Title: Turning Waste into Wealth: Pioneering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

Presenter: Dr. Bishnu Acharya, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Date and Time: May 30, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration: Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: In a world facing the dual crises of climate change and resource depletion, there lies a critical but often overlooked opportunity: transforming waste into value. His talk addresses the boundaries between mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the bioeconomy, a sustainable economic model that utilizes biological resources for energy, materials, and other needs. Consider food waste: when we discard uneaten food, it typically ends up in landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada, with vast landfills, this is a manageable issue, but globally, where space is limited, it presents a more urgent challenge. My work centers on converting this food waste into bioenergy, which can replace fossil fuels and natural gas, and producing biomaterials for uses ranging from drug delivery systems to bioplastics and food supplements. This transformation not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters a circular economy.

Title: Turning Waste into Wealth: Pioneering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

Presenter: Dr. Bishnu Acharya, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Date and Time: May 30, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration: Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: In a world facing the dual crises of climate change and resource depletion, there lies a critical but often overlooked opportunity: transforming waste into value. His talk addresses the boundaries between mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the bioeconomy, a sustainable economic model that utilizes biological resources for energy, materials, and other needs. Consider food waste: when we discard uneaten food, it typically ends up in landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada, with vast landfills, this is a manageable issue, but globally, where space is limited, it presents a more urgent challenge. My work centers on converting this food waste into bioenergy, which can replace fossil fuels and natural gas, and producing biomaterials for uses ranging from drug delivery systems to bioplastics and food supplements. This transformation not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters a circular economy.

Title: Turning Waste into Wealth: Pioneering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

Presenter: Dr. Bishnu Acharya, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Date and Time: May 30, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration: Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: In a world facing the dual crises of climate change and resource depletion, there lies a critical but often overlooked opportunity: transforming waste into value. His talk addresses the boundaries between mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the bioeconomy, a sustainable economic model that utilizes biological resources for energy, materials, and other needs. Consider food waste: when we discard uneaten food, it typically ends up in landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada, with vast landfills, this is a manageable issue, but globally, where space is limited, it presents a more urgent challenge. My work centers on converting this food waste into bioenergy, which can replace fossil fuels and natural gas, and producing biomaterials for uses ranging from drug delivery systems to bioplastics and food supplements. This transformation not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters a circular economy.

Title: Turning Waste into Wealth: Pioneering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

Presenter: Dr. Bishnu Acharya, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Date and Time: May 30, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration: Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: In a world facing the dual crises of climate change and resource depletion, there lies a critical but often overlooked opportunity: transforming waste into value. His talk addresses the boundaries between mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the bioeconomy, a sustainable economic model that utilizes biological resources for energy, materials, and other needs. Consider food waste: when we discard uneaten food, it typically ends up in landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada, with vast landfills, this is a manageable issue, but globally, where space is limited, it presents a more urgent challenge. My work centers on converting this food waste into bioenergy, which can replace fossil fuels and natural gas, and producing biomaterials for uses ranging from drug delivery systems to bioplastics and food supplements. This transformation not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters a circular economy.

Title: Advanced Mechanized Systems for Sustainable Food Production

Presenter: Dr. Travis Esau, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Date and Time: May 23, 2025 1:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration:Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: Wild blueberries are a perennial crop native to northeastern North America and are one of eastern Canada’s most economically important crops, with a 2021 farm gate value of $134.7 million CAD. Despite this, the industry faces significant challenges, especially in combating the more than 200 weed species that limit yield and interfere with harvesting equipment. Currently, producers predominantly rely on the uniform application of costly liquid herbicides for weed control, which is inefficient because weed instances occur intermittently, not uniformly. Traditional agricultural farming is not sustainable and requires new engineering advancements to remain competitive in local and global markets. The Canadian government’s new framework focuses on reducing the overall risk from pesticides by at least half by 2030. This research explores the development of a novel approach to weed management using smart applicators, including aerial drones, for spot-specific weed management.

Title: Advanced Mechanized Systems for Sustainable Food Production

Presenter: Dr. Travis Esau, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Date and Time: May 23, 2025 1:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration:Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: Wild blueberries are a perennial crop native to northeastern North America and are one of eastern Canada’s most economically important crops, with a 2021 farm gate value of $134.7 million CAD. Despite this, the industry faces significant challenges, especially in combating the more than 200 weed species that limit yield and interfere with harvesting equipment. Currently, producers predominantly rely on the uniform application of costly liquid herbicides for weed control, which is inefficient because weed instances occur intermittently, not uniformly. Traditional agricultural farming is not sustainable and requires new engineering advancements to remain competitive in local and global markets. The Canadian government’s new framework focuses on reducing the overall risk from pesticides by at least half by 2030. This research explores the development of a novel approach to weed management using smart applicators, including aerial drones, for spot-specific weed management.

Title: Advanced Mechanized Systems for Sustainable Food Production

Presenter: Dr. Travis Esau, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Date and Time: May 23, 2025 1:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration:Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: Wild blueberries are a perennial crop native to northeastern North America and are one of eastern Canada’s most economically important crops, with a 2021 farm gate value of $134.7 million CAD. Despite this, the industry faces significant challenges, especially in combating the more than 200 weed species that limit yield and interfere with harvesting equipment. Currently, producers predominantly rely on the uniform application of costly liquid herbicides for weed control, which is inefficient because weed instances occur intermittently, not uniformly. Traditional agricultural farming is not sustainable and requires new engineering advancements to remain competitive in local and global markets. The Canadian government’s new framework focuses on reducing the overall risk from pesticides by at least half by 2030. This research explores the development of a novel approach to weed management using smart applicators, including aerial drones, for spot-specific weed management.

Art-Based Pedagogy has roots in both Education and Psychology. It can also be a very powerful tool for emotional debriefing to build resilience in undergraduate nursing students. Using Art-Based assignments can compliment traditional teaching methodologies in preparation for real-world holistic practice. Art can help students reconstruct knowledge - which can strengthen their experiences and creativity. Join us in viewing Art-Based projects from a Nursing Ethics course, linking their lived nursing experiences to ethical issues in everyday practice on May 21, at 12:00 pm, in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex, Room 230.

Title: Advanced Mechanized Systems for Sustainable Food Production

Presenter: Dr. Travis Esau, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Date and Time: May 23, 2025 1:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration:Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: Wild blueberries are a perennial crop native to northeastern North America and are one of eastern Canada’s most economically important crops, with a 2021 farm gate value of $134.7 million CAD. Despite this, the industry faces significant challenges, especially in combating the more than 200 weed species that limit yield and interfere with harvesting equipment. Currently, producers predominantly rely on the uniform application of costly liquid herbicides for weed control, which is inefficient because weed instances occur intermittently, not uniformly. Traditional agricultural farming is not sustainable and requires new engineering advancements to remain competitive in local and global markets. The Canadian government’s new framework focuses on reducing the overall risk from pesticides by at least half by 2030. This research explores the development of a novel approach to weed management using smart applicators, including aerial drones, for spot-specific weed management.

The fifth UPEI Board of Governors meeting of the 2024-2025 Academic Year will take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Room 102, Alumni Hall.  All board meetings generally include sessions that are open to the public. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to human resources discussions, may require the board to go into a closed session. For logistical purposes, members of the public who wish to attend the open session of a meeting are asked to contact board@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. Members of the public wishing to attend the public portion of a meeting must adhere to the UPEI Board of Governors' Meeting Observer Guidelines.

The fifth UPEI Board of Governors meeting of the 2024-2025 Academic Year will take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Room 102, Alumni Hall.  All board meetings generally include sessions that are open to the public. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to human resources discussions, may require the board to go into a closed session. For logistical purposes, members of the public who wish to attend the open session of a meeting are asked to contact board@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. Members of the public wishing to attend the public portion of a meeting must adhere to the UPEI Board of Governors' Meeting Observer Guidelines.

Art-Based Pedagogy has roots in both Education and Psychology. It can also be a very powerful tool for emotional debriefing to build resilience in undergraduate nursing students. Using Art-Based assignments can compliment traditional teaching methodologies in preparation for real-world holistic practice. Art can help students reconstruct knowledge - which can strengthen their experiences and creativity. Join us in viewing Art-Based projects from a Nursing Ethics course, linking their lived nursing experiences to ethical issues in everyday practice on May 21, at 12:00 pm, in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex, Room 230.

The ACENET Embedded Technical Support program is designed to assist researchers in any discipline at Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions to adopt or improve their use of advanced computing techniques and resources in their research.

These tools have the potential to accelerate discovery in almost any discipline. However, the expertise necessary to optimize code, successfully migrate workflows from a desktop to an HPC cluster, build a cloud platform, or simply explore the capabilities and benefits of advanced computing may not be readily available, especially in smaller projects.

This program pairs our technical experts with innovative projects that have high potential for success and impact and require advanced computing resources, programming support, and/or in-depth technical expertise. Some examples of areas we can help are

• code parallelization and performance optimization for HPC systems 
• scientific or data visualization
• data analytics
• workflow migration from the desktop to a cluster
• applying research data management practices
• tailored training

Successful projects under this program are able to access focused and dedicated support from one to two of ACENET’s research consultants for a period of two to four months. During this period, the ACENET staff member will spend up to 50 per cent of their time working on the project.

The current call is open from 14 April until 18 May 2025.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at applications@ace-net.ca.

More information and submission form: https://ace-net.ca/consulting-support.html 

With the recent measles outbreaks in Canada and the United States, Islanders are wondering if they need to be vaccinated. Anyone without immunity to measles is at risk when traveling by air or to areas with active cases, including parts of Canada. Current outbreaks are driven by unvaccinated and under-vaccinated groups. Two doses of the safe, effective, and free measles vaccine provide 99% protection.

Immunization Recommendations

Born before 1970? You’re considered immune due to natural exposure and high herd immunity. Individuals born before 1970 may receive one lifetime dose of MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) vaccine especially if travelling.

Born after 1970? You should have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine if you have no evidence of having had the disease(s) or documentation of 2 doses of measles vaccine. 

Student entering post-secondary education or healthcare workers or military personnel? You should have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine if you have no evidence of having had the disease(s) or documentation of 2 doses of measles vaccine. 

In PEI, the MMRV vaccine (Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella) is part of childhood immunization: 

• 1st dose at 12 months 
• Booster at 18 months 

How to Get Vaccinated 

Older children and adults who haven’t been vaccinated should complete their two-dose MMR series. 

If you have a PEI Health Card, book an appointment to get vaccinated. 

If you don’t have a PEI Health Card, you can get your measles vaccine at a Public Health Nursing 

Book an appointment with a registered nurse at the UPEI Health & Wellness Centre to discuss measles and other vaccines. 

Learn More: 

• Measles, Mumps & Rubella Vaccine Info: Click here 
• Check if You’re Due for a Vaccine: Click here 
• MMR Vaccine Explained (Video): Watch here

The national systems use a job scheduler called “Slurm”. In this session you will learn how Slurm works and how it allocates jobs, helping you to: minimize wait time by framing reasonable requests; ask for only the resources you need to improve efficiency; increase throughput; run more jobs simultaneously; and troubleshoot and address crashes. This workshop is designed for new HPC users familiar with Linux and Shell Scripting, or for experienced users transitioning to Slurm or seeking to improve efficiency with the scheduler.  

This virtual workshop will be held on May 9, from 10:00 to 11:30 am. To register, go to https://www.acenet.training/courses

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, June 6 for the June meeting. 

Please note that as of June 1, 2020 all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols select ‘applications’ and for renewal or amendment protocols select ‘events’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

Shell scripting helps you save time, automate file management tasks, and better use the power of Linux. You’ll learn how to use the command line to carry out repetitive tasks, extract information from files quickly, combine commands in powerful ways, learn about job scripts, shell variables and looping commands, and capture a workflow so you can re-use it easily. Save time, reduce errors, and use Linux more effectively. This workshop is designed for either new High Performance Computing (HPC) users who are familiar with working in a Linux environment, or for experienced users seeking to get more out of shell scripting.  

This virtual workshop will be held on May 8, from 10:00 to 11:30 am. To register, go to https://www.acenet.training/courses

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, June 6 for the June meeting. 

Please note that as of June 1, 2020 all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols select ‘applications’ and for renewal or amendment protocols select ‘events’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

The ACENET Embedded Technical Support program is designed to assist researchers in any discipline at Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions to adopt or improve their use of advanced computing techniques and resources in their research.

These tools have the potential to accelerate discovery in almost any discipline. However, the expertise necessary to optimize code, successfully migrate workflows from a desktop to an HPC cluster, build a cloud platform, or simply explore the capabilities and benefits of advanced computing may not be readily available, especially in smaller projects.

This program pairs our technical experts with innovative projects that have high potential for success and impact and require advanced computing resources, programming support, and/or in-depth technical expertise. Some examples of areas we can help are

• code parallelization and performance optimization for HPC systems 
• scientific or data visualization
• data analytics
• workflow migration from the desktop to a cluster
• applying research data management practices
• tailored training

Successful projects under this program are able to access focused and dedicated support from one to two of ACENET’s research consultants for a period of two to four months. During this period, the ACENET staff member will spend up to 50 per cent of their time working on the project.

The current call is open from 14 April until 18 May 2025.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at applications@ace-net.ca.

More information and submission form: https://ace-net.ca/consulting-support.html 

Art-Based Pedagogy has roots in both Education and Psychology. It can also be a very powerful tool for emotional debriefing to build resilience in undergraduate nursing students. Using Art-Based assignments can compliment traditional teaching methodologies in preparation for real-world holistic practice. Art can help students reconstruct knowledge - which can strengthen their experiences and creativity. Join us in viewing Art-Based projects from a Nursing Ethics course, linking their lived nursing experiences to ethical issues in everyday practice on May 21, at 12:00 pm, in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex, Room 230.