Dr. Gisli Sigurdsson, professor of folklore at the University of Iceland, will give a public lecture called “Getting Islanders Back Home” on Thursday, May 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Main Building Faculty Lounge at the University of Prince Edward Island.

There is no charge to attend the lecture, and light refreshments will be served with compliments of the Dean of Arts.

“We know all too well about Islanders leaving home--for work, education or adventure. But what about Islanders coming back, not for short visits or for retirement but to work, raise families and add value to the island of their birth?” says Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI.

“There is one particular island which manages to bring back most of its own: this is Iceland. How does it do it, luring so many of its Islanders back 'from away'? What are the lessons to other population-losing jurisdictions like Prince Edward Island?”

Dr. Sigurdsson is an accomplished and noted research professor at the prestigious Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, where he has worked since 1990. He also teaches in the Department of Folklore at the University of Iceland. He has studied at universities in Iceland, Ireland, and at the University of Manitoba where he served as visiting associate professor.

A well-known and prodigious authority on Icelandic Sagas and related oral traditions, Dr. Sigurdsson has lectured at Georgetown University, University of Maryland, the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Manitoba, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He has also lectured at University of Prince Edward Island.

He has written several books and articles focusing on the Eddas, Sagas, and Icelandic folklore in Iceland and in Canada. He has also taught adult education courses about Icelandic emigration to North America and the Gaelic influence in Iceland.

Dr. Sigurdsson is also visiting P.E.I. for the occasion of the launching of the Vinland Society on the Island.

For more information, please contact Dr. Baldacchino at (902) 566-0909 or gbaldacchino@upei.ca.

AVC Vet Camp has been recognized as the Best Community Outreach Program in Canada by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE).

CCAE is a volunteer-led organization that promotes excellence in educational advancement. Its membership is made up of universities, colleges, institutes and independent schools from across Canada.

'We are very proud to receive this prestigious honor,' says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College and founder of AVC Vet Camp. 'Many within the AVC community have been instrumental in the delivery of AVC Vet Camp over the past ten years. Their commitment and passion for providing a unique, hands-on learning opportunity for our young people is nothing short of outstanding.'

Judges in the Best Community Outreach Category for the CCAE's 2008 PRIX D'EXCELLENCE awards program recently selected AVC Vet Camp to receive its top prize - the Gold Award. The PRIX D'EXCELLENCE awards program is assessed by CCAE colleagues and external professional judges. The 2008 PRIX D'EXCELLENCE Gold Award will be presented in Kelowna, British Columbia in June at CCAE's annual conference.

Judges' comments regarding AVC Vet Camp were very positive, recognizing the impact of 'a highly successful and focused program which extends the College community outward.' Judges also recognized that the continued success of AVC Vet Camp was due to 'an impressive commitment on the part of AVC staff and students…a real team effort, with excellent results maintained from year to year.' Describing AVC Vet Camp as 'the perfect program for the intended audience,' judges also praised the Camp as being 'admirably responsive to their market, hands-on and realistic.' Finally, judges recognized that 'the international reach of this small college's initiative is particularly impressive.'

'AVC Vet Camp requires a tremendous amount of organization and planning. And every moment is worth it. Each year we hear from AVC Vet Campers and their parents that we have helped make dreams come true,' says Ogilvie. 'This is what AVC Vet Camp is all about - turning dreams into reality.'

AVC Vet Camp celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Since its development, AVC Vet Camp has provided students in grades 7, 8 and 9 with a passion for veterinary medicine, animals and science to experience what the life of a veterinarian is truly like. As the only veterinary-based camp in Canada, AVC Vet Camp has attracted participants from as far away as Australia and Saudi Arabia.

The creative work of the UPEI departments of Integrated Promotions and Advancement has been recognized nationally by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE). Judges from the 2008 PRIX D’EXCELLENCE program selected UPEI for a silver award for a flyer that promotes the UPEI Annual Fund campaign to young alumni.

The full-colour flyer features graphic design and original illustrations by Integrated Promotions’ designers that depict the major buildings on the UPEI campus. Judges praised the design for its effectiveness in attracting the attention of alumni through the creative use of familiar images. They also commended the writing style on the front of the flyer.

CCAE is a volunteer-led organization that promotes excellence in educational advancement. Its membership is made up of universities, colleges, institutes and independent schools from across Canada.

The PRIX D’EXCELLENCE awards program is assessed by CCAE colleagues and external professional judges. The 2008 PRIX D’EXCELLENCE Silver Award will be presented to UPEI in Kelowna, British Columbia in June at CCAE’s annual conference.

The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to announce that Dr. Darren Bardati, from Bishop's University, will take on the role of Director of Environmental Studies in July 2008.

As Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Geography, Bardati has taught at Bishop's University since 1996. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke where he supervises graduate students in their Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment.

'I'm very excited to move to PEI, and to develop productive relations with faculty, students and staff, as well as various levels of government and community groups on and off the Island, in order to add to the good work that is being accomplished in the area of environmental studies,' says Bardati.

Bardati's research focuses on human interactions in, and relationship to, the natural environment, especially the involvement of 'ordinary people' in environmental planning and management decisions. He has published on such diverse topics as forest land use, boating conflicts on recreational lakes, landowner involvement in utility corridor management, residents' perceptions of walkability on urban streets, environmental impact assessment and environmental auditing. In 2007-08, he was awarded a research grant from the Québec government to study local participation in watershed management.

Bardati earned his PhD in Geography (Natural Resources) at McGill University where he examined the logging conflicts in British Columbia. He currently serves as the vice-president of the Eastern Townships Research Centre and as the Canadian representative on the executive board of the Association of American Geographers, Northeast division, and sits on the international advisory board of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.

'The University of PEI looks forward to Dr. Bardati's arrival and his contribution to the further development of a vibrant Environmental Studies program,' says Dr. Christian Lacroix, Dean of the Faculty of Science.

UPEI's environmental studies program takes an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary liberal arts and sciences approach to the theory, research and practice of environmental sustainability. This "ecology across the curriculum" method encourages addressing ecological issues, themes and perspectives across the full range of academic subjects; courses are offered in 16 different departments across the faculties of Arts, Science, Education and Business.

For more information on the Environmental Studies program, visit http://www.upei.ca/environment/

The Atlantic Veterinary College is proud to announce that Dr. Greg Keefe, Professor of Dairy Health Management with the College's Department of Health Management, and Director of Maritime Quality Milk has been named to the Production Expert Scientific Advisory Committee (PESAC) of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

The role of the PEAC is to review research proposals in light of research priorities and recommend those deemed worthy of funding to the Board of Directors of the Dairy Farmers of Canada. The objective of the Funding Program of the Dairy Farmers of Canada is to gain a better understanding of the issues, which limit the efficiency of the Canadian dairy farm.

Dr. Keefe is one of seven committee members selected from leaders in the Canadian scientific community representing the different specialties involved in dairy production research. Dr. Keefe holds a DVM and MBA in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and an MSc from UPEI. In addition, Dr. Keefe has been the lead investigator or major contributor to research projects valued at approximately $4.5 million in the last five years.

'The Dairy Farmers of Canada is a leading funding body of dairy research in Canada,' says Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of AVC. 'It is a well-deserved honor that Dr. Keefe be selected to provide advice on their research program. The selection is a testament to the excellent work being done by Dr. Keefe, his research and service team at Maritime Quality Milk.'

Maritime Quality Milk is a regional research and service centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College, which focuses on milk quality and milk-based disease surveillance. Six initial research projects are underway examining mastitis diagnostic tools in the laboratory and on-farm, as well as milk-based diagnosis of Johne's disease, gastrointestinal parasite burdens and antimicrobial resistance. For more information on Maritime Quality Milk, visit www.milkquality.ca.

Proud parents, families and friends filled the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on Saturday, May 10, to share Convocation Day, the biggest event of the academic year, with the largest-ever graduating class at UPEI.

Over 820 students received their degrees, diplomas and certificates during two ceremonies, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Honorary degrees were conferred upon Wayne Gray and James Carter during the morning ceremony, and Nona Macdonald Heaslip and Joe Ng during the afternoon ceremony. Gray gave the convocation speech to graduates at the morning event, and Macdonald Heaslip addressed those at the afternoon ceremony.

Lindsay Belmonte Renzullo, who received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree at convocation, gave the valedictory address in the morning, and Tricia Fleming, who was awarded her bachelor of science degree in biology, spoke at the afternoon convocation.

"Today we gather with each other for one last time to celebrate our accomplishments," said Renzullo. "Today marks the end of a very significant phase in life and the beginning of the next important chapter. I have no doubt that the University of Prince Edward Island has prepared us all properly to leave as graduates with the skills to learn, aptitude to succeed and the abilities and creativity to make a difference.

In her address, Fleming told fellow graduates that they should be proud to be receiving a degree from "such an extraordinary university."

"In fact, we should be gracious to be receiving a degree at all. University graduates are the minority in the world, thus, we have a responsibility to help make the world a better place through using our gift. Therefore, as one journey ends, another begins. Our time at UPEI has hopefully shaped our lives for the better in preparation for the new journey ahead of us."

The Class of 2008 included the first group of teachers from Fort McMurray, Alberta, to complete the requirements for their Master of Education in Leadership in Learning degrees. Of the 24 successful graduates, 11 attended the convocation ceremony on Saturday. As well, five graduates were the first to receive their Bachelor of Education in Human Resource Development.

During the morning ceremony, the following degrees and diplomas were awarded: bachelor of education; bachelor of education in French immersion; bachelor of business administration; bachelor of business administration (co-operative education); bachelor of business administration (honours); bachelor of business administration in tourism and hospitality; bachelor of business administration in tourism and hospitality (co-operative education); bachelor of science in nursing; bachelor of science of applied science in radiography; radiography post-diploma degree; doctor of veterinary medicine; master of science; master of veterinary medicine; master of veterinary science; master of applied health services research; master of arts in island studies; master of education; doctor of philosophy; diploma in inclusive education diploma; and diploma in public administration.

Students attending the afternoon ceremony received the following degrees and diplomas: bachelor of arts; bachelor of arts (honours); bachelor of music; bachelor of music education; bachelor of science; bachelor of science (honours); bachelor of science (co-operative education); and diploma in engineering.

For the class lists, click here.

Photo: Proud Class of 2008 graduates Jill Youland, science, and Willy Gauthier, business.

As part of the 2008 Dr. Frank MacKinnon Lecture Series, Dr. Wendy Kline, associate professor of history at the University of Cincinnati, will give a talk called 'Surveying the Women's Health Movement: Technology, Research and Reading Our Bodies, Ourselves' at the University of Prince Edward Island on Saturday, May 17, at 4 p.m.

The Dr. Frank MacKinnon Lecture will take place in the K.C. Irving (KCI) Building's lecture theatre (Room 104) at UPEI in conjunction with a 'Women, History and Technology' conference organized by the Canadian Committee on Women's History (Atlantic Region) on May 16 and 17. Members of the audience are invited to meet Kline at a reception in the KCI foyer following her presentation.

Kline will speak about the impact that the book, Our Bodies, Ourselves, has had on women's knowledge about and attitudes toward their bodies. From its first publication as a stapled newsprint booklet in 1970 to its latest Russian re-edition in 2007, Our Bodies, Ourselves, a book about women's health and sexuality, has grown in popularity and influence throughout North America and the world. It is produced by Our Bodies Ourselves, a non-profit organization formerly known as the Boston Women's Health Book Collective.

Kline's lecture is part of her second book project entitled Taking Their Bodies Back: A History of the Women's Health Movement. She will talk about how web-based research tools can be used in innovative ways to evaluate the social impact of Our Bodies, Ourselves.

With assistance from the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University (2001), she created a web-based research survey that allowed her to reach a diverse group of respondents. Using the online survey, she is studying the social and cultural factors that led to the first publication of Our Bodies, Ourselves. Survey participants tell how the book, and its subsequent editions, influenced their perceptions of women's health and wellness.

Kline received her PhD from the University of California-Davis in 1998. The winner of many awards and research grants, she is an expert in the history of women's health, medicine and popular culture in the 20th century. She is the author of Building a Better Race: Gender, Sexuality, and Eugenics from the Turn of the Century to the Baby Boom (University of California Press, 2001).

The Dr. Frank MacKinnon Lecture Series is sponsored by the Confederation Centre of the Arts and the University of Prince Edward Island. Named in honour of the late Dr. Frank MacKinnon, a leader in the Island's education system and in the establishment of the Confederation Centre, the series features leading personalities and focuses on issues of national interest in Canada such as public policy, the arts, and sciences and humanities.

The Canadian Committee on Women’s History (Atlantic Region) invites regional scholars and members of the public to participate in a conference called “Women, History and Technology” at the University of Prince Edward Island on May 16 and 17.

The conference is organized around the issue of how technology has shaped women's lives and how historians have addressed this issue in their teaching and research.

Presentations will revolve around women’s history and the production of historical knowledge, and the history of women and technology unfolding around them. Some papers assess the impact of distributed learning on women in rural economies, and others will discuss the implications and possibilities of the Internet for feminist research.

Some of the key questions that will be discussed include: How is technological “progress” defined, and how are the benefits of this progress distributed? Is there a “gender gap” in the adoption and use of new media technology in the research and writing done at universities, for government, or in the community? In what ways have new technologies played a positive role to help share ideas and data, make women-focussed research easier, or helped support teaching activities?

The conference will feature prominent historians from Canada and the U.S., including Joy Parr, Canada Research Chair in Culture, Technology and Risk, University of Western Ontario; Margaret Conrad, Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canadian History, University of New Brunswick; and Wendy Kline, Associate Professor of History, University of Cincinnati. Other presenters are drawn from the regional heritage community, government, NGO and academic sectors.

“This conference will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars with teachers, researchers and community workers, to foster what we hope will be some thought-provoking and inspiring discussions,” says Lisa Chilton, of the UPEI History Department, and one of the conference organizers.

Co-organizers are Sharon Myers, also a professor of history at UPEI, and Sasha Mullally, Hannah Post-doctoral Fellow in the History of Medicine at Saint Mary's University, Halifax.

The conference will be held in UPEI’s New Residence’s meeting room on the Friday night and in K.C. Irving 104 on Saturday. Registration is $50, with a $30 fee for students. For more information, please contact Sharon Myers at shmyers@upei.ca or Sasha Mullally at sasha.mullally@smu.ca.

The province of New Brunswick will partner with the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) to build a new $2.36-million fish-health laboratory in the Bay of Fundy.

Premier Shawn Graham made the announcement this week, joining Agriculture and Aquaculture Minister Ronald Ouellette and UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan to sign a co-operation agreement between the province and the Atlantic Veterinary College for the construction and use of the new laboratory.

'We're very pleased to partner with the Atlantic Veterinary College, which will position New Brunswick at the forefront of aquatic animal health science,' Graham said. 'Investments in fish health are essential for the aquaculture industry to continue to be an important player in the objective of New Brunswick achieving self-sufficiency by 2026.'

The province of New Brunswick's contribution to the project is $1.82 million. The Atlantic Veterinary College will provide $535,000, as part of a Canadian Foundation for Innovation grant, toward construction cost of the new facility.

The Atlantic Veterinary College, the region's only veterinary college, has a global reputation for aquatic veterinary medicine, particularly for the practical applications to health and productivity concerns facing aquatic-food-animal producers in Atlantic Canada.

'The Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI and the Government of New Brunswick have shared a strong partnership aimed at improving aquaculture health for almost two decades,' MacLauchlan said. 'We are proud to be moving our collaboration to this next level, and look forward to the educational, research, service and industry benefits that will result from today's agreement.'

The agreement recognizes the long history of collaboration between the college and the Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture with respect to training veterinarians and graduate students, and serving the industry through research to solve fish-health issues.

'This agreement is a good example of our efforts to collaborate in supporting the sustainability of the aquaculture and fishing industries in New Brunswick,' Ouellette said. 'Healthy fish stocks are conducive to farm productivity and economic competitiveness, which in turn lead to investor confidence in New Brunswick's aquaculture industry.'

The new laboratory will be built in St. George, New Brunswick and will be about 513 sq. metres (5,700 sq. ft.) in size. It will provide space for fish necropsies; diagnostic sample collection; preparation and storage; bacteriology and virology processing; disinfection capabilities; and data entry and processing stations.

Construction will begin in the spring of 2008, with completion expected in late fall.

Photo: New Brunswick Agriculture and Aquaculture Minister Ronald Ouellette, UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan, New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) was saddened to learn of the death of President Emeritus, Dr. C.W.J. Eliot, C.M., on Tuesday, May 20.

Dr. Eliot passed away at the Sackville Hospital, after suffering a stroke at his home in Dorchester, New Brunswick, last month.

Dr. Eliot served as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1985 to 1995, and was named President Emeritus in 1996. He was the third person to serve as president since UPEI was created in 1969. He also taught classics at UPEI from 1985 to 1997.

Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in 1928, Dr. Eliot had a prolific professional career as a classicist, especially in Greek history and archaeology. After receiving his BA, MA and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto, he attended the American School of Classical Studies in Athens from 1952 to 1957 where he did graduate research.

He taught and held numerous academic and administrative positions at universities in Greece and Canada including UPEI, Mount Allison University, University of British Columbia, American School of Classical Studies and the University of Toronto. He was the author of a number of books and articles on fifth-century Athens and 19th-century English travelers to Greece, and was involved in numerous professional and learned societies, including the Classical Association of Canada, Archaeological Institute of America, Canadian Association of University Teachers, Society of the Study of Architecture in Canada, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, Association of Atlantic Universities, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

His advice and counsel on academic issues was highly valued and often requested. He provided a strong public voice on issues pertaining to the state of Canadian education and the plight of Canadian students.

An active member of the Prince Edward Island community, Dr. Eliot was intensely interested in the Island's heritage and architecture. He served on a number of committees and boards, including the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, Government House Committee, City of Charlottetown Heritage Review Board, P.E.I. Archaeological Review Board, P.E.I. Council of the Arts and the Ministerial Steering Committee on Culture.

Dr. Eliot was accorded many honours during his career. In 1992, he received the commemorative medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada for his involvement in so many aspects of Canadian life and his determination to preserve Canadian culture and history. In 1993 he received the Lescarbot Award (regional) from the Government of Canada, and also the Prix Nicole Raymond from the federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations. In 1994, he joined the prestigious ranks of the Order of Canada. In 1999, he was granted an honorary degree by Saint Mary's University at convocation, and in 1988, he received one from the University of King's College.

He was also awarded fellowships from the American School of Classical Studies, the Canada Council, Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, DC, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Dr. Eliot is survived by his wife Mary (Williamson) Eliot, and their children, Charles, Nicholas, Johanna and Luke. He was predeceased by his daughter Sophia.

The University of Prince Edward Island will hold a memorial celebration in honour of Dr. Eliot at a later date.