The University of Prince Edward Island, along with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization), present “Science as a Right”, a panel discussion in recognition of the United Nations Human Rights Day. The event is Monday, December 10 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Beaconsfield Carriage House, 2 Kent Street in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

In 2013, there were 160,000 researchers in Canada, and this country produced 4 per cent of the world’s scientific publications. Research has become increasingly focused on the biomedical area and less on social sciences and humanities, which are equally important in understanding how our societies function as their demographics change.

Only 17 women have won a Nobel Prize for physics, chemistry, or medicine since 1903, compared with 572 men. Only 28% of the world’s researchers are women. Gender disparity is science is still very evident at scientific seminars.

It is also timely to examine various ways of associating traditional indigenous knowledge with scientific research in areas such as the environment, natural resources, and sustainable development.

Chaired by Dr. Katherine Gottschall-Pass, dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Prince Edward Island, this panel discussion will begin to address these issues.

“Free and open access to science is the best way to improve society, and this panel discussion will emphasize the importance of science in policy and decision-making. Science is the gathering of hypotheses and the endless testing of them,” said Dr. Gottschall-Pass. “It involves checking and double-checking, self-criticism, and a willingness to overturn even fundamental assumptions if they prove to be wrong. But none of this can happen without open communication among scientists and with the public. Without it guarantees public ignorance.”

The panel will include:

Dr. Adam Fenech, director of the Climate Research Lab at the University of Prince Edward Island, on the suppression of federal government scientists. A five-year study by Canada’s information commissioner, Suzanne Legault, concluded this year that complaints that former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was muzzling scientists were “well founded”, and that some federal scientists say they still feel muzzled by the current government.

Dr. John McIntyre from the University of Prince Edward Island, on the culture of science in the US and elsewhere. Climate science and other consensus-driven research often runs afoul of longstanding American beliefs in individualism and liberty. In this environment, scientists are often plagued by the misguided notion of false equivalences.

Dr. Joshua MacFadyen, the Canada Research Chair in Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture at the University of Prince Edward Island, on communicating the science of sustainability.

Stephanie Arnold, graduate student at the University of Prince Edward Island, on communicating climate science to the younger generations.

All are welcome.

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.

On November 21, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Island Studies professor and UNESCO Chair Jim Randall welcomed a delegation from the University of the Ryukyus, an island university based in Okinawa, Japan. The purpose was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two universities, to formalize the current relationship that exists and to facilitate future academic exchange of students and faculty.

President Abd-El-Aziz said, “We are very pleased to enhance our already strong relationship with the University of the Ryukyus by signing this MOU,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “Both universities have institutes that focus on island studies, which both have tremendous reputations around the world. This agreement will allow us to identify more opportunities by which to collaborate, conduct research, and disseminate knowledge about islands and their impact.”

University of the Ryukyus President Hajime Oshiro said, “The University of Prince Edward Island and the University of the Ryukyus have been engaging in academic exchange, led mainly by faculty members, especially, in the field of island studies. I, myself, am specialized in island economics and have been collaborating with the Institute of Island Studies on my research. The Research Institute for Islands and Sustainability at Ryukyus has also been working with UPEI on many initiatives.”

Faculty from the two universities have visited back and forth since 2014, when Professor Yoko Fujita, vice-president and director of the Research Institute for Islands and Sustainability at the University of the Ryukyus, visited UPEI to attend the “Excellence Network of Island Territories” (RETI) annual conference.  In 2017, the University of the Ryukyus hosted RETI; both co-holders of the UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, Drs. Jim Randall and Godfrey Baldacchino, attended.

In addition to President Oshiro, last month’s delegation from the University of the Ryukyus included Kaori Kinjo, Coordinator for International Affairs, and Erisa Murayama, with the International Collaboration Section. While on Prince Edward Island they toured the Island, then met with Dr. Laurie Brinklow from UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies and Cathy Gillan, Director, Work Integrated Learning and the English Language Centre.

A team from UPEI’s Faculty of Business recently took second place at the Alberta International Business Competition, hosted by the University of Alberta in Jasper. The international competition featured teams from eleven universities from around the world.

“The Faculty of Business is very proud of this accomplishment,” said Dr. Jurgen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business at UPEI. “This result is a continuing testament to the quality of our curriculum, our professors, as well as the case-competition program coordinator and the students in this program.”

UPEI’s team was made up of Jacob Ezeard (fourth-year BBA, minor in economics), Ethan MacFadyen (third-year BBA, finance specialization), Ellen Ross (third-year BBA), and Andrew Stetson (third-year BBA).

Teams were divided into three divisions and tasked with developing and presenting solutions to two cases, with five hours and 30 hours respectively for each preparation period. In each round, after presenting their solution to a panel of judges, teams received scores and were ranked. The teams with the highest cumulative scores in their divisions were invited to the finals, which included Concordia University, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Thammasat University from Thailand.

UPEI rode a rollercoaster through the first round, placing last in its division after the five-hour case. The team made a spectacular comeback with its second case, which boosted UPEI to second place in its division. Each second-place team participated in a “Challenger Round”, giving a five-minute pitch to describe their 30-hour case solution. UPEI won this round, earning a place in the finals.

The UPEI team presented its solution three times in the span of less than two hours (with minutes in between the challenger round and the final) and performed so well, it achieved a second-place finish overall.

“These four students worked very hard leading up to the competition and further honed their skills once at competition,” said Mary Whitrow, case competition program coordinator and advisor. “Thank you to the professors who lent their expertise to our case program over the past semester, and to the dean of the Faculty of Business for his constant support.”

“I think our team learned a lot about perseverance and adaptability during the competition,” said Jacob Ezeard. “After a sub-par presentation during the first day of competition, and lots of feedback from the judges, we rallied together to make the necessary changes to ensure we were ready to succeed during the 30-hour case.”

“This was a phenomenal opportunity to compete in an international competition,” said Ellen Ross. “It was a week filled with personal growth, team work, and career-building experiences. Meeting so many amazing people made it that much more memorable!”

“It was awesome to interact with like-minded people from all around the world and to have the chance to use everything we've learned in our classes in real-world business situations,” said Andrew Stetson.

“Travelling to Jasper, Alberta to represent UPEI at AIBC was an incredible experience,” said Ethan MacFadyen. “It was our first international competition as a team and coming home with a second-place finish makes it that much sweeter.”

Congratulations!

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.

Researchers from UPEI’s Active Living Lab are seeking people with breast cancer, or who have previously had breast cancer, to participate in a twelve-week exercise-training program. Participants will perform a supervised exercise-training program, based on their fitness, skill level, and personal interests.

Participants must have been previously diagnosed with breast cancer. The program runs 12 weeks starting the week of January 8. Participants will receive a fitness test the first and last week of the program, separated by twelve weeks of supervised aerobic and strength training.

All exercise will take place in the Active Living Lab spaces in UPEI’s Steel Building. Parking is free. No previous experience is necessary.

For more information, or to sign up, contact Travis Saunders at ExerciseRx@upei.ca.

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 Atlantic Veterinary College’s Diagnostic Services unit has been awarded $1.5 million in partnership with the Canadian Pork Council for a project that will improve detection of enteric diseases in swine.

The following is a news release issued by the Canadian Pork Council after the announcement at Le Porc Show in Quebec on December 12:

New funds for research will allow improved disease surveillance in Canada for the pork sector

December 12, 2018 OTTAWA - Pork producers were on hand this morning to welcome the announcement by the Government of Canada of a $1.6-million-dollar investment in the Canadian pork industry. These projects will improve disease surveillance in Canada and allow the pork industry to be better prepared to deal with diseases.

“Canadian pork producers welcome this investment in research and development from the Government of Canada in the area of swine health” said Rick Bergmann, Canadian Pork Council (CPC) Chair, and pork producer from Manitoba. “Animal health is a top priority in our industry and we couldn’t produce the great quality protein we do without access to sound research and technology,” added Mr. Bergmann.

In partnership with the Atlantic Veterinary College Diagnostic Services (AVCDS) at the University of Prince Edward Island, the “Enteric viral multiplex assay for swine health surveillance in Canada” project will provide a comprehensive test to laboratories and will help veterinarians and producers manage the Canadian hog herd. The data obtained through this project will also be used to inform disease surveillance activities through the Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network.

“This investment will allow the Atlantic Veterinary College’s Diagnostic Services unit to further contribute to the health and productivity of Canada’s swine industry,” said Dr. Greg Keefe, Dean of UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College. “This project will allow us to further refine our current multiplex assay for swine enteric diseases, contributing to the advancement of a national swine health surveillance system.”

Funding for a University of Montréal project to develop a more advanced disease surveillance tool to enable faster threat detection across Canada was also announced this morning. Funding for two projects was announced by Parliamentary Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay at Le Porc Show, Québec’s annual industry event.

The Canadian Pork Council is the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations representing 7,000 farms, the organization plays a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.

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Media Contact:

Gary Stordy - Director, Government and Corporate Affairs
Canadian Pork Council
613 236-9239 ext. 277
stordy@cpc-ccp.com

The University of Prince Edward Island and the UPEI Alumni Association invite you to ring in the New Year at the UPEI New Year's Levee on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building. The Levee will mark the official start to UPEI's 50th Anniversary!

In 2019, the University of Prince Edward Island will mark 50 years as a leader in education and research in our province, creating impact felt well beyond Island shores. Stemming from deep roots and a rich heritage in its founding institutions, Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University, UPEI has been a catalyst for progress and advancement and a source of pride for centuries.

Our 50th Anniversary is a singular opportunity to highlight our historic roots and UPEI’s ongoing contributions to our Island community and the world. To keep up-to-date on 50th anniversary events and projects, visit upei.ca/50 (and do so often as we add information throughout the year)!

Enooyaq Sudlovenick, a graduate student at AVC, has won a $15,000 W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research (Master’s level) from the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies. She is working toward her master of science degree in wildlife pathology with co-supervisors Dr. Megan Jones, wildlife pathologist and regional director of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative—Atlantic node, located at AVC, and Dr. Susan Kutz, University of Calgary. For her degree, she is assessing the health of ringed seals in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and documenting Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit knowledge) about the animals. Last month, she received the 2018 Captain Nichola K.S. Goddard Scholarship, which is awarded by UPEI to a student living and working with Indigenous people in Canada or internationally. Congratulations, Enoo!

Dr. Mike van den Heuvel, Director of the Canadian Rivers Institute and a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, has been awarded an Engage Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to study the health of the Barbara Weit estuary in New Annan. Dr. van den Heuvel is partnering with Cavendish Farms on the study, which should be completed by spring 2019.

Prince Edward Island’s many estuaries are home to shellfish aquaculture as well as shellfish and eel fishing. These are both important from an ecological and economic perspective. The Barbara Weit estuary in Malpeque Bay receives nutrient inputs from agriculture, sewage effluent from the community of Kensington, and treated wastewater from potato production at the Cavendish Farms plants in New Annan.

“The purpose of this work is to establish the amount of nutrients that are derived from the various sources and determine the health of the estuary,” said Dr. van den Heuvel.

“Protecting the environment is one of our core values,” said John MacQuarrie, Director of Environmental Sustainability at Cavendish Farms. “Understanding the impact on the estuary from all sources is a critical step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of this important water system.”

The information generated will guide the decisions that will lead to further improvements of the estuary’s health.

“Cavendish Farms is proud to collaborate with Dr. van den Heuvel and UPEI in this important research,” said MacQuarrie. “We are committed to ensuring the quality of the treated wastewater from our potato production facilities continues to exceed environmental standards,” MacQuarrie said.

“The road to increased environmental and economic sustainability for PEI is dependent on all stakeholders working together,” said Dr. van den Heuvel. “For this reason, we are very excited to develop this partnership with Cavendish Farms.”

“Dr. van den Heuvel is an internationally recognized and highly published expert regarding the environmental impacts of human activities on the health of the aquatic environment,” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, vice-president academic and research at UPEI. “This project continues his invaluable research into how what we do on land affects the life in the water around us.”

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Engage grants are awarded to university researchers to establish first-time research partnerships with industry. These grants are intended to foster the development of new research partnerships by supporting short-term research and development projects aimed at addressing a company-specific problem.

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.

Dr. Richard Raiswell, an associate professor of history at UPEI, has co-edited two new books. Knowing Demons, Knowing Spirits in the Early Modern Period (co-edited with Michelle Brock and David Winter) is published by Palgrave. Evidence in the Age of the New Sciences (co-edited with James Lancaster) is published by Springer.

From the publisher’s website, on Knowing Demons, Knowing Spirits:

“This book explores the manifold ways of knowing—and knowing about—preternatural beings such as demons, angels, fairies, and other spirits that inhabited and were believed to act in early modern European worlds. Its contributors examine how people across the social spectrum assayed the various types of spiritual entities that they believed dwelled invisibly but meaningfully in the spaces just beyond (and occasionally within) the limits of human perception. Collectively, the volume demonstrates that an awareness and understanding of the nature and capabilities of spirits—whether benevolent or malevolent—was fundamental to the knowledge-making practices that characterize the years between ca. 1500 and 1750. This is, therefore, a book about how epistemological and experiential knowledge of spirits persisted and evolved in concert with the wider intellectual changes of the early modern period, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment.”

On Evidence in the Age of the New Sciences, publisher Springer writes:

“The motto of the Royal Society—Nullius in verba—was intended to highlight the members’ rejection of received knowledge and the new place they afforded direct empirical evidence in their quest for genuine, useful knowledge about the world. But while many studies have raised questions about the construction, reception and authentication of knowledge, Evidence in the Age of the New Sciences is the first to examine the problem of evidence at this pivotal moment in European intellectual history. What constituted evidence—and for whom? Where might it be found? How should it be collected and organized? What is the relationship between evidence and proof? These are crucial questions, for what constitutes evidence determines how people interrogate the world and the kind of arguments they make about it.

“In this important new collection, Lancaster and Raiswell have assembled twelve studies that capture aspects of the debate over evidence in a variety of intellectual contexts. From law and theology to geography, medicine and experimental philosophy, the chapters highlight the great diversity of approaches to evidence-gathering that existed side by side in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this way, the volume makes an important addition to the literature on early science and knowledge formation, and will be of particular interest to scholars and advanced students in these fields.”

“I congratulate Dr. Raiswell on his extraordinary scholarly achievement; the two books he co-edited will certainly raise the profile of UPEI and the Faculty of Arts in particular,” said Dr. Neb Kujundzic, dean of the Faculty of Arts at UPEI.

Congratulations, Dr. Raiswell!

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.

Patti Proud and Rodney Penny, of Charlottetown, bring Karma, their four-year-old Great White Pyrenees, to AVC every couple of months but not because she is sick. She comes to help save the lives of other dogs.

Karma is one of 35 client-owned dogs that participate in AVC’s canine blood donor program. Through this program, client-owned dogs donate blood products, like whole blood, packed red blood cells, and fresh frozen plasma, to dogs that need transfusions for a variety of reasons, including blood loss due to trauma or surgery, other types of anemias, protein losses, and bleeding disorders. These products are stored at AVC so clinicians and staff have immediate access to them for emergencies.

The program has been expanded to include fecal donations, which are used to help dogs with intestinal diseases. The fecal donation is processed and then transplanted into the gut of a patient with intestinal issues. These donations will be collected when donor dogs come to AVC to give blood. They can also be dropped off at the Small Animal Hospital reception desk.

In return for their blood and fecal donations, the dogs receive a free annual exam, blood work, vaccinations, preventative medications for fleas, ticks, and parasites, and a hero tag for their collar. They also receive free blood products for life if they need them.

“These donors are crucial to AVC’s canine patients, helping them to regain their health and in many cases saving their lives,” says program coordinator Andrea Jack.” A huge thank you to our canine donors and their owners for their generous contributions to the health of our patients!”

Andrea recently hosted a Christmas event for donor dogs and their owners. The dogs had their pictures taken with Santa Claus and were given preventative protection products and treats.

For information about the program, please contact Andrea at ajack@upei.ca.