UPEI Co-op Education students are seeking full-time summer positions (May through August). Students' programs include Business, Computer Science, Actuarial Science, Financial Math, Statistics, Biology, Environmental Studies, Economics, Physics, and Applied Communication, Leadership & Culture.

If you have questions about hiring a co-op student, contact Karen Turner, job development coordinator for UPEI Co-operative Education, at co-op@upei.ca. Visit Co-op Program information and fill out this form to submit a co-op job posting.

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FIVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $17,300, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

The English Corner, Robertson Library, Room 213, will be closed on Thursday, March 28. We'll reopen on Thursday, April 4. 

Students living in St. Peter's Bay for their studies are looking for faculty and staff who also live in the area to share rides to and from Charlottetown, especially on evenings and weekends. If anyone lives in the area and travels back and forth to town regularly or sporadically, and you'd like to offer the occasional drive to a UPEI student from the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, this is the group for you. Please ask to join our Facebook group to make postings and connect with students at https://www.facebook.com/groups/699386872128927/

On Wednesday, March 27, between 10 pm and midnight, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the Remote Desktop Services accessed via the website myDesktop.upei.ca. During this time, any remote desktops or applications accessed via this site will be unavailable. RX Works will be unavailable between 10 pm and midnight only. 

 If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465. 

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, March 29, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the April 18 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, March 29, 2024, for review at the April meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

The Chief Public Health Office is preparing for potential cases of measles on PEI in the next few weeks. As of March 13, 2024, there have been 29 confirmed measles cases in Canada across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Some of these cases are related to travel outside of Canada, but others were acquired locally. Montreal is considered the country’s epicenter as there is community spread occurring locally in and around the city. Note: There are no confirmed cases in PEI at this time.

Measles is one of the most highly infectious vaccine-preventable diseases. It has been eliminated from circulation in Canada since 1998 due to highly effective vaccines and successful public health programs.

Measles is spread when you

• breathe air in a location where someone who is infected is or has recently been
• have direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of someone who is infected
• touch a contaminated surface or object and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth

The symptoms include

• fever
• runny nose
• red watery eyes
• cough
• red blotchy rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk, arms, and legs.

Measles usually starts with illness for 3-4 days before the rash appears. The fever tends to be high (at least 104 degrees F/40℃). The fever and rash usually disappear in 3-5 days. Complications of measles include ear infection, viral meningitis (inflammation of the brain), or pneumonia. On rare occasions, measles can result in death. If you have recently returned from travel and are experiencing symptoms of measles, you should seek health care, consider calling ahead to let them know of your history of travel, and wear a mask to your appointment.

Who is recommended to get a dose of the measles vaccine? Some individuals will have protection based on their age. The current recommendations for vaccination are as follows:

• Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine. Exception: individuals traveling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine.
• Those born in or after 1970 who have not had measles disease or have not received two doses of measles vaccine should receive two doses of vaccine.
• Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers, and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had the disease or do not have documentation of two doses of a measles vaccine.
• Any person living in PEI who is eligible may receive the vaccine free of charge at Public Health Nursing.

Public Health Nursing is holding clinics to immunize for measles. In Charlottetown, they are located at 161 St. Peters Road, telephone 902-368-4530. If you are unable to attend these clinics, make an appointment at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre to get vaccinated. You can also make an appointment to discuss this and other vaccines with the registered nurse at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.

To learn more about measles, check out https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/measles-mumps-and-rubella-german-measles-vaccine-mmr

To see if you are due or overdue for other vaccines, visit www.canimmunize.ca/en/pei-assessment-tool 

For more information on MMR, view https://youtu.be/jL9QfTubi7I

The Scholarships and Awards Office is encouraging application submissions for convocation, senior class, and year-end scholarships and awards! The application deadline for the following awards is Monday, April 1, 2024. Click the links provided below to access the application and/or recommendation forms for more information. Please submit your application(s) and any supporting documents electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in person to Dalton Hall 202.

• Arlie Parks Scholarship - In Memory of Dr. Kenneth MacIntyre (Science)
• Marylou Hughes Scholarship (Science)
• Gerald M. Gerry Birt Memorial Award (Science/Nursing/Arts)
• David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award (Arts/Music)
• Frank J. Costello Scholarship (Arts/Education)
• Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Scholarship (Law)
• PEI's Famous Five Graduating Student Award (Arts/Campus Community)
• Dr. Graeme and Alberta Bryant Boswall Award (Campus Community)
• Dr. Regis Duffy Academic Achievement Award (Campus Community)
• UPEI Class of 1989 Award (Campus Community)

Join Courtney Matthews and Kim Mears for a Lunch and Learn session to learn about Open Educational Resources (OERs) and some alternatives for licensing Indigenous OERs. They'll start with the larger OER conversation and how OERs benefit students and the academy, share resources for finding existing OERs, and then take a look at the local UPEI OER context. There will be ample time to discuss details that specifically support OER creation for Indigenous researchers and educators. We'll be in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on April 5 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.

Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the March 26 edition of the Island Lecture Series will island-hop across the northern North Atlantic to see who lives there and how they got there. Biogeography is the three-way crossroads of history, biology, and geography. For most of these islands--the Shetlands, the Faeroes, Iceland, and many others--this history started when bare land emerged from under melting ice about 10,000 years ago, with creatures soon arriving by wing or wind. Humans came too, some by primitive boats that we know almost nothing about. But history can also have recent beginnings, such as the explosive birth of Surtsey Island off Iceland in 1963. Speaker David Cairns will recount the rich biological traditions of island biogeography, and shows that their insights apply equally well to people.

The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building. All are welcome.

UPEI sends a monthly campus notice announcing faculty and staff who began their employment during the previous calendar month. For this second edition, we are including new employees from February 2024. 

Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in February 2024:

•    Rebecca Cann, Human Resources
•    Paul Joseph Robert Charles, Clinical Learning and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine
•    Kerri Anne Grace Corr, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, AVC
•    Kelly T. Drummond, Human Resources
•    Jennifer Gerbrandt, Student Affairs
•    Scott Gosse, Security Services
•    Bhavya Jadav, Robertson Library
•    Han Jiang, English, Faculty of Arts
•    Sehjal Preet Kaur, Security Services
•    Shawn MacFadyen, Facilities Management
•    Scott McClintick, Facilities Management
•    Lethabo Mogodi, Office of the Registrar
•    Sarah Peddle, Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine
•    Patrick Smith, Facilities Management
•    Katheryne Stewart, Clinical Learning and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine
•    Patricia Woods, Diagnostic Services, AVC

We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!

The Board of Governors and the Senate request the honour of your presence at the installation of the Honourable Diane F. Griffin, OPEI, BSc, BEd, MSc, LLD, as the 10th Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Please join us Friday, April 5, 2024, at 2:30 pm in the Performing Arts Centre, 216-217S, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI.

Reception immediately following the ceremony in the Greg and Debbie Keefe Foyer.

RSVP by Wednesday, March 27, 2024, to Katherine MacDonald at 902-566-0415 or to rsvp@upei.ca

Parking available in lots A and B

All are welcome!

rsvp@upei.ca

On Wednesday, March 27, between 10 pm and midnight, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the Remote Desktop Services accessed via the website myDesktop.upei.ca. During this time, any remote desktops or applications accessed via this site will be unavailable. RX Works will be unavailable between 10 pm and midnight only. 

 If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465. 

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, March 29, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the April 18 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, March 29, 2024, for review at the April meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend an informative presentation about health screenings, recommended screenings at different ages, where to go, what to ask, and information about the pharmacy plus program. The session will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 12:10-12:50 pm, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room #142. It will be led by nursing students Juli MacMillan and Mohammadali Nouri. Registration is not required (although it would be nice to know numbers); to register, you can log into recreation.upei.ca or the UPEI Panther Recreation app and click on the wellness icon. This presentation is a UPEI Healthy Campus Committee initiative. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, at amarchbank@upei.ca.

What is Strep A?

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, is a type of bacteria that can cause skin, soft tissue, and respiratory tract infections. It is typically spread from person to person via respiratory droplets such as from coughing or sneezing and from touching skin or other surfaces contaminated with bacteria. Some people have Strep A bacteria (carriers) and do not become ill.  Others develop mild illness that is treated with antibiotics. There is a more severe and sometimes life-threatening condition referred to as Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS). This can occur when the bacteria invade parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, deep muscle and fat tissue, or lungs.

Step A infection (e.g., strep throat) will not go away on its own. You will need an antibiotic to cure it. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious illnesses, so it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to ensure you take the entire course of antibiotics.

To avoid strep and other infections, consider the following:

1. Wash your hands often.
2. Do not drink from a glass/water bottle or eat with utensils after an infected individual (e.g., someone with a strep throat infection).
3. Do not share toothbrushes.
4. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes (wash your hands following contact).
5. Use good respiratory etiquette (cough into your sleeve, stay home if sick, wear a mask if you are coughing/sneezing).

Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.

The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.

The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.

For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com  or (902) 675-2598.

Our Coffee Break Conversation will be hosted by Kristy McKinney, instructional multimedia specialist in the TLC. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on March 25, at 10:30 am.