Are you looking to add value to your organization? If so, this is your opportunity to participate in a rewarding and meaningful program that will allow you to expand your workforce with energetic, bilingual students, at little cost to your business.

UPEI's Languages at Work program-a part of the Explore Program-takes place from July 1-August 23, and you are invited to get involved by hiring a qualified bilingual student eager to improve their language skills in a work environment.

Not only does this program provide students with an excellent opportunity to be immersed in their second language, it also gives employers the opportunity to hire these employees at a lower cost during the peak tourist season as the students' salaries (plus benefits) are funded 60% by the program!

Interested employers must provide students with a meaningful work experience, along with appropriate guidance and orientation, for 35 hours of work per week. For more information, contact Emily Younie, UPEI Languages at Work Project Officer, at (902) 566-0579 or egyounie@upei.ca

PEI's newest published poet, Mathew Henderson, will launch his first book, The Lease, on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30 pm in the UPEI Faculty Lounge, Main Building. His reading is sponsored by the UPEI English department with support from The Canada Council for the Arts.

Mathew grew up on the Island, and graduated from UPEI in 2008 with a BA (Honours) in English. He won first prize in the Milton Acorn Poetry Category of the Island Literary Awards. He then earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Mathew now teaches English at Humber College in Toronto.

During his undergraduate and graduate school summers, Mathew worked in the oil patches of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The poems in The Lease (the title refers to oil leases) are written in the sweat, blood, and grease of those who labour in the oilfields. His poetry drills into the Prairie landscape to find human technology and physical labour realigning our habitat. Like the gas flares burning in the oilfields, Henderson's writing illuminates the rigorous and often unflattering realities of industrial culture and is cast of hard-living humans.

In a New York Times feature review, Dwight Garner writes that 'distinctive blue collar voices remain a rarity, especially in our [American] poetry. Among Mr. Henderson's gifts is his ability to populate his poems vividly… He's a close observer of this work, but he's an even closer observer of the social landscape that surrounds it.' Garner then says, 'It's an absurd bonus that Mr. Henderson also happens to be a complicated nature poet.' Concluding, he states: 'I've read more adept books of poetry than The Lease in the past six months, with more self-conscious chaos and precision wordplay. But I've read none that I was more eager to run through again in my mind.'

The Lease was published last year by Coach House Books in Toronto, one of Canada's distinguished literary presses, which published early works by such major authors as Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, and Ann-Marie MacDonald, and has launched the careers of many celebrated writers for almost 50 years.

A reception and book signing will follow Mathew's reading. Admission is free.

UPEI women's rugby Head Coach Shannon Atkins is pleased to introduce flag rugby as part of the UPEI Panther Academy community offering.

'PEI is the only province that does not have mini rugby in place, and that puts us at a disadvantage,' said Atkins. 'This opportunity for rugby to build at the grassroots level is beneficial to all. It gives children an opportunity to play a new and exciting sport and will act as a feeder system for the most participated high school sport in our province. It's a win-win situation, and I'm glad to be a part of it!'

The flag rugby program will take place June 17-August 12 on Mondays at 6:00 pm at MacAdam field at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place. The program is open to all youth 8-10 years old.

Atkins, along with members of the women's and men's rugby programs, will lead the program.

'Another exciting offering of our Panther Academy program,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'It's an opportunity for young boys and girls to participate in, and learn about, the sport of rugby, be active, and have fun.'

For more information, or to register, contact pantheracademy@upei.ca or call Panther Central at (902) 566-0368.

UPEI women's basketball Head Coach Greg Gould is pleased to announce Julie Hatcher, a 5'6' point guard from Riverview, New Brunswick, has committed to the University of Prince Edward Island and will join the Panthers in the fall.

Hatcher comes to UPEI as a transfer student from Saint Mary's University (SMU) where she played for a season with the huskies. She brings a wealth of experience and a winning streak. In addition to her time at SMU, she was a member of the Riverview High School team which won the New Brunswick Ladies AAA High School Championship in her senior year. She also played for the Basketball New Brunswick provincial under-16 and under-17 teams, as well as for the NB Canada Games team which finished fifth at the 2009 Canada Games in Summerside.

'I had the pleasure of coaching Julie for four years at Riverview High School and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to work with her again here at UPEI. She will be an outstanding addition to our team,' said Gould. 'Julie is the epitome of what a point guard should be. She is an unselfish leader who makes all of her teammates better. Her court vision and exceptional passing skills will help make us a much better offensive transition team. Julie is also a great 3-point shooter and a solid defender with a high basketball IQ.'

'I'm very excited to be joining the Panther community in the fall. I played for Coach Gould in high school and I know his style of play is a good fit for me. I have played with some of the UPEI girls in the past and feel comfortable with them on and off the court,' said Hatcher. 'I admire the team's work ethic and commitment to excellence and can't wait to contribute to the program. The small class sizes and strong academic reputation of UPEI makes it the perfect school for me.'

'Julie is all about winning, she hates to lose and that fits into the culture we are developing here at UPEI,' added Gould. 'She will have an immediate impact on our team and I'm delighted she has decided to play here.'

'I'm happy to welcome Julie to the Panther Family,' commented UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'We will support her to ensure she thrives as a student-athlete here at UPEI.'

Hatcher will be enrolling in UPEI's bachelor of science program majoring in biology, with the eventual goal of a career in the medical or environmental field.

UPEI Men's Hockey Head Coach Forbes MacPherson is pleased to announce the addition of Derek Ryckman, a 6'4' defenceman from the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers.

Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Ryckman is excited to move to the east coast to bring his talents to the Panthers. He prides himself on being a steady, stay-at-home defender, who takes pride in being very difficult to play against.

'Throughout my career in the WHL, I was given the opportunity to play a shut-down role against the other teams' top lines, and that's a role I really enjoyed,' said Ryckman, who had one goal and six assists with Medicine Hat while accumulating 67 penalty infraction minutes. 'I told Forbie when I'm playing my best, I'm a really mean guy on the ice. That's the type of game Panther fans should expect from me over the next four years.'

MacPherson, entering his fifth season behind the bench, says he's looking forward to seeing Ryckman wearing the Panther uniform this fall. 'Derek's defensive pedigree speaks for itself. In a tough, physical league, he was a premier shut-down guy. He is a strong player down low and he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty every night,' said MacPherson. 'One of the key priority areas this off-season was to recruit players who could add size and skill to our defensive unit. Derek will be a great addition to our lineup.'

Ryckman added when he began to explore next steps for his hockey career, he immediately looked to the AUS. The 21-year-old also played with Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans over the course of his junior career. In 2011-12 he was a teammate of current Panthers forward Mason Wilgosh. Ryckman said having Wilgosh on the team was also a contributing factor for him to come to PEI.

'He (Wilgosh) says UPEI is a great school, the rink is packed every game, and the fan base just loves the Panthers,' Ryckman added. 'It seems the program is building toward something very special and I want to do everything I can to help it elevate to the next level.'

The Panthers finished 5th place in the AUS hockey conference last year. The Panthers won their quarter- final playoff series against StFX before losing to CIS winner UNB.

'Derek is a great addition to the men's hockey program, and I'm pleased to welcome him to the University of Prince Edward Island,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'It's a big transition to move from western to eastern Canada, but we will provide him with the necessary support for a positive and exciting student-athlete experience.'

Ryckman will be enrolling in the bachelor of arts program at UPEI.

Friends of Men's Hockey will host the annual men's hockey team banquet on July 4 at UPEI's Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall. Guest speaker will be Dr. Bill Montelpare, UPEI applied human sciences professor and Margaret and Wallace McCain Chair in Human Development and Health. Montelpare will speak about reducing the risk of concussions and increasing the accuracy of determining when a concussed athlete is ready to play. Tickets will go on sale next week.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada's minister of state for science and technology, announced today the most recent round of Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF) awards from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Included in that announcement was phase II funding for the Qualitative Research Lab (QRLab) at the University of Prince Edward Island, under the direction of Dr. Kate Tilleczek, Canada research chair in child/youth cultures and transitions.

The QRLab was founded in 2009 with phase I funding from the CFI. The lab provides a range of equipment for the collection of field data, along with facilities to analyze, prepare, and disseminate materials. This second phase of funding will expand the toolset of the lab to improve the collection and mobilizing of digital and visual media. It will also expand research space to allow for a broader range of collaborators on a number of research projects.

'I am pleased that this top-notch research space has been made available by CFI to qualitative researchers. My team is now conducting many research projects that will benefit from this new infrastructure, and many more will follow now that we are well-supported,' said Dr. Kate Tilleczek. 'I am especially pleased to be able to provide space for training students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty who are the next generation of high-impact researchers in our country and communities.'

'The QRLab, under the leadership of Dr. Tilleczek, has become a focal point of research excellence at the University of Prince Edward Island,' said Dr. Robert Gilmour, vice-president research at UPEI. 'Projects from the faculties of education and arts, as well as the schools of business and nursing, will use this lab in new and innovative ways. It is an exciting time for faculty and students involved in qualitative research at UPEI.'

'The investments being announced today at UPEI will further enhance our country's reputation as a destination of choice for outstanding researchers,' said Dr. Gilles G. Patry, president and CEO of the CFI. 'They will make our universities even more competitive when it comes to attracting the best and brightest researchers from around the world.'

The CFI's Leaders Opportunity Fund helps universities across Canada to acquire and maintain infrastructure for cutting-edge research. Coupled with direct research funds from partner organizations, the LOF helps universities attract and retain some of the very best researchers in the world.

The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Charlottetown-a national, non-profit organization of nearly 10,000 female university graduates across Canada-has established graduate scholarships for UPEI students.

CFUW Charlottetown has committed over $300,000 for UPEI students wishing to pursue their education in post-graduate programs. Beginning in January 2014, CFUW Charlottetown scholarships will be awarded to master's and/or doctoral students who are enrolled in or are applying to a graduate program on a full-time basis at UPEI, as well as UPEI graduates who are pursuing graduate studies at another accredited Canadian university.

'It's been the mission of CFUW Charlottetown, over the past 60 years, to encourage and promote women's education, including our own,' said Maryanne Palmer, president of CFUW Charlottetown. 'We're very grateful for this opportunity to further the goals of the University and assure the continuation of our scholarship program.'

Upholding the commitment of the CFUW since 1919, preference of these graduate scholarships will be given to female students.

Two new graduate scholarships will be established-The Canadian Federation of University Women Charlottetown Graduate Scholarship in Arts or Education, awarded to an eligible student who is pursuing a graduate degree in the area of arts or education; and The Canadian Federation of University Women Charlottetown Graduate Scholarship in Science or Nursing, awarded to an eligible student pursing a graduate degree in the area of science (including veterinary science) or nursing.

'I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to CFUW Charlottetown for their generous financial contribution and collaboration with UPEI to establish these two new scholarships,' said Dr. Brian Wagner, UPEI's assistant vice-president, graduate studies. 'Graduate scholarships such as these are essential to the continued growth of our graduate studies programs at UPEI as they provide direct financial support for graduate students, which is so important. These scholarships will have a direct impact on the lives of the graduate students who receive them, and will help to encourage students to undertake studies at the graduate level.'

UPEI held a special thank-you reception on Thursday, June 6 to recognize CFUW Charlottetown for their generous contribution to UPEI students.

CFUW provides its members with an opportunity to enjoy fellowship, to be stimulated and informed, to promote education through the awarding of scholarships, bursaries and grants, and to improve the status of women and human rights in general.

Last month, UPEI's Rebecca Nieuwhof and Alexa Ellis were awarded the top prize and an honourable mention, respectfully, at the 2013 Estey Undergraduate Essay Competition. The national competition is held annually and is hosted by the Centre for Accounting Ethics at the University of Waterloo.

Both Nieuwhof and Ellis were honoured in Montreal at the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA) Conference, May 30-June 2, where Nieuwhof presented her first-place paper entitled 'The Financial and Ethical Implications of Food Taxation.' Ellis received an honourable mention for her paper, 'The Invisible Hand of Environmental Accounting.'

Nieuwhof was elated when she heard the national competition committee chose her paper as the best in the country. 'Winning an award on a national level was unbelievable. I was so excited when I found out!' she said. 'All those hours put into that paper really paid off and I was honoured to get the chance to present at the CAAA conference.'

Nieuwhof's paper focused on the financial and ethical considerations of implementing a food tax as she found obesity to be a growing issue in Canada, and one that causes healthcare costs to increase substantially. The paper identifies various options for government to consider, and specifically explores the option of implementing a junk-food tax. She focused on major financial considerations such as what constitutes junk food, how much tax to levy, and where to direct the revenues. The main ethical considerations studied included questioning what's best for society as a whole and the fairness of the tax to low-income individuals.

'It was very exciting to receive an honorable mention, it's been a busy school year and having my work recognized has really made it all worth it,' said Ellis whose paper focused on whether or not it's ethical for government to enforce regulation upon corporations and require them to provide an annual report to disclose any actions that may affect the environment.

Nieuwhof, who graduated in May, is currently working at Grant Thornton and begins the Chartered Accountant (CA) program this month, while Ellis is returning to UPEI in the fall to complete her accounting specialization and co-op designation before also pursuing a career as a CA.

About the Estey Competition

UPEI Men's Hockey Head Coach Forbes MacPherson is pleased to announce the addition of Brock Beukeboom, a 6'2', 215-lb defenceman from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Guelph Storm.

A native of Uxbridge, Ontario, Beukeboom said committing to UPEI was an easy decision. 'When we were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, I sat down with my family and talked with people who watch the AUS closely. It quickly became clear that UPEI was a perfect fit for me,' said Beukeboom, drafted 63rd overall by Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2010 NHL entry draft. 'The team has a commitment to winning. They play a high tempo style in the best university conference in Canada. I just can't want to get rolling.'

Coach MacPherson says Beukeboom will bring size, talent, grit, and determination to the team.'Brock is a player who will fit nicely into our system. With his size, he's tough in the defensive zone, but he possesses the ability to lead the transition game and join the offense when the opportunity presents itself,' says MacPherson. 'Adding size and skill to the back end was a big focus for us and I feel Brock brings that, and more, to our lineup.'

Beukeboom is the son of four-time Stanley Cup winner Jeff Beukeboom. Like his father, the big, right-handed defenceman has a reputation for being tough in his own end and difficult to play against. Brock says the similarities end there.

'My dad is the first to say that I have much more focus on jumping into the rush and being a part of the offense,' says Beukeboom, who has 83 points in his OHL career. 'My game is a two-way game and when talking with Forbie, I know there's going to be expectations for me to contribute more offensively which is a part of my game I look forward to improving.'

Beukeboom has been invited to attend the New York Rangers summer camp.

The Panthers finished the 2012-13 season ranked 9th in CIS standings.

'I look forward to meeting Brock and welcoming him to the University of Prince Edward Island,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'Brock will be a great addition to the men's hockey program.'

Friends of Men's Hockey will host the annual men's hockey team banquet on July 4 at UPEI's Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall. Guest speaker will be Dr. Bill Montelpare, UPEI applied human sciences professor and Margaret and Wallace McCain Chair in Human Development and Health. Montelpare will speak about reducing the risk of concussions and increasing the accuracy of determining when a concussed athlete is ready to play. Tickets will go on sale next week.

UPEI women's rugby head coach Shannon Atkins is pleased to announce Megan Thorpe has committed to the University of Prince Edward Island and will join the Panthers in the fall.

The Saint John, N.B. native is the recipient of a full tuition academic scholarship from UPEI. Co-captain and outside centre for the Kennebecasis Valley High School (KVHS) rugby team, the high achieving student-athlete has been the top scorer in league play since grade 9. KVHS has reached the provincial finals in each of Thorpe's four years there, winning the championship twice, the most recent being in 2013. Thorpe contributed four tries in the championship game, and was selected co-MVP for the 2013 season.

'I'm looking forward to being a part of the Panther organization,' said Thorpe. 'I hope to contribute positively to my team and to the campus community. The Island seems to suit me. I was drawn to its community-like atmosphere and small campus. All-in-all, I'm really excited for the upcoming season.'

Thorpe is a multisport athlete with provincial successes in badminton, soccer, track and field, basketball, and volleyball.

'Megan is a born leader whose intelligence will be noticed both on and off the field,' said Atkins. 'She is driven in everything that she does-from school to sports-and she is someone who I expect great things from!'

'It's a pleasure to welcome Megan to the Panther Family,' added UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'Megan is a true ‘blue chip' prospect who will be successful both on the field and in the classroom.'

Thorpe is enrolled in the UPEI engineering program.

UPEI is hosting the AUS women's rugby championship on October 26-27 at the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place.