UPEI's Climate Research Lab and Nature PEI are partnering to offer two training sessions for Islanders interested in participating in the Climate Diary project. The Climate Diary is a printed journal for Islanders to keep record of the changes in the environment as they occur year to year. Rosemary Curley of Nature PEI will provide training on plant and bird identification on Monday, March 3 from 9:00 am to noon, and again on Tuesday, March 30 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To register for either session, contact climate@upei.ca. The sessions are free. Copies of the Climate Diary will be made available at $10 per copy.

The University of Prince Edward Island and Department of Athletics and Recreation is proud of all members of the UPEI community who are participating at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia, February 13 to March 1.

'Congratulations to UPEI students and staff who are representing Prince Edward Island at the 2015 Canada Winter Games,' said Director of Athletics and Recreation Chris Huggan. 'The dedication of these athletes, coaches, and team staff is to be applauded, and our Panther Pride will be showing as we cheer them on!'

The largest representation of UPEI students is with the ringette team, on which nine UPEI students compete and one, Becca Hughes, is a coach. The team ended a winless drought when it won its first game at the Canada Games since 1999 against Saskatchewan on February 16. UPEI Field Hockey student-athlete Ashley Hollis and UPEI Rugby player Sidney Corrigan each scored three times in the 9-8 win.

UPEI also has representation on the alpine ski, wheelchair basketball, men's hockey, and synchronized swimming teams. Ringette, alpine ski, wheelchair basketball competition takes place during week one while men's hockey and synchronized swimming follows in week two.

The Canada Games is one of the largest multi-sport and cultural events in the world, occurring every two years and alternating summer and winter. At Prince George's 2015 winter edition of the Games, 2,400 athletes, 1,000 coaches and officials, up to 4,500 volunteers, hundreds of media, and thousands of visitors are expected to attend. UPEI was a week-two venue and the Athletes' Village for the 2009 Canada Summer Games held on PEI.

Below are the UPEI students and staff who are on Team PEI, with their sport, hometown, and connection to the University noted.

Alpine Ski
Jackson Slauenwhite, New Haven, PEI (wax technician); UPEI Athletics and Recreation employee, Arts student

Ringette
Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, PEI (athlete); UPEI Women's Rugby, Business student
Sidney Corrigan, Charlottetown, PEI (athlete); UPEI Women's Rugby, Arts student
Monica Downe, Stratford, PEI (athlete); Arts student
Ashley Hollis, Stratford, PEI (athlete); UPEI Field Hockey, Arts student
Eryne MacLeod, Mt. Stewart, PEI (athlete); Science student
Jessie McCarthy, Montague, PEI (athlete); Science student
Amy Mol, Cornwall, PEI (athlete); Science student
Niki Triantafillou, Mermaid, PEI (athlete); UPEI Women's Rugby Athlete, Science student
Bryn Van Wiechen, Montague, PEI (athlete); Arts student
Becca Hughes, Stratford, PEI (coach); Arts student

Wheelchair Basketball
Ronnie McPhee, Stratford, PEI (athlete); Arts student

Men's Hockey
Mark Carragher, Charlottetown, PEI (coach); UPEI Men's Hockey assistant coach
Bo Ford, Charlottetown, PEI (equipment manager); UPEI Men's hockey staff

Synchronized Swimming
Hailey Hennessey, Charlottetown, PE, (apprentice coach); Arts student

The UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of February 9-15 are Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball, and Tyler Scott, Men's Basketball. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball, and Tyler Scott, Men's Basketball

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of February 16-22

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why: MacDonald, a fifth-year Bachelor of Science student from Sydney Mines, NS, had a career game in the Panthers 74-66 win over Acadia on Sunday, February 22 in Wolfville, NS. MacDonald recorded 24 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. She shot an almost perfect game, going 8-9 from the floor, 2-2 on three pointers, and 6-6 from the free throw line. On Saturday, during the Panthers 50-47 loss to Saint Mary's, MacDonald played defensively, recording 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Scott, a second-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Halifax, NS, enjoyed a strong game during the Panthers 94-84 win over Acadia, also on Sunday afternoon in Wolfville. Scott scored 33 points, shooting 14/23 from the floor with 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Scott did not dress for Saturday's 113-82 loss to Saint Mary's due to a nagging injury.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

Research on Tap returns for its sixth season of public discussion, debate, and ideas presented by researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island. Join our next conversation on Monday, March 2 at 7 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Dr. Neb Kujundzic, associate professor of philosophy and dean of the Faculty of Arts, will lead a discussion entitled: What good is a university degree?

The 2014/2015 season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada's national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists.

Research on Tap meets the first Monday of every month from October to April.

University of Prince Edward Island women's basketball coach Mark English is pleased to announce that Charlottetown native Victoria Barbour has committed to join the team for the 2015-16 season.

Barbour, a talented 5'7' guard who is currently enjoying a great season with the successful Colonel Gray Colonels, has been decorated throughout her high school career:

• 2012-2013 MVP, Colonel Gray Colonels
• 2012-2013 All Star, Moncton Ladies Basketball Classic
• 2012-2013 All Star, Capital City Classic Basketball Tournament in Fredericton
• 2012-2014 All Star, PEISAA Provincial High School Basketball (2012-13, 2013-14)
• 2012-2013 member of PEI Canada Games Team
• 2010-2011 Player of the Year, Basketball PEI (U14)
• 2010-2011 MVP, Basketball PEI U14 Provincial Tournament
• 2010-2011 All Star, Riverview Classic Tournament

Coach English comments, 'It is an exciting time here at UPEI for women's basketball and we are extremely excited to have Victoria join our team next fall. Her quickness and ability to finish around the basket is something that will make Victoria a tough guard in the AUS. She is a winner, and these are the qualities we are seeking in order to have our program remain a threat for years down the road.'

Barbour comments on her decision, 'My mom works at UPEI so I spent a lot of time there growing up. I took part in many of the Panther fun camps as well as the basketball and soccer camps. UPEI feels like home and academically, UPEI is one of the top schools so I felt it was the right choice. The basketball program is really impressive and I look forward to being a part of it!'

Barbour will be entering the Bachelor of Arts program at UPEI, majoring in Sociology.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

Beginning this year, both new and returning UPEI students will be able to register earlier for 2015-16 courses than in previous years.

Incoming, first-year UPEI students can register for first-semester classes as early as March 2 through group sessions or individually by appointment with a first-year advisor. Students can also register for courses during 'Open Class Day' on March 6.

Open Class Day is an on-campus daylong event that provides incoming UPEI students with an overview of the Arts, Business, and Science programs through a variety of sample lectures along with on-site admissions and first-year advising. Students can sign up to attend at upei.ca/openclassday.

Registration for returning UPEI students opens in June as follows:

June 2 - fourth-year students
June 3 - third-year students
June 4 - second-year students
June 5 onward - registration remains open to all students

For more information about early registration dates for the 2015-16 academic year, visit upei.ca/registrationdates.

University of Prince Edward Island women's basketball coach Mark English is pleased to announce that Grimsby, Ontario, native Haille Nickerson has committed to join the Panthers for the 2015-16 season.

At 5'7', Nickerson is a standout guard who played with the Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School team for the past four years and was selected for the Niagara High School All Star game this year. She is currently a top player for the No Limit Performance team in the Canadian Youth Basketball League where her team has a record of 7-1, asserting herself as an offensive threat and leader.

Nickerson says, 'I'm very excited to be attending UPEI this fall and becoming part of the Panther family. Coach English is building a flourishing basketball program and I can't wait to be a part of it. The tight-knit community of UPEI will make it feel like home for me. The team and coaches there were so welcoming when I visited. I'm also looking forward to the small class sizes and academic opportunities-it is a great fit!'

Coach English comments, 'We are very excited to have Haille commit to our program. She is a very talented guard with an incredible work ethic. With her current team, No Limit Performance, she is training with one of Canada's top trainers, Mihai Raducanu. She is a worker and a winner on and off the court, and these are the qualities needed for UPEI to be a top basketball program in Canada.'

Haille will be entering the Kinesiology program at UPEI.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

Case competition teams from UPEI's School of Business continue to make their mark on the 2015 event circuit regionally, nationally, and now internationally.

The UPEI team of Shanice Sproule, Jeremy MacAulay, Luke Gaudet, and Kaitlyn Lord won the silver medal on Friday, Feburary 20 at the prestigious 20th annual NIBS Worldwide Case Competition, hosted by Carleton University in Ottawa.

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz said, 'On behalf of the entire UPEI community, I congratulate Shanice, Jeremy, Luke, Kaitlyn, and coach Mary Whitrow, on this tremendous achievement. These students truly exemplify UPEI's vision of providing pathways for our students through experiential learning opportunities. I am so proud of their accomplishments at this international competition.'

'Congratulations to Shanice, Jeremy, Luke, Kaitlyn,' added Juergen Krause, dean of the School of Business. 'Their success is the culmination of great effort and dedication by the team and its coach, Mary. UPEI is enjoying fantastic results this season which is a testament to the quality of our Business Administration program and case competition courses.'

This is the third time a UPEI team has both attempted and qualified to compete at the Network of International Business Schools championship event. In 2013, the UPEI team tied for third place in the semifinals, while in 2014 UPEI finished in the quarterfinals.

The NIBS case competition consists of a qualifying round and a championship round. In the qualifying round, students received a business case that they had never seen before, to read and analyze. They then had to submit, within eight hours, a written report that included strategies and recommendations to solve issues facing the business.

Of the over 30 teams from around the world that attempted to qualify, UPEI placed third in the qualifying round and was one of 16 teams that advanced to the championship round, a weeklong series of head-to-head, round-robin style competitions.

During the championship round week, each team was again challenged to come up with the best, strategic solutions for business problems, this time in under three hours. They then presented and defended their plan to a judging panel of professional and academic experts. Though six rounds of competition, UPEI earned their way to the final versus Universidad del Istmo from Guatemala on Friday afternoon.

In the first five rounds, UPEI competed against and defeated Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (Columbia), London South Bank University (UK), Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland), Satakunta University (Finland), and Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (China).

The UPEI team is coached by Mary Whitrow, a recent UPEI graduate and case competition veteran who is now working in the School of Business. Whitrow and the student team members are grateful for the chance to compete at the international level. 'The students dedicated many long hours to secure their spot in the championship round,' she said. 'We couldn't have done it without the support from the faculty, staff, and the entire UPEI community.'

'Participating in an event with other business schools from all over the world was a phenomenal experience,' said team member Luke Gaudet. 'We had the opportunity to learn so much over the course of the week from industry professionals and academics on the judging panel, and we were able to develop so much as a team as a result. On top of that, we had the chance to meet a ton of fantastic people from Carleton and other competing schools. I am very grateful to my coach, teammates, faculty and Dean for making such a week possible.'

Another UPEI case team is currently competing at the international John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition in Montreal, Quebec.

The UPEI Recital Series continues on Sunday, March 8th at 2:30 pm with 'Prelude to Spring for Organ and Brass' at Trinity United Church, Prince Street, Charlottetown.

Organist Ruth Ann Read-Clay's solo work for this afternoon concert will include the Fantasie in G by J.S. Bach, Prelude by Pierne and works by Canadian composers Healey Willan and Mark Sirrett. The works for organ and brass, arranged by Dan St. Amand and Laura MacLeod, will include works by J.S. Bach, Handel, Charpentier, Albinoni and Jeremiah Clarke.

Ruth Ann Read-Clay studied organ with Dr. Alan Reesor and with Dr. John McIntosh (UWO) and is a graduate of the UPEI Music Department. She pursued further studies in piano accompanying and chamber music at Acadia University and the University of Brandon. Ruth Ann has held positions as Music Director of churches in Fredericton, N.B., Brandon, Manitoba and in Charlottetown. She is an experienced accompanist and founder/conductor of The Amabile Singers, a Charlottetown based chamber choir.

Dan St. Amand holds degrees in music and education from UPEI. He has been principal trumpet with the PEISO since 1974, and performs regularly with the UPEI Wind Ensemble and the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble. Dan has performed with the orchestra at the Conderation Centre of the Arts and in Handel's Messiah. Retired after many years in the public school system, Dan continues to teach privately and is active as a free-lance musician both locally and off Island.

Laura MacLeod will be graduating from the UPEI Music Department this spring. She is a member of the UPEI Wind Symphony and was the featured soloist with the group this past November. She is also a member of the PEI Symphony, has performed with Confederation Brass for 8 years and was Principal Trumpet with the National Youth Band in 2011.

Filling out the brass ensemble will be Henry Orford (trumpet) and Daniel MacDonald (trombone). Henry is a grade 11 student at Colonel Gray High where he is part of the band program. He also plays with the UPEI Wind Symphony and has performed with the PEISO. Daniel is a third-year music major at UPEI where he performs with the UPEI Wind Symphony, the UPEI Jazz Band and as a member of the quintet Tonas Brass. He is also a member of the PEI Regiment Band and has performed for two seasons in bands for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Tickets for the recital are $15 Adults/ $10 Seniors & Students and are available at the door or online at www.upeirecitals12.bpt.me

One of PEI's most popular literary events, the annual reading by participants in UPEI's Creative Writing Master Class, will take place on Monday, March 23, at 7:00 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Some of the Island's most talented new writers will read excerpts from their fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

This year's featured writers are Chris Bailey, Michelle Barton, Charity Becker, Keith Burgoyne, Sarah Glassford, Ben Hartley, Santana Hourihan, Jessi McKellar, Debbie MacLellan, Bobby Madigan, Ruby Madigan, Olivia Robinson, Rhonda Schofield, and Allyson Trainor.

The public is invited and admission is free. Contact: Dr. Richard Lemm at (902) 566-0389, rlemm@upei.ca.