Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their achievements and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Carolina Del Santo and Owen Headrick, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for November 12 to 18.

Carolina Del Santo is a third-year science student from Barcelona, Spain and a centre on the UPEI Women’s Basketball team. Del Santo had a stellar weekend in the Panthers’ back-to-back wins over Saint Mary’s University, tallying up 19 points, 26 rebounds, and six blocks. “Carolina was pivotal in the team’s two grind-it-out wins versus SMU at home this weekend,” said coach Matt Gamblin. “Last year’s defensive player of the year and rebounding leader has picked up where she left off in the AUS. She was a huge presence inside, blocking shots, but changing many others as well.”

Owen Headrick is a first-year arts student from Garden River, Ontario and a rookie defenceman on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Headrick scored a goal and notched an assist in the Panthers 5–3 win over St. Francis Xavier University. “Owen has been adjusting well to our league,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “He has a steady and calming influence to our defensive core, especially for a first-year player. It is nice to see him get rewarded offensively. He has high-end skill, and is a player we will continue to lean on!”

Panthers at Home, November 23–25

Coach MacPherson will get two more chances to lean on Headrick’s defensive skills as the Panthers play a pair of home games this coming weekend. UPEI Men’s Hockey hosts Acadia University Friday evening at 7:00 pm in MacLauchlan Arena. The team laces up again at home Saturday at 7:00 pm against Saint Mary’s University.

UPEI Women’s Hockey also sees home action this weekend, as the Panthers host St. Francis Xavier University on Sunday, November 25 at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre in Montague, PEI. All minor hockey players are admitted to the game free! Parents and guardians can get in with a special two-for-one ticket offer.

UPEI Women’s Hockey is the proud host of the 2019 and 2020 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championships!

Go Panthers Go!

The Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture’s fifth annual Faith And Knowledge Lecture presents Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese with an examination of the direction of Pope Francis. The event is Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, room 242 of UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. All are welcome.

Fr. Thomas J. Reese’s column for Religion News Service, Signs of the Times, appears regularly in the National Catholic Reporter. Father Reese entered the Jesuits in 1962 and was ordained in 1974. He was educated at St. Louis University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and at the University of California Berkeley, where he received a PhD in political science. He was an associate editor of America magazine, where he wrote on politics, economics and the Catholic Church, from 1978 to 1985, and editor-in-chief from 1998 to 2005. He was a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center from 1985 to 1998 and 2006 to 2013.

While at Woodstock, he wrote the trilogy on the organization and politics of the church: Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church (1989), A Flock of Shepherds: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops (1992), and Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church (1996). He also edited The Universal Catechism Reader (1990), an analysis of the first draft of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Episcopal Conferences: Historical, Canonical and Theological Studies (1989). He is also author of a NCR e-book, Caring for Our Common Home: A Readers’ Guide and Commentary on Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment (2015).

In 2014, Father Reese was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission that reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. He was reappointed to another two-year term in May 2016.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The UPEI Music Department Recital Series is pleased to present the UPEI Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Professor Dave Shephard. The ensemble will be performing works such as Time after Time, Minnie the Moocher, I was a Fool, Sway, Blue Bossa and others. The program features UPEI vocal majors as well as a newly formed UPEI Jazz Combo.

The concert is Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall of UPEI’s Steel Building. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and are available for sale online at upeijazzensemble.bpt.me, or by contacting music@upei.ca or 902-566-0507.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The UPEI Music Department Recital Series is pleased to present the UPEI Christmas Choral Concert under the direction of Professor Sung Ha Shin-Bouey. The concert features UPEI Choral Groups, voice majors, and guests on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30 pm at Park Royal United Church in Charlottetown. 

Come listen to Bach’s beautiful Magnificat and other Christmas favourites! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and are available online at upeichoir1.bpt.me, or by contacting music@upei.ca or (902) 566-0507.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Clients of AVC’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) got a “behind-the-scenes” look at some of the new and expanded specialty services offered by the hospital during the College’s third annual Client Appreciation Reception on November 1.

About 85 people attended the event and had the opportunity to tour the VTH. Very special guests at the event were Emily, a ten-year-old Havanese dog being treated at the VTH for lymphoma, and her owners, Robert Budd and Monica Gillis, of Crapaud, PEI. As Monica held Emily in her arms, Robert spoke about their beloved dog’s journey with cancer and the great care that she receives at the VTH. Emily is currently in remission, he said with a big smile.

Dr. Charlotte Pye introduced guests to the VTH's recently established dermatology service, and Dr. Lynne O’Sullivan spoke about her role in the newly expanded cardiology service. Dr. Katie Hoddinott talked to guests about her interest in minimally invasive surgical techniques, and Dr. Ben Stoughton about the value of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in large animal medicine. Drs. Pye, O’Sullivan, and Hoddinott are all alumni of AVC. Fourth-year student Isabella Falardeau also spoke to the guests about the impact that the patients and clients of the VTH have on the students.

The reception was jointly organized by the UPEI Department of Development and Alumni Engagement, the AVC Dean’s Office, and the VTH.

Dr. Joshua MacFadyen, an associate professor in the Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture program in UPEI’s Faculty of Arts, will launch his new book, Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent, on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 pm at Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown.

Flax Americana examines the story of flax, a plant that went in a few decades from a specialty fibre crop in the Great Lakes region to an oilseed empire that spanned continents and helped create urban industrial capitalism.

“Flax Americana touches on topics as diverse as Canadian Mennonites making homespun linen, escaped slaves and First Nations labourers participating in Ontario’s industrial transformation, and oilseed empires driving precarious agriculture into North and South American grasslands for the production of a luxury good—paint,” explained Dr. MacFadyen. “However, the book is really about what a deep dive into a single plant and the places that produced it can tell us about the emergence of commodity frontiers, industrial capitalism, and the modern world itself.”

Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent is published by McGill Queen’s University Press.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Danielle Burnett, a student in AVC’s graduate studies program, presented at the 12th International Sea Lice 2018 conference held in Patagonia, Chile, from November 4–8. Her presentation, titled “Using a biological-physical model to quantify sea lice larval connectivity among salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada,” won top prize in the “Best Oral Presentation” category. She is working toward her PhD in aquatic epidemiology. Congratulations, Danielle!

Students and faculty at the Atlantic Veterinary College were honoured at the College’s 2018 Fall Awards and Recognition Night held on October 3. Approximately $170,850 in scholarships and awards was presented to DVM students. Dr. Susan Dawson, Biomedical Sciences, received the Zoetis Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, and Dr. Oriana Raab, Companion Animals, the SCVMA Teacher of the Year Award. As well, students who achieved an average of 80% or higher in the 2017–18 academic year were named to the AVC Dean’s Honour List. Congratulations, everyone!

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their achievements and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jenna Mae Ellsworth and Cody Payne, the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for November 19 to 25.

Jenna Mae Ellsworth is a third-year science student from Charlottetown and a guard on the UPEI Women’s Basketball team. The Panthers downed the University of New Brunswick over the weekend 76–64. Ellsworth shone with an impressive 28 points, 3 rebounds, and two assists. “Jenna Mae had a strong effort to help the team close first semester on a high note,” said coach Matt Gamblin. “She not only scored the ball, but also made some great decisions and forced turnovers with her ball defence as well.”

Cody Payne is a third-year business student from Davie, Florida and a forward on the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. The Panthers had a spectacular weekend, defeating Acadia University 4–1 and Saint Mary’s University 4–3. Payne scored a pair of goals in each game. “Cody started to focus on the little things in practice and in games which got him more involved and in better scoring positions,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “His natural ability took over after that.” For his outstanding effort, Payne was also named Subway AUS Athlete of the Week.

Panthers at Home, November 30 and December 1

The UPEI Women’s Hockey team plays a pair of home games this weekend! The Panthers host Dalhousie University on Friday and the University of New Brunswick on Saturday, and don’t forget to bring non-perishable food items for the UPEI Campus Food Bank! All contributions are greatly appreciated.

Both games begin at 7:00 pm in the MacLauchlan Arena.

UPEI Women’s Hockey is the proud host of the 2019 and 2020 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championships!

Go Panthers Go!

University of Prince Edward Island President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz issued a statement today on the passing of UPEI Founder, honorary degree recipient, and professor emeritus, Dr. Brendan O’Grady.

“On behalf of UPEI students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Dr. O’Grady,” said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. “Dr. O’Grady’s contributions as a passionate educator, a meticulous scholar, and a great lover of literature and Irish culture will be remembered forever.”

The son of Irish immigrants, Dr. O’Grady grew up with a deep appreciation of the value of education. He graduated in 1947 from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, and then earned a master’s degree at Columbia University while at the same time teaching at Power Memorial Academy in New York City. In 1948 he began teaching at St. Dunstan’s College as he continued his education, receiving his PhD from the University of Ottawa. First at St. Dunstan’s College and University and then at the University of Prince Edward Island, he demonstrated his great passion for and commitment to teaching and his students. At St. Dunstan’s, he served as professor and chair of the Department of English and as dean of studies and academic vice-president. He was a member of the planning committee that led to the formation of the University of Prince Edward Island in 1969. Following the establishment of the new university, he served for many years as president of the St. Dunstan’s University Board of Governors.

In 1990 he received an honorary degree from UPEI for his scholarly work on the historical connections between Prince Edward Island and Ireland, and after his retirement in 1996, he was named professor emeritus. Following his retirement, he continued to share his vast knowledge of literature as an instructor for Seniors College of PEI. In 2012 he was presented with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, honouring his long career as educator and scholar. In 2017 he was named a Founder of the University of Prince Edward Island.

In addition to educating three generations of Islanders in a university setting, Dr. O’Grady pursued an active scholarly agenda focused mostly on Irish literature and culture. Published in 2004 by McGill-Queen’s University Press, his book, Exiles and Islanders, is considered the definitive account of the Irish settlers on Prince Edward Island. The book was a true labour of love and an adventure in research and writing shared with his wife, Leah. A founding member of the Celtic Heritage Association of Prince Edward Island and the Patron of the Benevolent Irish Society, Dr. O’Grady remained active in Island cultural circles to the end of his life.

Dr. O’Grady passed away on Saturday, November 24, at the age of 93. His wake will be held at the Belvedere Funeral Home on Friday, November 30, from 4–7 pm, and a funeral mass at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on Saturday, December 1, at 1 pm. UPEI’s flags will fly at half-mast until after his funeral.