69传媒Environmental Studies to host symposium on plastics

Students and faculty with UPEI鈥檚 Environmental Studies program are hosting an information symposium entitled 鈥淥ur Plastic World: The Breakdown.鈥 The event runs from 7:00 pm鈥9:00 pm on Tuesday, March 6 in the Duffy Amphitheatre, room 135 of UPEI鈥檚 Duffy Science Centre. All are welcome.

Three informative speakers will provide insights into different aspects of plastic waste and the challenges we face in dealing with it. A panel discussion will follow.

The panellists include:

Dr. Nino Antadze is currently an assistant professor of environmental studies at the 69传媒. Her work focuses on ethical implications of environmental issues and environmental planning processes and on the role of social and environmental innovations in sustainability transitions. Dr. Antadze earned a PhD in urban and regional planning from University of Waterloo and has taught courses in environmental studies and planning programs at the universities in the USA and Canada.

Heather Myers is disposal manager at Island Waste Management Corporation. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the 69传媒 in 1993. She began work the next year with East Prince Waste Management Commission (Island Waste Management Corporation鈥檚 predecessor) as site technician at the East Prince Waste Management Facility and then facility manager in 1996. Myers is responsible for the proper disposal of solid waste, including the management and oversight management of Waste Watch sites designated for that purpose.

Dr. Tony Walker has more than 25 years environmental research and monitoring related experience. He is currently an assistant professor at the School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia. He previously worked in industry for a decade as an environmental consultant, specializing in monitoring and management of contaminants in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. He completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham, UK studying terrestrial pollution in the Russian Arctic arising from resource extractive industries. During his early research career, he spent four years living and working in the Antarctic.

The 69传媒 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鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥69传媒has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 69传媒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.

Playoff preview: Will this be the year the Panthers reign supreme?

By Thomas Becker

Despite capturing a handful of individual awards Wednesday afternoon, 69传媒Women鈥檚 Basketball still has some unfinished business.

The biggest prize is up for grabs and the Island squad is poised to make a run for the AUS Championship this weekend.

Hopes are riding high and for good reason. The young Panthers are better equipped than they've been in years. Their sophomore trio鈥擩enna Mae Ellsworth, Carolina Del Santo, and Karla Yepez鈥攏ow know what it takes to win in this league and will do whatever they can to avoid the same early exit they made last season. Veterans Kiera Rigby and Jane McLaughlin lead this youthful nucleus into battle one last time, looking to end their careers with a title.

鈥淏eing a year older and having that experience certainly helps,鈥 said head coach Greg Gould. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a mature yet young team and have experience playing in big games.鈥

At times this season, the 11鈥9 Panthers were virtually unbeatable. You don't have to look much further than in late January when they dethroned the nation鈥檚 No. 1 Acadia Axewomen 88鈥68. At other times (usually the second game of a back-to-back), they were a shadow of themselves, labouring through their offensive and defensive game plan.

Now they have no choice. If they want to hoist the championship banner, they鈥檒l have to string together three consecutive wins鈥攁 task they鈥檝e only accomplished once this year.

Standing in their way first is the veteran-laden UNB Varsity Reds, who have five seniors and two fourth-year players occupying their roster. Their 10鈥10 record doesn鈥檛 tell the full story, however, as six rotation players missed at least five games due to injury, including key pieces Hannah Currie and Grace Wade. As result, their depth has been tested and performed admirably in the face of adversity.

鈥淯NB鈥檚 the deepest team in the league, and they鈥檙e good. It won't be easy,鈥 Gould said.

Gould is anticipating UNB will deploy a zone defence to counteract UPEI鈥檚 ability to get to the basket.

鈥淛ust because they鈥檙e in zone doesn't mean we can't take them off the dribble,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e still need to be aggressive and attack them.鈥

Rigby, who鈥檚 arguably the league's best perimeter finisher, averaged a career-high 18.4 points per game (third in the AUS) and will be the focal point on offence again. And the Varsity Reds are no doubt planning for her, as well.

鈥淲hen you play teams in the playoffs, one of things they're going to try to do is limit her touches. Defensively, they're going to try to take away things that we do well. If they're going to stop her, they鈥檙e going to give up something else, so we just have to be prepared for other opportunities.鈥

That opens the door for their perimeter players to make an impact. Ellsworth was recently named as a second-team all-star and will help carry the scoring load. As will her running mate and rookie-of-the-year, Reese Baxendale, who is expected to use her speed to keep defences off balance.

Aside from Yepez off the bench, UPEI鈥檚 depth is their greatest weakness. But big games welcome new heroes and if a combination of Annabelle Charron, Jennifer Newman, Victoria Barbour, and Kimeshia Henry can deliver, the Panthers will be even more dangerous.

Coming off a defensive player of the year award, Del Santo will continue to anchor the defence and be tasked with protecting the paint from oncoming guards. The second-year centre also led the league in rebounds and could steal a few extra possessions off the offensive glass, which could turn the tide between two evenly matched teams.

鈥淪he鈥檚 the one who cleans up the stuff when we break down. She鈥檚 the one who's getting us double-digit rebounds every night and we need big games from her again.鈥

Come tonight, the test begins. The question remaining: are the Panthers up for the challenge?

鈥淯ltimately it comes down to our own execution,鈥 Gould said. 鈥淚f we want to win, we have to play at our best.鈥

Go Panthers Go!

 

Federal Budget 2018

69传媒President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz welcomed the investments in science and research that were identified in the federal budget tabled by the Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance, in the House of Commons on February 27, 2018.

鈥淚 am pleased to see the 2018 federal budget鈥檚 commitment to science and research through multi-year funding,鈥 said President Abd-El-Aziz. 鈥淭he benefits of these proposed investments will benefit post-secondary institutions and students from coast-to-coast.鈥

Budget 2018 proposes to invest $925 million over five years to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIRC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).  Budget 2018 also supports increasing diversity in science through greater collaboration between the granting councils, research funding recipients and improved support for women, underrepresented groups, and early-career researchers.

President Abd-El-Aziz noted that UPEI鈥檚 priorities, including involvement with the industry-led , align well with Budget 2018 given our strong research capabilities from across the fields of science, engineering, climate change, environmental studies, and veterinary medicine which are already making positive impacts on Canada鈥檚 ocean economy. 

President Abd-El-Aziz added, 鈥淲e look forward to working with our federal government partners in the months and years to come to help support our number-one priority which is to develop our future leaders through robust experiential learning and research opportunities that allows our students to achieve their full potential.鈥

You can find the Universities Canada 2018 Federal Budget news release .

The 69传媒 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鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥69传媒has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 69传媒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.
 

 

 

 

Hon. Jean-Marc Fournier to speak at UPEI, March 7

The Soci茅t茅 Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin (SSTA), Coll猫ge de l'脦le, and the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education at the 69传媒 are pleased to host the Honourable Jean-Marc Fournier, Quebec鈥檚 Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie at a public lecture on Wednesday, March 7. 

Minister Fournier has been touring the Maritime Provinces, promoting co-operation between Quebec and francophone communities across the country. The visit to Prince Edward Island coincides with 鈥淟es Rendez-vous de la francophonie,鈥 a collection of events taking place in Canada from March 1 to 21 celebrating French culture as part of the Journ茅e internationale de la Francophonie (March 20).

During his talk, Minister Fournier will address the topic, 鈥渂uilding the Canada of tomorrow, together.鈥 After the lecture, there will be a question period. The event will take place in Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, room 241, and begins at 11:30 am with a buffet lunch. Admission is free. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Johanna Venturini, Project Manager, Communications and Community Relations, Soci茅t茅 Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin at 902-436-4881 or johanna.venturini@ssta.org.

The 69传媒 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鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥69传媒has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 69传媒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.
 

Prominent Asian history scholar to speak at 69传媒on March 8

Dr. Don L. Baker, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia, will give the inaugural lecture in UPEI鈥檚 new Asian Studies International Seminar and Korean Studies Speaker Series on Thursday, March 8, 2:30 pm, Faculty Lounge (Room 201), SDU Main Building.

Dr. Baker will give a presentation called 鈥淔rom the Mountains into the Cities: The Transformation of Korean Buddhism in the Twentieth Century鈥 on Thursday from 2:30 to 3:45 pm. The storm date for the event is Friday, March 9, 2:30 to 3:45 pm, Room 213, SDU Main Building.

A renowned scholar in the area of East Asian history, especially Korea鈥檚 religious, intellectual, and cultural history, Dr. Baker is frequently invited by many leading universities and research institutes around the world to give special public talks. He joined UBC in 1987 as its first professor of Korean Studies (KS) and was entrusted with the task of building a Korean Studies program. Under his leadership, it has become the best KS program (with BA, MA, and PhD streams) in Canada and one of the premier KS programs in the world. For many years, he also served as director of UBC鈥檚 Centre for Korean Research. He has authored, edited, co-edited, or translated eight scholarly books since 1996. His Sourcebook of Korean Civilization, Vol. II, and Korean Spirituality are accepted as two popular textbooks in Korean history or religion courses and are frequently cited by scholars and students. He recently published a pioneering monograph, Catholics and Anti-Catholicism in Chos艔n Korea (University of Hawaii Press, 2017). 

鈥淎s the first of our international seminar and speaker series,鈥 says Dr. Edward Chung, coordinator of Asian Studies and director of the Korean Studies Project at UPEI, 鈥渢his is a wonderful lecture topic on modern Buddhism, especially for understanding the religious and cultural transformation of Buddhism in twentieth-century Korea under the influence of Japan, Christianity, Western ideas, and socio-economic changes. This public talk is significant because of the growing popularity (public awareness) of Buddhism in our Island communities as well.鈥

This international seminar and speaker series project is an initiative of the 69传媒Faculty of Arts, Asian Studies Program, and its Korean Studies Project, and is supported by a major international Seed Program for Korean Studies grant (AKS-2017-INC-2230001) through the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea, and Korean Studies Promotion Service, the Academy of Korean Studies.

Everyone is welcome to attend Dr. Baker鈥檚 presentation. Healthy refreshments will be provided.

Lecture will explore overcoming 鈥渟mall size鈥 in the Caribbean

The next edition of the 2018 Island Studies Lecture Series features the research of Dr. Nand C. Bardouille on the important role of regional integration in Caribbean island states to overcome the disadvantages associated with their smaller size. The lecture is Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI鈥檚 SDU Main Building. All are welcome.

鈥淓ither we integrate or we perish鈥︹ For forty-plus years, this famous aphorism has given impetus to a grouping of mainly small-island states in the Caribbean Basin that is endeavouring to advance regional integration. This lecture addresses the question: what role does the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) play in positioning its members to overcome their small size in the international system? CARICOM is a grouping of fifteen member states and five associate members, which span the archipelagic state of The Bahamas in the northern part of the Caribbean Basin to the low-lying coastal states of Suriname and Guyana in South America.

Dr. Bardouille will call attention to the vitally important role of collaborative regional governance arrangements in undergirding the viability of Caribbean island states. He will focus on how CARICOM enables co-ordinated regional responses to constraints/vulnerabilities associated with small size and the achievement of policy success for its members that face existential threats such as climate change and transnational crime. Dr. Bardouille will trace the key milestones/achievements of and the challenges that confront CARICOM and will reflect on CARICOM鈥檚 prospects.

Dr. Nand C. Bardouille, a national of Dominica, is currently a visiting professor in the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) program at UPEI.

Watch for another lecture about islands鈥攏ear and far鈥攃oming in April. For more information, contact Laurie Brinklow at iis@upei.ca or (902) 894-2881.

The 69传媒 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鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥69传媒has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 69传媒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.

UPEI鈥檚 Faculty of Business hosts an information session for Executive MBA program, March 13

The 69传媒Faculty of Business will host an information session for those interested in its Executive MBA program. The event will be Tuesday, March 13 at 5:00 pm in the boardroom at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown.

UPEI鈥檚 EMBA program offers a high-quality learning experience for working business professionals. The program is designed for those working in, or aspiring to work, in a management or leadership position. Classes are offered bi-weekly on Fridays and Saturdays with the option to complete the program in 20 months.

Learn more about the program and application process, have your questions answered, and meet with staff from the Faculty of Business.

To reserve a seat, contact 902-566-6474 or mba@upei.ca.

For more information about UPEI鈥檚 Executive MBA program, please visit or contact the MBA Coordinator at 902-566-6474.

The 69传媒 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鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥69传媒has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 69传媒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.

Ice cream for a cause

The W.A. Murphy Student Centre lobby was crowded, with lineups well down the hall, as people waited to get a scoop of ice cream and help a good cause: mental health.

As part of COWS ice cream and the Canadian Mental Health Association鈥檚 Moo Let鈥檚 Talk campaign, a satellite ice cream scooping station was set up on campus March 1, 2018 to raise funds for the CMHA and to increase awareness of mental health issues and supports.

69传媒student, faculty and staff came out enforce to support the initiative, which was in memory of 69传媒student Jason Driscoll. March 1 would have been his 22nd birthday.

69传媒President Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz took time to hand out ice cream and speak with Jason鈥檚 family and students.

In total, the satellite station raised $1,431, with 350 people served.

The President鈥檚 Office also donated $1,000 in Jason鈥檚 memory to support additional initiatives during . The use of the funds will be directed by Jason's family.  

69传媒announces the Panther Subway Athlete of the Week, February 27鈥揗arch 4

Every week during the season, 69传媒Athletics and Recreation recognizes student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their sports. Congratulations to Jenna Mae Ellsworth, the 69传媒Panther Subway Athlete of the Week for February 27鈥揗arch 4.

Jenna Mae Ellsworth is a second-year guard on the 69传媒Women鈥檚 Basketball team and a Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown. The Panthers made it to the AUS playoffs over the weekend, defeating the University of New Brunswick 76鈥70 and Cape Breton University 78鈥73 before losing in the finals to Acadia 80鈥58. Ellsworth played every minute of the Panthers three games on the weekend, averaging more than 22 points per game. For her outstanding performance, Ellsworth was selected to the AUS tournament all-star team. 鈥淛enna Mae had an outstanding AUS tournament at both end of the floor,鈥 said coach Greg Gould. 鈥淪he was our leader on offence and defence!鈥

Go Panthers Go!

UPEI鈥檚 Kiera Rigby wins 2018 U-SPORTS Sylvia Sweeney Award

U-SPORTS, the national governing body for university sports in Canada, announced today the winner of the 2018 Sylvia Sweeney Award is UPEI鈥檚 Kiera Rigby. The Sylvia Sweeney Award recognizes the Canadian women鈥檚 university basketball player who best exemplifies the value of athletics, academics, and community involvement.

鈥淭hroughout her five years at UPEI, Kiera has been an outstanding Panther on the court, in the classroom, and in the community,鈥 said Chris Huggan, director of Athletics and Recreation at UPEI. 鈥淚 am thrilled that she is being recognized on a national level for all that she has done to better the lives of others. This recognition is very well deserved. A great way to end her university sporting career.鈥

From the U-SPORTS release:

Five-foot-ten forward Kiera Rigby was named an AUS first-team all-star for the first time in her five-year career with the 69传媒Panthers. She led the team in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game, ranking eighth in the nation, while shooting a respectable 43.5 per cent (36.7 from beyond the arc). She also grabbed 4.3 rebounds a night to go along with 2.0 assists.

The Charlottetown native is also a vital part of the community. Her interest in biology led her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (physical medicine and emergency departments), where she has volunteered more than 80 hours since June. She also volunteers her time with the World University Services of Canada (WUSC), Canadian Cancer Society, and Arthritis Society. If that wasn鈥檛 enough, she鈥檚 also a three-year member of the 69传媒Varsity Leadership team, a tutor with Student Services, and an active member of the 69传媒Biology Society and 69传媒Pre-Med Society.

Rigby鈥檚 balancing act doesn鈥檛 end there. Academically, she has an outstanding 3.9 cumulative grade-point average. The four-time Academic All-Canadian made the dean鈥檚 list four times and graduated in May with a major in biology and a minor in biomedical physics.

Rigby is currently doing her honours research in Dr. Adam Johnston鈥檚 exercise physiology lab, examining Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She intends on continuing her schooling afterwards and has applied to several programs across Canada specializing in physiotherapy, including Dalhousie, McMaster, and the University of Toronto. She鈥檚 also preparing for an interview for a four-year program at the Canadian Chiropractic College in Toronto.

鈥淜iera is a born leader. She cares for everyone she comes in contact with, and that caring and supportive personality makes people want to follow her,鈥 said Panthers head coach Greg Gould. 鈥淜iera always has time to uplift and support those around her. It鈥檚 amazing to watch how people of all ages are drawn to her magnetic personality.鈥

Congratulations, Kiera!