Distinguished Alumni & Inspiring Young Alumni Awards

The 黑料老司机 Alumni Association鈥檚 Distinguished Alumni and Inspiring Young Alumni Awards will take place on Tuesday, March 27 at 7:00 pm in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium of the Don and Marion McDougal Hall. This year鈥檚 Distinguished Alumni recipients include multi-award winning musician Lennie Gallant (BA 鈥80) and Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Health Informatics at Michigan State University鈥檚 College of Veterinary Medicine and founder of One Health Initiatives, Dr. Theresa Bernardo. Our Inspiring Young Alumni Award will be presented to Dico Reijers, founder of InternetWorks, a 鈥渟mall Island shop鈥 making it in the big leagues of online systems and design. A reception will follow the Awards in Schurman Market Square.

Departments of Biomedical Sciences & Pathology and Microbiology Seminar

SPEAKER: Erin McCauley, Biomedical Sciences TITLE: Microbial Communities Associates with the Zooxanthellae and Larvae of the Gorgonian Coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. SPEAKER: Dr. Melanie Buote, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Pathogenesis of early Hematodinium sp. infection in Atlantic Canadian Snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio)

Sarah Jane Barrett Master of Education Thesis Defense

Sarah Jane Barrett will present her Master of Education Thesis defense on Monday, March 5 at 10:00 am in Room AVC 287 North. Thesis Title: "The Gifted Experience: an Autobiographical Journey鈥. All are welcome. ABSTRACT This qualitative study uses an auto-ethnographic approach to explore the experiences of a gifted student in Prince Edward Island. The purpose was to reflect on and offer insights and analysis about experiences in school and how these shaped teacher identity. Using school documents and recollections of years in school, a series of narratives of schooling formed the data. Analysis of these narratives revealed themes that resonate with the literature, including perfectionism, frustrations with waiting, group work, anti-intellectualism, and disengagement from learning. The importance of challenge, ability grouping, and creativity are discussed, as well as the role of teachers in the education of gifted students. The research found that the needs of gifted students are not met in ways that develop their potential and the thesis suggests educational approaches supported by the literature and findings.

Lisa Cooper Master of Education Thesis Defense

Lisa Cooper will present her Master of Education Thesis defense on Monday, March 12, 2012 at 3:30pm in Kelley 237. Thesis Title: Succeeding where others have failed: Re-engaging Aboriginal high school students. All are welcome. Abstract This study explores Aboriginal youth disengagement from high school on Prince Edward Island. The author and six Aboriginal participants, share their experiences of disengaging from the educational system. The experiences of this group of young people are consistent with those in the current literature which stresses the need to support Aboriginal students in school, change curriculum, and increase community and parental involvement. The study provides recommendations on ways to re-engage Aboriginal students in the school system.

The Interactive Classroom: Active Learning using a Modified Lecture Approach

Dr. Brian D. Wagner, Professor of Chemistry and the Assistant Vice President, Graduate Studies at the 黑料老司机 will be giving a Presentation entitled "The Interactive Classroom: Active Learning using a Modified Lecture Approach" on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Dr Wagner has been at 黑料老司机 since 1995. He has taught a wide variety of chemistry courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. He was the recipient of the 1997鈥1998 黑料老司机 Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 3M Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Teaching Excellence Award (2005). He has given numerous workshops and presentations on university teaching at 黑料老司机, as well as across Canada and abroad, and has been a facilitator in the 黑料老司机 Faculty Development Summer Institute on Active Learning and Teaching since 2002.