreciate the time and effort put forth by the businesses sharing essential information with the students.”

Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the UPEI School of Business, says, “We recognize the benefits of reinforcing the classroom experience with practical hands-on learning. It is exciting for our students to meet and work with local entrepreneurs.”

Garth Greenham is COO of First Venture Technologies, an early-stage PEI company that has developed a yeast that produces wines with a reduced level of a naturally-occurring carcinogen, ethyl carbamate. He says the students really had a taste of the complexity of some of the marketing challenges facing new products. “As a company, we’re going to need bright minds in business and science to be successful. This is a great way of building students’ awareness and excitement about what’s going on here in PEI.”

Rory Francis, Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, says the interest and response from students and companies is so positive that the BioAlliance would like this to become an ongoing part of the UPEI business curriculum. He acknowledged the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program’s (NRC-IRAP) support to the BioAlliance in carrying out this and other initiatives that help grow small and medium sized bioscience enterprises in PEI.

“We were very pleased with the eagerness of our bioscience business community to work with the students,” said Francis. “These 125 students are now intimately aware of the exciting business opportunities--and marketing challenges--confronting bioscience companies in PEI. And these students are only a few years away from being these firms’ future recruits.”

Adelee MacNevin, a member of the winning team’s strategy, indicated, “It was a fantastic project that provided real-world experience, which can be much more complicated than textbook scenarios. The project as a whole had more value and meaning, because our suggestions could have a tangible effect.”

Awards were presented for the Best Marketing Strategy for each of the six companies’ products, and to overall winners, at a reception held on the UPEI Campus today. The overall winning team included: Jeremiah Blacquiere, Asher Fredricks, Susan Frizzell, Jessica Gillis and Adelee MacNevin, who won top honours for their marketing strategy for Fortius Pharmedica’s whey protein nutraceutical drink mix.

Participating companies for this first annual UPEI School of Business/BioAlliance Marketing Strategy Competition included: BioVectra Inc., Chemaphor Inc., First Venture Technologies, Ark Biomedical, Fortius Pharmedica and Maritime Pulse Drying.

The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance is the cluster of individuals and organizations dedicated to building the bioscience-based economic sector in PEI, with an emphasis on collaborative initiatives in research, business, education and supporting infrastructure.

The Tourism Research Centre (TRC) at UPEI’s School of Business today announced the release of a report profiling Ontario visitors to P.E.I. during the summer of 2007.

Results show more visitors from Ontario than from all markets outside of CanadaOntario take long vacations and spend a significant portion of this time in P.E.I. Although they had the lowest per-person per-night spending of any origin market, they spent the most money per trip due to their lengthy stays. Sixty per cent of Ontario visitors had been to P.E.I. before, with approximately 40 per cent of those visitors having visited in the past year. combined. Visitors from

“This report gives us an eye-opening view of our visitors from Ontario and allows us to compare and contrast them with visitors from other markets,” says Dr. Sean Hennessey, Faculty Director of the TRC. “Ontario visitors are quite active and spend a significant amount of time on P.E.I., and they are quite happy with their experiences. We need to ensure we keep giving them -- and all our visitors -- positive, memorable experiences. Although many are frequent visitors, we have a huge opportunity with the first-time visitors and those who are not as quick to return to the Island.”

“The exit survey was designed so results could be cross-analyzed to provide a depth of data for further analysis,” Hennessey adds. “Some of these results may surprise some of the stakeholders in the industry, but it is important to understand the consequences of the findings and how we can use them to improve our strategy to target these visitors.”

The exit survey gathers information on the main purpose of the trip, length of stay, areas visited, accommodation used, size and composition of travel party, holiday activities, visitor spending, customer satisfaction, visitation data, place of origin and traveller demographics. This report specifically compares the similarities and differences between visitors from Ontario and visitors from other areas. The results are based on 3,173 completed surveys collected from June 27 to September 30, 2007.

Highlights of the Ontario report include:

· Ontario is the Island’s leading origin market for visitors from outside the Maritimes. During the study period in 2007, Ontario accounted for 16.4 per cent of total visitors to P.E.I.

· A majority (76 per cent) of Ontario visitors travelled to the Island on pleasure trips, and 22 per cent were visiting their friends or relatives. This was a higher portion than for the much closer Maritime market.

· More than any other market, Ontario visitors tend to be on trips that involve seeing all three Maritime provinces. Only 65 per cent identified Prince Edward Island as their main destination. The remaining 35 per cent were touring the Maritimes or travelling to other destinations in the region.

· Ontario visitors average 12.0 nights away from home with an average of 6.9 nights on P.E.I. This length of stay is equivalent to almost 58 per cent of their total trip nights. This is the second-highest after the Maritime market.

· Ontario visitors spend over half (61 per cent) of their nights on P.E.I. staying in the higher-cost types of accommodations such as hotels, resorts, B&Bs and cottages. In addition, only 16 per cent of visitors from Ontario stay in campgrounds, which, with the exception of international visitors, is the lowest of the various markets considered.

· Length of stays in hotels, motels, resorts and B&Bs are quite low (3.2 nights) given their lengthy stays on P.E.I. However, their length of stays in cottages and cabins is 10.5 days and 7.2 days are spent at the homes of family and friends.

· There are really two types of visitors from Ontario. There are the “bridge hoppers”: those visitors who visit for one to three days, stay in hotels, resorts, and B&Bs, and for whom P.E.I. is not the primary travel destination. There are also those visitors who spend long periods of time on P.E.I. in cottages and with friends/relatives.

· As with all origin markets, Ontario visitors spend most of their time in Charlottetown or “Anne’s Land” (73 per cent of their total nights). They tend to visit and stay in other regions of the province at average rates.

· Ontario visitors are active while on the Island, participating in a broad range of activities at average to above average rates when compared with other visitors.

· Although the largest numbers of Ontario visitors are travelling as adult couples (46 per cent), this is the lowest adult couples percentage among origin markets. On the other hand, they are the leading family market: 36 per cent are families travelling with children.

· Ontario visitors are well-educated (highest of all Canadian markets). Their annual household incomes are well above average and rank at the top of Canadian visitor markets. They are the Island’s most widely distributed origin market on the basis of age. Approximately one-third are young (under 35), one-third are middle-aged (35 to 54) and one-third are older (55 plus). Most (56 per cent) are still working, and only 25 per cent are retired (as compared to 40 per cent of U.S. visitors who are retired).

· Ontario visitors were very generous in their trip ratings for the Island. They provided some of the most positive assessments of P.E.I. At 4.3, their rating of “Good value for the money” was the highest recorded.

The report is the third in a series of in-depth studies based on comprehensive data previously released in the report, “Overall Results of the 2007 Exit Survey.” The data is for the main tourism season of June 27 to September 30, 2007 and is collected as visitors depart P.E.I. at the Confederation Bridge, Charlottetown Airport and Wood Islands Ferry (seasonally). This data is being collected for a full year, and the survey is being managed by the TRC on behalf of Tourism PEI.

Over the next 12 weeks, a series of reports profiling different segments of P.E.I. visitors based on origin, travel party type, repeat visitation and other characteristics will be released. All reports are or will be available on the TRC’s website at trc.upei.ca/exitsurvey.

Further information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, UPEI, at (902) 566-6096 or trc@upei.ca.