The major AUS soccer awards were released on November 3. UPEI players captured three out of six major awards. Male AUS Soccer MVP is Ryan Anstey, Female AUS Soccer MVP is Amy Connolly, and Female AUS Soccer Rookie of the Year is Tessa Roche. See details below:

Women's Soccer Major Awards Announced-Two Panthers

UPEI-Amy Connolly - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2005 women's soccer major award-winners as selected by the conference's head coaches.

The 2005 Atlantic University Sport Player of the Year is fifth year centre midfielder Amy Connolly of the UPEI Panthers. Amy netted four goals this season for the high scoring Panthers and was directly involved in 75 per cent of her team's scoring. The Panthers scored a league-best 47 goals in 13 games. She is known throughout the conference as a great tackler, passer and considered to be a complete player. "Amy is the best women's player ever to wear the green and white at UPEI," says head coach Mike Redmond. "She has been the heart and soul of the Panthers program for her five years with the team." Connolly is the first UPEI women's soccer player to be named league MVP.

UPEI's Tessa Roche is the 2005 women's soccer Rookie of the Year. Roche, a first year Arts student from Pownal, led the conference and the nation in scoring this season with 15 goals in 13 games. Tessa potted nine of her goals in the final five games of the season and recorded three multiple-goal games, including a five-goal performance in a 5-0 victory over Moncton. Roche becomes the first UPEI player to be named conference Rookie of the Year.

Men's Soccer Major Awards Announced- Panther wins MVP

UPEI-Ryan Anstey(November 3, 2005) HALIFAX, NS - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2005 Men's Soccer Major Award Winners as selected by the conference's head coaches.

Ryan Anstey of the UPEI Panthers is the 2005 Atlantic University Sport Player of the Year. Ryan led the Atlantic conference and the nation in scoring this season with 15 goals was named a first team conference all-star for the third consecutive year. In five years with the Panthers, Anstey has scored 43 career regular season goals, ranking him 3rd all-time in the conference behind Dalhousie's Jeff Hibberts (47) and SMU's Ross Webb (72). UPEI's Pat O'Connell was the last Panther to be named Atlantic conference MVP. Ryan is the league's nominee for the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the CIS Player of the Year. UPEI's Glen Miller (1998) is the only Panther to have received the award.

Today, November 7, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) confirmed arrangement for an and#145;ultimate gift' from Donna and Richard Hassard. The Hassards, AVC campaign co-chairs presented the College with a generous donation of $12,000 per year, a portion of which will be used for life insurance premiums on a $1-million policy. The proceeds of the policy will be earmarked for the future upgrading of the planned AVC Student Learning Commons.

"We are grateful for the strong support and commitment of Donna and Richard toward AVC," said Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of AVC. "They are dedicated members of the AVC community who are leading the way to fulfilling our expansion plans. The "ultimate gift" of a $1 million life insurance policy confirms their inclusion in the UPEI Visionary Society of planned giving to higher education."

The Learning Commons will be equipped with computers, a veterinary resource centre, and small-group and self-study areas, this new space will help students meet the demands of an intensive curriculum.

"Even though we are impressed with all aspects of AVC's infrastructure, it wasn't difficult to decide where our gift should go," said Donna Hassard when she presented the gift to Dr. Ogilvie. "Without dedicated students, there would not be an AVC and we want to ensure students will always have a state- of-the-art Learning Commonsand#151;a place of their own to study, confer and relax."

The Student Learning Commons is part of AVC's $32-million expansion and renovation project. Phase I of the expansion has begun with renovations to the anatomy lab and will continue in the new year with the construction of a 57,000-square-foot Bioresource Research Complex. Future phases of the project are dependent on the fundraising efforts and are expected to include an expansion of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital with upgrades to equipment, an expansion and upgrading of Aquatic Sciences, as well as upgrades to the infrastructure and equipment of Diagnostic and Teaching Laboratories.

With a goal of raising $7.5-million toward the $32-million AVC expansion and renovation project, the AVC Capital Campaign has already raised $1.2 million.

For twenty years, AVC has been Atlantic Canada's college of veterinary medicine. With over 800 graduates, a Veterinary Teaching Hospital caring for over 3,500 large and 5,000 small animals each year, and ongoing world-class research, the College is committed to educate veterinarians, promote animal and human health, and provide services for the management of the health and well-being of animals.

Bill LeClair is a successful Calgary real estate lawyer who has never forgotten his Prince Edward Island roots. Although it is 35 years since he graduated in Business from UPEI, he is still immensely proud of the institution that gave him his first degree. So much so that for the past eight years he has been energetically raising funds to support UPEI students.

"I've been working with Islanders who want to give a little back to the place they came from," Bill explains. "They're not all UPEI alumni, but they are all proud of PEI and proud of what is happening at our University. Two of our biggest supporters have been Lou MacEachern, who is a member of the board of governors of UPEI, and Bill Andrew who is the Chancellor."

The Friends of UPEI, as they are called, have raised over $520,000 so far. The money is invested through the Calgary Foundation, a community foundation that links donors and charitable organizations. The investment will fund UPEI scholarships and bursaries in perpetuity. This year alone, they gave out $33,000 to 23 students, 10 from Calgary and 13 from PEI.

"We're aiming some of our scholarships at Calgary students who already recognize the value of attending a smaller university. We want to encourage them to attend UPEI because we know they'll have an excellent experience there," says Bill, whose daughter, Carly, is now in her fourth year at UPEI.

Their main fundraiser is an annual dinner and silent auction held at the Glencoe Club in Calgary on the first Saturday of November. This year it took place November 5. The guest speaker was Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College. When the Friends of UPEI first organized the event, a hundred people showed up. Now the attendance has doubled.

"We raise money for scholarships, we have a really enjoyable time, and we get to renew old friendships and make new ones. What could be better than that?" says Bill. He adds that they are always looking to make new connections with Islanders who have moved out west. "I'm sure there are many more people from PEI in Calgary, especially younger people, who aren't aware of the Friends of UPEI. I'd like them to know that we'd be delighted to hear from them."

Although the organization's main objective is to raise funds, there have been other positive spin-offs from the networking that takes place. Bill cites the example of Dr. Carolanne Nelson, whose parents attend the Friends of UPEI fundraising dinner. As a result of information shared at the dinner, Carolanne learned about opportunities at UPEI, and eventually moved to the Island to become a researcher and professor in the Family and Nutritional Sciences Department. "It's the synergy that's happening that I really get excited about," says Bill. "UPEI is reaching much further afield than a lot of people think."

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Friends of UPEI in Calgary should contact Bill Leclair at (403) 245-3500, or leclair@calgarylaw.com.

Amy Connolly and Ryan Anstey were named CIS Soccer Players of the Year this past weekend. Connolly, a fifth-year sociology and English major from Charlottetown, received the Chantal Navert Memorial Award, presented annually to the most outstanding player. She travelled to Edmonton to receive her award.

The Panthers co-captain scored four goals for the second consecutive season in 2005. She was at the starting end of 75 per cent of the team's 47 tallies as the Panthers finished fourth in the AUS in the regular season with a 10-1-2 record, clinching a berth for the conference championship. She is a four-time conference first-team all-star, four-time Panthers MVP, and captained UPEI to its first appearance at the CIS championship in 2004. "Amy is the best player ever to wear the Green and White of the Panthers women's soccer team," said head coach Mike Redmond, CIS Coach of the Year in 2004. "She has been the heart and soul of this team for five years. She has been our Roy Keane, just a tremendous leader on and off the field."

Anstey, a native of Charlottetown, received the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the most valuable player. The fifth-year striker led the CIS with 15 goals in only eight regular-season games this fall, accounting for almost half of the Panthers total production (32) in their 12-match schedule. The tally helped him set a new school career record with 43 regular-season goals, six more than the previous standard set by Scot Neal. Named a first-team AUS all-star for the third consecutive year, Anstey is selected to the first all-Canadian team for the first time in his career. He is the second Panther to be chosen CIS Player of the Year following Glen Miller in 1998. "Ryan is a great one-on-one player, quick and hard for defenders to get a hold of," said head coach Lewis Page. "He's also a striker that will come back and help his midfielders win the ball back. But I think most important he's just a great person, on or off the field." Ryan received his award on Friday, November 11 at the CIS championships held in Charlottetown.

Anne Compton, an alumna of Prince of Wales College (PWC'69), has been awarded the Governor General's Literary Award in Poetry for 2005. The winners were announced in Montreal on November 16. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michand#228;elle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will present the awards at Rideau Hall on Wednesday, November 23.

In describing Anne Compton's award-winning book, Processional, one jurist noted, "Anne Compton's voice is unique - at once passionate and refined. Her poems slip into one's consciousness, a felt presence in a quiet room. Processional is a deft and remarkable achievement."

Compton was born and raised in the farming community of Bangor, PEI. She launched Processional at UPEI on May 20 during a double celebration of literary accomplishment that included the launch of UPEI Professor Emeritus John Smith's book, Maps of Invariance. Professor Smith was Compton's English professor at Prince of Wales. "He was an absolutely wonderful teacher who introduced me to contemporary 21st century poetry. Because of John, I shifted my plan of study from history to literature at university," she said in an interview at the time of the launch.

Dr. Compton is now an assistant professor in UNB Saint John's Department of Humanities and Languages. Her books include A.J.M.Smith: Canadian Metaphysical (1994); Opening the Island (winner of the 6th annual Atlantic Poetry Prize; nominee for the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award; 2002); The Edge of Home: Milton Acorn from the Island (editor, 2002); and Coastlines: The Poetry of Atlantic Canada (co-editor, 2002). Her books and numerous published articles contribute to critical discussions on 19th-century and early 20th-century aesthetics; 17th-century Metaphysiacal poetry; Canadian literature and Maritime literature. Her poetry is published nationally and internationally, and her reviews appear in Canadian Literature, Fiddlehead, and other journals.

As a Governor General Award winner, Dr. Compton will receive a cheque for $15,000 and a specially-crafted copy of Processional bound by Montreal bookbinder Lise Dubois. The Governor General will present a certificate to Fitzhenry and Whiteside, the publishers of Processional, and the Canada Council will provide a $3,000 grant to support promotional activities. Copies of Processional are available for sale in the UPEI Bookstore.

John and Barbara Poole, an Edmonton couple with PEI roots, have generously donated $50,000 to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), for a new graduate research scholarship. The Ernest E. and Gertrude Annear Poole Memorial Scholarship will assist UPEI research graduate students studying watershed integrity. This year's recipient of the $2,000 scholarship is Pamela MacDonald.

Watershed Integrity is a part of the Faculty of Science's MSc programs in Biology and Chemistry. A high proportion of the graduate students choose to study topics within the general area of ecosystem integrity and many investigate the integrity of watersheds, both on and off PEI. "This award is very much appreciated," comments Dean of Science, Roger Gordon. "A scholarship in Watershed Integrity will enable a graduate student to receive advanced training in an area of both provincial and international relevance."

This endowed scholarship commemorates John Poole's parents, Ernest E. and Gertrude Annear Poole in their native province. Ernest Edward Poole was born in PEI in 1883. He was educated on the Island and attended Business College in Charlottetown. Later he studied architecture and reinforced concrete engineering and was associated with his father in the milling industry. In 1913 he incorporated Poole Construction Limited, and moved the company to Regina.

The same year Ernest Poole married Gertrude Inez Annear who was born in PEI and was educated at Prince of Wales College. Ernest and Gertrude raised a family of four: John, Ruth, George, and Inez. "My parents were proud of their PEI roots and returned frequently, taking their young family to visit relatives and eat lobster and oysters. They would be delighted with the objective established for this scholarship," says John Poole.

Supporting research opportunities for graduate students is among the university's top priorities. Research facilities have been recently modernized in the Duffy Science building and are being expanded at the Atlantic Veterinary College to ensure students continue to receive high quality education with up-to-date technology in well-configured laboratories.

For further information contact:

Tracey Comeau

Stewardship Officer, UPEI

(902) 566-0354

tcomeau@upei.ca

Ron Annear has worked at every level of the UPEI athletics program, from student-athlete to Acting Director. Now the UPEI Board of Governors has appointed him to the position of full-time Director of Athletics. The appointment takes effect immediately and will last until April 2009.

The announcement comes at the end of an exciting fall season for the soccer Panthers that saw UPEI carry off three of six major Atlantic University Sport (AUS) awards, as well as both male and female Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Player of the Year awards. The fall season also saw the opening of a $1.3 million artificial turf field on the campus and the construction of a new fitness centre.

Says soccer Panther Amy Connolly who received the coveted Chantal Navert Memorial Award from the CIS earlier this month: "Ron is a former athlete and a graduate of UPEI. He has played a major role in all the new facilities. I congratulate him and wish him continued success."

"Over the last 18 months Ron Annear has shown tremendous leadership," says Vianne Timmons, Vice President of Academic Development. "He has been doing an excellent job of repositioning our athletics programs. I look forward to continuing our working relationship over the next three and a half years."

Ray Murphy of Murphy's Pharmacies echoes that sentiment. He has worked with Annear in his role as a volunteer fundraiser for the UPEI Hockey Miracle program. "I've certainly had a very positive relationship with Ron over the years and I'm confident that things will be just as rewarding in the future. I look forward to working with him to continue to grow the program."

Annear is a native of Montague, PEI. His family is well known in the local sports community, particularly his father Ralph who is a successful horseman. Annear's sports career began in 1982 when he was drafted by the Verdun Junior Canadians (QMJHL). He spent a year on a full hockey scholarship at the US International University in San Diego before being drafted by the Montreal Canadians in 1984. Two years later he returned to his home province to become a full-time student-athlete at UPEI. During his time with the hockey Panthers the team won the AUAA championship two years in a row. He graduated in 1988 with Bachelor of Business Administration.

For over fifteen years Annear has worked in all areas of the Department of Athletics, Recreation, and Physical Education. Before taking on the role of Acting Athletics Director in March 2004, he was in charge of marketing and promotion. He sees his new position as "a tremendous opportunity" to build on his past experience.

"I look forward to continuing our work with the community to support programs to compete at the highest level possible, and to creating fitness and healthy-living programs for the campus and community," he says. "With the high level of support we have out there, and the first-class facilities we have developed, this is a fantastic time for UPEI athletics to move ahead."

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation has awarded in-course scholarships to three UPEI students. Third-year arts student Christopher Gillis and third-year business student Ryan Palmer received second-level renewable scholarships valued at $8,000 over two years. The Foundation awarded a first-level renewable scholarship, valued at $10,000 over two years, to Colin MacDonald who is a third-year arts student. Only 100 first-level awards are handed out across Canada. The award-winners were selected based on academic achievement, community service, leadership and interest in innovation. Created by the federal government, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for Canadians to learn, grow, and contribute to their communities.

The Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC) is breaking ground in Atlantic Canada in terms of health services research. The ARTC offers a Master's degree in Applied Health Services Research that is the first degree of its kind in Canada. After four years of programming, funding for the ARTC has been renewed, without condition, for the remaining six years of the program. The renewed funding was based on the results of a review by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF).

The ARTC is a partnership of the four Atlantic provinces and their four major universities: the University of Prince Edward Island, Dalhousie University, the University of New Brunswick, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. The Centre aims to develop a critical mass of health service researchers who will conduct applied health services research throughout Atlantic Canada.

Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice-President of Academic Development at UPEI and one of the Principal Investigators of the ARTC, points out that the work of the ARTC benefits Prince Edward Island. "Our healthcare system needs local researchers to study cost-effective and efficient methods of healthcare delivery," she says. "There is a critical need for more health and policy researchers in this province. The ARTC can fill this need."

The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation reviewers were impressed with the structure and organization of the ARTC and its accomplishments: "It has established a free-standing, joint graduate program across four universities and four provinces. The ARTC can serve as a model of interprovincial collaboration not only in higher education, but in other fields as well. . . . the ARTC manifests a remarkable synergy among all its elements. The Centre possessed an all-too-rare upbeat and constructive tone making interactions with it a very positive experience."

Vianne Timmons is delighted with the announcement. "The funding renewal granted by CHSRF allows the Centre to continue offering a highly regarded program. UPEI is pleased to be a partner in this endeavour."

A report released today by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) compliments Atlantic Canada universities on the good work they are doing in research and development. The report, Research and Development Funding in Atlantic Canada, examines regional trends in RandD funding.

The report indicates that in PEI, total private and public sector expenditures on research and development more than doubled between 1995 and 2002, increasing by 131 per cent from $13 million to $30 million. On a per capita basis, total expenditures increased by 121 per cent from $97 per capita to $214 per capita.

In PEI, the largest growth was experienced by the higher education sector where per capita expenditures increased from $12 in 1995 to $90 in 2002, an increase of 624 per cent. Prince Edward Island's growth in this area outpaced each Atlantic province, which ranged from 97 per cent to 160 per cent. It was also much higher than the national growth rate of 88 pert cent.

"We are very encouraged by the exemplary work being done by UPEI faculty, students and staff. We look forward now to building on this success through research and development partnerships with the private sector," said Education Minister Mildred Dover. "This is very important work because RandD and the commercialization of RandD are main drivers of the new knowledge-based economy."

According to the report, Atlantic Canada universities have kept pace with funding at the national level; however funding from the Atlantic region's business sector is below the national level.

The report highlights the fact that PEI has the highest proportion of expenditures per capita in social science research at 32 per cent, or $40 per capita. PEI experienced a 163 per cent increase in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, which was the largest increase in this type of funding in Atlantic Canada. Prince Edward Island also stands out when it comes to Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) funding. In 2003 CIHR funding per full-time faculty at UPEI, at $67,000, was higher than any other Atlantic province and the Western provinces.

"At UPEI we have a powerful array of researchers in diverse areas. They are working on issues of direct interest to the PEI community and to the bigger world, regionally, nationally and internationally," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "Our research successes benefit from a special capacity to work together, to take advantage of our scale, and to build on essential community partnerships."

UPEI's growth in research activity is evidenced by its five high-calibre Canada Research Chairs. Last year, external research grants to UPEI reached $10 million. In the past five years, the number of health-related research projects carried out by PEI researchers grew from 19 to 81 research projects.

UPEI recently added two internationally known scientists to its growing pool of research talent. Dr. Michael van den Heuvel and Dr. Cai Song have been named Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs. Dr. Song is working to understand the causes of brain inflammation, which often lead to symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Dr. van den Heuvel's research focusses on the health of marine environments in PEI. It will address questions on how to monitor environmental problems and develop solutions to ensure a sustainable future. UPEI continues to receive national recognition for its research excellence.

Earlier this month, Research Infosource Inc, a firm that monitors Canadian universities' success in research development, designated UPEI as one of three Research Universities of the Year. "These are outstanding accomplishments, especially for a small university and a small province," said Minister Dover. "They have a far-reaching positive impact on the university, Islanders and our economy. Congratulations to the researchers, students and staff on this fine work."

For more information contact:

Jean Doherty

Department of Education

902 368 6449

Anne McCallum

University of Prince Edward Island

902 566 0760