The University of Prince Edward Island takes the safety and security of its students, faculty, staff, and the entire campus community very seriously. As part of UPEI’s commitment to emergency preparedness and response, the Advantage Emergency Mass Notification System (EMNS) will be launched later this month.

The new system will improve efficiency and enhance UPEI’s current channels of communication during an emergency. Currently, emergency notifications are sent to UPEI email addresses (name@upei.ca) and media outlets as well as posted on the front page of upei.ca, the UPEI Campus Screen network, Twitter (@UPEI), and UPEI’s Facebook page.

A key feature of Advantage EMNS is that it will allow UPEI to also send emergency notifications by text (SMS or email).

During the week of September 25, students, faculty, and staff will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download the Advantage EMNS “app” from their respective operating system stores.

The email will also invite campus members to voluntarily add their cell numbers to their profile so that users can take full advantage of the system and receive notifications by text. (Employees with UPEI-issued cell phones will have their numbers automatically added to their profile.)

UPEI strongly encourages all members of the campus community to monitor their UPEI email inboxes and to download the Advantage EMNS “app” to keep informed on emergency incidents that may impact them.

In his third book, Dr. Gil Germain critically examines the perception of reality that informs our technological world. Thinking About Technology: how the technological mind misreads reality is published by Lexington Books.

From the publisher’s website:

“The world we make reflects the way reality is perceived, and today the world is perceived primarily in technological terms. So argues Gil Germain in Thinking About Technology: How the Technological Mind Misreads Reality. Given the connection between perception and action, or thinking and doing, Germain first highlights the central features of technological worldview to better understand the contemporary drive to master the conditions of human existence. He then boldly proposes that the technological worldview seriously misreads the nature of the world it seeks mastery over, and shows how this misinterpretation invariably leads to the technologically related challenges currently vexing the contemporary social order, from the drift toward a post-human future to the anti-globalization backlash. Germain closes Thinking About Technology by articulating an alternative worldview to the technological perspective and illustrating how this re-reading of reality might help us inhabit the technological landscape in ways better attuned to the human condition.”

Dr. Gil Germain is an associate professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Students from UPEI’s Kinesiology 3430 class are seeking participants to take part in a six-week exercise-training program. Students will create personalized exercise-training programs for each participant, based on their fitness, skill level, and personal interests.

Participants must be between 30 and 65 years of age. The program runs Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1:30–4:30 pm from the week of October 4 to the week of November 13. Volunteers will undergo a fitness test during the first and last week of the program, separated by four weeks of supervised aerobic and strength training.

All exercise training will take place in the Kinesiology Teaching Lab in UPEI’s Steel Building. Parking is free. No previous experience is necessary.

For more information, or to sign up, contact Dr. Travis Saunders, trsaunders@upei.ca, 902-566-0641.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

It will be civil war on the court as UPEI Basketball hosts itself in an exciting preseason event UPEI Athletics and Recreation is calling Green vs. White. The women’s and men’s basketball teams will be split in half for a pair of intersquad games Saturday, September 23. The women hit the court at 6 pm. The men play at 8 pm. The event is sponsored by the UPEI Bookstore.

“Playing an intersquad game in front of fans will be a great opportunity for the coaches to see the girls in a game atmosphere, as well as give their fans a glimpse of what this years team will look like,” said Greg Gould, coach of UPEI Women’s Basketball. “Twelve players are returning for this season, including all five starters from last year’s team. The team has been practicing hard with the goal of improving on our fourth-place AUS finish.”

“I am excited about the year ahead,” said Darrell Glenn, coach of UPEI Men’s Basketball. “There are several strong returning players and a talented and athletic group of recruits. We are only two weeks in, but I am really pleased with their work ethic. This game will be a great way to showcase the new team to all Panthers and Panther fans.”

The teams will be sorted over the next week by daily flips of a Panther coin. Coaches Glenn and Gould flipped the coin for the first day of sorting.

Women’s Team White

Name: Kiera Rigby
Position: fifth-year forward
Hometown: Charlottettown, PEI
Previous school: returning senior

Women’s Team Green

Name: Lauren Fleming
Position: rookie forward
Hometown: Sussex, NB
Previous School: Sussex High School

Men’s Team Green

Name: D'Adrian Allen 
Position: wing/forward 
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
Previous School: Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Men’s Team White 

Name: Milodrad Sedlarevic
Position: wing/forward
Hometown: Jesenice, Slovenia
Previous school: returning senior

Follow the Panthers social media for sorting updates!

Admission is free, but those who bring a donation of food or money for the UPEI Campus Food Bank will receive a green or white T-shirt so you can cheer on your favourite squad in style! The winning team from each game will receive a pizza party. The stakes are high!

Don’t forget to buy your Panther Package! For just $75, the package includes admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students can attend Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

The Panthers have a busy weekend at home with five games on home ice, field, and turf. UPEI Men’s Hockey kicks off the weekend with an exhibition match against the University of New Brunswick. The puck drops 7:00 pm Friday at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre arena in Montague.

"It is a fun time of year,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “We are still in the evaluation stage of our group. The game against UNB will be an opportunity to take that evaluation to the next level. We have six exhibition games this fall. The plan is to be playing well as a team for our first game in October.”

Saturday is your day to break in your Panther Package! There are four games that day featuring UPEI Women’s Hockey, UPEI Women’s Rugby, and UPEI Men’s and Women’s Soccer. The women’s hockey team starts the day with a 2:00 pm exhibition game against Mount Allison University in MacLauchlan Arena.

“First exhibition game of the year, so it gives the girls a great opportunity to jump right into AUS hockey,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “Tryouts are still in process, so it will give the coaches a chance to see how we transition from practice to game speed.”

At 3:00 pm, UPEI Women’s Soccer plays Acadia University. Coach Graeme McDonald says the team is riding high after a successful road trip in Sackville, New Brunswick.

“I was delighted to get the win against Mount Allison,” said McDonald. “We will build on this. We go into the Acadia game with confidence.”

UPEI Women’s Rugby plays their home-opening game at 4:00 pm. The Panthers will have their hands full with the 2016–17 CIS champions, St. Francis Xavier University.

“Playing against the national champions is a great opportunity to gauge how your team is developing,” said John Laboyne, coach of UPEI Women’s Rugby. “St. FX always plays a hard, quality game. The Panthers also give everything they have, game in and game out. We hope the fans will enjoy watching us play one of the top university rugby teams in North America.”

UPEI Men’s Soccer gets its turn against Acadia at 5:15 pm. They’re also fresh off a road-trip win and feeling confident.

“Acadia is one of the top teams in the conference, so expect a tough game,” said coach Lewis Page. “The team has had a great week of training and playing and are up for the challenge.”

The start of a new season is a great time to pick up your Panther Package. For just $75, you get admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

Research on Tap returns Thursday, September 21 at 6:30 pm at The Wave, the UPEI campus pub in the WA Murphy Student Centre. Dr. Adam Fenech, professor of environmental studies and biology and director of the UPEI Climate Lab, and will lead the discussion “Climate change: We're screwed, it's our fault, it's going to get worse, and there's nothing we can do about it.” 

As of late, it’s hard to avoid the discussion of climate change. “This summer over 1.2 million hectares of British Columbia and Alberta were engulfed in wildfires. Hurricane Harvey brought 1.3 meters of rainfall, making it the wettest tropical hurricane on record. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Irma became a Category 5 hurricane, causing catastrophic damages.” Dr. Fenech argues, “While it’s too early to attribute these events to climate change, climate experts are saying that it is very likely as the conditions required for these events are exacerbated under a changing climate.”

Research on Tap is a series of public discussions led by UPEI researchers. For more information, please email gsa@upei.ca. 

UPEI’s Faculty of Education and the Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture program are hosting a public talk by Todd Leader, a transformational leader in health services and health promotion, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, and primary health care. Leader’s talk is titled “Transformational Leadership in the Public Sector: how to lead change in mental health and addictions, education, and other public service programs.” The event begins at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, September 27 in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of Don and Marion McDougall Hall.

Leader will examine the role and ideal nature of transformational leadership in the public sector. He will describe a principle-based way of leading improvement in public services. The approach he will outline is built specifically from the perspective and best interests of the clients, students, families, or public being served. He will discuss ways in which our public systems often maintain the status quo and resist change. He will illustrate, through examples, that much of the frustration with public programs (health, education, community services, etc.) is not the fault of the people providing the services, but instead is caused by the way administrative systems have evolved (rather than being intentionally designed) over time. Leader will provide practical tips for effective leadership and advocacy that move toward truly client-centered, student-centered, or public-centered systems.

Todd Leader, an alumnus of Cape Breton University and Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a registered psychologist and a registered social worker. He has spent 27 years working as a transformational leader in health services and in health promotion, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, and primary health care. He has also been teaching in the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s University for the same 27 years. Leader has twice earned awards for his teaching, including the Overall Excellence in Teaching Award, the highest award presented by the Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association. Health services under his leadership have earned two international best practice awards and a leadership award for excellence in women’s health.

Leader was appointed by the Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness to the Ministerial Advisory Panel on Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions. Todd has been the president of the Public Health Association of Nova Scotia and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Public Health Association. He is currently both the president of the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia and the Vice President of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. Leader is the lead for year-three of the SEAK Project (Socially & Emotionally Aware Kids), up-scaling the integration of social and emotional learning in schools and communities across Atlantic Canada.

Leader has spent his career working as an advocate for client-centered health services and evidence-based healthy public policy. His most recent accomplishment is a book called It’s Not About Us; The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada. He currently works as a consultant and speaker helping to lead client-centered system improvements.

All are welcome!

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Sarah MacVarish (women’s soccer) and Lee Wesselius (cross country), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for September 11–17!

Sarah MacVarish is a second-year forward from Stratford, PEI, and a Bachelor of Arts student at UPEI. MacVarish scored in each of UPEI’s games over the weekend. “Sarah’s speed, strength, and power proved to be too much for both defences,” said coach Graeme McDonald. “Sarah always has a positive attitude—she gives her all every time she is on the field and takes pride in wearing the panther jersey.”

Lee Wesselius is a second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student from River Glade, New Brunswick and a member of the cross country team. Wesselius finished second place out of 57 runners in the eight-kilometre race at UNB/STU Invitational in Fredericton. He had an outstanding run against the top university runners in the AUS, leading the Panthers to their best ever finish in a conference meet. “While Lee’s individual performance was impressive,” said coach Colin MacAdam, “his hard work and leadership has had a positive effect on his teammates, who all performed personal bests or very close to personal bests. A very worthy athlete of the week selection.”

With the 2017–18 season still so young, there really couldn’t be a better time to pick up your Panther Package. For just $75, the package includes admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

This weekend is Homecoming at UPEI! Saturday is packed with games from Women’s Rugby and Men and Women’s Soccer. On Saturday evening, the UPEI Bookstore presents the UPEI Basketball Green vs. White Inter-squad Showdown. And on Sunday, UPEI Women’s Hockey plays in O’Leary as part of the Kraft Hockeyville celebrations.

The first match of the weekend is Saturday at 1:00 pm, when UPEI Women’s Soccer takes on Saint Mary’s University (SMU).

“The team is feeling confident after a good performance and decent result against Acadia,” said coach Graeme McDonald. “We have to go into the game against Saint Mary’s with high intensity and mentally prepared to perform as we look to build on our positive momentum.”

The game will feature a post-game ceremony to celebrate Women’s Soccer Alumna Alanna Taylor.

Women’s Rugby hits the field against SMU at 2:00 pm. Coach John LaBoyne said the team is working hard to bounce back from a pair of big losses against two of the top university rugby teams in Canada.

“The Huskies play a forward-dominated style of game that is hard physically to stop,” said LaBoyne. “They are much improved over last year with new recruits and continued development of their existing players. We lost two of our starters in the game against X, so we have to play people out of position. A number of rookies will be asked to step up their play to fill in some positions.”

Men’s Soccer gets its turn against Saint Mary’s at 3:15 pm. “UPEI Men’s Soccer is eager to bounce back after a tough loss to Acadia,” said coach Lewis Page. “SMU will be one of our main rivals for a playoff spot, so this is a huge game as we approach the half-way point of the season.”

Admission to all Saturday afternoon games is by donation. UPEI Swimming will work the barbecue as a fundraiser for their upcoming season.

Stick around Saturday evening for the first ever UPEI Bookstore Basketball Green vs. White Inter-squad Showcase. Get to know your teams and cheer on your favourite Panther! The women hit the court at 6:00 pm. The men play at 8:00 pm.

Sunday’s home game for UPEI Women’s Hockey will be in the O’Leary Community Sports Centre as part of the Kraft Hockeyville celebrations. The puck drops at 4:00 pm for an exhibition game against St. Thomas University (STU).

“The team is looking forward to going west and playing STU as part of Kraft Hockeyville celebrations,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “O’Leary has done an amazing job promoting the entire day, and this is a great way for us to showcase AUS hockey. This will be our third game in five days, so it will be interesting to see how our fitness holds up. STU has had a great success against our team over the past number of years—this will be an early opportunity to see how we match up and see if we can change the equation.”

The start of a new season is a great time to pick up your Panther Package. For just $75, you get admission to every home game for UPEI Women’s and Men’s Soccer, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Rugby, UPEI Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and UPEI Women’s Hockey. Head to gopanthersgo.ca and click on ‘tickets’!

And don’t forget, UPEI students get into all Panther home games for free. Let’s fill the stands and make 2017–18 the best season ever!

UPEI today introduced Dr. Kate Scarth as the inaugural Chair in L.M. Montgomery Studies and Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture. As chair, Dr. Scarth will create public engagement activities centred on the life and writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery. She will also teach and develop the core courses in the Faculty of the Arts’ newest program: Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture (ACLC).

“A commitment to community-university engagement and collaboration is one of the most exciting parts of this brand-new position,” said Dr. Scarth. “Community-university partnerships will take many forms from connecting students to projects around PEI, where they gain practical skills and add value to community organizations, to working with the Island’s Montgomery sites to enhance the tourism and cultural heritage sectors.”

The ACLC program is a new interdisciplinary four-year Bachelor of Arts or seven-course minor program. It connects the communication skills and leadership training of a liberal arts education to successful post-graduation employment. Technical skills, work-integrated learning, and career-related mentoring are key components of the program’s design. The ACLC program has a simple, tight structure to facilitate easy combination with other majors and minors.

“Students will learn to explicitly articulate the valuable skills and experiences they’re gaining from their Arts courses, as well as learn skills, like website and graphic design, they wouldn’t get from a traditional Arts program. They then get to practice these skills in real-world projects, including Montgomery-related ones,” said Dr. Scarth.

“Dr. Scarth is a wonderful addition to our ACLC team,” said Dr. Lisa Chilton, associate professor of history at UPEI and director of the ACLC program. “We are delighted that her energy, expertise, and passion for teaching will be at the centre of this new, important program.”

The chair will also help focus UPEI’s resources and scholarship on Lucy Maud Montgomery studies. Dr. Scarth aims to make UPEI a PEI hub for pilgrims seeking information and experiences related to the Island’s literary icon.

“The L.M. Montgomery Institute promotes research into, and informed celebration of, the life, works, culture, and influence of Montgomery,” said Dr. Philip Smith, chair of the L. M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI). “With Dr. Scarth’s leadership, we will strengthen existing partnerships with Montgomery sites and initiatives on the Island and beyond, and create new ways to engage with those touched by Montgomery and her works at home and around the world.”

As chair, Dr. Scarth also sits on the committees for the LMMI and its biannual conference. She is particularly excited by the enthusiasm from Montgomery scholars for next summer’s conference, which already has more than 90 submissions for research presentations.

“The Lucy Maud Montgomery Institute and the Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture program are unique and signature facets of the university that will benefit greatly from Dr. Scarth’s creative and innovative approaches to teaching and scholarship,” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, vice-president academic and research at UPEI. “We are delighted that she has joined us.”

Dr. Scarth is a distinguished scholar, whose research focuses on English and Canadian literature written from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. She is particularly interested in fiction about urbanism and the environment. Her book, Romantic Suburbs: Fashion, Sensibility, and Greater London, is under contract with the University of Toronto Press. She is also leading a digital humanities, public engagement project, which includes a mobile app and website supporting a literary walking tour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, featuring Montgomery’s life and works set in the city.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island. UPEI is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.