Killam Properties, a professional management company that has recently purchased town houses in Brown's Court across from UPEI, is introducing a new Academic Scholarship Program as part of its initiative to improve Brown's Court to make it a safe and comfortable place to study and live. "At Killam we want to encourage UPEI students in their studies. That is why we are pleased to offer good students several awards," says Wayne Beaton, Killam Property Manager PEI.

The company is offering a $1,000 scholarship for the top new Killam tenant, a $1,000 for the top returning Killam tenant, and Mid-Year Academic Achievement Awards worth $250 for the top ten Killam students. Other prizes such as bookstore credit and free rent will also be available. The deadline to apply for these awards is August 15, 2006. Please contact Killam Properties Inc. at (902) 394-5417 for more details on living in Brown's Court and the Academic Scholarship Program.

Eight projects that will benefit dogs, cats, and horses recently received a total of $240,000 in funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. More than 100 projects have been funded by the Centre since it was established in 1994.

"We are very grateful to the Friends of the Christofor Foundation for their ongoing support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre," says Dr. Alice Crook, the Centre's Coordinator. "This year the Centre has funded five new research projects and renewed funding for three service projects. We are particularly excited about the new Chinook Project, through which AVC clinicians and students will provide veterinary services to a small community on Baffin Island."

This year's projects, which were determined to be eligible for funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre's 2006 funding competition, will be carried out by faculty and students at the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI.

Originally established as the Animal Welfare Unit in 1994, the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre funds projects that benefit companion animals, horses, and wildlife. Since 1994, approximately 85 faculty, 12 graduate students, and hundreds of veterinary students from the Atlantic Veterinary College have been involved in animal welfare projects funded by the Centre. For information on the Centre, please visit the web site at: www.upei.ca/awc

Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research and veterinary service. Over the past 20 years, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region's only full service veterinary referral hospital.

Information is provided below on each of the eight projects funded through this year's competition:

Evaluation of platelet function in ill dogs (Dr. Shelley Burton)

Platelets are small blood cells that are important in the formation of blood clots. Dogs with various illnesses, including liver, kidney, heart or inflammatory disease, or cancer, can have changes in platelet function that can lead to serious complications or death. Existing tests of platelet function are crude in nature and somewhat uncomfortable for patients. Tests may require shipment to specialized laboratories, which is expensive and time-consuming.

The situation has improved recently in human medicine with the development of a simple machine, the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100, that assesses the function of platelets through a measurement called closure time. In a pilot project funded through the SJDAWC last year, Dr. Burton established normal AVC reference values for healthy dogs using the PFA-100. The current project will use the analyzer to assess results in ill dogs with possible increased or decreased platelet function. This knowledge will assist in diagnosis and treatment of these ill canine patients, and, once the results are published, of future patients at AVC and elsewhere.

Survival profile of Standardbred horses on PEI (Dr. Susan Dohoo)

There have been few studies looking at longevity of horses. The profile of the life span of Canadian Standardbreds, including reasons for career termination, is not known. This is a very specialized breed, and few of the horses that are unsuitable for racing or breeding move into a second career as a performance or recreational horse.

PEI has a very strong Standardbred industry, with many stables involved in breeding and racing. This study will provide a profile of a sub population of horses involved in all sectors of the industry, over a one-year period. For each horse enrolled in the study, baseline data will be collected, including age, sex, breeding and racing history, present health status and management factors. Each month, the farm owner/manager will be visited, and data collected on any changes in health status, management factors, or racing performance of the individual horses, as well as changes to the herd, including reasons for culling. The data will be analyzed to describe the life span of Standardbreds on PEI, and to identify major risk factors for early end of career. This will provide guidance for future studies to modify these risk factors, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life and longevity of Standardbred horses in Canada.

Health management services for the PEI Equine Retirement Society, Inc. (Dr. Wendy Duckett)

The PEI Equine Retirement Society Inc. (PEIERS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of horses destined to be destroyed or shipped for the meat industry, and to finding new homes for them as pets or pleasure horses. Since its founding in O'Leary in 1996 by Mr. Dale Cameron, the Society has taken in 27 horses, of which 14 have been placed in new homes, six have been euthanized due to intractable health problems, and seven are currently at the facility. Through the support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, AVC has provided preventive medical care to the horses at the Society from the beginning.

Funding for this project has been continued for two more years. The program includes a physical exam on all horses that come to the PEIERS, a parasite monitoring and control program for the facility, dental work, routine vaccinations, and minor surgical and medical procedures as needed. The program includes vaccination against Eastern, Western, and West Nile Virus Encephalitis, and screening of all horses arriving at the facility for equine infectious anemia. AVC senior veterinary students, interns, and residents all participate in the care of these horses. This project provides significant benefits to the horses through basic preventive medicine in preparation for adoption, and by minimizing respiratory disease and parasite burden at the facility.

Health management services for Handibear Hills Equine Sanctuary, Inc. (Dr. Wendy Duckett)

Similar to the project outlined above, this project provides preventive medical care to the horses at the Handibear Hills Equine Sanctuary, Inc. For 20 years, this facility in South Granville, PEI has provided a refuge for horses needing a home. Through programs such as the Trailblazers Club, young people and adults spend time at Handibear Hills learning to ride, groom, and generally care for the horses.

Funding for this project is continued for two more years. The program provides regular dental care and vaccinations for the 21 horses currently at the sanctuary, as well as parasite monitoring and control. The program includes vaccination against Eastern, Western, and West Nile Virus Encephalitis. AVC senior veterinary students, interns and residents all participate in the care of these horses.

The Chinook Project - Providing veterinary care to Kimmirut, Nunavut (Dr. Lisa Miller)

This project will provide basic veterinary care to an isolated community on the south shore of Baffin Island. The community has a population of 450, many of whom maintain a traditional lifestyle involving hunting, fishing, and several strong sled dog teams. There is an estimated dog population of 115. No veterinary care is currently available.

A volunteer team of one co-ordinator, two clinicians, one senior veterinary student, and up to four additional vet students, will travel to Kimmirut for one week in August. Team members will provide veterinary care for sled dogs and homebound dogs in the form of vaccinations, examination and treatment for parasites, spaying and neutering, and some medical and surgical treatments (such as tumour removal). The AVC volunteers will also provide an educational program for interested community members. Adults will be given basic information about emergency care, vaccinations, and parasite prevention; and supplies will be left with them to improve the well-being of their animals. Children will receive information about animal welfare and caring for the dogs.

Chinook team members will also participate in a cultural exchange, to allow them to broaden their understanding of Canadian diversity. Participants will also keep journals during their stay, which will be compiled into a record of the experience. This inaugural project provides funding for two summers; it is anticipated that the programme may travel to other Northern Canadian communities in the future.

Development of an objective scoring system for changes to the equine pituitary gland in aged horses (pilot project) (Dr. Lisa Miller)

Equine Cushing's disease, or PPID, occurs in about 30% of horses over 20 years of age. The disease results from overproduction of hormones by the pituitary gland, with resulting impairment of immune and metabolic function. This causes an array of clinical syndromes, including laminitis (frequently resulting in euthanasia), pneumonia, muscle wasting, and diabetes. There is effective treatment available for PPID, but there are difficulties with diagnosis, due in part to inconsistencies among veterinary pathologists in interpreting histopathological changes in the pituitary gland.

This pilot project will involve three pathologists who will evaluate, individually, histopathological changes in the pituitary glands of aged horses which were euthanized for unrelated reasons. Information about the horse's age, clinical history and hormone levels will be collected before death. The pathologists will develop and verify objective criteria for grading the changes, which will eventually allow veterinarians to more accurately diagnose, and subsequently treat, PPID.

Medical and surgical care of homeless animals (Dr. Caroline Runyon)

Since first receiving funding in 1994, more than 2,750 dogs and cats have received care through this program. Funding has been granted to this project for a further two years to continue to address the problems of pet overpopulation and homeless animals in the region. Injured or ill animals brought in to the AVC Veterinary Teaching Hospital by the PEI Humane Society or Good Samaritans receive physical examinations, x-rays, and/or other diagnostic procedures, emergency medical care, and continued medical or surgical care (including neutering as required) in consultation with the shelter. Some lost animals are claimed by their owners, while most, once healthy, are placed in homes through standard shelter adoption. Some animals are placed in "special needs" adoptive homes because they require specific care during recovery. Animals with severe illness or extensive injuries are humanely euthanized.

Assessment of a new diagnostic test for inflammatory airway disease in the horse

(Dr. Maureen Wichtel)

Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) causes cough and reduced performance in horses of all ages. It affects a large proportion of stabled horses and, if left untreated, may lead to chronic lung damage, commonly known as "heaves." Equine pulmonary function testing (PFT) can lead to earlier diagnosis of airway inflammation; however such testing is not available in Maritime practices or at the AVC because of equipment costs and lack of portability.

This project will look at a new, non-invasive, portable PFT system (Open Plethand#153;) which shows promise as a practical screening test for IAD. Dr. Wichtel will compare lung function, using the Open Plethand#153; system, with lung inflammation, as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and other traditional diagnostic techniques. If the non-invasive, portable and affordable PFT system correlates well with the results of BAL, then it will likely become the method of choice for the diagnosis of IAD in horses. Earlier diagnosis will prevent the progression of IAD to heaves, one of the most debilitating respiratory diseases in the horse.

Since the first symposium in 1994, the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial conferences at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) have brought together scholars, researchers, students, and Montgomery enthusiasts to explore the world and the works of PEI's most famous author. This year's conference on the theme of "Storm and Dissonance" is no exception, having attracted registrants from Canada, U.S., Germany, U.K., Finland, Australia, Japan, Lithuania, and South Africa.

More than 30 presenters from all over the globe will explore the theme of conflict in Montgomery's work, from June 21 to 26, with topics ranging from the differences between public and private lives, to life on the Home Front in Canada during WWI, to the challenges of mothering. For the first time, a special Montgomery course is being offered at UPEI in connection with the conference. World-renowned scholars, Dr. Elizabeth Waterston and Dr. Jennifer Litster, are presenting English 333: The Literature of L.M. Montgomery. The course started on June 15.

The L.M. Montgomery Institute is benefitting from some special connections with Finland this yearand#151;two of the keynote speakers come from Helsinki and two Finnish poets are participating in the international poetry event at The Guild in Charlottetown at 7pm on June 21. This free event is open to the public and includes readings by Riina Katajavuori, Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen, Frank Ledwell, Deirdre Kessler, John MacKenzie, and John Smith.

Just a few of the highlights of the conference include a keynote address on June 22 by author Margaret Doody on the topic, "L.M. Montgomery: the Darker Side" and a keynote address on June 23 by Suvi Ahola and Satu Koskimies entitled, "Anne, Emily and the Finnish Women: Love and Corntroversy For More than Eighty Years." A special workshop called "Rilla of Ingleside: Canada's War?" led by Dr. Andrea McKenzie, Director of Writing in the Disciplines at New York University, is scheduled for June 24. This workshop is open to the public at a cost of $40. It runs from 9am to 12pm and takes place in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre at UPEI.

More details are available on the L.M. Montgomery website at www.lmmontgomery.ca/lmmi/ or by calling (902) 628-4346.

A unique painting by well-known Canadian artist James Lumbers was unveiled at UPEI today as part of the international L.M. Montgomery conference. It has been donated to the UPEI Permanent Collection. The painting captures the magical essence of the beloved home of L.M. Montgomery at the homestead of her Macneill grandparents in Cavendish.

The work was commissioned last year by Montgomery researcher and collector Donna Campbell to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the completion of Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery wrote her famous novel in the Macneill house in 1905. She also wrote Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard, and The Story Girl, as well as hundreds of short stories and poems there.

A century later, the property is a National Historic Site. Although the house structure no longer exists, the Macneill family preserves the original stone foundation and the beautiful surrounding landscape. An apple tree from 1905 continues to thrive at the site.

James Lumbers has combined the past and the present in the painting which is titled Twilight Sorceries. The original apple tree is included, and so are the spruce trees to the right of the house that Montgomery described as "...dark, slender, witch-maidens weaving their spells of magic." He has recreated the house and painted a ghost-like image of the author standing at the centre of the front lawn, cradling a grey cat in her arms.

The University is hoping to benefit from the immense popularity of James Lumbers' work through the sales of prints and notecards of Twilight Sorceries. The funds raised will be used to support the work of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI.

Lumbers has had numerous exhibitions across Canada and through the United States. A recurring theme in all his work is the importance of heritage in Canada and of the traditions that make us what we are. He is well known for his portraits of distinguished subjects such as the late John Deifenbaker, Chief Dan George, and hockey legend Gordie Howe. In recent years his nostalgic "Moments in Time" series has been extremely popular. In these paintings he uses his distinctive technique of "ghosting"significant figures from the past into a scene from the present.

More information about Twilight Sorceries prints and notecards is available from the L.M. Montgomery Institute at 628-4346.

Representatives of Pfizer Animal Health were in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island today to announce a $80,000 commitment to the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI to recognize innovation in teaching.

The Pfizer Innovative Teaching Methodology Fund will provide $20,000 a year for the next four years for AVC faculty in support of developing and utilizing innovative teaching and/or assessment methodologies in either the College's doctor of veterinary medicine or graduate studies programs. The fund will be competitive and adjudicated by AVC's Dean's Council.

"AVC is very excited by Pfizer Animal Health's leadership in recognizing the value of innovation and excellence in teaching," said Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean, Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. "AVC is proud to further its partnership with Pfizer in a way that enables our world class faculty to deliver an ever increasing high quality education to our veterinary medicine and graduate students."

Pfizer is a long time supporter of the AVC through the sponsorship of several high level annual awards for faculty and students. These awards include: The Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, The Pfizer Graduate Student Award, The Pfizer Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, The Pfizer Award in Pharmacology, and the recently established Pfizer Award for Excellence in Food Animal Medicine.

"Pfizer Animal Health enjoys a strong partnership with AVC," said Mr. Don Sauder, Division Director for Pfizer Animal Health in Canada. "This commitment reinforces our mutual goal of leveraging innovation to the long-term benefit of veterinary medicine."

Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research and veterinary service. Over the past 20 years, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region's only full service veterinary referral hospital.

The 10th International Conference for the Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) will take place at the University of Prince Edward Island from July 6 to 8. The conference will be opened by His Excellency Arturo G. Bothamley, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic in Canada.

The Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (CELCIRP) is based in La Sorbonne in Paris. The association brings together scholars and researchers specializing in this area from around the world.

The keynote speakers will be Angand#233;lica Gorodische, Narradora, Argentina; Godfrey Baldacchino, Island Studies, UPEI; and Fernando Aand#237;nsa, New Sorbonne University of Paris III. The conference is being coordinated by the UPEI Department of Modern Languages. Chair of the organizing committee is Professor Doreley Coll.

UPEI has been strengthening its Spanish program in recent years and it now has an exchange program with the University of Uruguay, in Montevideo. The first three students to take advantage of the exchange agreement graduated last year with a major in Spanish.

As part of the conference, Poesand#237;a Diaria, a selection of commemorative tributes published by the families of the 30,000 Argentinians and#145;disappeared' and kidnapped during the military junta dictatorship, 1976-1983, will have its second viewing in Canada at UPEI, July 6 to14. The opening ceremony for the display will take place at 5:00 pm on July 6 in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building. Members of the public are welcome.

More information on the 10th International CELCIRP Conference and is available at www.upei.ca/celcirp/

Poesand#237;a Diaria, a selection of commemorative tributes published by the families of the 30,000 Argentinians and#145;disappeared' and kidnapped during the military junta dictatorship, 1976-1983, will have its second viewing in Canada at UPEI, July 6 to14, as a part of the 10th International Conference for the Centre for the Study of the Literatures and Civilizations of the River Plate (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay). The opening ceremony for the display will take place at 5:00 pm on July 6 in the Faculty Lounge of Main Building. Members of the public are welcome.

In the 1970s, in a number of countries in South America, most notably Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, governments were overthrown in coups and were ruled by military dictatorships for the next decades. As many as 3,000 persons in Chile and#145;disappeared' during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. In Uruguay 2,000 were killed, a high number relative to the size of the population. In Argentina's dirty wars, the new regime launched a total campaign of suppression against and#145;subversives' and tried to cleanse the country of all leftist affiliations, from labor unions to people working in soup kitchens. Babies born to captive mothers were taken away from their biological families and given to military officers to raise as their own.

The people of Argentina turned to poetry as a way of secretly keeping the spirit of those and#145;disappeared' alive. Groups such as Madres de Plaza de Mayo, an Argentine women's human rights organization, led the poetic spirit in the population literally too traumatized to speak out. This exhibition is a tribute by the families using poetry as an outlet, around the theme "porque el silencio es mortal - because silence is mortal."

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance was recently recognized as the Atlantic region recipient of the Dietitians of Canada and Kraft Canada Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award for the "School Healthy Eating Toolkit."

"The School Healthy Eating Toolkit is a nutrition resource manual to assist elementary schools as they implement nutrition policies," says Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Chair of UPEI's Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences and spokesperson for the PEI Healthy Eating Alliance. "Teams consisting of a parent, a teacher and an administrator from 17 schools from the Eastern School District, the Western School Board and the Commission scolaire de langue franand#231;aise, were consulted throughout the development process."

The School Healthy Eating Toolkit includes rationale for school nutrition policies, information on operating healthy school food programs, suggestions on healthier fundraising activities, helpful tips on delivering nutrition education and facts stressing the importance of physical activity. A copy of the Toolkit was provided to all elementary and consolidated schools in the Eastern School District and Western School Board on PEI.

The award ceremony took place during the Dietitians of Canada National Conference held in Halifax recently. PEI Healthy Eating Alliance members Mary Acorn, RD, MHSc, Charmaine Campbell, RD, and Jennifer Taylor, RD, PhD received the award on behalf of the Alliance.

"The Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award is a joint initiative between Dietitians of Canada and Kraft Canada and is meant to encourage and recognize collaborative efforts that help Canadians make informed choices about healthy eating and physical activity," says Helen Haresign, VP Development, Dietitians of Canada.

The Toolkit has been shared with many partners across Canada as there are an increasing number of initiatives to encourage healthy choices at schools and is available for download at: www.healthyeatingpei.ca. A French version of the Toolkit will be completed shortly and provided to all schools in the Commission scolaire de langue franand#231;aise.

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance received funding from the PEI Department of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Strategy with cooperation from the University of Prince Edward Island for the development of the School Healthy Eating Toolkit. Dr. Jennifer Taylor of UPEI was principal investigator.

The PEI Healthy Eating Alliance is a group of individuals, community organizations, educators and government departments who work together to improve the eating behaviours of Island children and youth through nutrition education and promotion, and through the creation of supportive environments for healthy eating.

The University of Prince Edward Island has selected the new coach of the Men's Basketball Panthers. He is Matthew Davies, formerly the lead assistant coach of McGill University Redmen. Davies spent four years at McGill where he developed strong recruiting, player development, and tactical experience. He was also the head coach for the 16-under Boy's Provincial Team for the Quebec Basketball Federation over the last two summers.

Davies gained championship coaching experience within the Montreal Basketball League, winning a provincial championship with the Sun Youth Organization in 2001-2002. He was also an apprentice assistant coach with the CIS National Champion St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in 2000-2001.

His coaching expertise is complemented by a strong educational background. He holds an MA in Coaching and Sport Psychology from McGill and a Graduate Diploma in Sport Administration from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. He has a BSc and a BA in Psychology and English from St. Francis Xavier University.

"I am proud to join the Panthers community," says Davies. "The overwhelming support from the Athletics Department, UPEI alumni, and strong core of returning players makes this an ideal situation from which to take the necessary strides towards AUS and CIS prominence. I look forward to the challenge of instilling a basketball culture based on work ethic, communication, trust, and confidence, while pushing the boundaries of the Men's Basketball Program's academic, physical, technical, tactical, and mental excellence."

A native of Halifax, Davies is currently enrolled in the Diploma in High Performance Coaching program with the National Coaching Institute in Ontario, pursuing his NCCP Level IV certification under the mentorship of Coach Dave Smart (Carleton University/Canada Basketball.)

UPEI Athletic Director Ron Annear notes that Davies' previous experience in recruitment will be an important asset as he builds this year's team.

"He will be meeting with the returning players and the recruits who have been identified and adding to that list so that, come fall, we will have a quality team hit the floor," he said. "I'm very confident in Matthew's ability to quickly develop a strong recruiting framework to ensure a sustainable competitive program that Islanders and alumni can be proud of."

Davies takes over the Panther coaching position from Mike Connolly who was re-assigned in May to full-time duties as a UPEI student counsellor after six years in the coaching post.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues on July 12 with Carlos Reyes-Manzo, an international photojournalist. He will show and discuss his work in a presentation entitled "Impunity" at 3:00 pm in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre on the UPEI campus.

Over more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mr. Reyes-Manzo has had his work published extensively in newspapers, magazines, and books, and he has held numerous solo exhibitions. Born in Chile in 1944, he studied photography at the Film Institute of the Catholic University of Chile. In 1982, he established the Andes Press Agency.

Reyes-Manzo was commissioned by Save the Children to document its work in Iraq. His work has taken him to many places: Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Central America, Ethiopia, and North America. His powerful photographs document the lives of people, particularly children. He has recently completed work with Dr. Vianne Timmons at the University of Prince Edward Island. This is Reyes- Manzo's second visit to Prince Edward Island and Canada.

The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series presentations take place on Wednesdays at 3:00pm, with historic campus tours at 4:00pm, throughout the summer and early fall. Admission is free. In addition to the Wednesday lectures, presentations are being scheduled at other times based on the availability of speakers. For more information contact Julie Mutch at 894-2834 or visit www.upei.ca/summer.