Three faculty members at the University of Prince Edward Island have been recognized for their outstanding performance in teaching. Dr. Rabin Bissessur, Dr. Nola Etkin, and Dr. Leigh Lamont have each received a Hessian Merit Award for Excellence in Teaching. The awards are supported through an endowment to the University by the Hessian family of Georgetown. Louise Hessian presented plaques and cheques to the recipients during a Faculty Recognition Reception held recently. The reception was jointly sponsored by the UPEI Faculty Association and the Office of the President.

Since joining UPEI in 1999, Dr. Rabin Bissessur has distinguished himself as a dynamic teacher who has developed a reputation among his students as a "chemistry maniac". Students typically remark that they really look forward to his classes. He encourages them to participate in class discussions and to ask questions. He engages students through his use of humour, and they acknowledge that the jovial classroom atmosphere helps to motivate them to learn.

Dr. Bissessur clearly possesses a passionate concern for his students. In class, he explores multiple ways of communicating essential ideas at a level that the students can understand. Outside of class, he welcomes discussions, and students frequently seek him out for help with a course-related problem or just for some practical advice. The generosity with which he gives of himself contributes directly to his students' success. As one student has remarked, "I have seen him spend upwards of four hours helping in a tutorial, not leaving if students still have questions."

Dr. Bissessur is an extremely busy (and sought-after) research supervisor. The fact that many of these students appear regularly as co-authors of scholarly papers is a testament to his mentoring abilities.

Dr. Nola Etkin has been teaching at UPEI for the last nine years, sharing her expertise in organic chemistry. She reaches and inspires students with her down-to-earth personality, and her expert handling of pedagogical strategies and tools that emphasize the process of learning itself, not simply the content. She involves students in active learning with activities and experiences that help to connect the lesson with the students' lived realities.

Dr. Etkin has been active in the scholarship of teaching, having delivered many presentations on aspects of teaching chemistry at national symposia. She has developed teaching initiatives, including new lab experiments designed to increase student understanding of concepts and procedures while also presenting a problem that is highly relevant to the students' lived experience. For example, in one lab, students ferment sugar to produce ethanol and then purify it, learning in the process the production methods used by industry to prepare alcohol.

Students appreciate the fact that Dr. Etkin makes them her priority. She inspires them to want to know more, to achieve more, and to view their discipline as connected with their culture.

Since 2002, Dr. Leigh Lamont has contributed to the teaching of second-to fourth-year DVM students at the Atlantic Veterinary College, focusing on instruction in anesthesiology. With her patient and professional demeanor, she assuages the anxieties of students who are learning in the presence of animals in pain. She supports and encourages her students to hone their problem-solving skills while challenging them to achieve high standards. She encourages them to try new procedures and to respond creatively to unusual situations, while ensuring that they develop informed opinion based on clear scientific evidence. In the process, she helps her students to make the crucial transition from classroom learners to clinical practitioners.

Dr. Lamont has been responsible for a number of pedagogical innovations, including the creation of short, narrated video demonstrations of fundamental procedures in clinical anesthesia with canine patients. Students can access these on DVD and online, allowing them to become thoroughly familiar with the details of a particular procedure before experiencing it with a live patient. Dr. Lamont's students frequently note her contagious enthusiasm that invariably infects her classes.

Close to 10 per cent of the world's population and#150; 600 million people and#150; live on islands. A quarter of the world's sovereign states consist of islands or archipelagos. At the University of Prince Edward Island, a significant new book has just been published that provides the first global, research-based, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary overview of the study of islands.

"A World of Islands" is a 635-page reader that explores what different disciplines have to say about the role that islands play in their particular field of inquiry. Topics range from identities, locations, and landscapes, to economic growth and prosperity. It is edited by Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies. The book is co-published by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, in Canada, and by Agenda Academic Publishers in Malta.

"It has, up to now, been impossible to find a text that treats islands from a truly trans-disciplinary perspective, appraising the role of islands and island life from the vantage point of both the natural and the social sciences, and soberly assessing the challenges facing island development from such a wide perspective," says Dr. Baldacchino. "This scholarly deficit has now been addressed."

The expertise and insights of 42 scholars and contributors offer a unique collection of theoretical principles, ideas, observations and policy proposals from, and for, the study of islands and island life. The text is accompanied by maps, prints, tables and graphs, as well as a detailed 3,000-item subject and author index.

"A World of Islands is a significant publication that consolidates UPEI's position as a world centre of scholarship in the study of islands," says Dr. Richard Kurial, UPEI Dean of Arts.

A detailed description of the book's rationale and contents can be found at: http://www.islandstudies.ca/A-World-of-Islands/. Further information is available at: gbaldacchino@upei.ca; 566 0909.

Five faculty members at the University of Prince Edward Island have been recognized for their outstanding achievements as researchers. Dr. John Burka, Dr. Annabel Cohen, Dr. Ian Dohoo, Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass, and Dr. Sheldon Opps have each received a UPEI Faculty Association Merit Award for Scholarly Achievement. These awards honour faculty members who have achieved significant and continuing productivity in scholarly research and/or artistic creation. Plaques and cheques were presented to the recipients recently at a Faculty Recognition Reception jointly sponsored by the UPEI Faculty Association and the Office of the President.

Dr. John Burka joined UPEI in 1985 as one of the founding faculty members at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). His research program is in the area of aquatic pharmacology; and in recent years he has been studying the development of resistance by sea lice to antiparasitic drugs. In the last 10 years, he has received research grants in excess of $800,000 and is a co-investigator on a recent Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grant for $2.3 million. He received the AVC Pfizer Award for Research Excellence in 2001, currently serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and has been recognized for "fostering the awareness of science in Canada". Dr. Burka has been very active in promoting science and technology awareness, having served as Chair of the PEI Science Fair Organizing Committee, coordinator of PEI Science and Technology Awareness programs, Chair of Atlantic Provinces Council on the Sciences (APICS) committees, and a member of the Sanofi-Aventis Biotech Challenge Committee.

Dr. Annabel Cohen has established an internationally recognized research program in music psychology. Since 1996 she has obtained research grants in excess of $3.25 million. She has also led large multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research projects investigating how multimedia can best enhance learning in a variety of cultural contexts. Dr. Cohen is currently completing a book, Foundations of Music Cognition, to be published by Cambridge University Press; she has been invited to be the next editor of the Journal Psychomusicology; and is currently serving on five other scholarly editorial boards. Since 2004, she has been a reviewer for the Canada Research Chairs program. While achieving a national and international reputation, Dr. Cohen has at the same time incorporated numerous UPEI undergraduates into her research program, many of whom have gone on to graduate studies or related employment.

Dr. Ian Dohoo, an internationally recognized veterinary epidemiologist, joined UPEI in 1985 as one of the founding faculty members at AVC. He has co-authored a textbook on veterinary epidemiology that is widely used around the world for graduate training programs (a second edition is expected in 2008). In 2005 he became one of only four veterinarians elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in the inaugural year. In the last 18 months he played a key role in the development of two major research programs, the Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network and the Maritime Quality Milk Project. Dr. Dohoo also recently led the creation of a new Centre for Veterinary Epidemiologic Research at UPEI which will house the new Canada Research Chair in Population Health.

Joining UPEI in 1996, Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass' research program on bioactive compounds in wild blueberries provided the initial seeds from which the current bioresource direction of UPEI has been built. She has garnered numerous research grants. Dr. Gottschall-Pass led the research initiative in the Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, and her hard work to establish the graduate program in the Faculty of Science has been instrumental in UPEI's current success in the area of bioactives. She has also made tremendous contribution to service within the University, most notably as Chair of the Animal Care Committee.

As a theoretical physicist, Dr. Sheldon Opps has established a robust research program involving use of various computer simulations methods to study physical properties of soft condensed matter or complex fluids, with particular relevance to biological systems. He has received over $160,000 in research grants from several sources, and he was part of the Atlantic Computational Excellence Network (ACEnet) which has received $29.8 million in funding. Dr. Opps currently serves as Director of the Physics Co-op program which he initiated in the Department of Physics. He was also instrumental in the development and refinement of the Faculty of Science graduate program and served as a member of the Graduate Studies Committee from 2001 to 2005.

The late Doris Anderson's reputation as a political and social activist is legendary. She challenged national governments, institutions, and the media in her drive to achieve gender equality in Canada. To pay tribute to the inspirational woman who served as Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1992 to 1996, UPEI has created a new student scholarship in her name.

As a summer resident of St. Peter's Bay, where her extended family lives, Doris Anderson maintained close connections to the province and to the University of Prince Edward Island for more than a decade after she completed her UPEI chancellorship. Anderson House, PEI's shelter for women and children who are fleeing abusive relationships, is named for her. She passed away on March 2, at the age of 85.

The Doris H. Anderson Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student entering UPEI who is a proven leader in his/her school and community. The first recipient will be Emily MacAdam who is entering the Faculty of Science from Morell Regional High School. In addition to serving on the student council and assisting other students through a peer tutoring program, she has been a volunteer skating coach for many years and a teaching assistant in her church. She is the daughter of Jane and Peter MacAdam of Morell.

"I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be the first recipient of this scholarship. It means a lot to me to be associated with such a successful Canadian," says Emily MacAdam.

UPEI will support the new award for the first five years. The university is working to raise additional funds to continue the scholarship in perpetuity. Information on how to make charitable donations to the Doris H. Anderson Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship fund is available from Rose Barbour at (902) 566-0615 or by e-mail at legacy@upei.ca.

On Saturday, May 12, there will be a public memorial service to Doris H.Anderson at 2 p.m. in Convocation Hall, University of Toronto.

The PEI Health Research Institute at UPEI is hosting its annual Health Research Forum at Rodd's Crowbush Resort, Lakeside, May 17-18. The Forum attracts representatives of the PEI health research community: academic researchers, students, community groups, health and education professionals, clinicians, and policy makers.

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Pierre Chartrand, Vice President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research will speak about health research funding opportunities and the changing landscape of funding for health research in Canada. The audience can engage Dr. Chartrand in discussions about funding issues important to the PEI health research community.

Dr. Renee Lyons, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health Promotion, Dalhousie University will highlight some key aspects of mobilizing communities for action across provincial boundaries in Atlantic Canada. She uses Atlantic Canada as her ?lab? to study how low resource areas mobilize their efforts to prevent disease and improve health. Dr. Lyons will share some of the lessons learned from their studies with their Yarmouth Stroke Project to make evidence based community support for stroke patients.

Dr. Mark Nachtigal, Associate Professor Department of Pharmacology and Medicine, Dalhousie University is a Canadian Cancer Society Research Scientist and Co-Chair of the Nova Scotia Cancer Research Training Program. He will talk about his research on understanding better ways to detect and treat ovarian cancer. His team is studying the role of a new enzyme called Pace4 in the development of ovarian cancer. He will also talk about the lessons he has learned in maintaining and sustaining a strong program of research in Atlantic Canada.

Forum Workshop:

A training workshop is being hosted on May 17 with Dr. Dawn Mc Arthur who is well known for successfully mentoring researchers to write high calibre, grants. She has expertise working with Tri-Council funding councils such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). During the workshop she will share her keys to successful grants with highlights from many years of experience. She will share examples from some of her work with grant writing and engage the audience with ideas and questions to consider.

Conference Link: http://www.upei.ca/peihri/html/hri_forum.html

______________________________________________________

AGENDA

Thursday, May 17

8:30am: Successful Research Proposals: Start to Finish, Keynote Speaker - Dawn McArthur

2:00pm: Welcome, Donna Murnaghan

2:10pm: Opening Remarks, Rob Haines

2:20pm: Jo-Ann MacDonald (School of Nursing, UPEI) - Topic: Lone Mothers' Experiences in Atlantic Canada

2:40pm: Jennifer Taylor (Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, UPEI) -Topic: Changes in School Food Environments Associated with Implementation of School Nutrition Policies in Elementary Schools in Prince Edward Island

3:00pm: Donna Murnaghan (PEI Health Research Institute, School of Nursing, UPEI) - Topic: Mapping Youth Smoking in Public Places

3:30pm: Yanwen Wang (Institute for Nutrisciences and Health, NRC) - Topic: Development of Novel Lipid-lowering Natural Products

4:00pm: Janet Bryanton (School of Nursing, UPEI) - Topic: Perception of the Birth Experience and its Relationship to Early Postpartum Parenting and Parenting Self-efficacy

7:00pm: Dinner and Keynote Speaker: Pierre Chartrand, VP Research, CIHR - Topic: CIHR: Turning research into actions that improve health

------------------------

Friday, May 18

9:50am: Debbie MacLellan (Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, UPEI) - Topic: Enabling and Barrier Factors in the Development of Elementary and Consolidated School Nutrition Policies on Prince Edward Island

10:10am:Tim Carroll (School of Business Administration, UPEI) - Topic: From Health Management to Health Leadership: Evolving Concepts in Health Administration

10:40am: Andy Tasker (Department of Biomedical Sciences, AVC) - Topic: Shutting down cell death without shutting down the brain: A new approach to drug therapy following stroke

11:10am: Charlene Supnet (Institute of Nutrisciences and Health, NRC) - Topic: The role of ryanodine receptor-3 in Alzheimer's disease

11:30am:Marva Sweeney-Nixon (Department of Biology, UPEI) - Topic: Blueberry Diets Lower Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Protecting the Kidneys.

1:00pm: Keynote Speaker: Mark Nachtigal, Canadian Cancer Society Research Scientist

1:50pm: Russell Kerr (Department of Chemistry, UPEI) - Topic: Marine natural products as a source of new pharmaceuticals - the promise and the challenges

2:20pm: Philip Smith (Department of Psychology, UPEI) - Topic: Socioeconomic Status and Tobacco

2:40pm: Rob Haines (Department of Chemistry, UPEI) - Topic: Precious metals with precious applications: Palladium-based potential anti-cancer compounds.

__________________

For more information, please contact Erin McGrath-Gaudet at (902) 894-2812 or peihri@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island held its 38th Convocation exercises on Saturday, May 12, in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. A total of 798 diplomas, certificates, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees were awarded during two ceremonies.

"Convocation is a proud day, for our graduates, their families and the many members of the UPEI family who have played an integral role in their growth and success," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "There is a very special sense of community between our graduating students and the many dedicated people who have worked with them as teachers, advisors, mentors, friends and key donors who join in celebrating this great moment in their lives."

The University conferred honorary degrees on four individuals whose exceptional professional and community achievements have made them inspiring role models for new graduates. They were Richard Homburg, Donna Jane Campbell, Paul Giannelia, and Kay MacPhee. The morning convocation address was delivered by Richard Homburg and the afternoon address was given by Kay MacPhee.

Dr. Regis Duffy, past Chair of the UPEI Board of Governors, was recognized for his outstanding service and commitment. He received the distinguished title of Chair Emeritus. The University also honoured Dr. Elizabeth Epperly by conferring on her the title of Professor Emerita and Dr. Thomy Nilsson who received the title of Professor Emeritus.

The Marshal was Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon. The Honorary Marshals were Dr. Lawson Drake, PWC'48, Glen Hughes, SDU'67, Shirley Beck, PWC'47, and John Rowe, SDU'67. The Class of 2007 Mace Bearers were Meidrym Jozef Hebda and Ellen Elisabeth Scales Klein. The Governor General's Medals were awarded to Dr. Mathieu Peyrou (graduate) and Brodie Champion (undergraduate). The valedictorians were Dr. Amy Stillwell at the morning ceremony and Derek Bondt in the afternoon.

The number of postgraduate degrees conferred by UPEI continued to expand this year. Nine students received their Doctor of Philosophy degrees, an all-time high. A new physics co-op program in the Faculty of Science celebrated its first group of graduates. As in other UPEI co-op programs, these students have benefitted from work placements with prestigious employers across Canada while studying for their degrees. This year also saw the first graduates from the new Bachelor of Child and Family Studies joint program with Holland College.

Two First Nations students made history in 2007 in very different fields. Jukeepa Hainnu of Clyde River, Baffin Island graduated with her Master of Education in Leadership. She is the first Inuit woman from Baffin Island to obtain an MEd. Soon after convocation, she will fly back to Baffin Island to take up her principal's duties at Quluaq School and to resume her position as a community leader. Jesse Benjamin of Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia was the first Mi'kmaq student to graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI. She has accepted employment with a small animal practice in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia.

Graduation week provides an opportunity to reflect on the significant commitment that students have made in order to each their goals and#150; students such as biology graduate Matthew Allain who applied his talent as a fiddle player to partially fund the cost of his education by recording a CD and selling it himself; or business graduate Rob Peters who, although seeing-impaired, completed his degree on a part-time basis, while working in a full-time job.

The importance of commitment was the theme of honorary graduate Kay MacPhee's address at the afternoon ceremony. "Commit to the truth and be courageous and relentless in that commitment. It may be a temptation to follow the easy way, the familiar paths, but life may ask you to cut a path through the jungle rather than simply stay on the flat paved road," she said. "Each of you has your own vision to fulfill your own truth. Commit to this truth, explore this truth and then defend this truth. Each of us can work to change a small part of the world."

Dr. Amy Stillwell, the valedictorian for the morning ceremony, expressed it this way: "I urge all of you to set new goals for yourselves, believe in your abilities, work hard to make a difference in the lives of others, and maintain the passion to achieve your future dreams. To the University of Prince Edward Island, my classmates at the Atlantic Veterinary College and to the entire UPEI Class of 2007: thank you and congratulations."

_______________________________________

To see Convocation photos go to http://welcome.upei.ca/

The Honourable Raymond E. Wyant, Chief Judge of the Manitoba Provincial Court, will be the guest lecturer at the Chief Justice Thane A. Campbell Lectureship in Law on Thursday, June 7 at the University of Prince Edward Island. His presentation, which is open to the public, is called "Undergoing a Front End Alignment and#150; The Experience of Manitoba's Provincial Court." It will focus on ways to provide better service delivery and improved response to the needs of those who are caught up in the wheels of the ever-spinning criminal justice system.

Judge Wyant was instrumental in reforming the Manitoba court system and successfully reducing court delay times in cases of domestic violence. Known as the Domestic Violence Front End Project, it received the 2006 United Nations Public Service Award and the 2005 Gold Award for excellence in public sector service delivery from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Before his appointment as Chief Judge, Raymond Wyant was Deputy Director for Prosecutions with the Crown Attorney's Department in Winnipeg and past Senior Crown Attorney in charge of youth prosecutions. He has also practiced as a criminal defense lawyer. He is the current Chair of the Canadian Council of Chief Judges and a member of the National Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System.

The Chief Justice Thane A. Campbell Lectureship in Law is co-sponsored by UPEI and the Law Foundation of Prince Edward Island. In 1991 the Law Foundation created an endowment at UPEI to provide a stimulating series of lectures in honor of Chief Justice Thane A. Campbell, former Premier of PEI and first Chancellor of UPEI.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, June 7 at 7:30 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, UPEI. Following the speech, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion. Members of the public are invited to attend. There is no charge and refreshments will be served.

Innovative health research at the University of Prince Edward Island is receiving support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This includes research on: attitudes towards smoking and quitting smoking among pregnant teens, by Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie; nutrition policies in Prince Edward Island elementary schools, by Dr. Jennifer Taylor; and the natural substance berberine, a combination of several herbs used for thousands of years by people in Europe and Asia which has potential to lower cholesterol, by Dr. Yanwen Wang.

"I take tremendous pleasure in seeing how CIHR's programs are supporting talented and committed Canadian researchers in all areas of health and how their research is leading to important new findings that will benefit all of us," said Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of CIHR.

These UPEI researchers will receive more than $900,000 in total to pursue this comprehensive and unique health research. For example, Dr. MacQuarrie, who is an assistant professor in the psychology department, will take an innovative approach to health research surrounding smoking. "No one has looked at the experience of adolescent girls as they transition from pregnancy to motherhood and how tobacco fits in. We're doing that," she says.

She will work with young women as part of the analysis to help them tell their stories in their words. "A teen perspective will be directly applied to the data which is also unique. In essence, the young women will help to interpret the data."

"This significant support from CIHR is a testament to the high-calibre research taking place at UPEI," says Katherine Schultz, Vice President of Research Development at UPEI. "This investment in research at UPEI is an investment in the health of Canadians."

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

More information each of the CIHR-funded research projects is provided below.

_______________________________________

Backgrounder on Featured Research Projects, Prince Edward Island

How do teen mothers feel about smoking?

Pregnant teens have a particularly high risk of tobacco use, yet there is little research on these girls' attitudes toward smoking. Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie, a researcher at the University of Prince Edward Island, wants to fill this gap in our knowledge and increase a greater understanding of the factors that motivate teen mothers to smoke or quit smoking. Through a series of focus groups and interviews with 20 pregnant teens, Dr. MacQuarrie will gather information that can be used to create effective smoking intervention programs. She hopes to capture the teen girls' attitudes, motivations, and concerns about tobacco use as they transition from pregnancy to motherhood.

Are our nutrition policies working?

Schools across Canada have been adopting nutrition policies in an attempt to improve students' lifestyles and reverse the obesity epidemic. But are these policies working? Dr. Jennifer Taylor, a researcher at the University of Prince Edward Island, and Dr. Paul Veugelers, a researcher at the University of Alberta, will assess nutrition programs currently in place at 34 PEI elementary schools. Dr. Taylor will collect information on the foods available in these schools, foods students are eating, prevalence of overweight or obesity among students and people's perceptions of the nutrition policies. With this information, she hopes to contribute to our knowledge of what works for school nutrition policies and develop a standard method of evaluating policies in schools across the country.

An ancient treatment with exciting potential

People in Europe and Asia have been using a chemical called berberine (BBR) derived from several types of herbs for thousands of years to treat infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and cardiovascular problems without any apparent toxic effects. Now it appears BBR could also decrease blood cholesterol, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Cand#150;so called "bad" cholesterol), and triacylglyceride (TG), major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, more research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness, mechanisms of action and safety of BBR through well-designed experiments. Dr. Yanwen Wang an adjunct professor with the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island will address these questions in a study on how BBR reduces blood cholesterol levels. His work is part of a larger effort by researchers to investigate several dietary approaches to controlling blood cholesterol as alternatives to drug treatments.

Dr. Wang will address these questions in a study on how BBR reduces blood cholesterol levels. His work is part of a larger effort by researchers to investigate several dietary approaches to controlling blood cholesterol as alternatives to drug treatments.

A new report entitled "Two Years On: A Survey of Class of 2003 Maritime University Graduates" released today contained some impressive information about the satisfaction level and employment success of UPEI graduates. The report by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission provides detailed information on graduates' university experience, what they do after completing their degree, and the factors that influence their educational and career paths.

The results indicated that 99 per cent of UPEI graduates were satisfied with university services and 91 per cent said that if they could go to university and do it over again they would. In terms of labour market success, the picture for UPEI graduates is very positive. Two years after graduation 89 per cent were employed full-time, compared to 85 per cent of graduates regionally. Their average annual earnings of $39,844 is also above the regional average.

"We are extremely pleased about these outcomes for our graduates. It is a credit to our faculty and staff that 99 per cent of graduates are satisfied with our services," says Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice President Academic Development at UPEI. "The success of our graduates shows that an investment in university is an investment in our province. A university education is a great equalizer in our society."

This is the second time in recent months that UPEI has been recognized for its high level of student satisfaction. In the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement, UPEI was named as Canada's top university for student-faculty interaction

Students from the University of Prince Edward Island have won graduate scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) at a success rate of 100 per cent. All ten of the applications that UPEI was permitted to submit were successful, with six students winning the top awardand#9472;the Canada Graduate Scholarship. These NSERC scholarships allow students to pursue graduate degrees anywhere in Canada.

This NSERC scholarship will make all the difference to PhD candidate Cheryl Wartman who has chosen to stay on Prince Edward Island. "I wanted to pursue my PhD right here at UPEI with Dr. Michael van den Heuvel. He is a world leader in watershed ecology and his work fits perfectly with my research interests," says Wartman. She will research the effects that effluent from pulp mills has on female fish, in particular the impact these environmental contaminants have on their behaviour and physiology to cause them to become more male-like. "I'm very grateful to receive this NSERC award as it provides continuing financial support for my research and recognizes the effort that I've put in to this point."

Dr. Michael van den Heuvel is the Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity in the Faculty of Science at UPEI. He studies the effects of agriculture and chemical use on freshwater and coastal environments.

In addition to the ten graduate winners, 15 undergraduate students have received summer scholarships to pursue research projects with NSERC-funded faculty members. All of this success adds up to nearly $337,000 in new funding for UPEI students.

"The landscape for research funding in Canada is increasingly competitive. And our students are a source of pride and inspiration as they demonstrate their ability to achieve recognition at a national level," says Katherine Schultz, Vice President of Research and Development at UPEI. "The funding is a huge support to students, and the prestige of winning an NSERC award will continue to pay dividends throughout their careers."

The Canada Graduate Scholarship winners are Nicholas Abou Risk, Physics; Brodie Champion, Mathematics and Statistics; Michael McIsaac, Mathematics and Statistics; Evan O'Connor, Physics; Allan Stewart, Physics; and Marcus Trenton, Computer Science and Information Technology. Andre Gaudin, Physics; Daphne Gill, Biomedical Sciences; and Stephen Scully, Chemistry are also NSERC scholarship winners.