The UPEI Department of Athletics has partnered with nine NGOs and not-for-profit groups and the Department of Community Services, Seniors and Labour on a six-week pilot project that creates inclusion opportunities for people who, due to financial or societal reasons, are not always able to access wellness facilities and programs.

The collaborative initiative that began in March, opens up UPEI facilities such as UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place, CARI Complex - MacLauchlan Arena, and Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre to members of groups ranging from Tremploy Inc. and PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada (PEI ANC), to Special Olympics PEI.

After the pilot project's evaluation, the steering committee plans to continue to develop opportunities that address key health issues such as obesity, with the objective that UPEI will be the catalyst in developing healthy, motivated clients.

UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan believes the pilot will enhance relationships with community groups and with the greater Island community. He says, 'UPEI has a strong tradition of working with partners in our home province, and we are proud of the Department of Athletics and their work in bringing this project to life for so many Islanders.'

UPEI Athletics' Outdoor Facility Coordinator and project lead, Michael Redmond says, 'We have over 225 clients participating in the pilot, each with a specialized program that allows clients to access various campus facilities.' He adds, 'The eventual goal is to have relationships with many more of the identified groups, and develop customized programs for, and relationships with, each of them.'

Hon. Janice Sherry, Minister of Community Services, Seniors and Labour, adds, 'The partnership between UPEI, NGOs and community stakeholders and our Department is a terrific example of what can be achieved when everyone comes together to improve services for persons living with disabilities in Prince Edward Island.'

Coaches and athletes from UPEI are directly involved in programming aspects: fitness classes, swimming, fitness assessments, soccer, soccer baseball, and volleyball. In the case of the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada, members were able to access the CARI Aquatics Centre for Aquafit, UPEI Fitness Centre for weight training, and the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre for soccer.

'This pilot definitely introduced the facilities to newcomer families who would not have known about them and it certainly made the pool and the soccer program accessible to clients who could not afford it otherwise,' said Nancy Clement, Settlement Worker with PEI ANC. 'I feel this new-found relationship with UPEI is very important to continue.'

To celebrate the six-week mark and the success of the pilot, UPEI Athletics is hosting a 'Community Day' and barbecue for all of the project steering committee members on June 10 from 6-8 pm at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place.

Members include representatives from Alzheimer Society of PEI, PEI Council of People with Disabilities, Special Olympics PEI, Queens County Residential Services Inc., Canadian Mental Health Association, Tremploy Inc., Association for Community Living, PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada, Canadian Paraplegic Association as well as the Province of PEI and NGOs such as CARI, Holland College, Murphy's Pharmacy and Andrews Sports Science Research and Training Centre.

UPEI Athletics Director Ron Annear is pleased to announce that Shannon Atkins has been named head coach for the UPEI Panthers women's rugby team.

'We are pleased to have Shannon on board for the fall,' commented Annear. 'As a former UPEI women's rugby student-athlete, an assistant coach with former head coach Mary Jane Webster, and her success coaching at the high school level, Shannon is motivated to rebuild the Panthers to compete for an AUS Championship.'

He added, 'With her connections to, and the high participation rate in, women's high school rugby here on PEI, Shannon will have a leg up on identifying and recruiting student-athletes who are capable of moving up to the AUS/CIS level.'

Atkins has been involved with UPEI Rugby for over sixteen years as a player and assistant coach. During her rugby career at UPEI, she was twice-named CIS All Canadian and was the AUS MVP in 2001. A graduate of UPEI with Bachelors of Arts and Education, Atkins was also an Academic All Canadian two times.

"I am looking forward to working not only with the veterans of the team in the fall, but also with the new crop of girls that are coming up. I believe that this team has the ability to achieve some of the great success that the UPEI Women's program has had in past, and I am excited about helping these girls reach for that,' commented Coach Atkins.

Atkins has coached at the high school level for thirteen years at both Charlottetown Rural and Souris High Schools and has also worked with numerous provincial teams at different age levels.

Atkins will be in Shawnigan Lake, north of Victoria, BC, June 11-13, to take part in a learning facilitators' program that will allow her to teach and lead level two coaching courses. Only five women from across the country have been invited by Rugby Canada to attend the weekend event.

Atkins said, "I am excited about this excellent professional development opportunity. It is an honour to be chosen, and, hopefully, it will benefit the rugby community on PEI as whole in the future."

As part of the program, the invited coaches will attend the 'Can Am Match' featuring Islanders Ashley MacDonald and Heather Moyse.

The Pan-Canadian Team for Research in the Early Years met recently in Charlottetown, hosted by members from the University of Prince Edward Island.

The team is a group of researchers from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Western Ontario, Trent University, the University of New Brunswick, and UPEI whose projects and thinking are coalescing around major changes in the field of early learning.

Dr. Martha Gabriel, UPEI Associate Professor of Education, and convenor of the team meeting, said, 'I was thrilled along with my UPEI colleagues, to host our fellow team members here in Charlottetown. It is a critical time for PEI's education system, and our team discussions were very relevant to the Island's current landscape, with the move of kindergarten into the public school system this fall.'

The team approach allows members to enter into discussions with other researchers and stakeholders, to ask new research questions, and to form collaborations. Ensuring that the new knowledge gained through research is translated into usable information for stakeholders in the field is a priority of this group.

During the meeting June 2-4 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel, members were addressed by keynote speaker, Dr. Marianne McTavish, from UBC who spoke on 'The landscape of early learning across Canada: Priorities for addressing transitions and challenges.'

PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development representatives, early childhood educators, and other stakeholders participated in a symposium during the meeting. Their purpose was to gather suggestions about possible research initiatives in the early years. As well, Kathleen Flanagan, early childhood education consultant and author of 'The Early Years Report - Early Learning in PEI: An Investment in the Island's Future', joined the team to discuss her recently released publication.

The next team meeting will be a teleconference at the end of June. For more information, contact Dr. Martha Gabriel at mgabriel@upei.ca.

Young scholars from institutions around the globe will converge in Charlottetown June 23 - 27 at the 2010 International L.M. Montgomery Conference, 'L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature', to share their research on the province's best-known writer.

For Alicia McDonald, an Islander, UPEI alumna and graduate student at the University of Western Ontario, Montgomery's works have hit close to home. 'Having grown up on Prince Edward Island, I found myself drawn to Anne and subsequently, L.M. Montgomery because they were talking about places I knew, and represented kindred spirits who understood what it was like to grow up in a rural area where everyone knows you. As I've gotten older and have traveled further away from PEI, I've found Montgomery's vivid descriptions of our Island and rural culture to be a stunning reminder of home that I can easily carry with me.' McDonald's presentation, 'Literary Tourism - Anne of Green Gables and Twilight as Tourist Attractions', takes place Saturday, June 26.

Emily Woster, a PhD student at Illinois State University, will be attending the L.M.M. Conference for the third time, along with her mother, Christy Woster. 'My love of all things L.M.M. began when my mother named me ‘Emily' and my sister ‘Anne' five years later,' says Woster of her interest in Montgomery. L.M.M. has provided her both professional and personal opportunities and lots of 'scope for imagination.' The pair will be giving their presentation, entitled 'A Book by Its Cover: Collecting the Artistic Interpretations of L.M. Montgomery's Works' together on Sunday, June 27.

Jean Mitchell, an associate professor of anthropology at UPEI and co-chair of the 2010 L.M.M. International Conference, sees these presentations as evidence of the continuing interest in Montgomery's works. 'The students' topics are very far-ranging and eclectic, suggesting Montgomery's multiple and meaningful influences on a new generation.'

Other student presentations include: Vappu Kannas, of the University of Helsinki, 'Familiar landscape in L. M. Montgomery's Emily series: Nature as the integrating factor in the Finnish translations'; Christiana Salah, of the University of Connecticut, 'Bonds of Sea and Shore: Locating the Gothic in Montgomery's Prehensile Landscape'; Erin Whitmore, of the University of New Brunswick, 'The ‘Old-Time Kitchen': Domesticity, Nature and Avonlea's Transforming Rural Economy'; and Kathryne Dycus, of the University of Glasgow, 'Footprints on the Landscapes of Artistic Creation: 'Wanderlust' in the Emily Books'.

All are welcome to register, and day and session passes are available for those unable to attend the full conference. For information and to register, visit www.lmmontgomery.ca/events/conference2010, email katmacdonal2@upei.ca, or call 902-628-4346.

The UPEI School of Business and the PEI BioAlliance invite you to a free, public session on 'Corporate Governance', presented by Professor Stephen Letza, PhD, Director of the European Centre for Corporate Governance.

Dr. Letza, a leading advisor to large, medium, and small profit and non-profit corporations as well as a wide range of UK crown corporations and departments, will share some of his insights into the boardrooms of the world. He has over 200 published articles and is often sought to provide media commentary on breaking events in corporate governance.

Anyone who has an interest in more effective leadership or board efficiency would benefit from this unique opportunity to meet and ask questions of this international guest.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

McDougall Hall, Room 329

3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

To register, please contact Pamela Harris at pjharris@upei.ca or at 902-566-0564.

The Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research (CHBMR) and Three Oaks Innovation Inc. will present Dr. Peter Smith of Millennium Pharmaceuticals on June 18, as the first instalment of the Innovation PEI Premier's Speaker Series.

As Senior Vice President, Drug Safety & Disposition and Comparative Medicine for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Smith will provide insight into modern development approaches and strategies that efficiently promote drug candidates and biologics through the development process, which includes an overview of the research and corporate requirements to fulfill current registration requests of health authorities, both from a safety and non-clinical aspect.

Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Arizona, and trained as a post-doctoral fellow in biochemical toxicology at SmithKline and French labs. Dr. Smith has served on several editorial boards including Toxicology Sciences, Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods, and Preclinica, and he has also served as an ad hoc reviewer for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and In Vitro Toxicology. Dr. Smith was featured in the July/August 2009 issue ofPharmaVOICE as one of the magazine's Top 100. The PharmaVOICE Top 100 is an annual feature ranking the 100 most inspiring individuals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Presentation, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Room 104

Networking luncheon, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Schurman Market Square, McDougall Hall

To register, click here.

About the Innovation PEI Premier's Speaker Series at UPEI

Dr. Juergen Krause, Associate Professor at UPEI's School of Business and Director for the Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research (CHBMR), has been selected to organize and promote the Innovation PEI Premier's Speaker Series.

The series, aimed at enhancing knowledge in bioscience and forging international relationships for Island companies, will feature presentations in the upcoming weeks by three experts with experience in the areas of intellectual property, licensing technology, and research and development. For more information, visit www.chbmr.ca.

A group of 22 English teachers from Finland recently visited Prince Edward Island to meet with members of UPEI's Faculty of Education, the Webster Centre for Teaching & Learning and the Department of Modern Languages as part of a Canadian study and professional development tour.

Each year, the Association of English Teachers in Finland organizes a trip to a foreign land to learn best practices in teaching a second language. Dr. Miles Turnbull, an associate professor in the UPEI Faculty of Education and Co-Coordinator of the Bachelor of Education, French Immersion, encountered members of the group last summer in Australia, and learned that in 2010, the group was visiting Canada.

'I met Ari Peltonen, a member of the Association's board, when I was attending a conference in Sydney,' said Turnbull. 'Next thing I know, the President of the Finnish Association was emailing me with a request to come to UPEI. I said ‘yes' right away!'

While at UPEI, the group took part in a keynote address and workshop given by Dr. Turnbull entitled, ‘Open the Windows and Sweep Out the Cobwebs: Initiating dialogue on the first language in second and foreign language teaching, a Canadian perspective that challenges traditional views'. The group also had the chance to meet with various educators working in the UPEI English for Academic Preparation Program in the Webster Centre.

Peltonen, also the tour coordinator, said, 'We've really enjoyed our visit to PEI and appreciate the time we have spent with colleagues, including Doroley Coll in the language lab here at UPEI. Our own English programs are modelled after Canada's French immersion experience, so our group was really interested to meet with UPEI educators who are leading programming in this area.'

UPEI offers innovative programs through the Faculty of Education, Department of Modern Languages, Webster Centre for Teaching & Learning, and Centre for Life-Long Learning that demonstrate excellence in second-language teaching. Some examples include the B.Ed in French Immersion, the Language Lab at Robertson Library, English Academic Preparation for non-native-speaking students, and intensive summer English immersion like the 'Explore' program.

The UPEI School of Business and the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) signed an agreement June17 that enables LSBF diploma graduates to continue their studies at UPEI in a post-diploma degree program of Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS).

Beginning this September, students who have completed the two-year Diploma in Management Sciences at LSBF will be eligible to enter the third year of studies at UPEI and after completion of 20 designated courses, graduate with a BBS degree.

'This partnership is a great opportunity for our School and the students. It strengthens the international ties of the UPEI School of Business while providing an opportunity for these diploma students to further their education and bring a different cultural perspective into their classes,' says Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the UPEI School of Business. 'The new program provides a unique international experience for these diploma students and allows them to complete a business degree with two years of further study.'

Professor James Kirkbride, Director of LSBF, said this agreement opens up another avenue for students to take their international educational pathway to a new level. 'LSBF emphasizes the importance of a global career focus in all our programs. In our post-graduate degrees, we have been able to partner with a wide range of universities around the globe. This agreement will allow our diploma students to take advantage of the opportunity to enhance their learning and have an international exchange at the same time.'

Kirkbride adds, 'We are excited about the possibilities that this agreement brings to our two institutions. The BBS degree offers a tremendous option for our students to realize both their educational and global career objectives.'

For more information about this agreement for the Bachelor of Business Administration program, contact Alan Duncan, Director of International Business Programs, UPEI School of Business, by phone at (902) 566-0686 or awduncan@upei.ca or visit www.upei.ca/business or www.lsbf.org.uk/programmes/.

The London School of Business & Finance (LSBF) prepares students for creative thinking in an international context. A degree with LSBF is internationally recognized and ranked by the Financial Times, Grenoble Graduate Business School as one of the UK's leading business schools. LSBF provides world-class programming to over 10,000 students at campuses in London, Manchester, and Birmingham with a history of offering innovative curricula in business, finance and marketing.

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and combines tradition with leading-edge research and learning opportunities. Offering programs in the Faculties of Arts, Science, Business, Education, Nursing as well as Veterinary Medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI has an attendance of over 4,400 undergraduate and graduate students. UPEI's School of Business features a Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business in Tourism & Hospitality, an executive-style MBA, and several Certificate programs.

The Tourism Research Centre in the School of Business at UPEI has released research results concerning culinary tourism on behalf of Tourism and Culture PEI. The report provides information about visitors' attitudes, motivations and travel behaviour as it relates to culinary experiences when travelling.

The report shows that visitors to PEI enjoy a wide variety of food and food-related activities while on the Island. The four most popular food and food-related activities in PEI were dining at restaurants known for offering local ingredients, attending farmers' markets, dining at highly rated restaurants, and shopping for gourmet foods.

'The fact that dining at restaurants offering local ingredients and attending farmers' markets were rated as the top two activities for visitors highlights the importance of local ingredients to visitors. It may be beneficial for tourism operators to highlight the availability and use of PEI ingredients at their establishments,' said Jeff McCourt, Chair of the PEI Culinary Alliance.

The research showed that visitors to PEI have distinct ideas about what foods best represent the Island. When asked, respondents readily identified three food items - potatoes, lobsters, and mussels - that they associated with Prince Edward Island.

The report identified four distinct types of food tourist based on their motivation and participation in culinary experiences. Approximately 15 per cent of respondents were classified as Deliberate Culinary Tourists or 'foodies'. The second largest group, at 39 per cent, was Opportunistic Culinary Tourists. At 40 per cent, the largest segment was Accidental Culinary Tourists. At 6 per cent, the smallest group is classified as Uninterested Culinary Tourists.

'From a marketing and outreach perspective, focusing attention on ‘foodies' or Deliberate Culinary Tourist and the Opportunistic Culinary Tourist seems a sensible strategy,' said Dr. Sean Hennessey, Faculty Director of the Tourism Research Centre. 'These two groups are the most active when it comes to food and food-related activities. They are an interested and captive audience. For example, on their most recent visit to PEI, over three quarters of the Deliberate and Opportunistic Culinary Tourists purposely sought out a culinary experience.'

While all respondents reported average spending of $54.86 per person per day while in PEI, the highest spending segment of culinary travellers were the Deliberate Culinary Tourists who spent $60.85 per person per day. They also had high participation rates in other non-culinary activities while travelling.

Overall satisfaction with PEI's food and food-related activities, and intention to recommend PEI's food and food-related activities received very positive ratings. Furthermore, the overall quality of PEI's food was rated highly by all respondents.

'The report provides information for government and tourism operators on a niche market that appears to be quite keen on PEI and our food,' stated McCourt. 'The Culinary Alliance is pleased with the findings of the report and we feel that it will help provide direction in planning future food-related activities and promotions.'

The report is based on data collected from December 29, 2009 to January 18, 2010 and is available on www.trc.upei.ca. More information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, UPEI, at (902) 566-6096, or trc@upei.ca.

New UPEI Women's Rugby head coach Shannon Atkins announced her coaching staff for the 2010-11 season today. Assistant coaches will be former Panthers, Madelon Cheverie and Dawn Paynter.

Madelon Cheverie graduated in 2006 from UPEI with a Bachelor of Science and went on to the University of Waterloo, receiving a Masters of Science in Health Studies and Gerontology. She is a researcher with the Addictions Research Centre in Montague. While at UPEI, Cheverie played five seasons with the Panthers, was named team captain twice, and maintained Academic All-Canadian status. She has also been active in coaching high school rugby. During her UPEI playing days, she coached the Charlottetown Rural High School team, and this past spring, was head coach of the men's program at Morell Regional High School.

Cheverie had this to say about the upcoming season, "I am so excited to be back at UPEI and involved with the rugby team. I have seen this rugby program evolve over the years and I am really looking forward to getting to know the girls and give back to the club that played such an important role in my life while I was a student at UPEI."

Dawn Paynter has travelled all over Canada to play rugby winning numerous awards. She played for both UPEI and St. FX, was named an AUS All-Star three times, and was part of two AUS championship teams. She graduated from St. FX with a degree in business and is the operations manager at REJ Holdings Inc.

"Having played rugby for over a decade both on and off the Island, I am excited to be returning to the game as a coach. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with the green and black,' commented Paynter.

All three coaches have played together on PEI provincial teams and Atkins and Paynter are both former teammates of Olympian Heather Moyse. The Panthers play their first home game on Saturday, September 11, when they host the Saint Mary's Huskies.