The L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI) at the University of Prince Edward Island is marking a major milestone today—April 26.

On this date 25 years ago, the LMMI was launched with the goal of promoting research into, and celebrating, the life, works, culture, and influence of Prince Edward Island-born L.M. Montgomery, one of Canada’s most famous authors. During her lifetime (1874–1942), Montgomery wrote over 20 novels, numerous poems and short stories, and 10 volumes of personal journals. She is most famous for her first novel, Anne of Green Gables, with its iconic character, Anne Shirley, whose life in fictional Avonlea continues to delight millions of readers around the world. While Montgomery moved to Ontario after her marriage to the Rev. Ewan MacDonald in 1911, she set all but one of her novels in her beloved Island.

“A 25th anniversary is a time for celebrating all that has been accomplished over these years,” says Dr. Philip Smith, chair of the LMMI. “But even more important is the opportunity to look ahead, to advance new ways of learning about and shaping Montgomery's influence at home on the Island, across Canada, and around the world.”

A long-held dream of Montgomery scholar Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, the LMMI has developed a strong scholarship base over the past 25 years through conferences, publications, and academic courses. The Institute brings together Montgomery scholars and enthusiasts from countries around the globe for biennial conferences on various themes related to or found in Montgomery’s work. The next conference, “L.M. Montgomery and Reading,” will be held at UPEI from June 21–24 of this year.

Housed in the University’s Robertson Library, the Institute has developed its own collection of Montgomery-related artefacts, sponsored courses on Canadian culture, published essay collections based on the conferences, and developed multi-media products to further scholarly discussion of the author’s work.

With 25 years behind it, the LMMI is not resting on its laurels. Last year, UPEI announced the appointment of Dr. Kate Scarth as the inaugural Chair in L.M. Montgomery Studies and Applied Communication, Leadership and Culture. She will create public engagement activities to advance the Institute’s scholarly mission and develop even stronger links with scholars and enthusiasts in PEI, Canada, and internationally.

This fall, the LMMI will embark on a new venture with the creation of the first-ever journal dedicated to Montgomery. A refereed, open digital space, the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies will use new technology to bring together interdisciplinary and international authors and readers, including Montgomery scholars and the broad community of enthusiasts. Papers will be accepted starting September 1, 2018.

For a more detailed look at the LMMI’s history and its future, please read LMMI at 25: Looking Back. Looking Forward by Melanie Fishbane, the Institute’s web coordinator.

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.

On Thursday, April 26, Mi’kmaq Elder Junior Peter-Paul released an eagle that had been recovering from injury at AVC for about a month. Before he released the eagle, Elder Peter-Paul, joined by members of the Abegweit First Nations community and others, conducted a smudging and drumming ceremony. It was a very moving experience!

The eagle was found in a field in Bedford, PEI, on March 31. Unable to fly because of severe injury to its left wing, it hopped across the highway in front of a car driven by Melissa Peter-Paul, Elder Peter-Paul’s daughter. Melissa stopped and stayed close to the eagle until it was captured by her father and Chief Conservation Officer Wade MacKinnon. The bird was brought to the AVC Wildlife Service, where a physical examination revealed that its wing was badly bruised and swollen, with a hairline fracture in one of its digits. During its stay at AVC, it received wound care, fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication. After recovering, it was released near Donaldston, PEI. It was a beautiful sight to see the eagle take flight!

Read more about the release in The Guardian and on CBC. Click here to watch a video of the event.

Nova Scotia veterinarian Helene Van Doninck is the winner of the Atlantic Veterinary College’s 2017 Award of Excellence in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Care.

Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, presented the award to Dr. Van Doninck at the Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference in Halifax on April 21.

“Dr. Van Doninck’s compassion and care for injured and sick wildlife exemplify what veterinary medicine is about,” said Dr. Keefe. “She is an inspiration to veterinarians, veterinary students, and others concerned about the health and welfare of wild animals.”

Dr. Van Doninck is an award-winning veterinarian, a member of AVC’s Class of 1991, and a lecturer at AVC and other educational institutions.

She dedicates her life to helping animals, particularly wildlife. She and her husband, Murdo Messer, established the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation in 2001, where they provide care for approximately 300 animals each year. Their bald eagle flight recovery centre—a large oval-shaped cage that allows eagles to fly naturally—is the first of its kind in Canada.

In addition, she is leading the charge in educating hunters about the dangers of lead shot to animals—many are now switching to non-lead ammunition and fishing tackle, reducing the amount of lead poisoning in wildlife.

She also works as an oiled wildlife response and emergency preparedness consultant and trainer. She works part-time at several veterinary clinics in Nova Scotia and contributes her knowledge to non-profit organizations, including the Nova Scotia Bird Society, Clean Seas, and the Federation of Nova Scotia naturalists. She has been a contributor to Nature Canada and has made a documentary titled “Saving Birds of Prey.”

Dr. Van Doninck was nominated for the award by Dr. Jane Corkum, with support from Dr. Ernie Prowse and Dr. Jennifer McKay.

A special guest lecture in the Island Studies Lecture Series takes place Thursday, May 3, at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge in UPEI’s SDU Main Building. The lecture features David Earl from Alderney, in the Channel Islands, speaking about “Alderney: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats!”

Alderney is the third largest of the British Channel Islands, which are UK crown dependencies. According to the results of a census carried out in 2013, 50 per cent of the population (less than 2,000) is now aged 55 or over, while the number of young working-age persons on the island has dropped by 47 per cent since 2001. More worrying, the number of children under 15 has dropped by 50 per cent over the same period. Despite a 17 per cent drop in the Island’s population in the period 2001‒2013, the States of Alderney (the Island’s government) has, so far, failed to reverse the decline.

The aim of this lecture is to paint a picture of the island and its people, as well illustrating its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The lecture will be followed by an opportunity for questions, answers and suggestions.

David Earl began his working life in the world of advertising and marketing but has spent much of his professional life in broadcast television and communications. He was recently awarded an MA in Modern War Studies from the University of Buckingham. David is visiting Prince Edward Island in order to learn more about the Island and the work of the Institute of Island Studies.

Admission to the lecture is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

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.

The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) has been granted full accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) for the next seven years.

“This achievement by the College is a testament to the quality of our program and the people engaged in its delivery,” said Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC. “This is an important milestone--one that will drive us forward as we strive to continuously improve.”

Dr. Keefe thanked the AVC faculty, staff, and students who helped prepare for or participated in the AVMA COE site visit last fall and those who ensure the quality of the College’s program.

“The accreditation process is rigorous and lengthy,” said Dr. Keefe. “To prepare for our site visit last fall, we began to prepare 16 months in advance. Last summer we submitted a detailed self-study to the AVMA COE. This was followed up by a week-long visit by a team made up of representatives from the AVMA COE, the AVMA itself, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, who interviewed faculty, staff, and students, and conducted a detailed evaluation of our programs and inspection of our facilities.”

While the actual site visit is important, said Dr. Keefe, accreditation is an ongoing process. The College’s programs are reviewed each year by the AVMA COE, and AVC works continually to achieve the high standards set by the accrediting body. AVC has achieved full accreditation since it was first eligible in 1990 with the graduation of its first class of veterinarians.

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, president and vice-chancellor of UPEI, expressed his pride in AVC’s achievement.

“On behalf of the entire UPEI community, I congratulate everyone at AVC for achieving full accreditation,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “Our veterinary medicine program, research agenda, and teaching hospital are second-to-none, and this reaffirmation by the AVMA is a testament to the excellence of the College’s programs and people.”

The accrediting body for veterinary colleges in North America, the AVMA COE assures that minimum standards in veterinary medical education are met by all AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges, and that students receive an education which will prepare them for entry-level positions in the profession.

The final presentation in the 2018 Island Studies Lecture series takes place on Tuesday, May 15, at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building. Dr. Kate Scarth, Chair of L.M. Montgomery Studies and Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture, will present “Anne of Charlottetown and Summerside: L.M. Montgomery’s Urban PEI.”

This presentation follows Anne of Green Gables to Charlottetown and Summerside. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne goes to Queen’s College—a fictional version of Prince of Wales College—and in Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne is the principal of Summerside High School. Of course, Anne of Green Gables and its author L.M. Montgomery usually conjure up images of rural Avonlea and Cavendish, the beaches and farms of PEI’s north shore. Montgomery’s rural Island is reflected in her own writings, and later film and TV adaptations from Kevin Sullivan’s 1980s miniseries starring Megan Follows to CBC/Netflix’s recent Anne with an E, and the many tourist sites like Green Gables that celebrate the author. While the rural looms large in her life and work, Montgomery was also a chronicler of urban Canada. She wrote journals and letters about her life in Charlottetown, Prince Albert, Halifax, and Toronto, while three novels, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, and Jane of Lantern Hill, have significant urban settings.

In the early twentieth century, Canadian cities and their suburbs were growing and offered amenities and possibilities—electric lights, fashionable shops, ice cream parlours, secondary and post-secondary education—not available in the countryside. Montgomery’s towns include these urban offerings and as harbourside island towns, Charlottetown and Summerside are particularly linked to the wider, modern world; the ferry, for example, which brings Anne to the Island for the first time, comes and goes from the provincial capital. At the same time, Charlottetown and Summerside are at their best in the Anne books when they showcase PEI nature and rural life. Avonlea permeates Charlottetown: the capital’s exhibition showcases Avonlea goods and talents and the city’s newspapers describe Avonlea residents’ accomplishments. Anne continually seeks out the towns’ parks, graveyards, and the sea, reflecting a wider late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century movement towards public green spaces and suburbanization. This presentation then asks: how does one of the most insightful writers of PEI and Canada’s literary landscapes grapple with the tensions between modernizing, globally linked, and growing towns and a traditional rural, agriculturally based island? The presentation also offers an urban dimension to a writer usually steeped in rural tradition, but who was writing about a Canada starting to become the urban nation it is today.

Dr. Kate Scarth is the Chair of L.M. Montgomery Studies and Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture (ACLC) at UPEI.  Her research focuses on English and Canadian literature written from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century, and she is particularly interested in fiction about urbanism and the environment. Her book, Romantic Suburbs: Sensibility, Ecology, and Greater London, is under contract with the University of Toronto Press. She is also leading a digital humanities, public engagement project about literary Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Admission to the lecture is free. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

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’s Senate and Board of Governors have approved creating UPEI’s seventh faculty. The School of Sustainable Design Engineering (SSDE) is renamed, effective immediately, the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE). The new status recognizes the school’s achievements in research, teaching, and service in a few short years. The new faculty is independent from UPEI’s Faculty of Science and will have at its helm Dr. Nicholas Krouglicof, whose title changes from associate dean to dean.

“The evolution from a school to a faculty in under four years is a testament to the hard work of the engineering faculty and staff whose efforts have helped create an engineering program that is second to none,” said Dr. Krouglicof. “Our task has been made easier by the unprecedented level of support we’ve received from government, industry, and the community at large.”

It has been an exciting few years for engineering at UPEI. The School of Sustainable Design Engineering was announced in 2014 by Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor. Construction on a home for the school began that summer, with the School of Sustainable Design Engineering Building opening in August of 2016. The first graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering walked across the state at UPEI Convocation 2017.

“This is another exciting step for the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “I am continually impressed and proud of the accomplishments of the faculty, staff, and students of the FSDE. Every day, they show us the very best in Canada in learning, teaching, and service to the community.”

The FSDE has enjoyed many successes its short history. Its students have taken their studies to the sea as UPEI partnered with the Royal Canadian Navy this spring for an adventure of a lifetime. Its researchers are innovative and engaged and have been recognized with funding and support.

The FSDE is a different type of engineering school. Students learn through doing. From the first week of the first year, students get their hands dirty with the business of learning, designing and building. They work closely with industry and community partners to help solve the latter’s unique design challenges. And the final results of their work make a real difference in the world.

Congratulations to the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering 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.

The Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP) has re-accredited the University of Prince Edward Island’s Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition program, as well as the Dietetic Internship program. The accreditation extends the training in these excellent programs to 2025.

The Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition prepares students for their future, opening doors to careers as food scientists, product developers, policy makers, and countless other paths including graduate education.

Students in the Food and Nutrition program may apply for admission to the Integrated Dietetic Internship program. The integrated approach to professional training enables students to build upon and apply theoretical knowledge gained from their academic program. On successful completion of the program, students will have fulfilled the competencies required to challenge the national exam and practice as registered dietitians.

“The renewal of our accreditation will allow the Department to continue offering high quality programming consistent with Canadian standards and will ensure that our students receive excellent training as they prepare to enter the workforce or continue their education,” said Dr. Dany MacDonald, chair of the Department of Department of Applied Human Sciences at UPEI.

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.

The University of Prince Edward Island is growing its international footprint in bold, new, and exciting ways, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI’s President and Vice-Chancellor announced to the campus community today at University Update 2018. With a vision endorsed by the UPEI Senate and Board of Governors, UPEI will now deliver degree programs in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

President Abd-El-Aziz indicated to over 250 faculty, staff, and students that he has been working closely with the Vice-Presidents, Deans, Senate, and Board of Governors over the last year on these initiatives and wanted to make the entire campus community aware of the great strides UPEI is making beyond Island shores.

“UPEI has been an outstanding provincial university and is now expanding its presence on the international stage,” said Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI’s President and Vice-Chancellor to an audience of over 200 people. “It is fantastic that Canadian education is being delivered around the world, and that we are playing our part. This academic year, UPEI has close to 1,200 international students on our campus, and now, with these exciting developments in Dubai, Cairo, and Madrid, we will be able to provide a quality UPEI education to so many more.”

Last week, UPEI signed an agreement with the Canadian University of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to jointly deliver degrees in Environmental Studies and Climate Change and Adaptation.

Dr. Katherine Gottschall-Pass, interim Dean of Science, said, “Programs at UPEI are future-focused, highly experiential, and project-based. These features are embedded in all of our science programs, making these offerings really attractive to both Canadian and international students.”

UPEI began discussions for an offshore academic program offering in Egypt a year ago after a Canadian parliamentary delegation visited the North African country to explore establishing a university complex in New Cairo. Several other Canadian universities have also begun to develop campuses as part of the University of Canada, Egypt (UCE) consortium. The UPEI initiative is being funded entirely by UCE.

Officials with the University of Canada, Egypt recently visited Prince Edward Island to develop a framework to offer UPEI degrees at its new international UPEI campus in New Cairo, Egypt beginning in September 2018. UPEI will offer its Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering; three BSc degrees in mathematical and computational sciences (financial mathematics, actuarial sciences, and data analytics); Bachelor of Environmental Studies; Bachelor of Climate Change and Adaptation; and Bachelor of Business Administration.

“As with the science programs, UPEI’s business administration curriculum is taught in a manner that encourages creativity, unleashing potential and developing solutions,” comments Dr. Jurgen Krause, Dean of the Faculty of Business. “A ‘case’ in point is our unique case competition program that offers global learning opportunities—our approach is innovative and differentiates us from other schools, and will be welcomed in Egypt.”

Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Academic and Research, visited the new campus a few weeks ago to finalize the plan and commented, “UPEI will have exclusive jurisdiction over program delivery to ensure UPEI admission and degree requirements are met at UCE. Everyone is excited about the prospect of granting UPEI degrees outside North America.”

In another bold step, UPEI has signed a five-year agreement to become Universidad Rey Juan Carlos’ (URJC) partner in delivering a joint, one-year Master in Global Affairs degree as well as collaborate in areas of common interest and research. URJC, based in Madrid, has offered a multidisciplinary, professional master’s program in global affairs for several years and will now offer a joint degree option with UPEI where students will study for their first semester on Prince Edward Island and then move to the URJC campuses in Madrid and Strasbourg.

UPEI Interim Dean of Graduate Studies Larry Hammell said, “Both URJC and UPEI believe in providing outstanding academic programs and experiences that fully engage and develop our graduate students to be well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. Our joint-delivery model will help students attain the knowledge and insights needed to help address and solve the most critical challenges facing our world.” 

The program will begin in September 2018 and be anchored at UPEI in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

President Abd-El-Aziz added, “I look forward to our students—those in Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, around the world, and in Canada—developing to their full potential in our classrooms and our communities.”

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.