This Wednesday, June 27, the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) will host a public forum on Water Quality. Starting at 7 pm in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, the forum will bring together environmental and water quality experts from Ryerson University, UPEI, and the Island community. It will include presentations and discussions from Michael van den Heuvel, UPEI Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity and Ron Pushchak, a member of the Technical Experts Committee on Source Water Protection, Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

The forum is part of a bigger three-day symposium where researchers and students from Ryerson and UPEI are getting together to share different approaches to safeguarding water quality as well as managing and finding solutions to contaminated groundwater.

"I am convinced that water quality issues are the largest single environmental issue facing Islanders and Canadians. Degradation of water quality threatens our health, our economic livelihood and ensures our children will inherit a compromised natural environment," says Michael van den Heuvel. "Reversing the problems will require unrelenting effort on the part of environmental managers, scientists, and the community at large. And this Summer Symposium between UPEI and Ryerson is a start. It focuses on the exchange of knowledge and experience with regards to the deterioration of our water resources."

The Water Quality forum will feature keynote addresses, a panel discussion, and a student poster session, showcasing research by Ryerson and UPEI students.

Keynote Addresses:

Todd Dupuis, Director Regional Programs, Atlantic Salmon Federation who will present a Historical perspective on land and water interactions in PEI

Ron Pushchak, a professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson will discuss Ontario nutrient management and water quality

Garry Schneider, the Manager at the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project will talk about A holistic perspective on environmental issues

Following these speakers there will be a panel discussion moderated by Irene Novaczek, Director of UPEI's Institute of Island Studies. The panel includes Michael van den Heuvel, Daryl Guignon, a UPEI Biology professor who researches wildlife and their ecosystems on PEI, Rob Sharkie, Executive Director for the Trout River Environmental Committee and Gideon Wolfaardt, Ryerson's Canada Research Chair in Environmental Interfaces and Biofilms.

Six projects that will benefit dogs, cats, horses, and marine wildlife recently received a total of $250,000 in funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. More than 110 projects representing $2.6 million in funding have been supported by the centre since it was established in 1994.

"We are very grateful to the Friends of the Christofor Foundation for their ongoing support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre," says Dr. Alice Crook, the centre's coordinator. "This year the centre has funded four new research projects. We also renewed funding for two successful service projects, one of which provides humane dog training at the Prince Edward Island Humane Society and the other provides care for injured or orphaned marine wildlife." This year's projects, which were determined to be eligible for funding through the SJDAWC's 2007 funding competition, will be carried out by faculty and students at the Atlantic Veterinary College.

The Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre funds projects that benefit companion animals, horses, and wildlife. Since 1994, approximately 85 faculty, 12 graduate students, and hundreds of veterinary students from the Atlantic Veterinary College have been involved in animal welfare projects funded by the centre which is the only animal welfare centre of its kind in Canada. For information on the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, please visit the web site at www.upei.ca/awc.

Information on each of the six projects funded through this year's competition is provided below:

Investigation of a blood-borne parasite in wild red foxes and in dogs with anemia on PEI (Dr. Barb Horney, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, AVC)

This project is designed to study a parasite (Theileria annae) that infects red blood cells and was recently discovered in foxes on PEI. The project will also look at a possible association between infection with this parasite and anemia (decreased red blood cells) in Island dogs. T. antae is similar to another red cell parasite (Babesia gibsoni) which has been identified as a cause of anemia in dogs in many parts of the United States and in the rest of the world. Infection with babesial parasites is somewhat like malaria in people and causes anemia in animals in areas where it is common. T. annae, specifically, is associated with anemia in dogs in Spain.

Although foxes are considered a significant reservoir for T. annae in the wild, it is not known if T. annae causes disease in foxes. This parasite has not been reported as a cause of anemia in dogs in North America. Dr. Horney will investigate how common this parasite is in wild foxes, whether infected foxes show any related red blood cell disease and whether the parasite might be found in Island dogs with anemia. This project will increase knowledge about wild fox health and, if there is found to be a significant association between anemia and infection with this parasite, it will help with better understanding and treatment of anemia in dogs in the future.

Are Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus present in horses admitted to the AVC Teaching Hospital? (Dr. J McClure, Department of Health Management, AVC)

Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are two bacteria that are major causes of hospital-acquired infections in people in North America and around the world. C. difficile is the major cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients, while MRSA is the most common cause of hospital-associated infections. In the last decade, both of these organisms have been seen with increasing frequency in horses and other companion animals, and may represent a significant threat to their health and that of the people who handle them. The status of these two important disease-causing bacteria in the Atlantic provinces is unknown. It is essential to know about the occurrence of these bacteria in horses admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in order to develop sound diagnostic and treatment plans for horses suspected of suffering from infections caused by these two organisms. Furthermore, this information is important in establishing biosecurity protocols to reduce the spread of these pathogens to other horses as well as people in contact with them.

Through this project, horses that are admitted to the AVC Teaching Hospital will be screened for C. difficile and S. aureus (including MRSA) when they are admitted and discharged, through a simple swabbing procedure. Any horses that develop diarrhea or a wound infection during hospitalization will be tested for these organisms so that appropriate treatment can be started. Horses that are found to be carrying MRSA will be treated in an attempt to decolonize them. Additionally, Dr. McClure will look for any common factors in the records of any horse found to be carrying either organism, to see if there are factors that increase the risk that a horse will be a carrier.

Skeletal muscle as a source of bone and cartilage cells to improve healing in the horse (Dr. Laurie McDuffee, Department of Health Management, AVC)

Musculoskeletal injuries (particularly injuries to bone and cartilage) frequently cause the end of a horse's athletic career and possibly even the end of the horse's life. This may happen either because the horse is destroyed when it can not continue as an athlete, or because a fracture is repaired and the repair breaks down or the horse develops laminitis or another serious complication. Both bone and cartilage heal very slowly, which means lengthy recovery time after injury and/or surgery and more time for complications to occur.

A great deal of research has focused on improving bone and cartilage healing in humans. Surgeons are using bone and cartilage cells from a donor site that are grown (expanded) in cell culture and then transplanted to the site of injury. This "cell-based tissue engineering" is showing much promise in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems in people. Dr. McDuffee is looking at bone and cartilage tissue engineering for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. One critical element of cell-based tissue engineering is to identify an ideal donor source for the cells.

The purpose of this research project is to determine if equine skeletal muscle can be a donor source for skeletal stem cells, which have the ability to become many different types of skeletal tissue (tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage) depending on the environment into which they are transplanted. Dr. McDuffee has much experience with isolation and differentiation of bone stem cells from a variety of equine donor tissues, but each has particular limitations. Dr. McDuffee proposes that equine skeletal muscle will have advantages over other donor tissues, in that it is abundant in horses of all ages and easily obtainable, similar to a muscle biopsy requiring only local anesthetic. Dr. McDuffee has already shown in a pilot study that there is a high yield of stem cells from small amounts of skeletal muscle tissue, and that these can differentiate into early bone and cartilage cells. If this study confirms the ability to use equine skeletal muscle as a donor source of skeletal stem cells, this will be a breakthrough in the ability to promote healing of bone and cartilage injuries.

The effect of dietary selenium supplementation in mares and their foals

(Dr. Jeff Wichtel, Department of Health Management, AVC)

Selenium (Se) is a trace element that is essential in the diet of horses. Se deficiency is a serious problem in many parts of North America, mainly due to soil deficiency, resulting in low Se concentrations in feedstuffs grown in these soils. Foals are especially susceptible to Se deficiency, which can be seen clinically as white muscle disease and also is associated with decreased immune function in many species. In foals, septicemia (blood infection) as a result of inadequate immunity is common and often fatal.

In previous work funded by the SJDAWC, Drs. J Wichtel and T Muirhead have shown that many mares have deficient levels of Se, resulting in Se deficiency in their foals. This project will look at the effect of supplementing with Se the diets of mares, to determine if this will increase Se levels in the mares' blood, colostrum, and milk, and, consequently, in the blood of their foals. The investigators will also evaluate measures of the foals' immune response, and compare the effectiveness of supplementation with organic and inorganic Se. The goal is to correct Se deficiency in mares and foals by the most effective and practical means, and thereby improve preventive health care.

Marine wildlife rehabilitation (Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust, Department of

Pathology and Microbiology, AVC)

Marine mammals and birds such as harp and harbour seals, blue herons, northern gannets and common loons are often brought to AVC for veterinary care because of injury, disease, or (with newborns) abandonment. The treatment and rehabilitation of these animals presents a challenge because of their special diet and environmental needs. AVC faculty and staff also respond to emergency calls regarding live strandings of seals, white-sided dolphins and pilot whales, some of whom receive medical treatment in an attempt to lesson the stress and shock associated with stranding. Sometimes humane euthanasia is the best option for these animals.

This project has been funded since 1999 to provide proper veterinary care to injured, diseased, or starving marine animals. The objectives of this year's project are to maintain, and improve upon, the level of care provided to marine mammals and birds presented to the AVC Teaching Hospital and to animals stranded on the shores of PEI. This includes provision of adequate holding facilities and diet, medical treatment (including relevant laboratory tests) and euthanasia if necessary. The increased knowledge and experience that faculty, students and staff gain through the ongoing work in rehabilitation and humane care enables improved care of other marine animals.

AVC humane dog training program (Dr. Norma Guy, Department of

Biomedical Sciences, AVC)

Following upon the continued success of the AVC humane dog training program (funded since 2001), this proposal is aimed at building on the established methods developed in previous years. Veterinary students with an interest in shelter issues and dog training, and with additional training in operant conditioning, will be employed to work at the shelter on a full-time basis through the summer months, and on a part-time basis in the fall and winter. Their responsibilities will be primarily for the social enrichment and training, through positive methods, of dogs on the adoption floor. Secondary but highly significant responsibilities will include interacting with and educating potential adopters and other visitors, providing a post-adoption resource for new owners, and assisting the shelter manager in the evaluation and management of specifically identified dogs on the receiving floor. They will also respond to inquiries regarding behaviour problems in pets previously adopted from the shelter. Without the AVC humane dog training program, the PEI Humane Society would be unable to provide these important services due to a lack of adequate funding and personnel. The activities of veterinary student trainers within the shelter will directly benefit the dogs with which they interact, will help prepare potential owners for the adoption process, and will increase the basic hands-on knowledge of shelter issues and animal welfare among the AVC student population.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Alice Crook, Coordinator, Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (902)628-4360

Charlotte McCardle, External Relations, AVC (902) 566-0533

Rows and rows of pushpinned insects, collected over the last century, are tucked in drawers or hidden away on shelves at many Maritime museums and universities. These collections hold valuable ecological information that a unique University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) research collaboration is working to get off the shelves and into an accessible online database, supported by a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).

Dr. Donna Giberson, from the Department of Biology at UPEI, and Dr. Dave McCorqudale, from Cape Breton University, are coordinatingand curating these massive collections from over 20 research institutions. This study will significantly increase knowledge about Maritime insects and, in particular, about the presence of invasive insects, vulnerability of insects due to human activities, and conservation of insects and their habitats.

"It's exciting to have support from NSERC because it allows us, for the first time, to comprehensively look at over a hundred years of collection work," says Giberson. "Surveying these historic insect collections is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you'll findand#151;a species new to science or that first record of an invasive species. For example, this study could help us identify insects, even our common bumblebees and lady bugs that are being knocked out of our region by aggressive invaders."

As a result of the 2007 NSERC competition, over 3,000 professors from across Canada will receive $458.8 million in Discovery Grants to support the technical and training aspects of their research. "These awards will help ensure that this country's best and brightest professors can continue their work and their contribution to the prosperity and well-being of all Canadians," says Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for NSERC.

Six other UPEI researchers were also awarded Discovery Grants this year. "We are proud of Dr. Giberson and all our recipients of the highly-sought-after NSERC Discovery Grant. Securing research funding is increasingly competitive in Canada and UPEI's researchers continue to demonstrate that they are leaders in their fields," says Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice President of Research and Development.

Other UPEI researchers to recently receive Discovery Grants are Dr. Rabin Bissessur, Department of Chemistry, Dr. Frederick Kibenge, Department of Pathology/Microbiology, Dr. Sheldon Opps, Department of Physics, Dr. Daniel Ryan, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Marina Silva, Department of Biology, and Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity, Departments of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Currently, there are 38 faculty members with Discovery Grants at UPEI. For more information on the 2007 Discovery Grant winners please see the research summaries below.

________________________________

Research Summaries

UPEI Researchers to receive NSERC Discovery Grants in 2007

Dr. Rabin Bissessur

Dr. Bissessur's research includes the development of nanocomposites for use in lithium rechargeable batteries like those found in cell phones. He also studies the use of specific types of nanocomposites to help remove sulfur from petroleum products which would lead to lower processing costs and reduce sulfur oxide emissions into the environment. He also plans to prepare hybrid materials that could possess high mechanical strength that may have industrial applications such as in the construction of car parts.

Dr. Donna Giberson

Other benefits from Dr. Giberson's NSERC-supported research highlighted above include the practical cost-saving approach and increased training opportunities. By looking at insects that have already been collected, Giberson is saving money. It is expensive to go out into to the field collect insects. The study will also help to train taxonomists that can continue to recognize new invasions of insects and continue to carry out biodiversity work.

Dr. Giberson is a freshwater ecologist who works in the Maritimes and Canadian Arctic. She conducts research on the life history, diversity, and habitat patterns of aquatic insects; the effects of natural and human-caused disturbance on streams; and works with local community groups on stream projects.

Dr. Frederick Kibenge

A world-leading animal virologist, Dr. Kibenge leads the Centre for Marine and Aquatic Resources at UPEI. He is working to develop a critical mass of expertise required to safeguard the marine resources that make up a major portion of Atlantic Canada's economy. Dr. Kibenge's laboratory is also an OIE Reference Laboratory for Infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in North America. ISAV is a very important fish virus in the aquaculture industry and there is continued interest in understanding the biology of this virus.

Dr. Sheldon Opps

Dr. Opps investigates the properties of polymeric substances such as liquid crystals and membranes. These systems have widespread applications including in thin-film technology, copier/reproduction technologies, the use of biofilms in soil remediation processes, and can offer biomedical insight into the protein folding process. As part of the NSERC Discovery Grant, he studies how the structure of a solvent affects the stability of a monolayer and the mechanisms behind particular types of polymer collapse. This is may help improve understanding surrounding the function of lung surfactant monolayers and could shed light on the mechanisms responsible for Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a condition where there is insufficient surfactant lining the alveoli in the lungs of premature infants.

Dr. Dan Ryan

Dr. Ryan investigates the application and development of statistical techniques related to the life sciences. Extracting information from data, he has collaborated on the classification and identification of changes in coral habitat on the Great Barrier Reef, size selective mortality in wild Atlantic salmon, and novel monitoring techniques for bees.

Dr. Marina Silva

A terrestrial ecologist with research interests in conservation biology, Dr. Silva investigates ecological patterns and processes on a large spatial scale. She focuses on habitat fragmentation and its effect on the abundance and diversity of mammal and amphibian populations. Fragmentation caused by agriculture, highways, and other types of roads are a key component of her research.

Dr. Michael van den Heuvel

A Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity, Dr. van den Heuvel studies the effects of agriculture and chemical-use on freshwater and coastal environments. His focus is the endocrine responses, immunotoxicology, and population health of fish. His NSERC-funded research will explore the sensitivity of three diverse fish species to compounds that mimic or interfere with male sex hormones. Recent research has indicated that environmental androgens, a group of male sex hormones that stimulate the development of male characteristics, associated with pesticides, veterinary remedies and complex effluents such as those from municipal sewage and pulp and paper mills have been observed in the environment. There are aspects of androgens that are specific to fishes and this may make fishes more or less susceptible to its effects than either birds or mammals. This research is expected to result in new fundamental knowledge about the potential impacts of androgens in the environment.

The recently-elected government in PEI won't bring its budget down until later this summer but the Board of Governors at the University of Prince Edward Island isn't waiting until then to confirm a major decrease in tuition costs. The Board has just approved tuition cuts of 10 per cent for graduate and undergraduate programs, making UPEI one of the most competitive universities in the region.

"The cost of education at UPEI has always been good value. Implementing this 10 per cent cut gives our University even more of a competitive edge. It means our tuition will be substantially lower than the average at Maritime universities," said the Chair of the UPEI Board of Governors, Fred Hyndman. "We are especially pleased to include graduate students who are key to the growth of UPEI and to an innovative economy in the region."

The cuts are backed by a pre-budget financial commitment from the PEI Minister of Education Gerard Greenan and they follow a previous announcement by UPEI that it is offering $50,000 in new scholarships and awards for graduate students this year.

"This acknowledges the important role that graduate students play in the research and campus communities," said Colleen MacDougall, president of the UPEI Graduate Student Association. "As a growing body on campus, our organization is encouraged to know that our distinct needs are being recognized by the Province and by the University."

"This announcement also strengthens UPEI's appeal as a great small university for all incoming students," said fourth-year math student Lucas Squires who is the coordinator of new student orientation at UPEI.

UPEI placed fifth in the 2006 Maclean's rankings of 21 primarily undergraduate universities, and was Canada's top university for student-faculty interaction in the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" and#150; that famous quote by Winston Churchill is one that retired accounting professor Ab Ferris is fond of repeating. He uses it when he talks about the $100,000 gift that he and his wife Kathleen have just made to the new UPEI School of Business Administration through the Building a Legacy Campaign. Ab Ferris taught in the School of Business for 27 years and Kathleen Ferris graduated from the UPEI Faculty of Arts in 1991.

"My wife and I are making this gift because we can, and because we should. We are doing it for UPEI students, present and future. When I taught at UPEI I always believed in putting the students first. Our donation to the University is another way of doing just that," says Ab Ferris.

"Ab was loved and respected by our business students as a demanding teacher who was committed to high levels of achievement. We are extremely grateful to Ab and Kathleen for their generous gift to our new school. The support of our former faculty and students is very important to us," says Dean of Business Roberta MacDonald.

Ab Ferris obtained the designation of FCA (Fellow of Chartered Accountants) in 1995 for his outstanding contribution to education. He is now Executive Director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of PEI. In recognition of the Ferris family's commitment to UPEI, the executive boardroom in the new School of Business will be named the Albert M. Ferris Executive Boardroom.

The UPEI School of Business Administration is expanding to include new research centres, create industry partnerships, and develop new educational offerings. It is introducing new undergraduate streams in Entrepreneurship and Biotechnology Management, Executive Education programming, and an MBA program has been proposed for 2008. To accommodate these developments, a new 50,000 square foot facility is under construction on campus. The building features a contemporary design, increased meeting space, modern technologies throughout, and more space for School of Business Administration initiatives. It is scheduled to open at the end of this year. More information is available at business.upei.ca.

July 11, 2007

Researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island are pursuing answers to the challenges presented by invasive species in Island waters.

"Over the past two decades, the number of aquatic invasive species has grown in PEI waters," says Dr. Jeff Davidson who leads the shellfish research group at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI. "Invasive species such as tunicates cause monumental challenges to the Island mussel industry. Species like the green crab threaten native habitats and coastal biodiversity. It is critical that we learn as much as we can about aquatic invasive species and apply this knowledge to their early detection, control, and mitigation."

Research into invasive aquatic species is taking place at the University in different forms. Dr. Davidson's shellfish research group and Dr. Russell Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products in UPEI's faculty of science, are working on a project in association with the PEI Aquaculture Alliance which recently received funding through ACOA's Atlantic Innovation Fund. Through this project UPEI researchers will work to provide insight on sustainable and efficient methods of managing tunicates and their impact on the mussel industry. Goals of this research project include: improving detection and characterization methods, identifying active compounds to prevent invasive species proliferation, and developing and implementing mitigation measures.

This research will provide innovative methods of tunicate diagnosis, prevention, and treatment by making use of new technologies and methods that, unlike numerous attempts at reducing other aquatic invasive species, are shown to be environmentally sound and sustainable.

Other researchers from AVC's shellfish research group, Dr. Ahmed Siah and Sarah Clark, are developing novel molecular tests to accurately and efficiently monitor for tunicates at their earliest developmental stages.

Dr. Kerr, along with Dr. Syd Withers, will also lead a team of researchers within UPEI's department of chemistry in collecting marine invertebrates and algae from the waters in Atlantic Canada and generating a library of semi-purified fractions which will be used to locate a tunicate anti-fouling bioactive compound. Once a compound is adequately evaluated, the UPEI research team will collaborate with Nautilus Biosciences to find efficient and sustainable production methods.

Dr. Pedro Quijon of UPEI's biology department works in close collaboration with colleagues at the AVC shellfish lab to study the range and interactions of the European green crab in Island waters. The green crabs are predators that threaten native habitats (such as eel grass beds) and coastal biodiversity. "In the absence of its natural competitors, predators and parasites, the green crab has been able to thrive in virtually every location worldwide into which it has been introduced," explains Dr. Quijon. "It is an eager predator that is a cause of concern for PEI's aquaculture and fishery which are two large components of the Island economy and culture."

Dr. Quijon's research team is focused on understanding the mechanisms used by green crabs to successfully out-compete native crab species and its ability to efficiently forage on small soft shell clams or quahogs. The team's work has been in progress for a year at various coastal sites around PEI.

"We're pleased to see the Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture promote public awareness of aquatic invasive species," says Davidson. "The arrival and spread of these species has negatively impacted sectors of the aquaculture industry and our ecosystem. We look forward to finding the answers needed to control them as best possible."

Joy Ikede, International Student Advisor at the University of Prince Edward Island, has received regional recognition for her commitment to student services. At the 2007 Atlantic Association of College and University Student Services Conference she was presented with The Carol's Creed Award. This annual award was established in 2003 in recognition of the outstanding dedication of the late Carol Jordan who was a long-serving member of the student services staff at the University of New Brunswick. The award is presented to an individual who has shown infectious enthusiasm for the profession of services to students through a commitment to health, well being, love, and laughter in her connection with students and colleagues on a personal level.

When she accepted the award, Ikede said, Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be given such an honour. I did not have the opportunity to meet Carol in person, but from all accounts, she was quite a lady. My prayer is that having received this award, I am able to honour her memory by doing my best in my job.

Joy Ikede provides information, support, and advice to the increasing numbers of international students attending UPEI.. She acts as a resource in navigating the legal, academic, and cultural challenges of living as a student in a new country.

The University of Prince Edward Island is saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. John Tougas Croteau of South Bend, Indiana. Dr. Croteau was a former professor at Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan's, and one of the fathers of Prince Edward Island's credit union and co-op movement. In recognition of his distinguished service in the credit union and cooperative movements, he received an honorary degree from UPEI in 1976. He died July 17 at the age of 97 after an extended illness.

Born March 10, 1910, in Holbrook, MA, Dr. Croteau was educated in Worcester, MA, earning his BA (1931) at Holy Cross College and his Master's (1932) and Doctorate (1935) in Economics from Clark University. He began his career in 1933 at Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan's courtesy of the philanthropic Carnegie Corporation of New York who gave funding to set up a regional library and endow the Carnegie Chair of Economics and Sociology to be shared between the two institutions. Over the next 12 years he also served as Director of Adult Education Programs, Manager of the Credit Union League and the PEI Cooperative Union, and Executive Secretary of the Adult Education League. For his tireless labor on behalf of working families, he became known in Canada as "The Apostle of the Co-operative Movement."

Says his niece, well-known heritage activist Catherine Hennessey, "John left me a wonderful personal legacy. He was always encouraging people to write down what they knew, so we wouldn't lose our heritage. He'd always say to me, and#145;Publish it! Publish it! Publish it!' His words haunt me to this day!"

While in PEI, he and fellow co-operative organizer Bram Chandler were the main proponents of the Antigonish Movement, a co-operative movement founded by Father Moses Coady St. F X's Extension Department. For years, Croteau and Chandler spent much of their time travelling the Island's clay roads, organizing kitchen meetings, distributing library and co-operative materials, and promoting credit unions and co-operatives. According to author Marian Bruce in her history of Prince of Wales College, A Century of Excellence, by 1937 there were 338 study groups across the province, with 4,300 members. "Credit unions and co-operatives sprang up like dandelions in the spring. In a dark time, they gave people hope."

Dr. Croteau left Prince Edward Island around 1946 to take up teaching positions at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Catholic University in Washington, DC, before settling at Notre Dame in 1953, Professor Croteau. At various times he was a consultant to the US Bureau of Federal Credit Unions, the Social Security Administration, Director of the Canadian Political Science Association as well as Director of the Credit Union National Association. In addition to these national positions, between 1960 and 1969 he was President of the Board of Directors of the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.

In 1955 he testified before the powerful Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. Congress to advocate retention of the federal income tax-exempt status of credit unions, a concession they still enjoy today. This moment he called ". . . probably the highlight of my career."

Professor Croteau was a prodigious scholar. He wrote four major books: A Regional Library and its Readers (1940) with Henry Chandler; Cradled in the Waves: The Story of a People's Cooperative Achievement in Economic Betterment on Prince Edward Island (1951); The Federal Credit Union: Policy and Practice (1956); and The Economics of the Credit Union (1963), which was translated into Spanish (1965), Korean (1966) and Portuguese (1968) and became a classic in its field. Cradled in the Waves is still a major Prince Edward Island reference book, as well as two booklets he wrote: The Farmers' Bank of Rustico: An Early People's Bank (published in the mid-1950s) and The Acadian Grain Banks of Prince Edward Island (1955).

In addition, he produced over 20 monographs on credit union topics, 30 articles in professional journals as well as numerous book reviews. His active publishing and scholarly conference presentations continued for over a decade after his retirement from Notre Dame (1975) and a one-year appointment during 1975and#150;76 as Chair of the Department of Business Administration and Economics at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame. During the 1990s he served as consultant on Working Together: Two Centuries of Co-operation in Prince Edward Island by Marian Bruce and Elizabeth Cran (Island Studies Press, 2004).

Respected by colleagues and students alike, he was awarded two other honorary doctorates besides UPEI's: from St. Joseph's University (1956) and the University of Moncton (1976).

Says Wade MacLauchlan, President of UPEI, who visited Dr. Croteau in South Bend in March 2002, "Dr. Croteau was proud of his Prince Edward Island associations and achievements. When I visited he recounted PEI stories from seventy years ago. He was very good at keeping his mind sharp, including writing regular, witty letters, and learning to play the banjo in his nineties."

Always the professor and economist, his last words were a repetition of the final words of the eighteenth century philosopher, Adam Smith, the father of modern Economics, who is reputed to have said: "This meeting is adjourned. It seems as if we must continue this conversation in another place." His life will be celebrated in a memorial Mass Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in South Bend where he was a long-time parishioner. He will be buried in Summerside, alongside his beloved first wife, Gertrude D. Gallant, who died in 1961.

Lots of smiles and laughter will be the order this weekend as over 500 alumni of UPEI, St Dunstan's University (SDU), and Prince of Wales College (PWC) are expected to take part in reunion gatherings during UPEI's Summer Reunion Weekend, July 27-29.

The always popular UPEI Alumni golf tournament, with over 140 golfers, tees off at 7:30am on Friday at Fox Meadow Golf and Country Club. The SDU Classes of '52, '57, '61 '62 and '67, as well as the PWC Class of 1947, will be gathering at their meet and greet receptions during the weekend.

The campus will be busy Friday night with the 23rd Annual SDU Alumni Mass is at 7:30 at the Steel Recital Hall, followed by a reception in McMillan Hall of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

The 20-year reunion reception for the UPEI class of 1987, as well as the Engineers of '87, starts at 8pm. Events wrap up on Friday evening with an alumni dance at The Wave, the campus lounge in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

Campus Tours are available at noon on Friday and Saturday starting at the steps of historic Main Building.

All Welshmen are invited to the PWC Luncheon on Sunday, July 29 at 1pm in McMillan Hall of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. Jumpin' Jack Proude, PWC '47 and Robert Acorn, PWC'48, will share their memories of days at PWC and UPEI. President Wade MacLauchlan will also address the luncheon.

For more information contact: Alf Blanchard, UPEI Alumni Officer at 566-0761, cell 393-3711, or alumni@upei.ca.

The provincial government announced today that, beginning in September, all full-time Island students in their first and second year at UPEI will receive a new provincial grant of $400 through the enhanced Island Student Awards program. Third- and fourth-year students will continue to receive a $600 bursary each year.

This announcement is the second piece of good news for students in the past month. On July 4, the UPEI Board of Governors announced that the University had cut undergraduate and graduate tuition rates for the upcoming academic year by ten per cent.

"This is great news for UPEI, and for current and future students. UPEI tuition is already the lowest of any Maritime university. These substantial awards make UPEI an even better value, together with a premium quality education, for students who are entering, returning or transferring," says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan.

Education Minister Gerard Greenan noted that the new programs will provide students with up to $2,000 in provincial government grants over the course of their programs. “The awards are an incentive for Island students to stay at home to study and to complete their programs. These new and enhanced programs, which are more generous and fair, will make it easier for more Island students to access the high quality post-secondary programs available here on the Island,” he said.

Students do not have to apply for the awards. They will receive letters from the provincial government in early December advising them that the grant has been deposited in their tuition accounts.

Minister Greenan said planning will begin soon to implement the New Beginnings program in September, 2008. This new program will provide Island students entering UPEI with a $2,000 grant.