As part of UPEI’s 50^th anniversary, the Robertson Library is presenting a lecture series to celebrate the historical roots of higher education on Prince Edward Island and its future. The series is named after educator Frank Pigot, honoured as a UPEI Founder for his work building the Library’s PEI Collection and University Archives. The next talk is Tuesday, June 25 at 6:30 pm on the second floor of UPEI’s Robertson Library. PEI writer Marian Bruce will present “The Lion of Prince of Wales: Alexander Anderson—An Unsung Hero of Prince Edward Island’s Education System.”

Anderson was the principal of Prince of Wales College for almost 40 years, from 1862 to 1901. He was chief superintendent of Island schools for a decade and was much revered by his students and admired by the community.

“Of the many teachers I have known,” wrote Sir Andrew Macphail, “he was the best.”

L.M. Montgomery wrote,” of all the teachers I have ever sat under, none was to be compared to Dr. Anderson.”

Diplomat and scholar Joseph Gould Schurman described Anderson as “incomparably the greatest benefactor the Island has had” in education.

Anderson’s gifts to education did not end at the door of the classroom. Despite decades of struggle—including chronic underfunding, overcrowding, woefully unprepared products, and threats to the life of the college—Anderson not only developed an institution renowned for excellence, but also helped raise standards throughout the rural school system. He championed equality for female and extended the hand of friendship to Roman Catholic educators in an era of religious strife.

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.

Alyson Brown, a student at the Atlantic Veterinary College, will spend the summer working on a research project investigating the impact of accelerated climate change on Atlantic salmon aquaculture in Atlantic Canada.

The project, developed by Dr. Mark Fast, associate professor of fish health at AVC, and collaborators at Memorial University and the University of Waterloo, is part of the College’s veterinary student research awards (VetSRA) program, which is designed to give students a solid foundation in research.

“Accelerated climate change is predicted to result in rapidly changing water conditions, like increasing water temperatures and low oxygen levels,” says Fast. “In some areas, water temperatures are forecasted to increase by 2-4 degrees C over the next 20 to 30 years. These changes may push the Atlantic salmon outside its optimal physiological range during the summer, negatively impacting fish health and production—and ultimately the sustainability of the industry.”

Fast wants to develop a “road map” for the adaptation of salmon aquaculture production to climate change, and for the better management of fish health and diseases. To do this, he wants to identify Atlantic salmon families that have enhanced capacity to adapt to environmental challenges and mount strong pathogen-specific immune responses, and he wants to evaluate the effectiveness of current ISA vaccines at elevated temperatures, and how pathogens will respond to climate change.

Brown will work with Fast at AVC’s aquatic animal facility and with industry collaborator MOWI at Huntsman Marine Science Centre, New Brunswick, to test the impact of high temperatures and low oxygen on disease resistance in salmon.

Brown, who earned her Master of Science degree under Fast’s supervision, wants to work in aquaculture after she graduates in 2022. She enjoys the diversity of the aquatic animal health aspect of veterinary medicine.

“As an aquaculture vet, I could play a key role in making sure our fish and shellfish are healthy and sustainable. This would involve disease surveillance and prevention, sampling fish and water, and providing treatment when necessary. I love that this discipline allows for a balance between hands-on animal care and diagnostics.”

The L.M. Montgomery Institute and UPEI’s Robertson Library has launched the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies. The open-access journal is the only journal dedicated to one of the world’s most enduring writers, Prince Edward Island’s L.M. Montgomery.

Montgomery is the author of Anne of Green Gables, among nineteen other novels, as well as hundreds of short stories and poems. She also composed letters, journals, and scrapbooks. The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies is a refereed, open-access digital space. Its mandate is to publish intriguing, highly original, rigorously researched scholarship on all aspects of L.M. Montgomery’s life, influences, creative work, and legacy. The journal’s scope is interdisciplinary and international. The journal is aimed at Montgomery scholars and the broad community of Montgomery enthusiasts.

“The LMMI is delighted to announce this journal which celebrates and honours Canadian icon L.M. Montgomery,” said Dr. Kate Scarth, UPEI’s Chair of L.M. Montgomery Studies and assistant professor in Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture, and editor of the Journal of L.M Montgomery Studies. “As well as global support from our editorial board and submitters, so many people at UPEI—the president, LMMI committee members, and the library staff—have made the journal possible. It is our way of celebrating UPEI’s 50^th and the LMMI’s 25^th anniversary last year in 2018.”

The journal is the official scholarly publication of the L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI) at the University of Prince Edward Island. The L.M. Montgomery Institute Management Committee establishes the journal's focus and scope and appoints the editorial board.

“The growing field of Montgomery Studies engages established and emerging scholars from across the world,” said Dr. Philip Smith, chair of the LMMI. “This journal, based on Montgomery’s Island home, and accessible to researchers and fans internationally, advances her legacy and new understandings of the implications of her life and works.”

The journal has a continuous publication schedule and accepts submissions year-round. Articles, as well as video, digital projects, creative writing, and other innovative work, will be published online and will be available on the journal’s website. Hard copies of a series of articles, such as those associated with LMMI biennial conferences, will periodically be made available for purchase via print on demand.

Dr. Scarth’s co-editor is Dr. Emily Woster, Visiting Scholar of the LMMI and a professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Epperly, past-president of the University of Prince Edward Island, is an honorary editor.

Questions about publication types and the submission and review process can be directed to the managing editors at montgomeryjournal@upei.ca.

The journal is possible thanks to funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the office of UPEI’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, who is a staunch supporter of L.M. Montgomery Studies at UPEI.

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies can be found at journaloflmmontgomerystudies.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.

L. M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s), a book co-edited by UPEI’s Dr. Jean Mitchell, has won the 2018 Association of Canadian and Quebec Literatures’ (AQCL) Gabrielle Roy Prize. The AQCL recognizes two books every year with this prestigious award for literary criticism, one in French and one in English. This year’s awards were announced at the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“On behalf of the Faculty of Arts, I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Jean Mitchell,” said Dr. Neb Kujundzic, dean of Arts at UPEI. “To receive a nationally recognized award is a great honour for the faculty and the University of Prince Edward Island.”

“This well-curated collection of essays approaches the intersection of humanity and nature from diverse and exciting perspectives,” reads the feedback from the award jury. Although the individual essays come from a variety of fields, including (but not limited to) literature, animal studies, and law, the collection is both concise and coherent. These excellent analyses of familiar texts and figures provide new and useful insights into individual works and the larger field of ecocritical studies generally.  L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s)illustrates what anyone familiar with the orchard in Anne of Green Gables already knows—that Montgomery’s flair for pastoral writing is among her finest attributes as a serious writer.”

Dr. Jean Mitchell is an associate professor of anthropology at UPEI. She co-edited L. M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) with Dr. Rita Bode of Trent University. The book is a critical study of L.M. Montgomery’s relationship to the material world and the revealing interconnections between nature and culture.

From the publisher’s website:

L.M. Montgomery’s writings are replete with enchanting yet subtle and fluid depictions of nature that convey her intense appreciation for the natural world. At a time of ecological crises, intensifying environmental anxiety, and burgeoning eco-critical perspectives, L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) repositions the Canadian author’s relationship to nature in terms of current environmental criticism across several disciplines, introducing a fresh approach to her life and work. 

Drawing on a wide range of Montgomery’s novels as well as her journals, this collection suggests that socio-ecological relationships encompass ideas of reciprocity, affiliation, autonomy, and the capacity for transformation in both the human and more-than-human worlds, and that these ideas are integral to Montgomery’s vision and her literary legacy. Framed by the twin themes of materiality and interrelationships, essays by scholars of literature, law, animal studies, anthropology, and ecology examine place, embodiment, and difference in Montgomery’s works and embrace the multiplicities embedded in the concept of nature. 

Through innovative critical approaches, L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) opens up conversations about humans’ interactions with nature and the material environment.

Congratulations, Dr. Mitchell!

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 UPEI Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Donald Moses has been appointed to the position of University Librarian, effective immediately.

Mr. Moses served as Interim University Librarian from February 2016 to the time of his appointment. He has been a valued member of the UPEI Robertson Library’s staff since 2008, having served as Project Librarian-Island Lives, Collections/eResources Librarian, Digital Initiatives and Systems Librarian, and Digital Initiatives Librarian. Prior to coming to UPEI, he was a member of the library staff at Holland College.

“Mr. Moses has made a tremendous contribution to UPEI’s teaching and learning environment as well as to the community at large with his innovative leadership and willingness to share his knowledge,” said Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass, Interim Vice-President Academic and Research for UPEI. “I look forward to continuing to work with him and the entire Robertson Library staff as we move forward to grow and improve our campus library for the benefit of our students.”

Mr. Moses has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Western Ontario (now Western University), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from UPEI. He has an extensive scholarship record, including several peer-reviewed publications, and numerous conference papers and presentations, and he has led software development projects for UPEI and the community. He has given numerous workshops and tutorials in PEI, New York, and Italy. He has received several awards for his contributions, including a UPEI Presidential Award of Merit for Professional Practice in 2012 and a CACUL Innovation Achievement Award from the Canadian Library Association in 2010.

He is also active in numerous professional organizations and shares his knowledge with the broader community, having given presentations to organizations such as Seniors College, the PEI Community Museum Association, and the PEI Genealogical Society.

Students in the University of Prince Edward Island’s inaugural one-year Master in Global Affairs (MGA) program held a conference on refugee resettlement on April 23, 2019, at the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, France, in collaboration with the European Student Thinktank.

The students began their studies at UPEI last September, took classes at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid earlier this year, and were in Strasbourg this spring. UPEI and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos are offering the program jointly.

The conference was introduced by guest speakers Dr. Juan Ignacio Iquino Lafuente, Deputy of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the CoE, and Dr. Javier Ramos López, Rector of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

MGA students Claire Byrne and Michael Pass moderated the discussion and introduced the panelists. Local business owner Clémence Collomb-Gros talked about her experience participating in the Strasbourg edition of the Refugee Food Festival through her restaurant, Le Botanist, while Jocelyn Dougan, RN, who is also a student in the MGA program, discussed refugees and mental health in Canada. Carlota Núñez Strutt, the MGA’s Coordinator of Relations with International Organizations and former president of the European Student Thinktank, gave concluding remarks.

After a brief break, participants and MGA students split into two groups and held working group discussions that included topics such as human rights and resettlement, and the role of policy-makers, international organizations, NGOs, and communities in resettlement. The conclusions were presented to the rest of the participants and will soon be published.

“Through the MGA program, our students are tackling some of the most pressing issues facing our world today,” said Dr. Doreley Coll, UPEI program coordinator. “Their experiences will equip them to be leaders in finding solutions to global challenges.”

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 Panther Soccer is hosting its annual Alumni and Friends Breakfast Saturday, June 1 at 10:00 am in McMillan Hall of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

All are invited to meet current student athletes and alumni and to hear about the 2019–2020 season. Tickets are $10. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Koren at kglenn@upei.ca.

Go Panthers Go!

After a ten-month recovery from injury, a bald eagle was released by the AVC Wildlife Service on May 17, 2019, at the Eagle’s View Golf Course in Murray River, PEI.

The mature female eagle was found in MacLure’s Pond near the golf course on July 12, 2018, with fishing line wrapped around her right foot and left wing. She was rescued from the water by Fish and Wildlife staff and brought to the AVC Wildlife Service.

A physical examination revealed that her left elbow was swollen, and she had a full tissue tear in the web of her right wing. The wound was sutured by Dr. Dave McRuer, wildlife health specialist; for several weeks following, wound care was provided and the wing bandaged. On the first day without a bandage, the wound opened along the suture line and needed to be repaired again. This meant another round of bandage changes and physiotherapy every three days to keep her wing mobile. Additionally, Dr. Art Ortenburger, Associate Professor, Large Animal Surgery and Integrative Medicine, provided cold-laser therapy sessions to promote wound healing. Finally, after weeks of bandage changes and wound care, the eagle was placed in an outdoor enclosure to slowly exercise her wing.

In October, she was taken to Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Brookfield, Nova Scotia, for further rehabilitation and flight practice, where she started flying laps in the Centre’s large oval flight cage. A headstrong and feisty eagle, she dominated the other eagles in the flyway.

After being released from her crate on Friday, the eagle flew off into the distance. About 20 minutes later, she reappeared, circling high above the people who had gathered for her release. They recognized her from her missing primary feathers. It was a magical moment!

A graduate research project at the University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Nursing is seeking participants for a study about postpartum depression. The project will interview fathers whose partners experienced postpartum depression. It is hoped that the knowledge gained will help the researcher and others to better understand the fathers’ experience and determine ways to best help future fathers.

The project is seeking up to eight fathers who are at least 18 years of age and are currently living (or previously lived) with a female partner who was diagnosed with postpartum depression after a typical (no trauma) birth.

Participants will be interviewed for approximately one hour about their experiences. All identities will be kept confidential.

This project is led by Juliana Barry, a master of nursing student under the supervision of Dr. Gloria McInnis-Perry, Dr. Janet Bryanton, and Dr. Janis MacLellan-Peters. For more information or to participate, contact Juliana Barry at jubarry@upei.ca or (902) 326-1568 by phone or text.

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 Faculty of Graduate Studies will be holding its annual UPEI Graduate Studies and Research Conference from Wednesday, May 15 to Friday, May 17, 2019, inclusive.

Undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and faculty are encouraged to attend the three-day event that celebrates the accomplishments of UPEI’s graduate students and their research efforts. Over the course of the conference, graduate students from multiple faculties will present their research.

The conference kicks off Wednesday morning with an opening ceremony and the 2019 Outstanding Graduate Student Mentorship Lecture in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Dr. Tim Goddard, a professor in UPEI’s Faculty of Education, will present “Mentoring for mutual reward: The Reciprocity of relationships.”

Most activities will occur in McDougall Hall, in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium and Schurman Market Square.

The R.G. Thomson Lecture will be delivered Thursday, May 16 at 3:15 pm. Dr. Scott Weese, a professor at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, will present “An unintended path through emerging infectious diseases.”

The 2019 Zoetis Award Research Excellence Lecture entitled “Tracing superbugs. Can we estimate the risks?” will be presented by Dr. Javier Sanchez, a professor of health management at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College on Friday, May 17 at 8:30 am.

There is no cost to register and a full conference schedule and abstracts for the presentations are available at the conference website. 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.