ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú

Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced last night at the Men's Hockey Championship banquet in Saskatoon that ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú defencemen Reggie Traccitto had been selected as a CIS Men's Hockey 2nd Team All-Canadian. Traccitto, who enjoyed a strong AUS season garnering 10 goals, and 19 assists for 29 points, was the 10th overall leader and second amongst AUS defencemen, and was also among the top three finalists for the 'CIS Defencemen of the Year Award.' Traccitto was recently selected to the AUS Men's Hockey 1st All-Star team.

To read the full CIS release for a full list of awards click

Congratulations, Reggie! Go Panthers Go!

The annual reading by participants in ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's Creative Writing Master Class will take place on Monday, March 24, at 7:00 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Some of the Island's most talented new writers will read excerpts from their fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and playscripts.

The featured writers are Damon Ansems, Chris Bailey, Keith Burgoyne, Michael Conway, Angela Deighan, Sarah Glassford, Ben Hartley, Ruby Madigan, Lori Mayne, Olivia Robinson, Justin Shaw, Toni Timmins, and Ken Williams.

The audience will encounter a circus with a purple giraffe named Vivian who speaks with a New York accent; a young female schoolteacher during the First World War whose brother is fighting in Europe's trenches; mating rituals in the age of sexting and social media; an Islander's journey from a Charlottetown boyhood to Army postings in the world's trouble-spots; and other samples from the literary world of wonders.

The public is invited and admission is free.

The PEI Urban Red Fox Research Project recently hit a major crowd-sourcing milestone when it received its 2500th fox sighting to its website upei.ca/redfox. Since the fall of 2012, Islanders have been logging on to upei.ca/redfox to report their sightings of red foxes. These reports provide researchers with an important source of data that helps them better understand the fox population and how it interacts with humans on Prince Edward Island.

With this data, the research team has discovered areas of high red fox activity in Charlottetown and has identified dozens of den sites and possible den sites for further research. More data would allow the PEI Urban Fox Research Team to discover even more about this species, including possible public health concerns.

If you spot a red fox on Prince Edward Island, visit upei.ca/redfox.

For information:
Dave Atkinson, Research Communications
(902) 620-5117, datkinson@upei.ca

The University of Prince Edward Jazz Ensemble will present its end of semester concert on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 pm in ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's Dr. Steel Recital Hall. The "Big Band" sound of Count Basie will be featured on jazz standards including "Shiny Stockings," "April in Paris," and "The Spirit is Willing."

The Jazz Ensemble has again invited ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú voice students from the studio of Sung Ha Shin-Bouey and Stephen Bouey to join the band on stage. Singers featured in this concert are: Lindsay Gillis ("Summertime"), Nadine Haddad ("Birdland"), Will Millington ("Our Love is Here to Stay"), Nicole Dupuis ("At Last"), Melissa MacKenzie ("The Best is Yet to Come"), and Olivia Barnes ("Cabaret").

The band is excited to present a "James Bond" theme segment. Bass Trombonist, Evan Hammell, has arranged the James Bond theme which will segue into "Live and Let Die" and "Skyfall."

First-year lead alto sax player Emily Proude will be featured on the funky-rock style ballad "Life without You" and Savannah Auld (tenor sax) will step out of the band and sing Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why."

Admission is $10 adults and $5 for students, and are available at the door, or in advance by calling 566-0507, or by email at music@upei.ca

The University of Prince Edward extends its condolences to the family and friends of Dr. David McKenna, member of the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú Board of Governors, alumnus, and well-respected Island optometrist, who passed away suddenly this week while travelling in New Zealand.

Dr. McKenna served as Chair of the Board of Governors Appeals Committee as well as on a number of other Board committees.

'On behalf of the entire University community, I send my heartfelt sympathies to Dr. McKenna's wife, Ann, their children, Monica, Emily, and Bridget, and to their extended family and friends,' said ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú has lost a valued member of our University community. His dedication to, and his passion for, his family, the Island, ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú, and his many volunteer activities were always evident.'

'On a personal note, over the past year, I have enjoyed working with David. He was a great role model and I'll miss him very much,' added Abd-El-Aziz. 'We are all so saddened to hear of his sudden passing.'

The University has lowered its flags to a half-mast position in honour of Dr. McKenna.

The ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the academic year on Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 pm at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's Dr. Steel Recital Hall. This has been a particularly busy and musically rewarding year for the Wind Symphony with highly successful performances throughout the fall and winter.

This recital will feature contemporary works for the modern wind band, the centerpiece of which is the programmatic work Rumpelstilzchen by American composer Jess Turner. Rumpelstiltzchen is an impish creature with the power to spin straw into gold. He deceives a young maiden into giving up her firstborn son in exchange for saving her life with her power, but is eventually foiled when she exploits his weakness and guesses his name. This piece is a highly descriptive tone poem depicting the story of this classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. With movements titled 'Spinning Straw into Gold,' 'The Maiden's Lament,' and 'Rumpelstilzchen's Fury,' Turner's composition is an engaging symphonic work.

The Wind Symphony will also premier its performance of Two-Lane Blacktop, a work for which the Wind Symphony joined a consortium to commission American composer James M. David to write. It plays homage to the open road and the distant horizon with gestures conveying gearshifts and the timeless feeling of driving through the Utah desert. Frank Ticheli's Blue Shades will conclude the program. It is a virtuosic work that is a tribute to the Big Band Era, heavily influenced by the Blues, Burlesques, and other clichés from the golden era of jazz.

This recital will be the final Wind Symphony performance for nine of its graduating students-Branden Kelly, percussion; Nik Dragatakis, guitar; Laura McLeod, trumpet; Nadine Haddad, euphonium; Isaac Williams, string bass; Justin Fitzsimmons, horn; Cora Wong, flute; Sarah Chace, piccolo; and Kate Thompson, clarinet. All nine, most of whom are principals, have made significant contributions to ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú, and the Wind Symphony in particular, throughout their undergraduate careers.

The ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú Wind Symphony received the ‘2014 Music PEI award for Achievement in Classical Music.' Under the direction of Dr. Karem J. Simon, the Wind Symphony has had a progressive approach to its programming, and in reaching a wider audience. With performances throughout PEI and beyond each year, partnerships with PEI school music programs, and utilizing unique performance spaces, the Wind Symphony is among PEI's most respected large ensembles. Commissioning new compositions, featuring outstanding student and professional soloists, and showcasing masterworks of the wind band genre are all hallmarks of this ensemble.

Tickets for this performance are available in advance at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's music department or at the door prior to the recital. All are welcome to attend.

For information:
Karem Simon, Professor, Department of Music, ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú
(902) 566-0702 (office), (902) 892-5993 (home), ksimon@upei.ca

The Enactus (Entrepreneurial Action Us) ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú team travelled to Halifax earlier this month to compete in the 2014 Enactus Canada Regional Exposition. The team received second place in the Scotiabank EcoLiving Challenge for its ‘Treeternity' project, which focuses on education and the development of tree planting. ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú students Brandon Higginbotham and Josh Mohan presented the team's project.

Enactus ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú members also competed in the Student Entrepreneur Regional Competition, Capital One Financial Education, and TD Entrepreneurship Challenges where they represented the University well. This year's team consists of twelve members who have worked tirelessly on seven projects including ‘An Entrepreneurial Evening with the ‘Wealthy Barber;'' ‘Economics for Success' high school budgeting seminars; ‘Financially Fit' University budgeting seminar; ‘Above the Influence' bracelet campaign; and its winning project ‘Treeternity.'

'I take a lot of pride in leading a group of dedicated full-time students, many of whom also balance part-time jobs, in addition to volunteering a substantial amount of time to work on these important projects that we hope will make PEI a better place,' said Enactus ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú President Connor MacPhee. 'I'm proud of our results at the regional exposition and we will continue to work hard and represent ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú and our province as best we can.'

'The results showcase the important and meaningful work that our Enactus leadership and representatives are engaging in,' said Interim Dean of the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú School of Business Juergen Krause. 'Enactus enables the students to apply the education and knowledge acquired to real challenges to create positive change in our community aiming to empower individuals and improve lives. I congratulate our Enactus members at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú for the well-deserved successes they achieved. The accomplishments of our young entrepreneurs are a testimony of their competence and hard work and make our institution very proud.'

The second place finish awards the team a trip to Calgary to compete in the Enactus Canada National Exposition, April 28-30. ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú wishes the team the best of luck as they represent the University and Prince Edward Island at the national competition.

More about Enactus ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú

Enactus (Entrepreneurial Action Us) is the largest global business network in the world with over 48,000 students at 1500 universities in 39 countries. Enactus ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú is one of 57 University teams across Canada that implements social entrepreneurial projects that help make your community a better place socially, economically, and environmentally.

For more information, contact Enactus ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú at enactusupei@gmail.com or visit the team in ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 317.

The ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú installed its eighth Chancellor, Dr. Don McDougall, during a ceremony today at McMillan Hall in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. McDougall was unanimously selected and replaces ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú's seventh Chancellor William E. 'Bill' Andrew who served from 2005-2013.

As Chancellor, McDougall will become the University's voluntary titular head who is responsible for conferring all certificates, diplomas, and degrees, and is also a member of the Board of Governors, and acts as an important liaison between the University and the Prince Edward Island community.

McDougall and his wife Marion who reside in Stratford, Ontario, both attended the weekend ceremony. Other ceremony participants included ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz; former ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú Chancellor Bill Andrew; Lieutenant Governor and Visitor to the University, the Honourable H. Frank Lewis; and the Honourable Wes Sheridan, representing the Province of Prince Edward Island.

After being invested by the Lieutenant Governor and given his robes of office by President Abd-El-Aziz and outgoing Chancellor Bill Andrew, Chancellor McDougall gave his inaugural address to the members of the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú community, family, and friends.

'I am deeply honoured and proud to be given the opportunity to serve you as Chancellor of the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú. It's times like these that we are motivated to look back at all the good fortune with which we have been blessed, and which has led to this occasion,' said McDougall. 'What excites me about this honour is the opportunity it presents for me, to experience up close, what this great institution is doing to develop our grandchildren's generation.'

'Today, we installed a new chancellor who is experienced at being a champion for big and bold ideas,' said ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú President Abd-El-Aziz. 'I am so pleased that Chancellor McDougall will be able to provide insight and leadership as we continue to design our future at the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú.'

McDougall is a well-known business leader, alumnus, donor, and honorary degree recipient (1978) who spent his formative years in Bloomfield, PEI before attending both St. Dunstan's High School and University. He taught high school in Summerside before moving to London, Ontario to attend the University of Western Ontario where he completed his Master of Business Administration degree in 1961. He spent the next 12 years in managerial positions with the Labatt Brewing Company, and then served as President from 1973-79. It was during this time that McDougall was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for his tireless efforts in bringing a major league baseball franchise-the Toronto Blue Jays-to Toronto.

He acquired Stratford, Ontario-based Novatronics Inc. in 1983, and over the next 20 years, expanded his aerospace company globally before selling to Curtis-Wright Inc. in 2003. He continued to be involved in a number of private and public companies and organizations including Rambri Management, Burlington's Investments, eJust Systems, Systemhouse Inc., St. Raymond Paper Company, The Science and Technology Fund, and Slemon Park Corporation.

The McDougalls are no strangers to ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú. Dr. McDougall is a graduate of St. Dunstan's University (SDU) while Mrs. McDougall is both a PWC and SDU alumna. In addition to having attended the University, the McDougalls have been great benefactors to ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú, with the innovative Don and Marion McDougall Hall having been named in their honour in 2008. McDougall Hall is home to the Centre for Life-long Learning, School of Business, and Co-operative Education programs.

Congratulations and welcome, Chancellor McDougall!

UPDATE: Please note this event has been postponed due to weather. The discussion will be held Tuesday, April 8 at 7 pm at the Pourhouse, above the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse.

At the next Research on Tap, join us for a discussion about the bloody history of free blood in Canada. Dr. Sarah Glassford, assistant professor of history at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú, will lead a discussion entitled 'Blood: It's in you to sell. Why Canadians give and get blood for free.' The discussion begins at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 1 at the Pourhouse, above The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Charlottetown.

In other countries, blood is treated almost as a commodity, where donors are paid, and blood has cash value. Dr. Glassford will present on the debate that led to our free system, and how Canada almost followed the American model.

Sound interesting? Join us!

Research on Tap is a series of public discussions with ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú researchers. For more information, contact Dave Atkinson at (902) 620-5117 or datkinson@upei.ca.

For information:
Dave Atkinson, Research Communications
(902) 620-5117, datkinson@upei.ca

On Thursday, April 3, more than 200 young scientists from 30 schools across the Island will come together in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú campus to participate in the 2014 PEI Science Fair. The theme of this year's fair is 'Science Matters.' For some students, this will be their first science fair experience, but for many, it will be a return engagement. Students from grades 4-12 will showcase their science interests and abilities, and connect with other young scientists from around the province.

Once again, ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú faculty, staff, and students have organized a ‘Science Expo' full of interesting exhibits, out-of-this-world engineering demonstrations, and other hands-on activities for the participants. ‘Let's Talk Science' will also be joining the Expo with some cool science demonstrations.

Award ceremonies will take place at 1:00 pm for grades 4-6 and at 4:00 pm for grades 7-12. Parents, family members, and friends are all invited to join in the celebration from 12:00-1:00 pm (grades 4-6) and 2:00-4:00 pm (grades 7-12). Government, industry, and community groups have donated over $10,000 in specialty prizes and awards across PEI. This year, the top five students will represent PEI at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Windsor, Ontario. For more information, check out the 'new' PEI Science Fair website at peisciencefair.ca (English), or exposciencesipe.ca (French).

More about the Science Fair

The Science Fair is a great way to engage young minds to the wonders and mystery of science. Participating in science fairs at the school level is the first real opportunity for Island students to think critically about science and get hands on experience running a science experiment. And research shows that positive science experiences at an early age can build a positive attitude towards science in the junior and high school years, and ultimately attract many to the field of science as a career. More importantly, in running a science fair project, students develop critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills that are key to being successful at school and in ones chosen career.

Last year at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Lethbridge, Alberta, all of our Island students walked away with top awards-Pieter VanLeeuwen won the Actuarial Foundation of Canada Award in the Intermediate Division; Neil Kelley and Gavin Kerr won a silver medal Excellence Award in the Junior Division; and Hailey Brake and Shruthi Bandi won a bronze medal Excellence Award in the Junior Division.