UPEI’s 2016 Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit and 25-Year Service Awards were presented to faculty and staff at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 11. The awards, created by UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, recognize outstanding performance and dedication to students and our community on campus, provincially, and globally.

Winners of Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit for Faculty, Librarians and Clinical Veterinary Professionals were Dr. Sharon Myers, Arts, for service; Dr. Richard Lemm, Arts, and Dr. Qiang Ye, Science, for scholarly endeavours; and Dr. Brian Wagner, Science, for combined achievement.

UPEI staff members were also recognized through the Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit for Staff. Faye Murphy-Gallant, Applied Human Sciences, and Treena Smith, Student Services, each received a Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Support of Student Success, which is presented to a UPEI employee who has made significant contributions to higher education via supporting student success.

Recipients of Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit for Exemplary Service were Michelle Gauthier, Marketing and Communications; Linda Smith, Applied Human Sciences; Bruce Ferguson, Facilities Management; and Marven MacLean, Atlantic Veterinary College. This award is presented to a UPEI employee who has demonstrated outstanding service and/or who has made significant contributions to the university community beyond that normally expected for his/her position.

Robert Doiron, Atlantic Veterinary College, and Sondra Gantner, Registrar’s Office, each received a Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Campus Spirit. This award is presented to a UPEI employee who has fostered a sense of excitement on campus and promoted fellowship, goodwill and belonging within the University community by supporting and promoting UPEI.

Recognized with 25-Year Service Awards were Dr. Maxim Burke, Gilbert Blatch, Laurel Fisher, Dr. Gregory Irvine, Eleanor Irving, Dr. Christian Lacroix, Cathy LeClair, Dr. Geoffrey Lindsay, Dr. Deborah MacLellan, Robert “Rocky” Paquet, Heather Parry, Dr. David Speare, and Dorota Wadowska.

On Wednesday, May 4, the UPEI Faculty Association and the Office of the President sponsored the 2016 Faculty Recognition Night, which honours recipients for teaching and scholarly achievement. During the event, Hessian Merit Awards for Excellence in Teaching were awarded to Dr. Cora Gilroy, Pathology and Microbiology, and Dr. James Moran, History. Hessian Awards for Excellence in Teaching by a sessional instructor were presented to Dr. Bonnie Stewart, Education, and Christopher Vessey, Mathematical and Computational Sciences.

Presented with Merit Awards for Scholarly Achievement were Dr. Catherine Innes-Parker, English; Dr. Jason Pearson, Chemistry; and Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Lecompte, Pathology and Microbiology. This award honours faculty members who have achieved significant and continuing productivity in scholarly research and/or artistic creation, and in so doing, inspire others to aspire to such achievement. The UPEIFA Merit Award for Outstanding Service went to Dr. Wayne Peters, School of Sustainable Design Engineering.

Congratulations to all award winners!

Erin Rowan, a Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) student at UPEI, has been awarded a prestigious James M. Flaherty Research Scholarship from the Ireland Canada University Foundation. The scholarship honours the memory of Canada’s former finance minister who identified strongly and publicly with his Irish heritage. The award allowed Rowan to travel to Ireland to pursue her research into Irish identity and how it is linked to the memory of the Great Famine.

“Prince Edward Island has strong cultural roots with Ireland,” said Dr. Jim Randall, coordinator of the MAIS program at UPEI. “This scholarship has allowed Erin to immerse herself in Irish and island identity in order to gain a much richer understanding of an important island culture, past and present.”

Rowan is working with Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe of Mary Immaculate College at the University of Limerick. Her research will dig into the Great Famine, the resulting outmigration, and its impact on island identity and Ireland’s “islandness”.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel to Ireland for my research,” said Rowan. “The chance to meet with locals face to face as well as visit important historical sites has allowed me to measure the ways in which the folk memories of the Great Famine are present in modern Ireland.”

Rowan’s scholarship allowed her to conduct first-person interviews in County Kerry to add greater description and personal colour to her research data. Collective identity, though applied to a larger group, is a deeply personal concept with strong connection to personal experience, thus making interviews essential.

The Ireland Canada University Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1993 for the purpose of encouraging and facilitating academic links between institutions and scholars in both Ireland and Canada.

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Institute (LMMI) at the University of Prince Edward Island is hosting its 12^th biennial international and interdisciplinary four-day conference June 23 to 26. Much Montgomery criticism of the past several decades has regarded her work from a feminist and gender studies perspectives: L. M. Montgomery and Gender will reconsider and build upon those readings, exploring how formative and deterministic gender roles seem, and yet how mutable they may be.

“This year’s conference theme, L.M. Montgomery and Gender, will look back over more than a century of change to reassess how Montgomery both reinforced and challenged gender roles of her day and ours,” said Dr. Laura Robinson, LMMI Visiting Scholar, conference co-chair, and dean of arts at Royal Military College. “Moreover, we will also invite conference-goers to digitize their testimonies of how Montgomery’s works have influenced their lives, a topic that novelist Jane Urquhart will also discuss in her keynote address. It promises to be a very international, interdisciplinary, and engaging conference.”

Canada is quickly approaching the centenary of women’s suffrage in Manitoba (1916) and nationally (1918). The presentations and events of this conference will reconsider the role of gender in L. M. Montgomery’s work: her fiction, poetry, life writing, letters, photographs, scrapbooks, and the many adaptations and spinoffs in film, television, theatre, tourism, and social media.

“The L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI promotes research into, and informed celebration of, the life, works, culture, and influence of Montgomery,” said Dr. Philip Smith, professor of psychology and Committee Chair of LMMI. “We have a rich network of local, national, and international Montgomery scholars and enthusiasts.  This conference features presenters from nine countries. The conference welcomes both academics and community members, and anyone with an interest in Montgomery is encouraged to register.”

Conference keynote speakers:

Elizabeth Epperly, professor emerita, was the first student to register at the “new” University of Prince Edward Island in 1969.  A Victorian scholar and English professor from 1976-2006, she taught at UPEI for 22 years where she also served as founding chair of the L.M. Montgomery Institute and UPEI's fourth (and only female to date) president (1995-1998).  Originally from Virginia, Epperly became a citizen of Canada because of her love for L.M. Montgomery’s writing.   Dr. Epperly’s The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass was the first full-length critical study to address all of Montgomery’s novels.

Mavis Reimer is professor in the Department of English, and dean of graduate studies at the University of Winnipeg, where she also was Canada Research Chair in the Culture of Childhood and founding director of the Centre for Research in Young People’s Texts and Cultures. She is co-author with Perry Nodelman of the third edition of The Pleasures of Children’s Literature and editor of a collection of essays on Anne of Green Gables, entitled Such a Simple Little Tale.

Jane Urquhart is the author of internationally acclaimed and award-winning novels, including: The Whirlpool; Changing Heaven; Away; The Underpainter, winner of the Governor General’s Award; The Stone Carvers, which was a finalist for The Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Award, and longlisted for the Booker Prize; A Map of Glass, a finalist for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book; Sanctuary Line, and, most recently, The Night Stages. She is also the author of a collection of short fiction and four books of poetry, and published a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery as part of Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series.

Full details, including instructions on how to register, can be found at the conference website.

UPEI Founder and alumnus Bob Gray (UPEI ’73 and ’74), a sessional lecturer with the Faculty of Education, was awarded the Harry MacLauchlan Award for Vocational Excellence by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty on June 1. The award was created by the Rotary Club in honour of the late Harry MacLauchlan and is presented annually to a member who best exemplifies excellence in their chosen vocation.

In the case of Gray, his vocation has always revolved around supporting young people, having held a variety of volunteer and paid positions over the years and across several disciplines in that pursuit.

In education administration, he was a school vice-principal, and District Principal for the Eastern School District. He mentored numerous new and aspiring school administrators.

He has taught in UPEI’s Faculty of Education as a sessional lecturer for almost 20 years in both the Bachelor of Education and Masters of Education degree programs, also coordinating the practicum program.

Gray is a long-time assistant basketball coach and academic advisor for the UPEI Women’s Basketball team and has served on the UPEI Board of Governors, both as a member and secretary. While on a secondment from the school system, he was the university’s Director of Alumni, Public Relations, and Development (2000–2002).

Gray was named a Founder of the University in 2009.

Congratulations, Bob, on this latest honour!

University of Prince Edward Island Director of Athletics and Recreation Chris Huggan announced today that UPEI alumnus and longtime Athletics PEI coach Colin MacAdam has been named head coach for the varsity cross country and track and field club.

Huggan said, “I am thrilled to have Colin MacAdam join our UPEI Panther coaching staff. He has an extensive background in long distance running and track and field as both an athlete and coach. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and has proven success in developing high performing athletes.”

MacAdam is well known in Atlantic Canada having coached at the school, provincial, and Canada Games levels on PEI for over 30 years. MacAdam has been named the PEI provincial Canada Games head coach for track and field seven times and both Athletics PEI and Sport PEI Coach of the Year. He is the founder of the Islanders Track and Field Club, the largest track club in the province. MacAdam also serves on national track and field coaching and officiating committees.

A former competitor, MacAdam’s passion was for the middle distance events of 400, 800 and 1500m but he has competed in all distances from 100m to 25 km road races. MacAdam won several Atlantic championships and an AUAA title in the 800m while competing for Dalhousie University.

MacAdam also played basketball for both UPEI and Dalhousie and has been a basketball official in the Atlantic region for many years.

MacAdam commented, “I am very excited to be working with UPEI athletes as they compete in the very tough AUS cross country and track and field competitions. This will be an exciting time as we build competitive programs at our Island University.”
Prospective student-athletes can contact MacAdam at xctrack@upei.ca.

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

Congratulations to School of Business student Jessica Smith for winning top prize at the 2016 Estey Undergraduate Essay Competition, sponsored by the University of Waterloo. Her paper, “The Ethics of Social Reporting”, was chosen from a large number of submissions from universities across Canada.

“I am incredibly thankful to be this year’s recipient of such a prestigious award and to be recognized on a national level,” said Smith. “This has validated my hard work and passion for business. I feel reassured that I am on the right track in my critical thinking, research, and writing skills. I am very proud that I was able to represent UPEI in this competition. Thank you to everyone at the University of Waterloo, and especially to my professor, Karen Wight, for being part of what I consider my biggest accomplishment this academic year.”

“Jessica is an incredibly talented individual, and it was a pleasure to have her as my student over the past year,” said Karen Wight, assistant professor of accounting at UPEI and Smith’s faculty advisor for the competition. “She brilliantly represents the talent of her classmates in the accounting specialization at UPEI. We are so proud of her.”

This marks the fifth-straight year that a UPEI student has won the Estey Competition (2012—2016), with three second-place finishes (2010—2012).

“The success we have seen in the Estey Competition over the past eight years is impressive,” said Dr. Juergen Krause, dean of UPEI’s School of Business. “It demonstrates the quality of our accounting faculty members and the strength and effort of our students. I congratulate Jessica on her outstanding showing for the School of Business.”

UPEI at the Estey Undergraduate Essay Competition

2010      Laura Moore achieved a second place finish for her submission “The Influence of Auditor Gender in Ethical Decision Making”

2011      Luke Rowledge achieved a second place finish for his submission “Can Company Leadership or ‘Tone at the Top’ Actually Influence Employee Ethics?”

2012      Janell MacDonald achieved first place for her submission “Microfinance in the Modern World,” and

              Kristina MacLean achieved second place for her submission “Women in Accounting: Ethical Issues Surrounding the Advancement of Female Accountants”

2013      Rebecca Nieuwhof achieved first place for her submission “Financial and Ethical Considerations of Food Taxation”

2014      Kyle Smith achieved first place for his submission “Tax Havens–Smart Planning or Unethical Tax Evasion”

2015      Ashton Murray achieved first place for her submission “The Impact of Board Gender Diversity on Corporate Governance and Financial Performance”

2016      Jessica Smith achieved first place for her submission “The Ethics of Social Reporting”

Smith is invited to present her paper at an Ethics workshop as part of the Canadian Academic Accounting Conference in June, however she is unable to attend as she will be in Fiji on a sustainable community development project.

The University of Prince Edward Island 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.

A research project at UPEI is investigating the willingness of private landowners on Prince Edward Island to protect species at risk on their private land. The two-year study is led by Dr. Carolyn Peach Brown, associate professor and director of environmental studies at UPEI, and is supported by the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Species at risk include plants, animals, or other organisms that are considered to be endangered, threatened, or of special concern because of sensitivity to human activities or natural events. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Prince Edward Island is home to five species considered to be endangered, including the little brown bat and the piping plover. An additional 17 species are listed as threatened or of special concern.

"Since most of the land on PEI is privately owned,” said Dr. Peach Brown. “It is important to understand the level of awareness of species at risk among landowners and their willingness to participate in voluntary stewardship to protect species at risk on their land.”

The initial phase of this project began in August 2015, when a student interviewed rural private landowners in Queens and Kings County. Those interviews revealed that while many landowners don’t have much knowledge about species at risk, they are interested in learning more about how to protect them on their land.

That small study is currently being followed by a large mail-out survey to more than 500 farms across the Island. Landowners are being asked to anonymously complete a short survey about the term “species at risk” or the federal Species at Risk Act. It asks if the landowner can identify a species at risk they may have seen on their land, and if they have ever managed their land in such a way as to protect a species at risk.

To better understand a landowner’s attitude to species at risk, some questions are asked about whether or not they think that species at risk should be protected and who should take responsibility for doing so. It then asks about the role of government and the role of the private land owner in protecting species at risk.

This research will provide information that could guide the development of policy and educational programs to help rural landowners learn how to manage their land to protect the habitat of species at risk. Such educational programs could be developed by either by government or an NGO.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to helping 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.

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The Faculty of Education at UPEI, Learning for Sustainable Futures (LSF) and Natural Curiosity invites elementary teachers, school administrators, and systems leaders to a two-day professional institute to explore inquiry-based learning and transformative pedagogies. “Making Authentic Inquiry Work!” runs Monday, August 15 and Tuesday, August 16 from 9:00 am—4:00 pm.

Educators are faced with the challenge of preparing students for a changing 21st century world. This professional development event will bring together K-6 educators and leaders to create learning experiences that promote responsible active citizenship.

“Making Authentic Inquiry Work!” will help educators identify and address their individual questions and challenges in applying inquiry and related strategies in their professional practice. Participants will experience professional inquiry methods that can be applied with students, gain confidence in planning authentic inquiry-learning experiences, and apply appropriate assessment methodology.

Space is limited! Register by July 15 at lsf-lst.ca/institutes. The cost is $320 plus HST for a two-day workshop. Your registration fee covers breakfast, lunch, refreshments, and two publications. For information about the program, contact Sam Gawron at Samantha@lsf-lst.ca or call 1-877-250-8202.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to help 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.

On Tuesday, June 14, the University will raise the pride flag at the UPEI flag plaza in front of Kelley Memorial Building and then lower all flags to half-mast to honour and remember the victims of the Orlando mass shooting. This observance coincides with the vigil that Pride P.E.I. is hosting Tuesday evening at Trinity United Church in Charlottetown at 8 pm.

Have you started–or completed—a manuscript and you’re not sure what your next steps should be? Cynthia Good is a former president, publisher, and editorial director of Penguin Books Canada, and currently the Director of Student and Industry Initiatives for the Creative Book Publishing Program at Humber College in Toronto. She will give a workshop in Charlottetown, “How to Get Published: an Insider’s Guide.” The workshop is on Saturday, July 16, 10:00 am—12:00 pm, in the Irish Benevolent Society Hall at 582 North River Road.

Good will describe the present publishing landscape and review your options for both conventional and self-publishing. She will offer practical tips on how to get the attention of an editor or a literary agent and how to take charge of your career as a writer. Come prepared with questions and be ready to share your experiences.

The cost of the workshop is $25, or $20 for students, seniors, and members of the PEI Writers’ Guild. Pre-registration is not required. All are welcome.

The workshop is co-sponsored by the UPEI Faculty of Arts, the Humber College School of Creative and Performing Arts, and the PEI Writers’ Guild. For further information, contact the Department of English, tjohnston@upei.ca.

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.