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Dr. Adam Fenech, who was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comes to ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú next week to train professionals in the latest techniques to plan for and adapt to climate change.

Dr. Fenech is one of three teachers of a unique course, designed to give professionals and students access to the latest tools to adjust to climate change. The Applied Climate Change Program runs August 8-12 at the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú. Dr. Fenech and his colleague, Dr. Neil Comer, have presented this program many times over the past three years, in places such as China and Panama.

'We need to empower planners and people who need this information,' said Dr. Fenech. 'They need to understand our climate past, and have a clear indication of what challenges lie ahead because of climate change, whether they be in protected habitat and land, human health, agriculture, or any number of other areas.'

Students of the course will take home practical skills: (1) steps to follow that have been assigned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to conduct a climate change impact assessment; (2) access to quality assurance and control of, database management of, and statistical analysis techniques for, climate data; (3) scenario preparation of future climate change through ensemble and validation techniques; and (4) watershed management (drought, storm-water management, flooding, source-water protection, planning, integrated watershed management).

'We'll be able to share some of our expertise as climate researchers, and to introduce participants to certain tools,' said Dr. Fenech. 'There are free websites available to get free observations of climate data, and Environment Canada has built sites that allow users to examine scenarios for future climate change, so planners can adapt.'

For more information on the Applied Climate Change Program, or to register to participate, visit

The ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú became the only University in Atlantic Canada to receive BOMA Building Environmental Standards (BESt) Certification from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada for its main campus buildings.

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú sought this third party certification as the application process itself helps assess how well buildings are performing and includes suggestions for tangible ways to improve, leading to healthier workplaces and sustainable building development and management practices.

Dave Taylor, PEng, manager of environmental services at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú said, 'We knew that by going through the process, we would learn where further advancements could be made, and set benchmarks for ourselves, in keeping with our existing plan of improving ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's environmental footprint.'

He added that the certification recognizes ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's environmental stewardship efforts, and is reflective of the values of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú students, staff, and faculty. 'This allows us to show our commitment to sustainability and environmental change on campus, it's the right thing to do.'

BOMA BESt is a national environmental certification program, overseen by BOMA Canada, for existing commercial buildings, evaluating environmental performance and management practices. Representatives from BOMA New Brunswick's Association recently presented the University with 22 BOMA BESt certificates for each building that earned the designation.

The BOMA BESt Program offers four levels of certification - levels 1 through 4. ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's certified buildings attained either level 1 or 2 certification. Each building had to meet a series of 14 ‘BESt Practices,' including conducting energy and water audits along with providing each building's written policies on energy management, water reduction, waste reduction, emissions and effluents, indoor environment and environmental management.

To achieve higher levels of certification (2-4), the building must also be assessed against a comprehensive set of questions that critically evaluate building performance across six key areas: energy, water, waste and site enhancements, indoor environment, emissions and effluents, and environmental management systems. Based on this analysis, a score for each section is assigned and an overall weighted score applied. Additionally, all certified buildings - regardless of level - must go through a third party verification process. The majority of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's buildings achieved Level 2.

BOMA New Brunswick's president, Debbie McGrath said, 'Just the fact that ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú cares enough to put the time and effort into sustainability, sends a clear message. To have all 22 buildings reach BOMA BESt Practices minimum standard is an incredible accomplishment.'

Melissa Peneycad, manager, environment and energy sustainability practices at BOMA Canada added, 'Achieving this certification clearly demonstrates ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's commitment to sustainability and positions the University as a campus others around the country should aspire to emulate. Congratulations on behalf of BOMA Canada.'

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced more than $1.2 million in research funding for 10 scientists at the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú. The funding covers the purchase of a scanning electron microscope, plus research costs for ten researchers over the next five years.

'ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú is extremely proud of each of its recipients of NSERC's Discovery Grant,' said Dr. Katherine Schultz, ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's vice-president of research and development. 'These awards allow us to build new knowledge and to train the next generation of innovators.'

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's recipients of 2011 NSERC Discovery Grants and their respective research programs are as follows:

Dr. Collins Kamunde, Biomedical Sciences
Developing mechanisms of interactions of hypoxia and temperature with metal stress in fish

Dr. Frederick Kibenge, Pathology and Microbiology
Studying the evolution of ISA virus in fish and developing vaccines and antiviral drugs to combat it in an aquaculture setting

Dr. Christian Lacroix, Biology
Understanding the evolution and diversity through comparative studies of the vegetative and floral structures in seed plants

Dr. Gordon MacDonald, Mathematics and Statistics
Using pure mathematics to study collections of operators and matrices to model phenomena in quantum mechanics, control theory, signal processing, and other areas

Dr. Jason Pearson, Chemistry
Using computers to understand and design new molecules and materials with applications to human health and disease and developing algorithms that allow computers to intelligently "discover" new, highly active compounds

Dr. James Polson, Physics
Computer simulations to better understand the underlying physics and of a potential nano-scale technique for faster sequencing of DNA, with an aim to guide future development of this technique

Dr. Nasser Saad, Mathematics and Statistics
Bridging three areas of mathematical physics to gain a better and more concise understanding of the theory of supersymmetric quantum mechanics

Dr. Michael Shaver, Chemistry
Developing new materials from renewable and inexpensive resources for use in biomedical and thermoplastic applications

Dr. William Whelan, Physics
Developing medical tools for identifying, targeting, and treating cancer using light and sound

Dr. Qiang Ye, Computer Science and Information Technology
Solutions to internet bottlenecks for simultaneous multiple users on a WiFi network

NSERC's Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances, whether made individually or in teams.

Innovation PEI News Release (re-published with permission)

Charlottetown, PEI-- Eight Graduate Students and four Post-Doctorates have been offered support through the Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellowship program implemented by Innovation PEI under the Island Prosperity Strategy, says Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell.

'I have always been amazed at the high calibre research being conducted at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú and the Atlantic Veterinary College, I am proud to support our students at such a critical time in their career development and help grow our knowledge-based sectors,' said Minister Campbell.

The Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellowship program offers up to $20,000 in student stipends for Masters and PhD students for two and three years respectively. Post-Doctoral awards are for $40,000 for a two-year period. The total contribution from Innovation PEI to the 12 recipients is $619,000.

A total of 28 applications were submitted to Innovation PEI and were subsequently peer reviewed. The peer review committees evaluated and ranked the applications, of which Innovation PEI was able to support the top four in each category. These students are working on the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú campus or with private sector companies on Prince Edward Island.

'I want to congratulate all the recipients for displaying such strong academic vigor and ambition to drive innovation in this province,' said Minister Campbell. 'We are investing in the researchers and leaders of tomorrow and I hope they continue to thrive in our vibrant community.'

This is the third round of funding to be offered under the Graduate Student program since the Island Prosperity Strategy was released in 2008. The next call for applications for the Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellowship is expected to be released in the winter of 2012.

For more information visit the

BACKGROUND
Students who have been offered funding are listed below along with their department of study and corresponding projects:

Annie Laderoute (Physics) - Annie will further advance a new imaging technique using light and sound, called optoacoustics, to better assess how prostate cancer responds to laser thermal therapy.

Erin McCauley (Biomedical Sciences)- Erin will develop an accelerated method to isolate microorganisms from corals that could produce a variety of pharmaceutical agents.

Evan Owen (Chemistry) - Evan will further develop a new optical sensor technology combined with molecular beacons, to improve mastitis detection in dairy cows.

Laura Phalen (Biology) - Laura will develop techniques to evaluate the immune competency of rainbow trout.

Robert Deziel (Biomedical Sciences) - Robert will develop a model and potential therapies for treating cognitive deficits in victims of stroke.

Katherine Duncan (Biomedical Sciences) - Katherine will characterize bacteria cultures from Atlantic Canadian waters to discovery potential cancer therapies.

Emilie Laurin (Health Management) - Emilie will create a procedure to detect infection with Johne's disease in colostrum (first milk).

Rebecca Pike (Biomedical Sciences) - Rebecca will search for new resources of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents from gorgonian corals.

Jennifer Covello (Pathology and Microbiology) - Jennifer will evaluate a feed additive for farmed salmon to enhance immunity and prevent attachment of sea lice.

Rachid Ganga (private sector - AquaBounty) - Rachid will develop improved diets to enhance performance and growth of triploid Atlantic salmon.

Daphne Gill (Biomedical Sciences) - Daphne will create a new model of autism and related neurological disorders to test novel therapeutants.

Andi Hanif (Biomedical Sciences)- Andi will search for novel natural products with antimicrobial properties from marine fungi.

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú reoffers free admission to elementary and high school students for all home games

The ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Panthers kicks off the upcoming varsity season this weekend with the first annual Mulligan Cup, an exhibition tournament featuring the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú men's and women's soccer teams versus the Holland College Hurricanes and Mount Allison Mounties.

The tournament is named in honour of former ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú soccer coach and Panther Sport builder, Vince Mulligan, who was one of the first to recognize the global popularity of soccer and its potential for growth on PEI. Mulligan started the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú men's soccer program in 1969, coaching the team through to 1982, and including its first game in the AUAA in 1977. Under his guidance, the Panthers reached the 1981 AUAA finals, and in 1982, he led them to a fifth-place ranking in the country. For his efforts, he was named AUAA Coach of the Year.

In the fall of 1983, he switched his cleats for skates, taking over as ‘bench boss' for the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú men's hockey team. In five years (from 1983-1988), Mulligan won three AUAA championships, another AUAA Coach of the Year award, and a coaching record of 115 wins against 27 losses. He then turned his attention to women's hockey, starting the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú program in 1978, and in 1990, he did the same for women's soccer, reaching the playoffs three times in the program's first four years.

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Director of Athletics and Recreation Ron Annear, a former hockey Panther coached by Mulligan, said, 'Vince was instrumental in establishing three varsity sports at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú, successfully coaching another to new heights, and remains to this day one of the Panthers' most dedicated supporters. We are extremely pleased to name this tournament in his honour as a small way to say thank you.'

Games begin Friday night when the Panthers host the Hurricanes at 7:00 (women's) and 9:15 pm (men's). On Saturday, Holland College will play Mount Allison at 1:00 (women's) and 3:15 pm (men's), and, on Sunday, the Panthers will play the Mounties at 11:00 am (women's) and 1:15 pm (men's).

Tickets for the weekend are $5 for each day, or admission is free for anyone who buys a 2011 soccer season pass. All PEI elementary and high school students are again invited to attend all ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Panther home games at no charge. For this season, students should bring their school ID to a game to receive a complimentary 2011-12 PEI student varsity pass and a chance to win a Panther clothing package. A draw for the clothing will take place the last Friday of every month for the next six months.

For more information on Panther Sport or for game scores, visit

Even before new student orientation (NSO) officially gets underway, ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú students, the "ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Shiners," are leading the way in online donations for , the long-standing university and college fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

Shinerama is the largest post-secondary fundraiser in Canada-with 60 university and college campuses that participate- raising more than $21.5 million to date for cystic fibrosis research. The 47-year-old event started out with students shining shoes on a given day, but has expanded to include raffles, car washes and other events that students hold to raise funds. Shinerama has a long history at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú and while organized by the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Student Union, it is incorporated into NSO events each year. The actual ‘Shine Day', when students en masse seek donations throughout the Charlottetown area, will take place on Tuesday, September 2, with organizers hoping for best ever results.

NSO Coordinator Anastasia Smallwood said, 'With almost $6500 already raised online, the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Shiners team is ahead of other teams by almost $3500, and in a solid position to exceed its overall goal. We hope that Islanders will once again donate to this worthy cause to help ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú be the top fundraising team in the country.'

Smallwood added that training and information sessions will be held in advance of Tuesday's event to ensure new students approach motorists and residents in a safe manner when asking for donations.

An incoming ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú student, Kaitlyn Parks, is leading the country with individual online donations of $2247 while the national staff coordinator for Shinerama is Ryan McDermott, a ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú graduate.

For a complete list of NSO events, visit the .

The Royal Society of Canada has named Dr. Ian Dowbiggin a fellow in the Humanities Division of the Academy of the Arts and Humanities. Dr. Dowbiggin is a professor of history at the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú.

'Your election is a telling recognition of your remarkable accomplishments and an invitation to further the leadership you have already shown in advancing knowledge and scholarship in Canada,' wrote Roderick A. Macdonald, president and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, in the letter advising Dowbiggin of his nomination and election

Dr. Dowbiggin is the author of several books on the history of science and medicine. His latest, The Quest for Mental Health: A Tale of Science, Medicine, Scandal, Sorrow, and Mass Society, charts the birth and history of the mental health industry in the twentieth century. Cambridge University Press featured it in August as book of the month in its Cambridge Book Club.

'There are few Canadians who can match either Dr. Dowbiggin's scholarly output or the contributions he has made to the social sciences,' wrote Dr. Richard Kurial, past dean of arts at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú, in his nominating letter. 'Dr. Dowbiggin's latest book, appearing at this stage in his scholarly career, testifies that he is hardly content to rest on his laurels and fully intends to contribute to the advancement of our knowledge of the past.'

'This fellowship is a true honour,' said Dr. Dowbiggin. 'I'd like to thank ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú for all the support it's given me during my years here.'

'This fellowship speaks volumes about the quality of Dr. Dowbiggin's leadership in his area of research,' said Dr. Katherine Schultz, ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's vice-president of research and development. 'This is an honour well earned.'

'ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú is extremely proud of Dr. Dowbiggin. On behalf of the University, I'd like to extend to Ian warmest congratulations,' said ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú President Abd-El-Aziz.

As Canada's national academy, the Royal Society of Canada recognizes excellence in learning and research, as well as accomplishments in the arts, humanities and sciences. Dr. Dowbiggin is the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's first fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz invites all members of the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú and Island communities to take part in any of several ‘Town Hall' meetings being held in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons (285N) at the Atlantic Veterinary College on the following dates:

Wednesday, September 14, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Thursday, September 15, 9:30 to 11:30 am
Tuesday, September 27, 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Join the president, your colleagues, and community members in conversation about the priorities, role, and direction of the University. Your voice is important. All are welcome!

Further information: communications@upei.ca

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, VP Academic Jim Randall, several deans, faculty and staff, and donors and sponsors joined 300 students at the New Student Orientation (NSO) final banquet, September 8, at the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall, to celebrate what was, according to NSO student coordinator Anastasia Smallwood, 'the most spirited NSO week ever at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú.'

After a number of speeches thanking first-year students for their enthusiasm and to NSO student leaders for their dedication, Smallwood called upon Shinerama student coordinator Donald Buchanan to address the group.

Buchanan explained that the NSO committee began to promote online giving for the national university and college fundraiser that supports cystic fibrosis research in June, and that these early efforts paid off in a tremendous way. One first-year student, Kaitlyn Parks, was the top online fundraiser in the country raising $2,247, and ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú students, collectively known as the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Shiners, led the country in online donations before NSO even officially started on September 3.

Actual ‘Shine Day' took place September 6, and despite rain and cool temperatures, students sang, danced, and shouted throughout the Charlottetown area to solicit donations. Buchanan noted that currency from around the world, from pesos to euros to yen, along with a few Cavendish Beach Music Festival tokens and even washers, were found in the numerous donation boxes.

Buchanan then broke the suspense and said, 'ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú has broken its record-with online and Shine Day donations combined, the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú Shiners have raised a whopping $30,080. I am so proud,' at which time the entire audience stood on their feet and erupted into the recognizable chant, 'shine-a, ram-ma.' Buchanan read several messages of congratulations including those from national Shinerama coordinator and ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú graduate, Ryan McDermott, and Cystic Fibrosis Canada. He added that the Charlottetown City Police also commended ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú students for conducting the fundraiser in a safe manner.

Smallwood officially closed NSO 2011 with a few closing remarks, 'I wish this week would never end, but I look forward to NSO 2012 because after witnessing your amazing spirit , I know many of you will return to be NSO student leaders next year!'

ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's NSO organizers will find out later this fall how its Shinerama fundraising compared with other universities, after Cystic Fibrosis Canada tallies results from across the country.

The partners of BDO Canada LLP (BDO), the fifth largest single national accounting and advisory partnership in the country, recently announced a $56,000 contribution towards an annual accounting scholarship at the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú.

BDO in Canada's national office, along with local PEI partners, Glen Murray, Wayne Beaton, Jennifer Dunn, and Patrick Trainor in Charlottetown, and Patrick McSweeney in Summerside, have contributed towards the endowment that will generate an annual scholarship of $2,000.

‘The BDO Canada Scholarship in Accounting' will be given to a student completing his/her third year of academic study. He/she will have excelled in third-year accounting, demonstrated a high level of involvement in the community through participation in university and community activities, and been seen as a leader among their peers, acting as a positive role model. The award will be available beginning in the 2011-12 academic year.

Of the five PEI partners, Dunn, Trainor, McSweeney, and Beaton are all ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú graduates. 'It is tremendously rewarding to collaborate with my Island colleagues and BDO's national office to create this unique scholarship at my alma mater,' Jennifer Dunn said. 'What makes this award so special is that it features a guaranteed summer placement for the successful recipient in one of BDO's offices. Not only is the student rewarded financially, but he or she also has an opportunity to gain practical experience in the accounting profession.'

Dean of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú's School of Business, Alan Duncan said, 'On behalf of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú, and our business students, I thank BDO Canada and in particular the five Island BDO partners for their generosity, and appreciate this targeted scholarship and internship opportunity that supports students who are pursuing a career in accounting.'

The former PEI firm, BFM Chartered Accountants, merged with BDO on January 1, 2011. This merger created a desire to support accounting students in Prince Edward Island, which led to the establishment of the ‘The BDO Canada Scholarship in Accounting.'

Keith Farlinger, CEO of BDO in Canada said, 'BDO Canada is very pleased to contribute to this new scholarship that will recognize top ÌÇÐÄvlog¹Ù·½Èë¿Ú students with an interest in accounting. We also appreciate the chance to show our partners on Prince Edward Island that we support their interests and causes.'

About BDO Canada LLP

BDO is the fifth largest single national accounting and advisory partnership in Canada with 95 offices nationwide. Our professionals have the expertise to serve owner-managed businesses, large enterprises, mid-market public companies, communities and non-profit organizations in a broad range of industries.

BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms.

BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms.

The combined fee income of all the BDO Member Firms, including the members of their exclusive alliances, was $5.28 billion in 2010. The global network provides advisory services in 119 countries, with almost 47,000 people working out of 1,082 offices worldwide.