The UPEI Department of English and PEI Writers' Guild will launch a new book by David Helwig, the 2006 recipient of the PEI Council of the Arts Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts. The celebration will be held on Thursday, September 21, at 7:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, at UPEI. The launch will feature David's memoir, The Names of Things, published by The Porcupine's Quill, one of Canada's premier literary publishers.

Born in Toronto, David was raised in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He earned a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1960, and an M.A. from the University of Liverpool in 1962. He taught at Queen's University from 1962 to 1974. He was a literary manager for CBC Television's drama department from 1974 to 1976, and then returned to Queen's as a part time instructor until 1980, when he became a full-time writer. He has lived on PEI, in the village of Eldon, since the mid-1990s, with poet Judy Gaudet.

Helwig's distinguished and prolific career includes thirteen collections of poetry, numerous novels and collections of stories, essay collections, and book reviews. He is also the founder and long-time editor of the Best Canadian Stories annual. His most recent poetry volume, The Year One, was winner of the 2004 Atlantic Poetry Prize. His latest novel is Duet. His upcoming novel, Saltsea, will be published later this year by Biblioasis, a new literary press in Ontario.

He is also an accomplished vocalist, contributing to Island choirs. And a wonderful reader. The public is invited to celebrate his achievements, and hear his splendid voice.

What book featured the character that Mark Twain called, "and#133;the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortal Alice"? What book was it that brought hope and inspiration to Japan after WWII? What is the best-selling Canadian book of all time? The answer to all of these questions, believe it or not, is Anne of Green Gables. It may also surprise you to find out that this book is soon to celebrate a very important milestone. 2008 - just two years away - will mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables - Island author L.M. Montgomery's first and most famous novel - and Prince Edward Island is going to celebrate!

A committee called the Anne 2008 Celebration Committee is already working to plan a year-long celebration of this important anniversary. The committee includes representatives of the L.M. Montgomery Institute, Tourism P.E.I., Parks Canada, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the P.E.I. Department of Education, Festivals and Events P.E.I., various tourism businesses and the Tourism Industry Association ofP.E.I. The Honourable Marion Reid, CM, a long-time Montgomery enthusiast and former Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island, is honorary chair of the celebration.

Shelley Gordon, of Mermaid, P.E.I., has been hired to coordinate the committee's creation of a celebration that will honour the impact the novel and the author have had on the Prince Edward Island and the world.

"Anne 2008 offers us the chance not only to celebrate the fun of the character of Anne Shirley but also to celebrate all of the things Montgomery's book has made famous and#150; the power of creativity and imagination, optimism, determination and, of course, the beauty of Prince Edward Island and its culture," says Gordon, "As a committee, we are trying to emphasize all of these themes in our events."

The committee, co-chaired by Anna MacDonald, of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and Jeannette Arsenault, of Cavendish Figurines, is working to organize a celebration that will include a balance of entertainment and educational opportunities. Local community groups and organizations are encouraged to develop celebratory events that will appeal to people of all ages. Academic and cultural events will include the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial international conference, the Charlottetown Festival's production of "Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153;", the annual L.M. Montgomery Festival and much more. As well, new products will be created in honour of the anniversary.

"We want to invite all Islanders to be involved in this celebration," says Gordon, "Anne of Green Gables is not just the story of a red-haired orphan, it also tells us a lot about Island history and what it was like to live here at that point in time. We will celebrate the story but we also want to celebrate the way of life on PEI which is something Montgomery captures so clearly in her writing."

An immediate bestseller in 1908, Anne of Green Gables is Montgomery's most celebrated and recognized novel, providing the inspiration for musicals, plays, movies, television shows, Anne-related products and other books. It has been translated into over 30 different languages, most recently into Mandarin Chinese. Each year, tens of thousands of people from all around the world come to Prince Edward Island to see the place where Montgomery set her novel.

Anne 2008 updates will be posted on the TIAPEI website, http://www.tiapei.pe.ca/, Tourism PEI's website, www.thegentleisland.com and www.Anne2008.com. For information about the celebration, please contact Shelley Gordon at (902) 566-5008 and by e-mail at sgordon@tiapei.pe.ca.

This project is funded by the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement (www.lmda.pe.ca).

Media Contact:

Shelley M. Gordon

Anne 2008 Project Coordinator

Phone: 902-566-5008

Email: sgordon@tiapei.pe.ca

Scholars from Brazil, China, the Netherlands, the US and Canada will gather at the University of Prince Edward Island August 4 and 5 to take part in the First Annual Julian Jaynes Conference on Consciousness being organized by Dr. Scott Greer and the UPEI Psychology Department.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Richard Restak, Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. His topic will be "Consciousness, Cognition, and the Technological Revolution: How the Modern World is Rewiring Our Brains." Dr. Restak is a renowned neuropsychiatrist and widely-admired author of ten books on the human brain. His numerous articles have been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He has contributed brain and neuroscience entries to the World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience.

Since 2002, UPEI has hosted an annual one-day symposium on consciousness featuring internationally-known experts such as Daniel Dennett and Michael Gazzaniga. They have proved so popular that organizers decided to expand the event into a full two-day conference. In addition to the keynote address, papers will be presented on a variety of topics ranging from "What is Raised in Consciousness Raising? An Example Case of Racism in Advertising" by Floyd Rudmin of Queen's University to "Self-consciousness and Anxiety in Tao Te Ching" by Qin Yi, Beijing Normal University. UPEI's Benet Davetian will address the topic "From the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind to the Breakdown of Bi-Hemispheric Intelligence: Emotions, Thinking, and Ideation in Contemporary Culture."

The conference, and previous symposia, have been organized to honour the late Princeton professor, author, and long-time Keppoch resident Dr. Julian Jaynes. Information about Dr. Jaynes and his theories on consciousness is available on the Julian Jaynes Society website at http://www.julianjaynes.org/.

In keeping with the spirit of Jaynes' own inquiry, this conference is interdisciplinary, embracing a multitude of perspectives. It is open to anyone interested in the topic of consciousness at an academic level. Special low rates for students are available. A complete listing of papers, and details about registration, are available at: http://www.upei.ca/~sgreer/jaynesconference.html. Inquiries may also be directed to the conference coordinator, Dr. Scott Greer, who can be reached at sgreer@upei.ca.

Professors and instructors from as far afield as the UK and Saudi Arabia, from every province in Canada, and from four US states are taking part in a unique program at UPEI this week. They are attending the Faculty Development Summer Institute on Active Learning and Teaching (FDSI).

The only one of its kind in Canada, the five-day FDSI focuses on improving post-secondary teaching and learning by demonstrating and modelling techniques of active learning. It began on July 31 and runs until August 4. Topics include setting the tone, teaching large groups, encouraging student feedback to professors, and assessing student learning.

Since 1984, hundreds of participants have travelled to UPEI to work with professors from Canadian, American and overseas universities on new approaches that will assist their students to learn more effectively, and make their own teaching more satisfying. This year's enrollment is the highest ever. As Ayo Jeje of the University of Calgary points out, the UPEI Faculty Development Summer Institute "has something of a reputation for excellence."

Fahad Alamr has travelled from Saudi Arabia to take part. He found the Institute through an internet search. After comparing several summer school options, he chose UPEI. "I felt it had something valuable for me to learn," he says. "I believe that I should look for knowledge and experience anywhere in the world, and here I am."

Rachel Carkett is attending from the University of Plymouth in Devon, England. She is the Coordinator of a Teaching and Learning Centre for faculty. "I wanted to see how a faculty institute is run on this side of the ocean," she explains. "I can draw comparisons and learn new things. For example, the workshop on motivation reminded me of why we do what we do, and made me think about how we engage learners."

The Institute leaders are Dr. Serge Piccinin, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for the Advancement of University Learning, University of Oxford, UK; Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice-President, Academic Development at UPEI, who has extensive experience with adults and children who have diverse learning abilities; Dr. Brian D. Wagner, Chair of the UPEI Department of Chemistry; and Dr. Shannon Murray, a professor in the English Department at UPEI. Drs. Murray and Wagner are recent recipients of the prestigious 3M/Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Teaching Excellence Award.

The Institute's focus on quality teaching and learning is one of several key initiatives at UPEI that promote educational excellence. It is coordinated by the Centre for Life-Long Learning and the Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning which offer an array of programs to enhance the academic success of students and the professional development of faculty.

More information is available from Isabel Christian at ichristian@upei.ca, 902-566-0355.

A special ceremony today at the University of Prince Edward Island honoured Charlottetown resident Eileen (McQuaid) McMillan and her late husband Dr. Joseph (Joe) A. McMillan. Friends and members of the well-known McMillan family joined UPEI staff and faculty, student representatives, and guests for the official naming of the courtyard area of the Student Centre. From now on it will be known as McMillan Hall.

McMillan Hall is one of the most popular venues for campus and community activities at UPEI. Since it opened in 2002, it has hosted everything from the honorary degree convocation for Princess Takamado of Japan to the Deans' Honours and Awards ceremonies that celebrate academic excellence. It has been the location of federal and provincial political debates, health research conferences and fairs, and a multitude of social and recreational events ranging from music performances to alumni weddings.

The facility holds special significance for the University's alumni because it was constructed on the site of the Alumni Gym that opened in 1951 and was destroyed by fire 50 years later. Dr. Joe McMillan was a member of the fundraising committee for the gym and the building was the location of his honorary degree presentation from St. Dunstan's University in 1967.

"Dr. Joe's volunteer fundraising to build the Alumni Gym, where the Student Centre now stands, and his commitment to the University where he began his extensive post-secondary career stand as examples to all students and alumni," said Student Union President Ryan Gallant. "This is the centre of student life on campus and the naming of McMillan Hall in honour of Dr. Joe and Eileen McMillan recognizes the legacy that they have left at UPEI, and through their family, and celebrates their strong commitment to education."

Eileen McMillan was born in Souris. She completed high school in BC, attended a finishing school in Quebec run by the Ursulan Order, and graduated with a BSc in Home Economics from St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) in 1935. After interning at St. Michael's Hospital, she worked in restaurant management in Montreal. In 1941 she returned to PEI, married Dr. Joe McMillan, and settled in Charlottetown where she became an active volunteer in several organizations including the Belvedere Golf Club, where she was President of the Ladies Branch, and the Charlottetown and Queen Elizabeth hospital auxiliaries. She was a founding member of the PEI Hospital auxiliary and was also involved in the Catholic Women's League and the Friends of the Confederation Centre.

Joe McMillan was a highly-respected PEI doctor. He graduated from St. Dunstan's University (SDU) with a BA in 1926. When he returned to set up medical practice in Charlottetown, he held an MA from Laval, a BSc from StFX, and his MD, CM from McGill. He was the first president of the Maritime Hospital Association and served on the executive of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). He was the first recipient of the CMA medal of service in 1964. In the late 1960s he was a member of the Board of Governors of St. Dunstan's University. He passed away in 1972.

In addition to their interests in medical work, the McMillans' main area of commitment was education. Eileen McMillan was active in the Home and School organization of the1950s and 60s. Dr. McMillan was a member of the Royal Commission on Post-Secondary Education. Students from around the world who came to study at St. Dunstan's were among the many guests they entertained at their home. Their other interests included politics, local hockey, and performances and debates at St. Dunstan's. The couple had four sons and two daughters: Colin, Thomas, Charles, John, Maura, and Eileen, all of whom have made significant contributions to PEI and Canadian society, particularly in the areas of education and health. Five of the six were graduates of SDU and/or UPEI.

Eileen (McMillan) Fulford turned the naming ceremony into a double celebration when she announced that she will leave a substantial bequest to the University of Prince Edward Island in her will. Her irrevocable planned gift, which has been made possible through an insurance policy, will honour her late husband George T. Fulford III as well as her parents.

"My parents encouraged all of us to pursue our educational endeavors to the fullest. St. Dunstan's, and later UPEI, were very much of a part of our lives growing up," she said. "Since I returned to PEI, I have watched UPEI grow, adding the Atlantic Veterinary College, the School of Nursing, and the PEI Health Research Institute. I am very pleased to be able to support the education of future generations of UPEI students," she said.

"The McMillan family has shown leadership in education on Prince Edward Island for many decades," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "This significant commitment to the Building a Legacy Campaign and the naming of McMillan Hall in honour of Dr. Joe and Eileen McMillan represent a tangible joining of our foundations and our future."

Eileen Fulford graduated in nursing from the University of Ottawa in 1966 and completed two years of postgraduate studies at the University of Western Ontario before returning to Charlottetown to teach in the PEI School of Nursing where she later became assistant director. She joined the nursing program at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario and spent 12 years there, eventually becoming Department Head in Health Sciences. She and her husband George moved to PEI in the mid-1980s. George took a teaching position in the School of Business at UPEI where he was a popular professor for several years. He was also a well-established entrepreneur with interests in the aquaculture industry. He passed away in 1995. There is now a UPEI business prize in his name.

Eileen Fulford's planned gift will be recognized as a contribution to the Building a Legacy campaign, and she is now a member of the UPEI Visionary Society of planned givers. Through living and planned gifts to the Building a Legacy campaign, many individuals, families and organizations are positively transforming the lives of hundreds of students and the historic UPEI campus.

Since returning to her home province Eileen Fulford has been an active volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society, serving two terms as President of the PEI Division. She was the Chair of the Atlantic Breast Cancer Information Project and now chairs the PEI Breast Cancer Information Partnership, a volunteer group that distributes information kits to breast cancer survivors across the province. She is also well known in PEI as one of the Island's best senior women golfers.

Nine faculty members and students from UPEI presented papers at the 9th Islands of the World Conference in Maui, Hawaii which took place July 28 to August 3. The conference was organized by the Maui Community College with the collaboration of the International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA).

The Islands of the World Conference, which was hosted by UPEI in 2002, is the most important global island studies event, and brings together close to 200 researchers, academics and practitioners interested in island development. The 2006 session had sustainability as its key theme.

UPEI Faculty Godfrey Baldacchino and Barry Bartmann, as well as MA (Island Studies) students Margaret Mizzi and Kathy Stuart, presented papers on issues affecting sub-national island jurisdictions in a 2and#189;-hour panel that Dr. Baldacchino organized expressly for the ISISA conference. Dr. Irene Novaczek, Director of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, discussed seaplants as food, medicine and tools for gender empowerment in the South Pacific. Dr. P. Nagarajan, from UPEI's Economics Department, pursued his interest in non-sustainable island development with a paper on the island state of Nauru. MAIS student Faiz Ahmed reviewed alternative development options in the contemporary Caribbean; while MAIS student and UPEI employee Laurie Brinklow reviewed cultural policy in PEI and Iceland. Patrick Augustine, prospective MAIS student, delivered a poignant paper on place and placelessness amongst the Mi'kmaq of Lennox Island.

"The biannual ISISA event is the key showcase of ongoing island studies scholarship, as well as the venue for a significant amount of island studies networking that spills over into collaborative educational, research and policy-related activities," comments Dr Baldacchino, who is Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI. "It is comforting to see that UPEI enjoys a recognized niche in this field. MAIS students in particular have had an exciting and educational international experience that will contribute to an improvement in the quality of their ongoing thesis work." Dr Baldacchino has been elected to the ISISA Executive for a four-year term.

The 10th Islands of the World Conference is scheduled for the autonomous province of Jeju Island, South Korea, in August 2008.

The Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA) has just released "Legal Information for Same-Sex Relationships" written by UPEI student Christopher Gillis. This pamphlet contains information on marriage, common law relationships, adoption/children, divorce, division of property, family violence and end of life issues.

"PEI was the second last province in the country to deal with the re-definition of marriage. As an Islander I am proud to have been a part of this project. The community has been waiting a long time for this," says Gillis who coordinated the project. "Currently, the only piece of legislation amended to deal with the new definition is our Marriage Act. I am confident that in time our provincial government will continue to work diligently to amend all legislation and bring it in line with federal law."

"On PEI there seemed to be confusion that existed around our laws and how they pertain to same-sex relationships," says CLIA Executive Director Ann Sherman. "The pamphlet we have published brings a new light to these laws and the issues same-sex couples could face. This information allows people to understand exactly where they stand in the eyes of our laws."

The Community Legal Information Association of Prince Edward Island Inc. is a non-profit corporation and a registered charity. CLIA's goal is to provide Islanders with understandable, useful information about our laws and our justice system. Funding assistance for this project was provided by Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. For more information or to receive a copy of the publication, contact CLIA at 902-892-0853 or clia@cliapei.ca.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series resumes Wednesday, August 9th with Dr. David B. Woolner. The presentation is entitled "American Foreign Policy and the Challenges of Terrorism"

Woolner is Executive Director of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in Hyde Park, New York, and Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from McGill University, and a B.A. summa cum laude in English Literature and History with a minor in Latin from the University of Minnesota. A specialist in Anglo-American relations and U.S. foreign and economic policy in the 1930s and 40s, Dr. Woolner has delivered papers on FDR's foreign policy at conferences in Canada, the United States, Russia, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France and Korea.

He is the co-editor of FDR and the Environment, (Palgrave 2005); FDR, the Vatican, and the Roman Catholic Church in America, 1933-1945 (Palgrave, 2003); editor of The Second Quebec Conference Revisited (Palgrave/St. Martin's, 1998); and is the author of Cordell Hull, Anthony Eden and the Search for Anglo-American Cooperation, 1933-1938, forthcoming Praeger Press.

Dr. Woolner has recently developed a new course for Marist College entitled America and the Challenge of Terrorism that will serve as the basis for his talk at UPEI.

The Distinguished Speaker Visitor Speaker Series takes place Wednesdays at 3 pm, with historic campus tours at 4 pm, throughout the summer and early fall.

Admission is free. In addition to 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.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues Wednesday, August 16 with Steven MacKinnon. His presentation is entitled "The Changing Canadian Political Landscape." He speaks at 3pm. at the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre on the UPEI campus.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin appointed Steven MacKinnon as National Director of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) on July 7, 2004. MacKinnon is a fluently bilingual native of Prince Edward Island and has an impressive resumand#233; in politics, government, and the private sector. He served as Executive Assistant to the Premier of New Brunswick, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Liberal Association, and Senior Vice-President of Hawk Communications Inc. in Moncton. His campaign experience at the provincial and federal levels stretches back to 1984.

Upcoming speakers in the Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series include Doreen Kays, former Middle East correspondent, and John Ibbitson, a political columnist who writes for The Globe and Mail. Kays will be speaking on Wednesday, August 23 at 3pm. Ibbitson will speak on Tuesday, August 29 at 10am (please note date and time change.)

The Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series takes place Wednesdays at 3 pm, with historic campus tours at 4pm, throughout the summer and early fall. Admission is free. In addition to 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.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues Tuesday, August 29 at 10:00 a.m. with John Ibbitson, a political columnist who writes primarily on Canadian federal politics for The Globe and Mail. His presentation "The Burden of Identity" will focus on his thoughts about the emerging conflict between identity and progress within and outside the Canadian experience.

Ibbitson has written three books on politics: Promised Land: Inside the Mike Harris Revolution, Loyal No More: Ontario's Struggle for a Separate Destiny, and The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream. He has also written two full-length novels, 1812: Jeremy and the General, and The Night Hazel Came to Town. He has been nominated for several awards, including a Governor General's Award nomination for 1812. Hazel received a nomination for the Trillium Book Award and the City of Toronto Book Award. Most recently, he was nominated for a National Newspaper Award for his coverage of the inner workings of Paul Martin's government.

Covering Ontario politics from 1995 to 2001, Ibbitson worked for The Ottawa Citizen, Southam News, The National Post and The Globe and Mail. In August 2001 he was appointed Washington Bureau Chief of The Globe and Mail, covering congress and the presidency as a reporter and columnist. He returned to Canada a year later to take up the post of political affairs columnist.

Ibbitson's presentation will take place in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre Lecture Theatre, UPEI, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Admission is free. Tours of the historic UPEI campus are available after the lecture. Everyone is welcome. For more information contact Julie Mutch at (902)894-2834 or visit www.upei.ca/summer.