PEI Premier Robert Ghiz has given special recognition to individuals working in the field of research and development for their commitment to strengthen the innovative sectors of the PEI economy. A highlight of the recognition ceremony on June 29 included the presentation of the Premier's Medal for Innovation and the appointment of two Provincial Industry Research Chairs.

UPEI's Dr. Russ Kerr, CEO of Nautilus Biosciences Canada Inc., was awarded the Medal for Innovation. Dr. Kerr received the award for his research to further develop production methods and conduct pre-clinical trials for a marine-derived natural product known as desmethyleleutherobin. This compound is a highly promising cancer therapeutic whose development has been hampered by the lack of commercial supply.

Dr. Kerr is a professor and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products in the UPEI Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. In 2007, he co-founded Nautilus Biosciences Canada to develop sustainable production methods of high-value, bioactive marine natural products and to discover new marine natural products with applications in human and animal health and wellness.

Premier Ghiz encouraged the development of Dr. Kerr's research agenda on Prince Edward Island. 'We are pleased to have scientists of such high calibre operating here in Prince Edward Island and we are excited about the possibilities of commercializing this important research work,' he said.

The Premier also announced the appointments of two Industry Research Chairs. UPEI researchers and industry leaders, Dr. Larry Hammell and Dr. Greg Keefe, were named to the five-year appointments. The purpose of the Industry Research Chairs Program is to encourage stronger partnerships between research institutions and the private sector to support the development of new products and services that show potential for commercialization.

'Dr. Hammell and Dr. Keefe are internationally recognized scientists who have made significant contributions to their area of expertise,' said Premier Ghiz. 'This program will allow them to further the research they are currently engaged in and explore opportunities to commercialize their work.'

Dr. Greg Keefe is a professor of dairy production medicine at UPEI's Atlantic Veterinary College. He is an internationally recognized leader in milk quality research and the application of new information and diagnostic technologies to advance disease surveillance and food quality. He is also Director of AVC's Maritime Quality Milk, a centre that has an integrated research and service capacity that is unparalleled within the Canadian dairy industry. The Research Chair position will focus on commercial opportunities developed from the current and future Maritime Quality Milk Platform.

Dr. Keefe was named to the Dairy Farmers of Canada Production Expert Scientific Advisory Committee in 2008. He is a former recipient of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Schering Plough Award for the advancement of large animal medicine and surgery. He is Vice-President of the USDA-affiliated Mastitis Research Workers.

Dr. Hammell is Director of the AVC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences and a professor of epidemiology at the Atlantic Veterinary College. He is an aquatic species health expert who leads the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, one of the world's premier institutions for applied research on health management in aquatic food animals.

Dr. Hammell is a member of the OIE Group (World Organization for Animal Health aquatic disease surveillance), a leader of the Disease Technical Working Group for Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue with the World Wildlife Fund, and a member of the National Aquatic Animal Health Program Management Committee.

As Industry Research Chair, Dr. Hammell will further establish the OIE Collaborating Centre for Aquatic Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Health Management. In addition to improving health management in aquaculture, this work will guide policy decisions at all levels of the industry and help determine international standards for the industry.

The Centre for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship at the UPEI School of Business has been named in recognition of American businessman Ralph Hostetter's long-standing commitment to the university and the province.

The Hostetter Centre for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship aims to advance education and research in enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, especially in industries of relevance to PEI In keeping with Hostetter's strong belief in mentorship, it will also focus on the development of students' entrepreneurial skills by connecting them with experienced business executives and faculty.

"As a long-time Island resident, Ralph Hostetter has been a great friend to many and a generous community supporter," said UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. "By linking his name and support to enterprise and entrepreneurship at UPEI, he will make an enduring contribution to the development of his beloved PEI."

Hostetter has committed over $1 million to UPEI in support of students and their learning environment. Last year he established the first scholarship for UPEI's MBA program in honour of his PEI friend and neighbour George Howatt.

"On behalf of the UPEI School of Business' faculty and staff, I am pleased to say how thrilled we are for the leadership that Ralph Hostetter is providing,' said dean of business Roberta MacDonald. 'His generous support and the role model he provides will be excellent bases on which to expand our enterprise and entrepreneurship programs and research. These will add great benefits for our students and for the Island in general."

From Elkton, Maryland, Hostetter is a seasonal resident in French River and has land holdings that include Camelot East Farms. He describes himself as a "conservative newspaper publisher" and is, at present, a columnist for several U.S. internet sites. He writes extensively in the areas of education and agriculture. Many of his columns were published in 1999 in a collection called Publisher's Notebook.

He is chair and publisher of American Farm Publications Inc. in Easton, Maryland, and former president and owner of TriState Publishing Company in Elkton, a chain of 13 community newspapers. He was elected to the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association Newspaper Hall of Fame in 1990. The New Jersey Agricultural Society awarded Hostetter its highest award, the Gold Medallion, in 2003.

The Hostetter CEE will include existing activities and programs such as business co-operative education, international trade training, and the executive education and executive-in-residence program, and will develop new business education programs.

Assassin bugs that eat away the flesh of prisoners, plague-infested fleas, disease-carrying lice, bee bombs-the stuff of science fiction, you say? Not true!

Award-winning science writer Jeffrey A. Lockwood will give a public lecture about the use of insects as weapons of war on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Wanda Wyatt Lecture Theatre (Room 104), K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre at UPEI.

Lockwood has recently published a book called Six-legged Soldiers, exploring the many ways in which insects have been used as weapons of war, terror and torture, from ancient times to the present day.

In his book, Lockwood takes a comprehensive look at the role of insect-borne disease in changing the course of major battles--from the development of 'bee bombs' in the ancient world to the trenches of World War I. He explores insect warfare programs used during World War II: airplanes dropping plague-infested fleas, facilities rearing tens of millions of hungry beetles to destroy crops, and prison camps staffed by doctors testing disease-carrying lice on inmates. During the Cold War, secret government operations involved the mass release of specially developed strains of mosquitoes on an unsuspecting American public.

He reveals how easy it would be to use of insects in warfare and terrorism today; they are locally available, easy to produce and disseminate, and capable of staggering rates of reproduction and of wreaking economic, environmental and social havoc. In 1989, for instance, domestic ecoterrorists extorted government officials and wreaked economic and political havoc by threatening to unleash the notorious medfly on California's crops.

Lockwood taught entomology at the University of Wyoming for 20 years during which he wrote 100 scientific and scholarly papers on the ecology and management of grasshoppers and locusts. He is currently a professor of natural sciences and humanities at that university, teaching and researching in the areas of nature and spiritual and religious writing, environmental justice, natural resource ethics and the philosophy of ecology.

His writing has been included in the popular anthology Best American Science and Nature Writing, and he has won both a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award. He is also author of Grasshopper Dreaming: Reflections on Killing and Loving, A Guest of the World and Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier.

The lecture is sponsored by UPEI, the Brigadier Milton F. Gregg, VC, Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton), and the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies.

Nine graduates from Bluefield and Kensington high schools recently took advantage of a pilot program introduced at UPEI this summer to help students make informed decisions about their future education and career paths. Each student received an award from the University to cover the cost of taking part in a three-day orientation program called ExperienceU.

Through ExperienceU sessions and activities, the students learned about academic expectations and supports, scholarships and bursaries, learning styles and research skills. They met with academic advisors and explored career choices.

'Attending ExperienceU benefitted me by letting me see beforehand what university life will be like at UPEI,' says Dillon Wight.

'Before this, I had absolutely no desire to attend university… ExperienceU has changed my mind,' adds Emily Gass. 'Now my next short term goal is to be accepted into UPEI.'

UPEI is planning to repeat the ExperienceU program. More information is available at upei.ca/experience or by contacting Kylah Hennessey at khennessey@upei.ca.

The Tourism Research Centre at UPEI's School of Business is pleased to announce a report profiling seniors-only travel parties to PEI. This report is based on the results of the 2007-2008 PEI Visitor Exit Survey and classifies seniors as those 55 years of age or older.

Of all seniors travelling to PEI, about 30 per cent travelled with no other age group, and the highest proportion of seniors-only travellers came from the USA (51 per cent of all parties from the USA).

'Senior travel parties tend to spend less per visit than all travel parties who come to PEI, but they spend more than the average amount on a per-person-per-night basis,' stated Dr. Paul Lewis, Research Director at the TRC.

Going sightseeing and on driving tours were the two most prevalent activities for seniors (60 per cent overall for all senior travel parties). Visiting friends and relatives was the most common activity for senior travel parties from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (63 per cent and 68 per cent respectively). Shopping for local crafts and souvenirs was an important activity for those from outside the Maritimes. Visiting historical and cultural attractions appealed most to parties from international origins outside of the USA (74 per cent) and to Canadians coming from provinces other than Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes (67 per cent). Going to the beach was less important for senior travel parties from all jurisdictions compared to family or adult-only travel parties.

As found in other exit survey studies of all travel parties, senior travel parties stayed longer in the province's rural tourism regions than its two urban regions, despite fewer travel parties visiting these areas. Compared to adult-only, family or mixed travel parties, seniors-only travel parties tended to take longer trips. Generally, this led to a bit of extra time in PEI, but the overall percentage of the holiday spent in PEI decreased compared to other travel parties.

'We want those who are now visiting with older children to continue to visit PEI as they move toward retirement and their children leave home,' said Dr. Lewis. 'As baby boomers age and retire, this segment of visitors is going to become increasingly more important to PEI's tourism industry.'

This report is based on exit survey data collected from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. It is available on the exit survey section of the TRC's website: www.trc.upei.ca/exitsurvey. More information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, University of PEI, at (902) 566-6096 or trc@upei.ca.

The Robertson Library at UPEI is looking for Island artists who would like to help improve the aesthetics of the high-traffic lobby area on the library's upper floor. It is sponsoring its second public art competition to acquire a work of art that invokes creative images of culture, learning, and information. The competition focuses on art for the walls, but submissions may also include elements designed for other aspects of the space. Entries are encouraged from any artistic medium.

Artists should submit a letter of interest, accompanied by preliminary sketches or mock up, by August 31. Full terms of reference and details will be forwarded once expressions of interest have been made. Inquiries may be directed to Suzanne Jones at (902) 566-0393 or sjones@upei.ca. Check out the website at library.upei.ca for details or FAQs. Unless otherwise requested, all submitted materials will be retained by the library.

Submissions will be evaluated and a selection made by the end of September. The winning artist will receive a commission of $4,000 and have his/her work displayed in a very public area of the campus. Please send a letter of interest and materials to: Robertson Library Arts Committee, c/o Suzanne Jones, UPEI, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3.

In just over a month, the new UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place, located at the University of Prince Edward Island, will be bustling as top track and field athletes compete for the gold during the 2009 Canada Games.

This new multi-functional athletics facility was officially opened on Monday, July 13. Thanks to investments made by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and UPEI, the benefits of the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place will be enjoyed this summer and well into the future.

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Honourable Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, were joined by Clifford Lee, Mayor of Charlottetown, Joseph Spriet, President of the 2009 Canada Games Host Society, and Wade MacLauchlan, President of UPEI, to get a first-hand look at one of the Games' premier attractions, which is adjacent to the CARI complex on the university's campus.

'Hosting the Canada Games will benefit Prince Edward Island in many important ways including the national exposure it provides to our Island economy and the legacy of top flight recreational facilities that will serve our communities for years to come,' said Minister Shea, on behalf of the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). 'In addition, these facilities enhance our ability to attract and host other sport initiatives and the economic benefits that flow from those events.'

UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place, the venue for track-and-field competitions for the 2009 Games as well as the closing ceremonies, features a synthetic, 400-metre, eight-lane oval track; a water jump for steeplechase; a facility for long and triple jump, pole vault, discus and hammer throw, javelin throw and shot put; storage, washrooms, and spectator seating and viewing. The facility is situated on land provided by UPEI, and, through its name, it recognizes the university's alumni for their significant financial support of this athletics venue.

"The Canada Games has a long history of infrastructure legacy across the nation. This year the Province of Prince Edward Island was proud to contribute over $4 million for this 2009 Legacy Facility, the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place," said Minister Bertram. "This new facility will contribute to the success of the Games and will carry on a tradition of making sports and recreation an important part of our one Island community."

"The City of Charlottetown is pleased to partner with the federal and provincial governments and the University of Prince Edward Island in developing this athletics facility,' said Mayor Lee. 'This complex will leave a lasting legacy in our community, and finally our athletes whose sport is track and field will now have a first class location to develop their skills."

The organization of the Canada Games is made possible through the dedication of the local Host Society, and the contribution and support of the federal, provincial and host municipal governments, and the Canada Games Council.

"The 2009 Canada Games Host Society is proud to unveil this state-of-the-art athletics facility to the rest of the country next month," said Mr. Spriet. "The opening of the UPEI Alumni Canada Place makes PEI a major player in the national athletics community and will continue to stand as an athletic pillar of excellence for our Island community long after the closing ceremony."

'UPEI is proud to host the Canada Games at this fine athletics facility on its campus,' says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. 'The UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place is a tremendous asset to sport and recreation for the entire Island community, with the potential to attract top athletics events from outside PEI. We are honoured to partner with government and our community to provide this high-profile platform for provincial and regional athletic competition and success.'

UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place was funded through the Canada-PEI Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) with contributions from the Government of Canada, the Province of Prince Edward Island and the City of Charlottetown. The University of Prince Edward Island is responsible for maintaining and operating the facility.

A landmark publication compiled by two UPEI researchers showcasing immigrant entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island, was officially launched recently by the Honourable Alan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

The full-colour publication, titled Immigrant Entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island, illustrates the personal stories, challenges and satisfactions of some 60 immigrants to PEI who have opened and currently operate their own businesses. It is the work of Dr Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair (Island Studies) at UPEI, in collaboration with Crystal MacAndrew Fall, a graduate student who is researching immigrant entrepreneurship as her thesis topic, a component of her Master of Arts (Island Studies) at UPEI.

"The showcased entrepreneurs represent some of the vibrant cultural and business diversity that is enriching the island province", explains Dr. Baldacchino. "Some of them have targeted PEI specifically as a base because of both the benefits that it provides to start up businesses, as well as the envious quality of life it offers to families. Unlike most immigrants to PEI, entrepreneurs tend to settle down and stay on the Island, contributing to the long-term development of the province."

Dr. Baldacchino has already completed three other province-based research assignments related to migration issues over the past few years. He has also coordinated the setting up of a Migration Research Cluster at UPEI, with a clutch of social scientists from various disciplines--history, economics, sociology, anthropology and literature--who are aligned to support any research that the province may require as it unfolds its migration retention and repatriation strategy.

The new publication, for which the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada acted as local community partner, has been financed largely by the PEI Government's Population Secretariat, with additional support coming from the Rural Secretariat of Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, the UPEI School of Business, the Social Economy and Sustainability Network and the Atlantic Metropolis Centre. Copies can be obtained at no cost from Island Information Services, Jones Building, or from the Population Secretariat at PopulationSecretariat@gov.pe.ca or (902) 620-3656.

Dr. Dan McKenney, of the Canadian Forest Service, will give a public presentation called "Plant Hardiness Zones in Canada; Now and in the future!" on Monday, July 20, at 2 p.m. in the Wanda Wyatt Lecture Theatre (Room 104) of the KC Irving Chemistry Centre at UPEI.

Plant hardiness zones are part of the lexicon of Canada's horticulture, agriculture and forest industries. McKenney will review the history of Canada's plant hardiness zones, recent updates and new developments in mapping plant hardiness. He will also discuss implications of climate change, including what it might mean for P.E.I.

McKenney is chief of the Geospatial Tools and Economic Analyses Section of the Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He has worked for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. He is an adjunct professor at the Department of Food Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph and the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, and a sessional lecturer at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie.

The public talk is being organized by the UPEI Faculty of Science. Everyone is welcome.