The following message was distributed earlier today to faculty, staff, and students.

Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor

Dear members of the University Community,

Yesterday, we observed the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which has taken place annually on March 21 since being proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966. It is poignant to mark this day as the global community still reels from the tragic acts of terrorism that took place at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand one week ago.

Respect, collegiality, and inclusivity are the values that form our foundation at UPEI, and in our province and country, and it makes the horrific events in Quebec City, Pittsburgh, and now Christchurch, unfathomable. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed and all victims of these horrific attacks.

We are blessed that our University and Island communities embrace diversity and welcome students, faculty, and staff from around the globe. This inclusivity enriches our campus and we are stronger because of it.

Earlier this week, I was so proud when our students, staff, and faculty came together to host a vigil in honour of the New Zealand victims. I encourage you to also attend the vigil that the Muslim Society of PEI is holding on Saturday, March 23 at 11 am at the Cenotaph in Charlottetown (corner of Grafton and Great George streets). All are invited and encouraged to attend in solidarity as a way to show their support. 

Last Saturday, I had asked that the flags in front of Kelley Memorial Building be lowered to half-mast for several days in memory of the victims. The flags will remain lowered until Saturday, March 23 in respect of the vigil being held that day.

Best wishes,

Dr. Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz
President and Vice-Chancellor
 

On March 27 and 28, 2019, the University of Prince Edward Island is hosting an event called “Think BIG! Exploring Issues and Opportunities to Promote Family Well-being on Prince Edward Island” in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre’s McMillan Hall.

This event is part of the Vanier Institute of the Family’s pan-Canadian Families in Canada Conference 2019 (#FAM2019) that is taking place in Ottawa and simultaneously at seven co-hosting university partners across the country. 

At UPEI, panelists are exploring six themes: early childhood development—the first five years; the importance of strong families in the development of youth; evolution in forms of families; changes in family structures; the impact of socioeconomic and cultural changes on families; and challenges facing family members when a family ends or experiences significant loss. In addition, participants will gain understanding of issues impacting families in Canada from a national perspective by viewing the national conference via livestream.

On March 27, the conference featured panels that explored issues and opportunities facing families today. In the afternoon, participants watched the opening keynote and panel of the national conference via livestreaming. The day wrapped up with a reception in McMillan Hall.

Today the conference resumed with panels throughout the morning. Again in the afternoon, participants will be able to view the closing panel and conference summary of the national conference via livestreaming. The local event will wrap up with a roundtable discussion from 3:45 to 4:30 pm.

A unique aspect of the UPEI event is a symposium on March 29 about grandparents raising their grandchildren. This event will take place in McMillan Hall from 9 am to 3 pm. Attendance at the symposium is included in the registration fee for the conference.

More than just a conference, the Families in Canada Conference 2019 brings together people and organizations in multiple disciplines and fields that will connect to form resource networks and knowledge, collaborate to share research and cross-cultural insights on families in Canada, and create and cultivate a Family Well-Being Index, Family Researchers Network, Social Policy Monitor, and more. The conference is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program.

About the University of Prince Edward Island

As the province’s only university, the University of Prince Edward Island is committed to advancing family well-being, and is proud to be partnering with the Vanier Institute of the Family for this exciting conference. Through dynamic local programming and the national livestream, this event is exploring issues and opportunities facing families today.

In the latest title from Island Studies Press, poet Jane Ledwell explores the life of writer and activist Katherine Hughes. Return of the Wild Goose launches Thursday, April 4, at 7:00 pm in the Carriage House of Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown. Ledwell will be joined by Irish concertina player Gormlaith Maynes, accompanied by Jesse Périard on guitar. All are welcome.

Set against the intimate relief of a PEI landscape, these poems are inspired by what is known—and unknown—about Hughes’ contradictory life as a Catholic teacher in Mohawk territory; a journalist working alongside Canada’s first-wave feminists and suffragettes; the first public archivist of Alberta; and finally, as a zealous propagandist for the Irish cause. This (auto)biographical dialogue between Ledwell and Hughes offers the reader a fierce remembrance of a PEI radical.

What made Hughes a trailblazer but not a feminist?  An archivist who kept so few records of her own? What made her overthrow ideas of empire for Irish republican nationalism? Return of the Wild Goose remembers (and maybe fights a bit) with a fascinating historical Prince Edward Island woman so that she won’t be forgotten.

Jane Ledwell is a writer and editor who lives in Charlottetown. She has published two previous collections of poetry, Last Tomato and Bird Calls: The Island Responds. She also co-author of Elaine Harrison: I Am an Island That Dreams and co-editor of two books of academic writing about L. M. Montgomery. Ledwell currently serves as executive director of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

Please join Island Studies Press and Jane Ledwell in celebrating this new book. For more information about the book or the launch, please contact Bren at ispstaff@upei.ca or call (902) 566-0386.

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 annual public reading by UPEI’s Creative Writing Master Class will take place on Friday, March 29 at 7:00 pm in the Carriage House of Beaconsfield Historic House, 2 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

The reading will showcase emerging and seasoned writers: Margie Carmichael, Shannon Courtney, Angela Deighan, Kandace Hagen, Rose Henbest, Robbi Henderson-Canning, Stephen Plouffe, Glenda Rodd, Carter Smith, and Monika Stewart.

These writers will take the audience to Euston Street in Charlottetown and the outback of Australia, to the realm of Faery and the New World experiences of Irish immigrants a century ago.

Their works will evoke transforming gender and sexual relationships, coming of age in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries, the challenges to mental health in stressful contexts, and the stresses that humanity is inflicting on our environment.

The reading is sponsored by the UPEI English Department. Admission is free, and everyone is 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.

The University of Prince Edward Island expresses its condolences to the entire Muslim community on the senseless crimes of hate and violence that took place in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday.

We share the shock, grief, and outrage felt around the world in the wake of this tragedy and condemn these acts that unfortunately happen far too often.

Our University celebrates and embraces diversity, one of our most intrinsic values. The campus is enriched by its inclusivity and we are stronger because of our differences. UPEI stands in solidarity with our PEI Muslim community, and, in particular, the UPEI Muslim Students Association, and send our thoughts and prayers to all those reeling from these despicable attacks on freedom of religion.

On Saturday, UPEI lowered the flags in front of Kelley Memorial Building to half-mast in honour of the victims.

UPEI’s highest priority is the well-being of students, faculty, and staff. Students needing support, please contact Treena Smith, Director of Student Affairs, at trlsmith@upei.ca or William McGuigan, UPEI Student Union President, at president@upeisu.ca.

For faculty and staff members who may require support, please contact Kathy Gottschall-Pass, Interim Vice-President Academic and Research, at kgottschall@upei.ca or Virginia Wickstrom, Manager, Human Resources at vwickstrom@upei.ca. 

As part of UPEI’s 50th 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.

Dr. Edward MacDonald’s will deliver the first lecture of the series on Tuesday, March 26 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s SDU Main Building. Dr. MacDonald’s presentation is titled “The School of Experience: A Patchwork Quilt of Informal Island Education, 1825-1965.”

While the Island’s formal education system evolved slowly and painfully across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, other, more informal modes of teaching and learning developed to answer Islanders’ educational needs. From the agricultural societies and mechanics’ institutes of the first half of the 20th century, through the farmer’s institutes that followed, to the adult education underpinning of the Antigonish Movement and the DIY ethos of community schools in the 1960s, these informal systems of education shared one characteristic: they emphasized various kinds of practical, applied learning for Islanders who found themselves outside the province’s structured educational system.

Refreshments will be provided. Everyone is 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.

From: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

News release

March 14, 2019 – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Canada is home to highly trained and creative health researchers, and the Government of Canada is proud to support their important work.

Today, while touring the research facilities at the University of Prince Edward Island, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, highlighted a recent federal investment in health research.

The $745,000 awarded to UPEI is part of a $275 million national investment to support Canadian researchers studying the full spectrum of health issues affecting the lives of Canadians. This investment in health research supports our economy and creates high-quality middle-class jobs. Every $100 million invested in health research represents 1,800 jobs for researchers and trainees.

MP Casey met with grant recipient Dr. Adam Johnston to celebrate his achievements and to learn more about his research project. Dr. Johnston is investigating whether a special cell found in small nerves in the skin could hold the answer to treating non-healing wounds, such as those experienced by people living with diabetes.

Dr. Dany MacDonald, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, Dro Adam Johnston, Mr. Sean Casey (Member of Parliament for Charlottetown), Dr. Katherine Gottschall-Pass, Dr. Nola Etkin

Quotes

“Investments in health research are some of the most important that we can make as a nation. These federally funded projects hold the potential for scientific advancements, new treatments, and improved quality of life for Canadians living with a variety of health conditions, while creating high-quality middle-class jobs at hospitals and universities across the country.”

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health

“Congratulations to Dr. Adam Johnston on receiving this funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. With this support, Dr. Johnston and his research team will be able to carry on their world-class research, bringing pride to UPEI and the promise of improved health and quality of life to Islanders.

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean and the Canadian Coast Guard

“Health research has the power to help us tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing us as a society, and Canadians should be proud of the incredible work being done from coast to coast to coast. As a researcher myself, I can say that the work is rarely glamourous—but it is always worthwhile, and I am excited to watch these CIHR-funded projects unfold.”

Michael J. Strong, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
 

"Neuropathy and wound healing deficits are two of the most common complications of type-II diabetes; however, their interrelationship has not been explored.  Here, we will investigate if the impairment in diabetic wound healing is potentially due to the loss of nervous system cells, known as Schwann cells."  

Dr. Adam P. Johnston, Assistant Professor, University of Prince Edward Island

"Dr. Johnston is an outstanding scientist, and this is a tremendous opportunity for his lab and students," said Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, president and vice-chancellor of UPEI. "I'm excited to see the collaborations this research will bring between researchers in the Faculty of Science and the Atlantic Veterinary College. This represents the building of research capacity and scope by sharing expertise. It's an exciting time at UPEI."

Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor, UPEI

Quick Facts

• The projects funded through the $275M investment are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)’s largest funding program.
  • This program, called the Project Grant program, is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential to advance health research and the health care system.
  • It supports projects of varying sizes and duration through a highly competitive and rigorous review process.
  • CIHR runs two Project Grant competitions per year.
  • The results from the latest competition were released in January 2019, and the funding ($275M) will begin on April 1, 2019.
• Eighty-two of the grants from the latest competition were awarded to early career researchers (those within the first five years of their first academic appointment).
• Eleven of the grants funded are focused on Indigenous health research. CIHR is proud to support these projects as part of its commitment to invest 4.6% of its annual budget in Indigenous health research.

Related products

• Overview of Project Grant competition results

Contacts

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Thierry Bélair

Office of Ginette Petitpas Taylor

Minister of Health

613-957-0200

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

As part of UPEI’s 50th 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.

PEI historian and folklorist John Cousins will present the second lecture in the series, entitled “Stand for Your Lessons: Educational Change and Cultural Reaction.” This illustrated talk will be Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the Eptek Centre in Summerside.

The period between 1960 and the early 1970s brought the most dramatic change in Island education since the creation of the one-room district schools in the early 1850s. The consolidation of the public schools saw the disappearance of a major element in Island culture. This presentation will examine the impact of that change on rural Island communities, on their families and on the children who were “consolidated.” Further, a main question remains to be examined: what lessons can learned by using prior experience as a guide to evaluate how elements of culture may react during dramatic, and sometimes traumatic, change?

Refreshments will be provided. 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.

Over 50 people, including many local and international students taking courses in Asian/Korean Studies attended UPEI Asian Studies’ Fifth Annual Lunch and Program Info Session in celebration of the 2019 Lunar New Year’s Day on Wednesday, February 6.

Asian Studies students, instructors, staff, and supporters were invited to enjoy this special event with lunch. Dr. Neb Kujundzic, Dean of Arts, offered a greeting, and Dr. Edward Chung, Asian Studies Director, gave a brief information talk on the program, new Korean Studies courses, and student scholarship and international opportunities. Both took the opportunity to thank students, instructors and staff and interdisciplinary program participants and supporters. For a surprise, Mandy Niu, Chinese language instructor, also performed a special “Lion Dance” in celebration of the Happy 2019 Lunar New Year!

To enjoy event photos, visit the online gallery.

This event is supported by an international  Seed Program for Korean Studies grant (AKS-2017-INC-2230001) through the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service (KSPS), the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).

Submitted by Dr. Edward Chung

The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the academic year on Sunday, March 31, at 7:30 pm at the Homburg Theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. This has been a particularly busy and musically rewarding year for the Wind Symphony, with highly successful performances throughout the fall and winter. 

This recital will feature contemporary works for the modern wind band, with several emerging masterworks of the genre. “Kokopelli’s Dance,” by American Nathan Tanouye, is the first classical composition by this predominantly jazz composer. It is a light-hearted, spirited work conveying the culture of this native legend from southwestern America. Another American, William Pitts, has written a minimalistic work, with layered sounds, trumpet fanfares, and sections alternating between atonal and swing jazz figures. Titled “Conniption,” the concept of hysteria is an appropriate emotional context for this work. “Colonial Song,” by Percy Grainger, will also be performed. It is a sentimental work conveying the land and people of the composer’s native Australia.

Soloist for this recital is tubaist Gregory B. Irvine. Dr. Irvine will be retiring in June following a twenty-nine year career as professor of brass studies at UPEI. He will be performing Edward Gregson’s “Tuba Concerto,” which consists of alternating rhythmic and lyrical themes.

This recital will be the final Wind Symphony performance for five of its graduating students. All have made significant contributions to UPEI, and the Wind Symphony in particular, throughout their undergraduate careers. They include Leah Jordan, clarinetist; Joanna McKearney, saxophonist; Justin Amador, hornist; Zachary Benard, trombonist; and, Ryan Drew, percussionist.

The UPEI Wind Symphony received the 2014 Music PEI award for Achievement in Classical Music. Under the direction of Dr. Karem J Simon, the Wind Symphony has had a progressive approach to its programming, and in reaching a wider audience. With performances throughout PEI and beyond each year, partnerships with PEI school music programs, and utilizing unique performance spaces, the Wind Symphony is among PEI's most respected large ensembles. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble. In recent years performances at Zion Presbyterian Church, St. Dunstan’s Basilica, and Park Royal United Church have attracted capacity audiences. 

Tickets ($15 for adults, $10 for student students) for this performance may be acquired in advance at UPEI’s music department and at the Confederation Centre Box Office. The public is cordially invited to attend.

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.