Representatives of Pfizer Animal Health were in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island today to announce a $80,000 commitment to the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI to recognize innovation in teaching.

The Pfizer Innovative Teaching Methodology Fund will provide $20,000 a year for the next four years for AVC faculty in support of developing and utilizing innovative teaching and/or assessment methodologies in either the College's doctor of veterinary medicine or graduate studies programs. The fund will be competitive and adjudicated by AVC's Dean's Council.

"AVC is very excited by Pfizer Animal Health's leadership in recognizing the value of innovation and excellence in teaching," said Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean, Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. "AVC is proud to further its partnership with Pfizer in a way that enables our world class faculty to deliver an ever increasing high quality education to our veterinary medicine and graduate students."

Pfizer is a long time supporter of the AVC through the sponsorship of several high level annual awards for faculty and students. These awards include: The Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, The Pfizer Graduate Student Award, The Pfizer Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, The Pfizer Award in Pharmacology, and the recently established Pfizer Award for Excellence in Food Animal Medicine.

"Pfizer Animal Health enjoys a strong partnership with AVC," said Mr. Don Sauder, Division Director for Pfizer Animal Health in Canada. "This commitment reinforces our mutual goal of leveraging innovation to the long-term benefit of veterinary medicine."

Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research and veterinary service. Over the past 20 years, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region's only full service veterinary referral hospital.

The 10th International Conference for the Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) will take place at the University of Prince Edward Island from July 6 to 8. The conference will be opened by His Excellency Arturo G. Bothamley, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic in Canada.

The Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (CELCIRP) is based in La Sorbonne in Paris. The association brings together scholars and researchers specializing in this area from around the world.

The keynote speakers will be Angand#233;lica Gorodische, Narradora, Argentina; Godfrey Baldacchino, Island Studies, UPEI; and Fernando Aand#237;nsa, New Sorbonne University of Paris III. The conference is being coordinated by the UPEI Department of Modern Languages. Chair of the organizing committee is Professor Doreley Coll.

UPEI has been strengthening its Spanish program in recent years and it now has an exchange program with the University of Uruguay, in Montevideo. The first three students to take advantage of the exchange agreement graduated last year with a major in Spanish.

As part of the conference, Poesand#237;a Diaria, a selection of commemorative tributes published by the families of the 30,000 Argentinians and#145;disappeared' and kidnapped during the military junta dictatorship, 1976-1983, will have its second viewing in Canada at UPEI, July 6 to14. The opening ceremony for the display will take place at 5:00 pm on July 6 in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building. Members of the public are welcome.

More information on the 10th International CELCIRP Conference and is available at www.upei.ca/celcirp/

Poesand#237;a Diaria, a selection of commemorative tributes published by the families of the 30,000 Argentinians and#145;disappeared' and kidnapped during the military junta dictatorship, 1976-1983, will have its second viewing in Canada at UPEI, July 6 to14, as a part of the 10th International Conference for the Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay). The opening ceremony for the display will take place at 5:00 pm on July 6 in the Faculty Lounge of Main Building. Members of the public are welcome.

In the 1970s, in a number of countries in South America, most notably Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, governments were overthrown in coups and were ruled by military dictatorships for the next decades. As many as 3,000 persons in Chile and#145;disappeared' during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. In Uruguay 2,000 were killed, a high number relative to the size of the population. In Argentina's dirty wars, the new regime launched a total campaign of suppression against and#145;subversives' and tried to cleanse the country of all leftist affiliations, from labor unions to people working in soup kitchens. Babies born to captive mothers were taken away from their biological families and given to military officers to raise as their own.

The people of Argentina turned to poetry as a way of secretly keeping the spirit of those and#145;disappeared' alive. Groups such as Madres de Plaza de Mayo, an Argentine women's human rights organization, led the poetic spirit in the population literally too traumatized to speak out. This exhibition is a tribute by the families using poetry as an outlet, around the theme "porque el silencio es mortal - because silence is mortal."

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance was recently recognized as the Atlantic region recipient of the Dietitians of Canada and Kraft Canada Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award for the "School Healthy Eating Toolkit."

"The School Healthy Eating Toolkit is a nutrition resource manual to assist elementary schools as they implement nutrition policies," says Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Chair of UPEI's Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences and spokesperson for the PEI Healthy Eating Alliance. "Teams consisting of a parent, a teacher and an administrator from 17 schools from the Eastern School District, the Western School Board and the Commission scolaire de langue franand#231;aise, were consulted throughout the development process."

The School Healthy Eating Toolkit includes rationale for school nutrition policies, information on operating healthy school food programs, suggestions on healthier fundraising activities, helpful tips on delivering nutrition education and facts stressing the importance of physical activity. A copy of the Toolkit was provided to all elementary and consolidated schools in the Eastern School District and Western School Board on PEI.

The award ceremony took place during the Dietitians of Canada National Conference held in Halifax recently. PEI Healthy Eating Alliance members Mary Acorn, RD, MHSc, Charmaine Campbell, RD, and Jennifer Taylor, RD, PhD received the award on behalf of the Alliance.

"The Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award is a joint initiative between Dietitians of Canada and Kraft Canada and is meant to encourage and recognize collaborative efforts that help Canadians make informed choices about healthy eating and physical activity," says Helen Haresign, VP Development, Dietitians of Canada.

The Toolkit has been shared with many partners across Canada as there are an increasing number of initiatives to encourage healthy choices at schools and is available for download at: www.healthyeatingpei.ca. A French version of the Toolkit will be completed shortly and provided to all schools in the Commission scolaire de langue franand#231;aise.

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance received funding from the PEI Department of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Strategy with cooperation from the University of Prince Edward Island for the development of the School Healthy Eating Toolkit. Dr. Jennifer Taylor of UPEI was principal investigator.

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance is a group of individuals, community organizations, educators and government departments who work together to improve the eating behaviours of Island children and youth through nutrition education and promotion, and through the creation of supportive environments for healthy eating.

The University of Prince Edward Island has selected the new coach of the Men's Basketball Panthers. He is Matthew Davies, formerly the lead assistant coach of McGill University Redmen. Davies spent four years at McGill where he developed strong recruiting, player development, and tactical experience. He was also the head coach for the 16-under Boy's Provincial Team for the Quebec Basketball Federation over the last two summers.

Davies gained championship coaching experience within the Montreal Basketball League, winning a provincial championship with the Sun Youth Organization in 2001-2002. He was also an apprentice assistant coach with the CIS National Champion St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in 2000-2001.

His coaching expertise is complemented by a strong educational background. He holds an MA in Coaching and Sport Psychology from McGill and a Graduate Diploma in Sport Administration from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. He has a BSc and a BA in Psychology and English from St. Francis Xavier University.

"I am proud to join the Panthers community," says Davies. "The overwhelming support from the Athletics Department, UPEI alumni, and strong core of returning players makes this an ideal situation from which to take the necessary strides towards AUS and CIS prominence. I look forward to the challenge of instilling a basketball culture based on work ethic, communication, trust, and confidence, while pushing the boundaries of the Men's Basketball Program's academic, physical, technical, tactical, and mental excellence."

A native of Halifax, Davies is currently enrolled in the Diploma in High Performance Coaching program with the National Coaching Institute in Ontario, pursuing his NCCP Level IV certification under the mentorship of Coach Dave Smart (Carleton University/Canada Basketball.)

UPEI Athletic Director Ron Annear notes that Davies' previous experience in recruitment will be an important asset as he builds this year's team.

"He will be meeting with the returning players and the recruits who have been identified and adding to that list so that, come fall, we will have a quality team hit the floor," he said. "I'm very confident in Matthew's ability to quickly develop a strong recruiting framework to ensure a sustainable competitive program that Islanders and alumni can be proud of."

Davies takes over the Panther coaching position from Mike Connolly who was re-assigned in May to full-time duties as a UPEI student counsellor after six years in the coaching post.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues on July 12 with Carlos Reyes-Manzo, an international photojournalist. He will show and discuss his work in a presentation entitled "Impunity" at 3:00 pm in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre on the UPEI campus.

Over more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mr. Reyes-Manzo has had his work published extensively in newspapers, magazines, and books, and he has held numerous solo exhibitions. Born in Chile in 1944, he studied photography at the Film Institute of the Catholic University of Chile. In 1982, he established the Andes Press Agency.

Reyes-Manzo was commissioned by Save the Children to document its work in Iraq. His work has taken him to many places: Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Central America, Ethiopia, and North America. His powerful photographs document the lives of people, particularly children. He has recently completed work with Dr. Vianne Timmons at the University of Prince Edward Island. This is Reyes- Manzo's second visit to Prince Edward Island and Canada.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series presentations take place on Wednesdays at 3:00pm, with historic campus tours at 4:00pm, throughout the summer and early fall. Admission is free. In addition to the Wednesday lectures, presentations are being scheduled at other times based on the availability of speakers. For more information contact Julie Mutch at 894-2834 or visit www.upei.ca/summer.

A new prize for students studying Christian Ethics has been created at the University of Prince Edward Island through a $25,000 endowment gift from Alan McIsaac and Joanne (Kamphuis) McIsaac. They established the prize to honour their parents; the late Leo McIsaac and Mary McIsaac and John and Willemina Kamphuis. The McIsaac/Kamphuis Christian Ethics Prize is valued at $1,000 annually. The first recipient is Peter Aiken of Stanchel.

Leo and Mary McIsaac, lifelong Roman Catholics, raised their ten children in an environment based on strong Christian values. John and Willemina Kamphuis, leaders in the Christian Reformed Church, have always encouraged their eight children to follow their example by applying Christianity to all aspects of lives. The new prize pays tribute to their commitment to family, community, and the Church.

The $25,000 donation to create an endowment fund in support of the new prize was made through the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign.

"Gifts to create endowments at UPEI are wonderful tributes to family and community. Alan and Joanne McIsaac wanted to honour their parents with a special gift that reflected deeply-held values," says Kevin Lewis, Chief Development Officer at UPEI. "We discussed the possibilities with them and the result is this prize that will be in place forever for our students' benefit."

The prize is to be awarded annually to a full-time UPEI student with the best overall performance in Christian Ethics, a second-year Religious Studies course. Performance will be measured as a combination of interest in Christian ethics as a topic of study in an historical context and its application to modern life, engagement in debate and discussion in the class setting, and the student's dedication to excellence in his or her assignments, essays and/or exams.

The first recipients of two new entrance scholarships to the University of Prince Edward Island have been announced. The Mary C. McInnis Entrance Scholarship in Nursing has been awarded to Sara McAlduff from Bluefield High School and the Wilbert C. McInnis Scholarship in Business is going to David Collins of Montague High School. Both scholarships, valued at $1500 each, were established by Dan and David McInnis of Charlottetown in honour of their parents.

The Mary C. McInnis Entrance Scholarship in Nursing recognizes their mother's commitment to family and education. Mary McInnis is a 1951 graduate of the Charlottetown School of Nursing. The Wilbert C. McInnis Scholarship in Business honours their father's work in bettering life for Islanders. Wilbert McInnis graduated from St. Dunstan's University in 1951 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UPEI in 1995. The McInnis family is well known in PEI for its involvement in the family-operated insurance brokerage firm, Peake and McInnis.

The annual gifts for both scholarships are recognized as contributions to the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign. "We are very grateful to Dan and David McInnis for supporting our incoming students through these new entrance scholarships," says Tracey Comeau, UPEI Stewardship Officer. "Increasing our scholarship funding helps the University to attract and retain the brightest and most deserving students from PEI and other provinces."

Comeau adds that some scholarships, such as those created by the McInnis family, are designated by their donors for specific programs or areas of study. Another option is general scholarship funding which allows a scholarship fund to be named in honour of a person, family, or organization while allowing the University to select the best candidates to receive the scholarships each year.

"Creating a named scholarship is easier and more affordable than people may think," she explains. "UPEI has extensive experience in identifying the very best students, determining the area of need each year, and offering students scholarships from the fund."

The Institute of Island Studies (IIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island has a mandate to encourage public discussion on issues that are important to the development of PEI. The Institute has identified the recent move to increase cruise ship tourism as a current issue that deserves more public consideration. To give Islanders an opportunity to hear about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of development, the IIS is organizing a public lecture and discussion on Cruise Ship Tourism to take place in the Duffy Amphitheatre at UPEI, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26.

It will start with a presentation on the planned development in Charlottetown Harbour and the projections for generating economic benefits from increased cruise tourism. Then participants will hear from Dr. Ross Klein of Memorial University, whose research on the cruise ship industry in the Atlantic region and worldwide has led to the identification of certain pitfalls to be avoided while pursuing this development path. Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI, will comment on some of the particular issues confronting small islands when they wish to engage the cruise line industry. He will be followed by a stakeholder panel discussion representing perspectives from small business, fishing, environment, labour and tourism, moderated by Bruce Garrity, Charlottetown City Council. This will provide an opportunity for questions and comments from the floor. The event will end with an outline of the key points raised during the evening, summarized by the Director of the Institute of Island Studies, Dr. Irene Novaczek.

"This is an opportunity for Islanders to appreciate both the potential benefits of cruise tourism and the challenges. By the end of the evening we hope everyone will be better informed and able to plan for and manage this development so that it is more sustainable, less damaging to the environment, and broadly beneficial to the local economy," states Dr. Novaczek. "We welcome everyone having an interest in issues of environment, economic development, quality of life, tourism management and labour standards to join us."

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. More information is available from the Institute of Island Studies at 566-0386 or iis@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island's W.A. Murphy Student Centre received some welcome news recently. Scotiabank has doubled its financial commitment to the centre. The bank originally pledged $50,000 to the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign to help fund construction of the student centre. Now it has increased that pledge to $100,000. Scotiabank representatives were on campus in early July to make a contribution as part of their pledge. Brian A. Landry, Branch Manager and J.E. (Jim) Lavers, Scotiabank Senior Relationship Manager for Eastern PEI presented a cheque to Ryan Gallant, Student Union President and Kevin Lewis, UPEI Chief Development Officer.