This summer, seven of UPEI's thirty physics majors are heading to British Columbia to take job placements in two high-profile research labs. Three will be employed by the TRIUMF particle accelerator facility, one of only three such facilities at this level in the world. Four students will work at the National Research Council - Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA). The Institute manages world-class observing opportunities for Canadian researchers.

Derek Lawther, Chair of the Department of Physics, speaks highly of his students' success in such specialized and competitive workplaces. "UPEI physics students have gained considerable national recognition for their knowledge and overall preparedness for the hi-tech work environment. These are very prestigious placements, and I am very happy for our students' continued success."

The NRC's Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics has two locations in BC and#151; Victoria and Penticton, and it is a key player in international partnerships for large observatories in Hawaii and Chile. This summer, NRC-HIA is hiring nine students, and four of them are from UPEI.

Brian Bylhouwer and Jason MacWilliams will be returning to NRC-HIA to work on projects they started last year. Jason will be at the Penticton location, developing simulations to model the hydrogen gas in our galaxy. Brian will be studying and classifying the shapes of galaxies at the Victoria site. He will be joined by Todd MacKenzie and Michelle MacPhee, second-year physics students on their first co-op work terms.

Maggie Chartrand, Human Resources Systems Coordinator at NRC - HIA, states, "UPEI has certainly made an impression on NRC-HIA and we will continue to promote UPEI as an outstanding university that is able to provide us with top notch students to fill vacancies."

TRIUMF, on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, is the national research laboratory for sub-atomic physics. Scientists study the particles that make up all matter in the universe. Practical applications of this work include cancer treatment, illegal substance detection, and production of radioactive isotopes for medical testing and therapies. Ten per cent of their summer students will come from UPEI this year.

Evan O'Connor, Andrand#233; Gaudin, and Allan Stewart will be working with various research groups at TRIUMF in experimental and computer programming projects. Evan has won a TRIUMF Summer Research Award, earning a $2000 scholarship for the fall in addition to his summer job. There are only five such scholarships offered throughout Canada, with Evan representing the Atlantic region competition.

"I am honoured to have the chance to represent UPEI at TRIUMF. I would not have had this opportunity without the physics co-op program," says Evan.

Six of the students will be undertaking these work placements as part the UPEI Physics Cooperative Education degree program. This program, which combines a series of work terms with regular classroom instruction, has increased interest in physics at UPEI.

Dr. Sheldon Opps, Director of the Physics Co-op Program, comments, "the Physics Co-op program has been in existence for three years and I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish during this relatively short time frame. We have built a strong reputation amongst co-op programs across the country."

A team of students from the UPEI School of Business has carried off fifth place in EXCALIBUR, the Canadian University Tournament in Human Resources (HR). Students from 24 universities competed over two days recently to determine the top teams in Canada. Maritime universities submitted six teams but UPEI was the only team to place in the finals.

Conducted by the Human Resource Association of Quebec, EXCALIBUR evaluates the students' knowledge of HR concepts, as well as their ability to present before a panel of executives and professors. In timed exercises, the team solved problems in case studies of firms with HR issues.

Team members were Daniel Perry, Stratford; Kelly Curley, Regina; and Mark O'Halloran, Charlottetown. Sally Ripley, Charlottetown, was spare and will be a member of next year's team.

"They were competing against students from the larger universities in Canada, such as Ryerson, Laval, and Calgary which offer extensive studies in Human Resource Management," said Professor Don MacCormac who coached the team. "To place fifth among such competition reflects positively on our students and the education they receive at UPEI. This experience will further develop their confidence, and prepare them for a rewarding career."

"I am thrilled to congratulate, once more, a student team from the School of Business on achieving this highly-regarded prize in such a competitive national tournament," said Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the School of Business. "These students showcase themselves, the School, and UPEI on the national stage."

Teams from the School of Business are four-time EXCALIBUR winners. The carried off first place in 2000 and 2002, second place in 2005, and fifth place in 2006.

"The university is to be commended for continuing to develop Human Resource specialists," stated Wayne McMillan, President of HRA and a corporate sponsor of the UPEI team.

Internationally acclaimed novelist Catherine Bush will give a public reading from her fiction on Wednesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, UPEI. A book-signing and reception will follow. Her reading is co-sponsored by the UPEI English Department and the PEI Writers' Guild. Bush's second novel, The Rules of Engagement (2000), was a New York Times Notable Book, and a Best Book of the Year as chosen by the L.A. Times and the Globe and Mail. In 2004 she published her third novel, Claire's Head.

Of Rules of Engagement, the New York Times states, "...she traverses war zones and#150; psychological, sexual, real and#150; with a clear-eyed, cerebral sophistication. The Washington Post says, "Catherine Bush has written that rare book, an intriguing novel of ideas peopled with characters who live on in memory long after their issues have been resolved."

Born in Toronto, Bush has lived in Montreal, New York, and Massachusetts. She has taught creative writing at several universities in Canada and the United States, and is 2005-2006 Writer-in-Residence at the University of New Brunswick. Her non-fiction articles have appeared in numerous publications.

Catherine Bush will also give a fiction workshop, sponsored by the PEI Writers' Guild, on April 20, 5:30-9:30 p.m. in the UPEI Faculty Lounge. Limited space available. For reservations please e-mail or phone either Ruth at r.mischler@pei.sympatico.ca 964-3403, or Laurie at laurie.mcburney@sympatico.ca , 367-9528.

The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) was recently awarded $6 million in research funding through ACOA's Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF). The two highly innovative research and development projects that received funding and#150; the Maritime Quality Milk project and the creation of the Atlantic Centre for Bioproducts Valuation and#150; further demonstrate AVC's leadership within PEI's growing expertise in bioscience, nutrisciences and health research.

"Researchers at the Atlantic Veterinary College are world-class," says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean, AVC at UPEI. "Their research is leading edge and has direct benefits for animal health, human health, and the strength of various industries. We are grateful for ACOA's investment in these exceptional projects." Under the leadership of principal investigator, Dr. Greg Keefe, Department of Health Management, AVC at UPEI, and co-investigators, Drs. Herman Barkema and Ian Dohoo, AVC's Atlantic-wide Maritime Quality Milk (MQM) project will help strengthen the competitive position of the region's agriculture and agri-food industry through extensive milk quality research. "This project is designed to provide an integrated approach for development and marketing of milk-based diagnostics for disease surveillance and help develop indicators of dairy productivity. By providing non-invasive testing methods and processes targeted at lowering the levels of antibiotics used in the industry, this initiative will result in higher returns to producers and improved quality dairy products," explains Keefe.

The integrated research and service capacity of MQM will be unparalleled in the Canadian diary industry. The project will also provide enhanced animal health and disease surveillance services to the Atlantic dairy industry. This world-class research will support the training of highly qualified personnel in the areas of product quality, animal health and disease surveillance, integrating all research and service activities at one site. The successful completion of this project will ensure that information generated is directly relevant to the needs of dairy farmers and the industry in general.

The creation of the Atlantic Centre for Bioproducts Valuation (ACBV) will also contribute to the growth and impact of PEI's evolving bioscience cluster. ACBV will operate in the niche area of preclinical studies by providing services to researchers and companies, regardless of location, with biologically-relevant animal models of disease and new tools to screen compounds. "This work will be used in developing treatments for strokes (neurodegeneration), neuroinflammation, and metabolic disorders," says Dr. Tarek Saleh, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AVC at UPEI; principal investigator for the project; and project leader for the stroke research and development platform.

"This new centre will fill the critical gap between pre-clinical laboratory studies and local phase one clinical testing. It will also help in developing high-value intellectual properties by delivering client services for testing molecules, compounds and formulations of interest to pharmaceutical and other companies," explains Saleh. Through interaction with regional medical and/or agricultural schools and institutions, opportunities exist to collaborate on research in human and animal clinical trials.

The development of the ACBV is a partnership between the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI and the National Research Council's Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH). In addition to Saleh, several NRC researchers who hold adjunct appointments within AVC departments at UPEI also play key roles in the development and operation of the ACBV. These researchers include Drs. Jeff Zidichouski, James Johnston, Michael Mayne, Yanwen Wang, and Bob Chapman.

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.

This Saturday, April 22, UPEI will be hosting a public reception to showcase the success of its Engineering students. The reception will take place at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel from 6:30 to 8:00pm.

The event will begin with recognition of UPEI's team of second-year students who won both the Atlantic and National engineering design competitions this spring. Caleb Curtis, Gabriel Landry, Daniel Palmer, and Hannah Sutherland will be demonstrating their winning crane design which gained them two awards at the National competition in Montreal.

Dr. Roger Gordon, Dean of Science at UPEI, is proud to be celebrating the team's accomplishments. "Consistently, our Engineering students perform well against students from some of the larger universities in these competitions. This year's outstanding performance speaks to the excellence of our Engineering program, its faculty and its students."

Nine other design projects will also be on display throughout the reception. These are the term's work of Dr. Andrew Trivett's first- year Engineering class.

"The Engineering profession exists to solve problems for people and society, so our program tries very hard to challenge the students to do just that from the very beginning. The problems our students have solved are real, and are helping researchers, business, and the community. Our young engineering students are showing the level of impact that engineers can have on this Island," says Trivett.

Groups of four to six students strive to fill real needs that exist in the community. The students work with individuals or groups to understand each problem, and then design and build a solution. Some of the projects this year include aerial photography using a kite system, tags to monitor eel populations, and a rear-view mirror system to reduce accidents associated with backing up vehicles.

Megan Mugford's group has converted a gasoline lawnmower engine to run on alcohol. The engine is now fueled on 100 per cent ethanol. Ethanol burns more completely than gasoline. The group also compared emissions for the engine, as well as power output, to the traditional gas engine. Megan says, "this has been a great learning experience. Throughout the term, we have encountered the problems that professional engineers face each day. We have learned that with hard work and determination, anything can be accomplished."

Two of the student groups worked directly with Beach Grove Home to design a new pill-crusher and an ergonomic medi-chart to house it. These projects may lead to summer jobs for two of the UPEI students who would be working to implement these products for use at Beach Grove.

Nine undergraduate researchers from Professor Stacey Nairn's social psychology classes at UPEI are getting ready to enjoy a remarkable opportunity; one that is rarely offered so early in a student's academic career. They have been invited to share their research findings with professional psychologists from across Canada. The students are preparing to make presentations at the prestigious Canadian Psychological Association Conference, to take place June 7 to10 in Calgary. Their research topic is "revenge."

"Our findings hit on groundbreaking material which has not yet been touched on in the realm of social psychology," says Jeff Villard. "All of us are ecstatic at being part of this nationwide experience, which would not have been attainable without UPEI challenging our creativity. We would not be allowed the same experience if we were attending a larger university. Much admiration goes out to our amazing professor, Dr. Stacey Nairn, for giving us this opportunity."

Recent research about conflict in interpersonal relationships has focused on the topic of forgiveness. In many circumstances however, people choose to withhold forgiveness and want to "get even" or seek revenge for the harm they experience. "We need to understand what revenge is, how it works, and how we can circumvent its potentially negative consequences in our own lives," explains Professor Nairn. "These projects were designed to begin to examine these issues."

Her students examined three types of situational variables that may influence people's perceptions of the acceptability of revenge or retaliation. Study one addressed the influence of the gender of those involved in a transgression/revenge cycle, while study two examined "how much is too much" when it comes to retaliatory actions. The third study investigated the impact of talking about transgressions and revenge with others.

"Our small class of 14 students broke off into even smaller groups where we ran three separate studies, which all had an underlying theme of revenge. Eventually these studies were brought together and here we are now," explains Amy Douglas. "We are almost overwhelmed with how well we have done with our research as a group. It's great to have so much support from our school and we are excited to represent our university."

"Attending this conference will be an important stepping stone in terms of graduate school applications and will afford these high-achieving undergraduate researchers the opportunity to meet with potential graduate supervisors, some of whom have already been contacted and are looking forward to speaking in person with these students," adds Professor Nairn.

The students are raising funds to travel to the conference and have already received significant support from Lou MacEachern, a native Prince Edward Islander who now lives in Calgary. After they return from the Canadian Psychological Association Conference, Professor Nairn will present an expanded version of her students' revenge research at the International Conference on Personal Relationships in Greece.

On April 28, university researchers and community members from an innovative project that aims to improve the health of children and youth in six rural communities will meet at UPEI to share the results of their work. For the past three years, they have been taking part in a research program entitled "Engaging the Community: Knowledge Translation as Transformation in the Lives and Children and Youth in Rural Prince Edward Island."

The six communities taking part are Souris, Montague, Rustico, Kensington, Lennox Island and O'Leary. The symposium is an exciting opportunity for the participants to share their experiences in the project. People from government and other agencies who are stakeholders in the issues being addressed will also take part.

Knowledge translation is the sharing of knowledge with decision-makers and program planners. Several steps are involved: collaboration with community members, information gathering, sharing research on issues raised by the community, and the development of initiatives to address issues important to the community. Essential to Engaging the Community has been the active involvement of parents, youth, and service providers.

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Engaging the Community project is led by Dr. Vianne Timmons and involves members of the UPEI Children's Health Applied Research Team (CHART): Barb Campbell, Dr. Kimberley Critchley, Dr. Alexander McAuley, Dr. Jennifer Taylor and Dr. Fiona Walton.

For more information about the Engaging the Community project, visit campus.upei.ca/engaging or call Jane MacDonald, Research Coordinator at 566-6009, jmacdonald@upei.ca.

Federal-provincial agreements signed today will allow international students to work off-campus while they are studying in Canada. Education Minister Mildred Dover advised that a new agreement signed today between Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the government of Prince Edward Island and post-secondary institutions, will allow eligible foreign students at UPEI, Holland College and Sociand#233;tand#233; and#201;ducative to work off campus for up to 20 hours per week during the school year and full-time during study breaks, as well as two years following graduation.

The agreement is effective immediately and students can apply for a permit right away. Minister Dover advised that the agreement will make it easier for students to gain valuable work experience and to earn extra income while studying. "It will help students who have come a long way from home to pay for their education and to engage further in our communities," she said. "It will be more attractive for international students to study in Canada. By enabling students to work in Canada for up to two years after graduation, we can increase our access to a pool of highly skilled young workers who have been educated in Canada."

Brian McMillan, Holland College president advised that colleges have long advocated for these measures to support international students. "The opportunity for our international students to work off-campus while they complete their education and training enriches their post-secondary learning experience, while at the same time providing a positive learning experience for those Islanders and Canadians who work with them," said Dr. McMillan.

Approximately 150 international students from 48 different countries currently at UPEI would be eligible to apply for this opportunity. "UPEI welcomes this new agreement to allow our international students to participate in the community and economy of PEI," says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "Working off-campus will allow these students to gain a deeper understanding of PEI society and help them cover the costs of their education at the same time. We encourage employers to consider the significant contributions that students from other countries can make to our workforce."

Declining population figures are affecting enrolment at universities and colleges in the region. Attracting more international students is a priority to help ensure future sustainability.

For more information please contact Student Services at 566-0488.

The University of Prince Edward Island celebrated three of its top Co-op students at this year's Co-op Student of the Year awards presentations on Thursday, April 27 in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. Every year, they are awarded to a Co-op student in each of Business Administration, Computer Science, and Physics based on employer recommendations.

The recipient of the award for Business Co-op Student of the Year was Brad Colwill, nominated by Wayne Beaton from the chartered accountant firm of Beaton, Fitzpatrick, and Murray. He won the award because of his professional abilities, congenial personality and strong work ethic, combined with the enthusiasm of his employer.

"Brad has the personality to fit with co-workers as well as the professionalism to deal with clients and he possesses an eagerness to listen and learn," said Wayne Beaton in his nomination application.

Yan Jiang, Computer Science Co-op Student of the Year, was nominated by her supervisors within the IT Security Section of Veterans Affairs Canada for her accomplishments in analyzing email for the purpose of identifying and blocking spam email. She has completed her final year at UPEI and will receive her Bachelor of Science degree, Majoring in Computer Science with Co-operative Education. Besides her three work terms with Veterans Affairs Canada, she also completed a four-month work term with the Canada Revenue Agency in Summerside.

In Physics, the Co-op Student of the Year honour was awarded to Evan O'Connor, a fourth-year student in a combined Honours Physics and Co-op program. He worked at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory at the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Penticton, BC. His supervisor, Dr. Sean Dougherty, was very impressed with his work and felt the nomination was well deserved. O'Connor was studying the structure and dynamics of colliding-wind binary star systems and plans to return to Penticton for another work term in January 2007.

Co-operative Education offers students combined academic studies with practical work experience. About 160 students are enrolled in the Co-operative Education Program at UPEI. Students have the opportunity to work in PEI, across Canada, and in international placements. For information about the Co-op Education program contact co-op@upei.ca.

The federal government announced the latest round of Canada Research Chair appointments today in Quebec City and the list included a Tier 1 Chair in Marine Natural Products Chemistry for the University of Prince Edward Island.

Dr. Russell Kerr from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida Atlantic University will join the UPEI Faculty of Science on August 1. The long-term objective of Dr. Kerr's natural products research will be to aid in the development of new therapeutic drugs from a variety of marine life without damaging fragile marine environments.

"Dr. Kerr is an international research leader in the area of marine natural products. His experience and expertise in research and development will be a great addition to PEI's bioscience strengths. UPEI is very pleased that Dr. Kerr is joining us as our first Tier 1 Canada Research Chair," says Dr. Katherine Schultz, Vice President of Research and Development at UPEI.

The Canada Research Chairs Program is designed to attract the best talent from Canada and around the world, helping universities achieve research excellence in natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities.