Retirement Celebrations

With mixed feelings, we bid so long and much sincere thanks to Pam Harris-Stewart, the gracious and skilled Administrative Assistant to History and Economics. Pam began working at UPEI in 2009, first in Business, and later in a variety of positions in Nursing, Research Services, and Skills Development before joining the Faculty of Arts in 2016. Pam retires in March but will be using up some leave time in interim. She promises to return to visit the Faculty and will continue to teach yoga and meditation on campus, so we will continue to enjoy her company. Thank you, Pam, for all you have done.

Welcome to Dr. Nicholas Mercer who begins a tenure track, cross-appointment between the MAIS program and Environmental Studies on December 15^th. Nick has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Policy from MUN-Grenfell, and a PhD in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo. He joins us from a SSHRC-funded post-doctoral position in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie, and also from his position as an energy consultant for NunatuKavut Community Council in Labrador.

Nick’s research centers on community energy resource planning, with a particular emphasis on sustainability and community autonomy. He is the co-author of multiple journal articles and reports, and a frequent invited lecturer. Nick serves on the Government of Newfoundland’s Expert Panel on Churchill Falls and its Net Zero Advisory Council.

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts, Nick! We look forward to working with you and learning from you in the years ahead.

Congratulations to Dr. Raquel Hoersting, Psychology, and Dr. Justin Kakeu, Economics, who will be granted tenure this summer. The Faculty of Arts, and the University as a whole, recognize and celebrate your valuable contributions to teaching, scholarly activity, and service. Thank you for your contributions and for your dedication to your students, your fields, and UPEI.

Save the date: the afternoon of January 20^th. The Arts Research Committee will share the results of its survey concerning research in Arts, contextualized by the new UPEI Strategic Research Plan. This will be followed by a return of our celebratory Book Launch event. More details to follow.

A special shout out to the Administrative Assistants in the Faculty of Arts who have tackled the new timetabling software with tenacity and patience! Thanks for this, and for all you do.

Dr. Nebojsa Kujundzic, professor of philosophy at the University of Prince Edward Island and affiliate professor at the University of Malta, delivered an opening keynote lecture and chaired two sessions at a conference in Valletta, Malta, on November 17. Read the article here.

3M National Student Fellowship

The 3M National Student Fellowship honours up to ten full-time diploma and undergraduate students at Canadian post-secondary schools who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their lives and at their institution. Submit by Jan. 31st to be considered: https://www.stlhe.ca/awards/3m-national-student-fellowship/

Faculty Led International Experience

Expression of Interest Applications are now closed for 2023 but currently open for 2024. 

Please see the link below for Faculty to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) in a Faculty Led International Experience for the academic year 2023-3024. The to submit an EOI is December 9th. EOI Applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee on Monday, December 12th and you will be notified that day of a decision. From there, a formal proposal will be requested. Deadline – TBD.

In the past, some of these Faculty-Led experiences have been conducted in May and we call them Maymesters (see examples in Maymester under Study Abroad Programs). 

Click here to submit your Expression of Interest for a Faculty Led International Experience 

Have news that you would like to share with the faculty? Send it to artsadmin@upei.ca.

The first session of this year’s ConneXions series is scheduled for Friday, 2 December, 2:00-3:00 pm. Join us on Zoom as four colleagues in the Department of Psychology–Drs Jennifer Altman, Martha O’Meara, Jessica Strong, and Yoshi Takano–share some of their recent research activities and how their work connects to the Arts in general.

Zoom link: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61950086711?pwd=TUoxcllaNnlicGJsdmRxWWtvUkhBUT09

In addition to showcasing the scholarly endeavours of these four recently hired faculty members, this session will provide an opportunity for us all to welcome them into the family of the Faculty of Arts at UPEI.

Congratuations Allegra Netten!

Fourth-year Doctor of Psychology Student Allegra Netten recently presented her doctoral dissertation entitled The Development of a Scale to Measure Climate Change Anxiety at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in New York City. 

Allegra was one of only three students (out of more than 100) to be chosen to receive the 2022 ABCT Elsie Ramos Memorial Student Poster Award.  Allegra was presented with her award at an awards reception at the conference.  Congratulations to Allegra for her novel and important work and for representing so well the Doctor of Psychology program at this important international conference!

Congratulations Philippe Messier

Philippe Messier recently published an article as part of a special issue at Anthropologie et Sociétés titled “Citoyennetés et Mobilisations en Inde.” (https://www.anthropologie-societes.ant.ulaval.ca/numeros-publies/citoyennetes-et-mobilisations-en-inde) The article examines the political engagement of computer engineers through the mediatization of popular rituals in the new Telangana State (India). Congratulations Philippe!

P.E.I. writer Bren Simmers wins 2022 CBC Poetry Prize for work inspired by how Alzheimer’s affects language

Bren Simmers recently won the 2022 CBC Poetry Prize for her poem entitled “Spell World Backwards”. You can find the poem and her interview with CBC here: https://www.cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/p-e-i-writer-bren-simmers-wins-2022-cbc-poetry-prize-for-work-inspired-by-how-alzheimer-s-affects-language-1.6654923 Congratulations Bren!

Philosophy Speakers Series

All are invited to the first talk in our 2022-23 Philosophy Speakers Series, to be held Monday, Nov. 21 from 3 to 4 pm in Main Building Room 211. 

Kevin Christy will present:

     ”Difficulties with the claim that God exists … or does not exist” 

     – a critique of arguments for and against “the existence of God” 

        based on insights drawn from Parmenides and Spinoza.  

Kevin’s talk will be introduced by Pamela Courtenay-Hall with a 5-minute prelude on “Five things that philosophers are after when they present arguments for or against the existence of God.” 

First responses to Kevin’s talk will come from our famous “existence of God” debaters, Malcolm Murray and Peter Koritansky.  Then we will open the floor to discussion.   

Please join us for thoughtful exploration of these ultimate questions.  If you can’t make it to Main 211, you can catch Kevin’s talk on zoom at the following link — please COPY AND PASTE this link into your browser:  

Please share this message with any colleagues or students who may be interested.

On behalf of the Philosophy Department, 
Pamela 

Pamela Courtenay-Hall, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair, Philosophy Department

ConneXions Series:

On Friday, 2 December @ 14:30, please join Andrew Zinck where he introduces four new Psychology faculty and their research to the Faculty of Arts. The participants will be Yoshi Takano, Jessica Strong, Martha O’Meara, and Jenn Altman. This event will be on Zoom. https://upei.zoom.us/j/61950086711?pwd=TUoxcllaNnlicGJsdmRxWWtvUkhBUT09

On Friday, 13 January @ 14:30, Yuliya Rashchupkina, Lisa Chilton, and Jason Stevens will participate in a panel discussion entitled, “Ukraine Invaded: A Canadian Perspective.” This will be an in-person event held in SDMB 211.