The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre is now offering virtual appointments via Zoom Healthcare.  Beginning June 8th, 2020 students, faculty, staff and families can request to have virtual appointments with the health centre; in-person and telephone appointments are also available. UPEI has contracted with Zoom Healthcare to provide a secure platform to deliver virtual appointments for our patients that are private/secure. To request a virtual appointment, continue to use the same process of telephoning (902-566-0616) or emailing (healthcentre@upei.ca) us.  During the pandemic, we are discouraging coming in-person to make appointments. 

The Moodle Gradebook can help you track grades in Moodle, share progress with students, and easily submit final grades to the Registrar’s Office. For this webinar, a step-by-step process for setting up the Moodle Gradebook will be demoed, followed by some time to set up participant gradebooks while explaining the approach and steps. This session will be hosted through Blackboard Collaborate. Register here for this session. 

The Moodle Gradebook can help you track grades in Moodle, share progress with students, and easily submit final grades to the Registrar’s Office. For this webinar, a step-by-step process for setting up the Moodle Gradebook will be demoed, followed by some time to set up participant gradebooks while explaining the approach and steps. This session will be hosted through Blackboard Collaborate. Register here for this session. 

Researchers from UPEI’s Health and Wellness Centre and the Department of Applied Human Sciences are seeking people who have or are at risk of metabolic syndrome to participate in a free supervised nutrition and exercise program called CHANGE (Canadian Health Advanced by Nutrition and Graded Exercise) in communities across Prince Edward Island.

Individuals will participate in a supervised exercise training program, based on their fitness, skill level, and personal interests, and receive nutrition counselling and education.

You may qualify if you:

• are at risk of or have metabolic syndrome
• are 18 years of age or older
• speak/read English
• have not had a diagnosis of dementia or are not undergoing active cancer treatment

The CHANGE program was created by Metabolic Syndrome Canada (www.metsc.ca). To sign up for the CHANGE Program, please contact the CHANGE team at 902-620-5156 or email ancarter@upei.ca and/or jpomeroy@upei.ca. For more details about the study, please contact Marilyn Barrett at 902-566-0355 or email at mbarrett@upei.ca.

The Office of Research Services has been working to develop an online interface through our database system, Romeo Researcher Portal, which will be launched Monday, June 1. The online portal will improve processing associated with the submission, review and approval of research-related grants, contracts, and certification applications. It will also provide researchers with online access to their research-related funding and certification files in the database. As of June 1, all UPEI internal forms associated with research-related funding and certification applications will be located within the UPEI Researcher Portal and must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. Submissions will not be accepted using any other format. 

All of the forms you are familiar with (such as seeking signatures, approvals, etc.) through Research Services and Synapse are now available within the new Researcher Portal database.

As of June 1:

·         all faculty researchers and staff will have full, online access to all their research related certification and funding files; and

·         all Research Services application forms will be housed in the new system so researchers can easily access, complete, and submit the appropriate form/s within this password protected site.

The new online process and system will be paired with electronic approvals to replace our current hard-copy signatures process.

The Research Services team is available to help make this transition go as smoothly as possible. If you have questions, please contact researcherportal@upei.ca and a team member will be happy to assist you.

The Moodle Gradebook can help you track grades in Moodle, share progress with students, and easily submit final grades to the Registrar’s Office. For this webinar, a step-by-step process for setting up the Moodle Gradebook will be demoed, followed by some time to set up participant gradebooks while explaining the approach and steps. This session will be hosted through Blackboard Collaborate. Register here for this session. 

All are invited to attend the first campus-wide Research Colloquium on Friday, May 29, with Dr. Ali Ahmadi from the UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering. This series is intended to feature the innovative, diverse, and multidisciplinary nature of research led by faculty at UPEI, during this time of physical separation. Please register here.

Biofabrication: Science fiction turns into reality?

I am not a big fan of Bruce Willis, but I was fascinated by a scene in his movie, "The Fifth Element", where a device (I assume Hollywood’s version of a 3D bio-printer!) makes body parts and ultimately a whole living human. Ok, we may not need to “print” new humans, but the thought of being able to “print” body parts and organs for people in need is a heartwarming vision. This vision drives my field of research which is called biofabrication, also known as three dimensional bio-printing. Biofabrication aims to build living tissues and organs. The movie showed that the biofabrication technology was available in the year 2263. It may not take another 243 years for us to realize this vision, but we do have an exceptionally long road ahead of us!

So what is biofabrication? Why is it important? Why is it taking so long to biofabricate organs and tissues? What is the role of engineering and other disciplines in this development? And lastly, what are the ethical, social and economical implications of biofabrication?

In this talk, I will discuss these questions with particular emphasis on the important roles of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations in biofabrication technology development. 

The Office of Research Services has been working to develop an online interface through our database system, Romeo Researcher Portal, which will be launched Monday, June 1. The online portal will improve processing associated with the submission, review and approval of research-related grants, contracts, and certification applications. It will also provide researchers with online access to their research-related funding and certification files in the database. As of June 1, all UPEI internal forms associated with research-related funding and certification applications will be located within the UPEI Researcher Portal and must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. Submissions will not be accepted using any other format. 

All of the forms you are familiar with (such as seeking signatures, approvals, etc.) through Research Services and Synapse are now available within the new Researcher Portal database.

As of June 1:

·         all faculty researchers and staff will have full, online access to all their research related certification and funding files; and

·         all Research Services application forms will be housed in the new system so researchers can easily access, complete, and submit the appropriate form/s within this password protected site.

The new online process and system will be paired with electronic approvals to replace our current hard-copy signatures process.

The Research Services team is available to help make this transition go as smoothly as possible. If you have questions, please contact researcherportal@upei.ca and a team member will be happy to assist you.

The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre will be expanding their hours over the next three weeks.

Week of May 25th:  open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 1st:  open Tuesday - Friday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 8th:  return to regular hours - open Monday to Friday, 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

You may book appointments by telephone (902-566-0616) or email:  healthcentre@upei.ca.  We are discouraging individuals coming to the health centre in person to book appointments due to COVID-19 restrictions.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you have symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT come to the health centre.  Call 811 for guidance.  The following are symptoms of COVID-19:  new onset of fever without an alternative explanation or new or worsening cough, sore throat, rhinitis (runny nose), marked fatigue, shortness of breath, chills, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), or acute loss of sense of smell or taste without an alternative explanation.  Individuals with these symptoms require testing for COVID-19.

Please observe signage regarding physical distancing, the performance of good hand hygiene and cough etiquette.  

The Office of Research Services has been working to develop an online interface through our database system, Romeo Researcher Portal, which will be launched Monday, June 1. The online portal will improve processing associated with the submission, review and approval of research-related grants, contracts, and certification applications. It will also provide researchers with online access to their research-related funding and certification files in the database. As of June 1, all UPEI internal forms associated with research-related funding and certification applications will be located within the UPEI Researcher Portal and must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. Submissions will not be accepted using any other format. 

All of the forms you are familiar with (such as seeking signatures, approvals, etc.) through Research Services and Synapse are now available within the new Researcher Portal database.

As of June 1:

·         all faculty researchers and staff will have full, online access to all their research related certification and funding files; and

·         all Research Services application forms will be housed in the new system so researchers can easily access, complete, and submit the appropriate form/s within this password protected site.

The new online process and system will be paired with electronic approvals to replace our current hard-copy signatures process.

The Research Services team is available to help make this transition go as smoothly as possible. If you have questions, please contact researcherportal@upei.ca and a team member will be happy to assist you.

On Wednesday, May 27, ITSS will be conducting routine maintenance on the MyUPEI portal and related services from 8 pm to 12 am midnight. During this time there may be intermittent access and performance issues with accessing and using MyUPEI, Self-Service & Colleague.

We encourage Students, Faculty, and Staff that may need documents or links located on myUPEI to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

As a reminder, you can access Moodle directly using https://moodle.upei.ca.

If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.

BlackBoard Collaborate is web conferencing software that allows instructors to do many things to engage with their students. Free for faculty and staff at UPEI, BlackBoard Collaborate can be used to both hold live sessions with participants as well as make recordings that can be watched at a later time. Share your presentation, use the interactive whiteboard, form breakout groups or conduct a poll, BlackBoard Collaborate allows you to set up a complete virtual classroom. It’s simple, easy and reliable. Facilitated by the E-Learning Office, who also create accounts and provide tech support for Collaborate on campus, this webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 3rd from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. REGISTER

MITACS - ONE DAY ONLINE COURSE - TIME MANAGEMENT 

SUPPORTED BY SYNAPSE

9 am - 5 pm

This energetic, intensive one-day course will sharpen your professional time management skills and optimize your working week. 

Course Objective - review and apply relevant time management processes within a project management context.  We will also cover successful productivity optimization and performance improvement tactics.  Ww will focus on professional scenarios from individual and team perspectives.

The tactics shared in this course can improve your ability to focus, follow through, take effective action, manage your energy, schedule with increased accuracy and agility, and help ensure a more successful outcome

To register for an in-person (Zoom session) course:

1. Create an account or sign in to EDGE  by going to https://edge-reg.mitacs.ca

2.  After you sign in, click on "Catalog" tab on your dashboard

3.  You can then search and register for the course you are interested in by clicking the "Enroll" tab

4.  You then need to choose available sessions at a location you prefer to finalize your registration

If you encounter trouble signing in or registering for this course, please email training@mitacs.ca.

The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre will be expanding their hours over the next three weeks.

Week of May 25th:  open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 1st:  open Tuesday - Friday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 8th:  return to regular hours - open Monday to Friday, 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

You may book appointments by telephone (902-566-0616) or email:  healthcentre@upei.ca.  We are discouraging individuals coming to the health centre in person to book appointments due to COVID-19 restrictions.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you have symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT come to the health centre.  Call 811 for guidance.  The following are symptoms of COVID-19:  new onset of fever without an alternative explanation or new or worsening cough, sore throat, rhinitis (runny nose), marked fatigue, shortness of breath, chills, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), or acute loss of sense of smell or taste without an alternative explanation.  Individuals with these symptoms require testing for COVID-19.

Please observe signage regarding physical distancing, the performance of good hand hygiene and cough etiquette.  

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

Title: Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning for Sustainable Water Management in Prince Edward Island

Date:  Wednesday, May 27, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Abstract: The potato industry significantly promotes the economy of Prince Edward Island (PEI).  It contributes 10.8% to the GDP of the province with more than one billion direct and indirect economic benefits, including engaging 12% of the total work force on the island. The majority of potato production in PEI is rain-fed. Potato tubers are highly sensitive to drought conditions, which drastically reduce tuber yield if supplemental irrigation (SI) is not scheduled. This study considers rainfall patterns and evaluates the benefits of irrigation scheduling, deep learning modeling, and sustainable irrigation water management. Reference evapotranspiration was estimated with recurrent neural networks, namely long short term memory (LSTM) and Bidirectional LSTM. Four representative meteorological sites (North Cape, Summerside, Harrington and Saint Peters) were selected across PEI. Results suggested that July, August and September are relatively drier months of the year in PEI and SI may be required to meet crop water requirements. Pressurized irrigation systems including sprinkler, fertigation and drip irrigation were installed at a small-scale site to evaluate the impact of scheduled SI in offsetting the deficit in irrigation, to mimic drought conditions, as compared to conventional practice of rain-fed conditions; i.e., no irrigation practice (control). Significant potato yield differences were observed between control and irrigation methods used in this study. Furthermore, to assess the irrigation impacts on groundwater levels, three deep learning models, namely multilayer perceptron, LSTM and one dimensional convolutional neural networks were tested for two watersheds (Baltic River and Long Creek) in PEI. The results suggested that pumping impacts the groundwater levels in summer seasons. Sustainable options of SI are necessary without affecting the groundwater levels in PEI. 

The presentation and examination will be conducted via a web conference. Those who wish to "attend" should RSVP by Tuesday, May 26, with the Chair of the examination committee, Dr. Amy Hsiao, at ahsiao@upei.ca for specific details on calling-in.

On Wednesday, May 27, ITSS will be conducting routine maintenance on the MyUPEI portal and related services from 8 pm to 12 am midnight. During this time there may be intermittent access and performance issues with accessing and using MyUPEI, Self-Service & Colleague.

We encourage Students, Faculty, and Staff that may need documents or links located on myUPEI to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

As a reminder, you can access Moodle directly using https://moodle.upei.ca.

If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.

MITACS - ONE DAY ONLINE COURSE - TIME MANAGEMENT 

SUPPORTED BY SYNAPSE

9 am - 5 pm

This energetic, intensive one-day course will sharpen your professional time management skills and optimize your working week. 

Course Objective - review and apply relevant time management processes within a project management context.  We will also cover successful productivity optimization and performance improvement tactics.  Ww will focus on professional scenarios from individual and team perspectives.

The tactics shared in this course can improve your ability to focus, follow through, take effective action, manage your energy, schedule with increased accuracy and agility, and help ensure a more successful outcome

To register for an in-person (Zoom session) course:

1. Create an account or sign in to EDGE  by going to https://edge-reg.mitacs.ca

2.  After you sign in, click on "Catalog" tab on your dashboard

3.  You can then search and register for the course you are interested in by clicking the "Enroll" tab

4.  You then need to choose available sessions at a location you prefer to finalize your registration

If you encounter trouble signing in or registering for this course, please email training@mitacs.ca.

The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre will be expanding their hours over the next three weeks.

Week of May 25th:  open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 1st:  open Tuesday - Friday 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Week of June 8th:  return to regular hours - open Monday to Friday, 08:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 - 4:00 pm

You may book appointments by telephone (902-566-0616) or email:  healthcentre@upei.ca.  We are discouraging individuals coming to the health centre in person to book appointments due to COVID-19 restrictions.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you have symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT come to the health centre.  Call 811 for guidance.  The following are symptoms of COVID-19:  new onset of fever without an alternative explanation or new or worsening cough, sore throat, rhinitis (runny nose), marked fatigue, shortness of breath, chills, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), or acute loss of sense of smell or taste without an alternative explanation.  Individuals with these symptoms require testing for COVID-19.

Please observe signage regarding physical distancing, the performance of good hand hygiene and cough etiquette.  

Pandemic Pedagogy: Time to Panic or Time to Plan

Feel like talking about teaching online? Well, the virtual FDO is here for you. We are setting up a time for those who are interested to come together to chat, vent, ask, or listen. The session will be held through Zoom on Monday May 25 at 2 pm ADT. However, there is a little homework. We would ask that everyone watch this one hour webinar that was hosted by STHLE: https://keepteaching.ca/webinars/the-messiness-of-the-pivot-lessons-learned-from-recent-transitions-in-teaching/ If you are interested in joining the conversation, please email Greg Doran (gdoran@upei.ca) to register. We hope to see you there.

On Wednesday, May 27, ITSS will be conducting routine maintenance on the MyUPEI portal and related services from 8 pm to 12 am midnight. During this time there may be intermittent access and performance issues with accessing and using MyUPEI, Self-Service & Colleague.

We encourage Students, Faculty, and Staff that may need documents or links located on myUPEI to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

As a reminder, you can access Moodle directly using https://moodle.upei.ca.

If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.