The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications and nominations for the 2020 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing. 

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made another leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial program of awards to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift is to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing is the largest such student-oriented program in Canada.

A total of 60 awards valued at $500 each are available in 2020 for successful applicants.

Returning undergraduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for a MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing based on criteria for four categories:

MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Community)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Course Work)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Webster Centre)

The UPEI learning community is encouraged to review the four categories of prizes for details on submission criteria. The deadline for submissions is October 6, 2020.

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.

Our learners face many demands for their attention, so getting them to actively engage in their learning can be a challenge. How do you choose the best pedagogies? Today lectures and active learning have been cast as opposites. In fact, they can be quite effective when used together. Interactive lectures combine engaging lecture segments with selected active learning methods. 

This intensive two-part workshop series offered online by the E-Learning Office, aims to give instructors the opportunity to experience first-hand the components necessary for creating interactive lectures.

Part one of the series, titled Better PowerPoints for Better Lectures, focuses on slide design and the creation of study handouts. Part two, titled Action-Oriented Learning Design, focuses on interactions that can be created in PowerPoint and on active learning techniques that will connect and solidify lecture materials.

Part one will be offered online on Wednesday, July 29th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Part two will be offered online on Wednesday, August 5th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Interested individuals can register for one or the other or both. REGISTER

Starting July 6th, 2020, Accessibility Services students will be expected to book their tests and exams using AccessDeck, regardless of whether or not tests are online or in person. This is a change from previous practices.

Students will now see new options for booking online. Please select "Online - to be written at home" as we are not currently proctoring any exams on campus.

When students book their second summer session tests/exams on AccessDeck we will send reminders to their professors about students’ accommodations, including extra time.

Regular timelines for booking tests and exams will still be in place (at least one week in advance).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to accessibility@upei.ca.

Congratulations to the UPEI Student Union for kicking off the 2020 PEI Pride Festival, July 26–August 2, by hosting several Pride events over the last two weeks. The University will join in the celebration by flying the Pride flag all week at the flag plaza in front of Kelley Memorial Building. On Wednesday, July, 29, join UPEI Student Affairs staff by donning your bright colours, and wearing your rainbow to express your support for our UPEI 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

July 28th is World Hepatitis Day.  Every year this day is marked to raise awareness of the millions of cases of undiagnosed Hepatitis worldwide.  Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including liver cancer. It is estimated that only 10% of people living with Hepatitis B and 19% of people living with Hepatitis C actually know their status.

There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D, and E.  Together, hepatitis B and C are the most common cause of deaths, with 1.3 million lives lost each year. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, viral hepatitis continues to claim thousands of lives every day.

This year’s theme is “Hepatitis-free future,” with a strong focus on preventing hepatitis B among mothers and newborns. On 28 July, WHO will publish new recommendations on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.

The virus is most commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV): the virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

• Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver cancer.
• The hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus: the most common modes of infection are through exposure to small quantities of blood. This may happen through injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, and sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood.

If you believe you may have been exposed to the Hepatitis Virus, check with the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre about free screening.  Call 902-566-0616 or email:  healthcentre@upei.ca.

The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications and nominations for the 2020 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing. 

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made another leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial program of awards to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift is to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.

The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing is the largest such student-oriented program in Canada.

A total of 60 awards valued at $500 each are available in 2020 for successful applicants.

Returning undergraduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for a MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing based on criteria for four categories:

MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Community)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Course Work)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Webster Centre)

The UPEI learning community is encouraged to review the four categories of prizes for details on submission criteria. The deadline for submissions is October 6, 2020.

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.

Congratulations to the UPEI Student Union for kicking off the 2020 PEI Pride Festival, July 26–August 2, by hosting several Pride events over the last two weeks. The University will join in the celebration by flying the Pride flag all week at the flag plaza in front of Kelley Memorial Building. On Wednesday, July, 29, join UPEI Student Affairs staff by donning your bright colours, and wearing your rainbow to express your support for our UPEI 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

July 28th is World Hepatitis Day.  Every year this day is marked to raise awareness of the millions of cases of undiagnosed Hepatitis worldwide.  Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including liver cancer. It is estimated that only 10% of people living with Hepatitis B and 19% of people living with Hepatitis C actually know their status.

There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D, and E.  Together, hepatitis B and C are the most common cause of deaths, with 1.3 million lives lost each year. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, viral hepatitis continues to claim thousands of lives every day.

This year’s theme is “Hepatitis-free future,” with a strong focus on preventing hepatitis B among mothers and newborns. On 28 July, WHO will publish new recommendations on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.

The virus is most commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV): the virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

• Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver cancer.
• The hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus: the most common modes of infection are through exposure to small quantities of blood. This may happen through injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, and sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood.

If you believe you may have been exposed to the Hepatitis Virus, check with the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre about free screening.  Call 902-566-0616 or email:  healthcentre@upei.ca.

As part of our campus high voltage distribution system upgrade project, we will be required to have a number of power interruptions. These power interruptions are necessary to transfer the power from the existing UPEI high voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building. 

The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below. This schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required, Facilities Management will send out a new campus notice listing the updated schedule.

The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.

Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034

July 30, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building, Steel Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 11, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

August 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

All Campus Buildings

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Jordan Torrealba. 

Title: Autonomous Cell-Based LiFePO4 Battery Management System for Solar Photovoltaic Applications 

Date:  Monday, July 27, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: This thesis documents the development of a novel lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery management system (BMS) intended for solar photovoltaic power system applications. While lead-acid battery systems are often implemented without a BMS, lithium-based battery systems require a BMS to provide two critical functions: cell protection and balance. The proposed innovative BMS approach aims to enable lithium batteries to be installed in low-voltage autonomous building blocks and treated much like traditional lead-acid battery banks connected in series and parallel configurations. Particular attention is paid to realizing a lithium-based approach that implements a low-cost, high-current protection mechanism and emulates the natural energy-dissipating balancing behaviour of unmanaged lead-acid based cells.

A novel BMS architecture was proposed, simulated, built, verified and tested. The BMS implements a noncommunicating and heat dissipating cell balance architecture combined with a low-cost fuse-based cell protection mechanism. The novel BMS system concept is ultimately prototyped in the context of a full-scale 6 V nominal, 220 Ah (2S59P layout of 3.8 Ah/12.16 Wh 26650 LFP cells) battery in the GC-2 form factor providing a functional initial prototype at a commercially viable scale.

Jordan is supervised by Dr. Andrew Swingler.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the FSDE Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Monday, July 27, at 10:00 AM.   

Ethics protocols that involve ‘more than minimal risk’ must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board (REB).  The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday July 31, 2020.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve ‘more than minimal risk’, renewals, and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.

As of June 1, all research compliance applications, including Research Ethics Board application forms must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. The new online process and system is paired with electronic approvals to replace the hard-copy signatures process.

Earlier versions of the application forms will not be accepted.  

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researcherportal@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the REB review and approval process please contact Joy Knight (Compliance Coordinator) at mknight@upei.ca

The next deadline for submitting Biosafety applications including new applications, renewals and/or amendments is Friday July 31, 2020. These applications will be reviewed at the August 2020 meeting.

As of June 1, all research compliance applications, including Biosafety application forms must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. The new online process and system is paired with electronic approvals to replace the hard-copy signatures process.

Earlier versions of the application forms will not be accepted.  

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researcherportal@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the IBC review and approval process please contact Joy Knight (Compliance Coordinator) at mknight@upei.ca

As part of our campus high voltage distribution system upgrade project, we will be required to have a number of power interruptions. These power interruptions are necessary to transfer the power from the existing UPEI high voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building. 

The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below. This schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required, Facilities Management will send out a new campus notice listing the updated schedule.

The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.

Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034

July 30, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building, Steel Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 11, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

August 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

All Campus Buildings

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Jordan Torrealba. 

Title: Autonomous Cell-Based LiFePO4 Battery Management System for Solar Photovoltaic Applications 

Date:  Monday, July 27, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: This thesis documents the development of a novel lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery management system (BMS) intended for solar photovoltaic power system applications. While lead-acid battery systems are often implemented without a BMS, lithium-based battery systems require a BMS to provide two critical functions: cell protection and balance. The proposed innovative BMS approach aims to enable lithium batteries to be installed in low-voltage autonomous building blocks and treated much like traditional lead-acid battery banks connected in series and parallel configurations. Particular attention is paid to realizing a lithium-based approach that implements a low-cost, high-current protection mechanism and emulates the natural energy-dissipating balancing behaviour of unmanaged lead-acid based cells.

A novel BMS architecture was proposed, simulated, built, verified and tested. The BMS implements a noncommunicating and heat dissipating cell balance architecture combined with a low-cost fuse-based cell protection mechanism. The novel BMS system concept is ultimately prototyped in the context of a full-scale 6 V nominal, 220 Ah (2S59P layout of 3.8 Ah/12.16 Wh 26650 LFP cells) battery in the GC-2 form factor providing a functional initial prototype at a commercially viable scale.

Jordan is supervised by Dr. Andrew Swingler.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the FSDE Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Monday, July 27, at 10:00 AM.   

The UPEI Alumni Association is calling for individuals to join its Board of Directors for a three-year term, beginning in September, 2020

Nominees must:

• be a graduate of UPEI, SDU, or PWC
• desire to strengthen alumni/university connections
• want to enhance the experiences of current students
• attend 4 to 5 meetings a year
• be willing to serve as chair/member of a committee

To nominate yourself or someone you know, or for more information, contact the Alumni office at alumni@upei.ca. Include name, graduation year, and any experiences/interests that would make the nominee a valuable board member.

Please submit nominations by August 28, 2020.

We are pleased to announce the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (MSc-SDE) Thesis Defense of Jordan Torrealba. 

Title: Autonomous Cell-Based LiFePO4 Battery Management System for Solar Photovoltaic Applications 

Date:  Monday, July 27, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: This thesis documents the development of a novel lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery management system (BMS) intended for solar photovoltaic power system applications. While lead-acid battery systems are often implemented without a BMS, lithium-based battery systems require a BMS to provide two critical functions: cell protection and balance. The proposed innovative BMS approach aims to enable lithium batteries to be installed in low-voltage autonomous building blocks and treated much like traditional lead-acid battery banks connected in series and parallel configurations. Particular attention is paid to realizing a lithium-based approach that implements a low-cost, high-current protection mechanism and emulates the natural energy-dissipating balancing behaviour of unmanaged lead-acid based cells.

A novel BMS architecture was proposed, simulated, built, verified and tested. The BMS implements a noncommunicating and heat dissipating cell balance architecture combined with a low-cost fuse-based cell protection mechanism. The novel BMS system concept is ultimately prototyped in the context of a full-scale 6 V nominal, 220 Ah (2S59P layout of 3.8 Ah/12.16 Wh 26650 LFP cells) battery in the GC-2 form factor providing a functional initial prototype at a commercially viable scale.

Jordan is supervised by Dr. Andrew Swingler.

The presentation and examination will be presented via a web conference. Please RSVP with the FSDE Graduate Studies Coordinator and Chair of the Defense, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for the information to connect if you wish to attend, by Monday, July 27, at 10:00 AM.   

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, August 7th for the August meeting.

Please note that as of June 1, 2020 all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols select ‘applications’ and for renewal or amendment protocols select ‘events’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month.  The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

Our learners face many demands for their attention, so getting them to actively engage in their learning can be a challenge. How do you choose the best pedagogies? Today lectures and active learning have been cast as opposites. In fact, they can be quite effective when used together. Interactive lectures combine engaging lecture segments with selected active learning methods. 

This intensive two-part workshop series offered online by the E-Learning Office, aims to give instructors the opportunity to experience first-hand the components necessary for creating interactive lectures.

Part one of the series, titled Better PowerPoints for Better Lectures, focuses on slide design and the creation of study handouts. Part two, titled Action-Oriented Learning Design, focuses on interactions that can be created in PowerPoint and on active learning techniques that will connect and solidify lecture materials.

Part one will be offered online on Wednesday, July 29th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Part two will be offered online on Wednesday, August 5th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Interested individuals can register for one or the other or both. REGISTER

Join our Special Guests in a Live Debate: 

Astronaut/Aquanaut Kathy Sullivan and Mark Abbott, President and Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

We collect more data from the ocean than ever before. Scientists use tools ranging from buoys and water samples to real-time satellite imagery. Thanks to phone apps and technology, even citizens can collect vital information and share it – adding more layers to the already crowded data landscape. How can we keep up? How can we use this wave of data most effectively? Are we managing the data or is it managing us? The future of ocean research will depend on training the next generation to make sense of the data tsunami in a race against the clock with global warming and other pressures on the ocean.   

Join leaders from the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI) and the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) for this discussion - the first in a provocative online discussion series. OFI Scientific Director Anya Waite, OFI Associate Scientific Director Paul Snelgrove and COVE’s CEO Jim Hanlon will lead the monthly series.

Astronaut/Aquanaut Kathy Sullivan and Mark Abbott, Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will be the first guests.

In 1984, Dr. Sullivan was the first woman to complete a spacewalk, and this spring became the first woman to travel eleven kilometres to reach the lowest known point in the ocean. Both adventures support her lifelong passion to understand the world around her. She served as US Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Over his 35-year career, Dr. Abbott has led oceanography in new directions through his role as an academic leader, and has served on numerous professional committees for federal science funding agencies, scientific societies, and laboratories. He has advised the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation on ocean information infrastructure. 

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v-yHvdsiR_SkRppZBU-STw

As part of the campus high-voltage distribution system upgrade project, Faculties Management will be required to have a number of power interruptions. These power interruptions are necessary to transfer power from the existing UPEI high-voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high0-voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building.

The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below. This schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required I will send out a new Campus notice listing the updated schedule.

The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.

Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.  Please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034 with questions or concerns.

July 27, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 8 hours to complete.

All campus buildings

July 30, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 3, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

All campus buildings

August 3, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building and the Central Utility Building.

August 6, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.

All campus buildings

August 6, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

Central Utility Building, Steel Building

August 10, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 18 hours to complete.

Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

August 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.

All campus buildings