The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last THIRTEEN draws, the total pot has grown to more than $50,000, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panther Recreation app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

Did you know your research might support Canada’s defence and security priorities...even if it doesn’t seem obvious? The Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program funds a wide range of projects, from technology and engineering to health, data, social sciences, and more.

IDEaS offers:

• Funding opportunities up to $3M
• Collaborations with academia, industry, and government
• Opportunities to test and advance solutions with defence experts

This session will show how your work, whether directly or indirectly connected, could align with national defence challenges and open new opportunities for funding and collaboration.

October 16 | 11:00 am | Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building, Room 301

For more information, visit Canada.ca/Defence-IDEaS

Get ready Panthers, the highly anticipated IT Ecosystem Tour is happening on Thursday, October 16! Check out the itinerary below:

8:45 am: Meet at 201 Robertson Library, UPEI

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Sub-Sector Presentations of PEI-based companies focused in the IT Sector

10:00 am - 10:30 am: Commute to Other Ocean Limited in Cornwall

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Learn about Other Ocean Limited, Lost Pixels, and Sculpin QA, each focused in different areas of the video game sector

11:30 am - 12:50 pm: Commute to The Foundry in Charlottetown & Lunch

12:50 pm - 2:00 pm: Startup Presentation Sprints from Foundry member companies, along with presentations from Propel ICT and the PEI IT Alliance

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: IT Sector Networking Power Hour

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Spark Tank Pitch Competition

4:30 pm: Commute back to UPEI/Disperse

Any full-time UPEI student is eligible to apply to participate. There is no cost associated with participating, with transportation and lunch being provided by the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship. Registration for the tour opens on Wednesday, October 8 at 1:00 pm AST, but only the first 20 students to sign up will be invited to attend the tour, so make sure you apply as soon as registration opens! 

Register here on October 8 at 1:00 pm: https://forms.office.com/r/E7Gsf1GsR8

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship invites you to join our Team Building workshop, facilitated by Katie Muldrew of The Collective Knot! Join us on Friday, October 10 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm for a powerful and engaging workshop! Sign up here.

Katie helps entrepreneurs and teams uncover what makes them unique and translate that into clear, confident action. Drawing on her background in engineering and innovation, she guides people to cut through uncertainty, collaborate effectively, and bring ideas to life.

The workshop will take place at Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in Robertson Library on UPEI campus.

Join us for an informative session on Innovation PEI's Ignition Fund, a competitive innovation fund designed for entrepreneurs seeking start-up capital for new business ventures. The Ignition Fund provides seed capital to successful applicants, enabling them to turn their venture ideas into tangible, viable businesses. This session is ideal for entrepreneurs, researchers, and anyone interested in leveraging funding for innovative projects. 

What: Ignition Fund Information Session
When: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Where: 201 Robertson Library

Sign up here!

The Dean of Arts warmly invites arts students to our first Fall Fika of the semester. It will take place in SDU Main Building, Room 201 on Wednesday, October 8 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Fika is a Swedish tradition that encourages taking a break to enjoy coffee and snacks while catching up with friends. There will be hot drinks, yummy treats, and engaging conversations with your classmates and faculty. We hope to see you there!

You’re invited to a series of TLC Lunch and Learn sessions throughout the month of October; each focused on a Core Principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Grab your own lunch to join us online for engaging conversations and practical strategies to support inclusive teaching.

Session Lineup:

• Wednesday, October 1, 12 – 1 pm – Expanding Access Through Representation
  • Learn how offering multiple ways for learners to access and engage with content can enhance understanding and equity. Register here.
• Wednesday, October 8, 12 – 1 pm – Fostering Engagement
  • Explore how to motivate and sustain learner interest through varied approaches to engagement. Register here.
• Wednesday, October 22, 12 – 1 pm – Supporting Action and Expression
  • Discover strategies for allowing learners to demonstrate what they know in diverse and meaningful ways. Register here.

Each session will include a brief presentation, followed by interactive discussion and idea-sharing with colleagues across departments. You’ll leave with practical insights and tools you can apply in your own teaching. 

The first UPEI Board of Governors meeting of the 2025-2026 Academic Year will take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 4:00 pm 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 Health, Safety, and Environment Department (HSE) is offering Basic (previously called Emergency) First Aid/CPR training sessions on the following dates:

• October 17, 2025, 8:30 am–4:00 pm. Registration cut off: October 10, 2025
• November 7, 2025, 8:30-4:00 pm. Registration cut off: October 31, 2025
• December 8, 2025, 8:30 am–4:00 pm. Registration cut off: December 1, 2025

**Seats are limited, please register early to guarantee your spot!

To register, please email HSE@upei.ca. Include your name, department, contact number and the session date you are registering for. 

The cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, including students who require training for on-campus employment. Students who do not require training for on-campus employment are welcome to attend; however, the cost of registration will not be covered by HSE. 

Intermediate (Previously called Standard) First Aid/CPR training is a comprehensive two-day course that offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement. Please contact HSE at HSE@upei.ca if you require this training.

The Island Lecture Series and the Vinland Society present a talk by Dr. Helen Kristmanson, "Memories of Osland: a historical Icelandic village in northern British Columbia." The Island Lecture Series will be held on October 21, 2025, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, Room 201. 

Hidden along the Skeena River's sylvan shores are the remains of a small historical village known as Osland. Settled by Icelanders who migrated west between 1870 and 1914, Osland was part of a thriving network of communities that formed an economic hub supported by the fishery and canneries. Today, though a few families preserve their ancestral houses at Osland, these historical buildings are interspersed with the fading remains of those long gone. This presentation draws on a range of primary sources, including memories gathered about thirty years ago from Osland's children and grandchildren.

Dr. Helen Kristmanson was the Island's first provincial archaeologist, serving in this role from 2009 until 2021, when she joined the L’nuey team as Senior Archaeologist. L’nuey is an Epekwitk-based initiative focused on protecting and implementing the constitutionally entrenched rights of the PEI Mi'kmaq. Helen is an Institute of Island Studies Executive Committee member at the University of Prince Edward Island, past president of the Canadian Archaeological Association, and sitting president of the Vinland Society of PEI. Current scholarly research includes an examination of the underrepresentation of historical Mi’kmaq archaeological sites on Epekwitk through collections, archival, and field research. Helen descends from Friðrik August Kristmansson and Elín Jonasdottir, first-generation Osland settlers, and Guðmundur Bjornsson and Thorbjorg Guðny Bjornrdottir, also vesturfarars, who settled in southern British Columbia. In her spare time, Helen researches Icelandic and Scottish history.

The lecture is free, and all are welcome. 

For more information, contact Laurie Brinklow at 902-894-2881 or brinklow@upei.ca.

 The Healthy Campus Committee is pleased to support UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees with two weekly wellness programs this fall:

• Pickleball – Tuesdays, 12:00–1:00 pm, Gymnasium (September 16–December 2)
• Mindful Flow and Stillness – Thursdays, 12:10–12:55 pm, Studio 1 (September 18–December 11)

Both programs take place in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre and are free of charge for UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees. Please note that weekly registration is required for each activity.

How to Register:

1. Visit recreation.upei.ca or open the Panther Recreation app.
2. Select UPEI LOGIN and enter your UPEI email address and password.
3. Click the Wellness icon, choose your program, and follow the prompts.

For more information, please contact:
Angela Marchbank
Coordinator, Fitness & Wellness

The Faculty of Education would like to invite all to attend Elizabeth Okudzeto's public presentation of her MEd research titled: "Women in Higher Educational Leadership — Factors Impacting Career Advancement in Ghana." Please join us on October 8 at 10:00 am, at Memorial Hall, Room 308 or through the Teams link. 

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, November 7 for the November 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.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, October 7, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!

Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.

Get ready Panthers, the highly anticipated IT Ecosystem Tour is happening on Thursday, October 16! Check out the itinerary below:

8:45 am: Meet at 201 Robertson Library, UPEI

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Sub-Sector Presentations of PEI-based companies focused in the IT Sector

10:00 am - 10:30 am: Commute to Other Ocean Limited in Cornwall

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Learn about Other Ocean Limited, Lost Pixels, and Sculpin QA, each focused in different areas of the video game sector

11:30 am - 12:50 pm: Commute to The Foundry in Charlottetown & Lunch

12:50 pm - 2:00 pm: Startup Presentation Sprints from Foundry member companies, along with presentations from Propel ICT and the PEI IT Alliance

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: IT Sector Networking Power Hour

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Spark Tank Pitch Competition

4:30 pm: Commute back to UPEI/Disperse

Any full-time UPEI student is eligible to apply to participate. There is no cost associated with participating, with transportation and lunch being provided by the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship. Registration for the tour opens on Wednesday, October 8 at 1:00 pm AST, but only the first 20 students to sign up will be invited to attend the tour, so make sure you apply as soon as registration opens! 

Register here on October 8 at 1:00 pm: https://forms.office.com/r/E7Gsf1GsR8

Department of Modern Languages successfully completed their 7-year cyclical review. Program faculty, students, academic administrators and external reviewers engaged in a thorough assessment of the program’s curriculum, teaching practices, research, service and student experiences. After the site visit and detailed review of the program’s self-study report, the reviewers submitted their recommendations and observations in a report for program’s continual improvement and student success. In response to the reviewers’ report, the program faculty prepared an action plan, which was presented to the Academic Planning and Curriculum Committee (APCC). 

"Writing Together: A Year of Meaning-Making and Friendship," a new book by Dr. Darcy Shaw, professor emeritus of small animal internal medicine, Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI, and Dr. Penny Williamson, retired associate professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will be launched on Tuesday, October 7, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI.

The event, which will be hosted by The Bookmark, is free, and all are welcome.

Dr. Shaw and Dr. Williamson committed to writing together for a year, despite being separated by age, gender, profession, and geography, and "Writing Together" is the result. In the process, they discovered that writing together could be a way to reflect on life, deepen friendship, and create a powerful antidote to loneliness in a time when people are so disconnected. Using poetry as a catalyst for carefully crafted prompts, they created a process for writing in a trustworthy space that anyone could use.

Drawing from their backgrounds in facilitation and leadership development, Dr. Williamson and Dr. Shaw have created more than just a writing guide—they have crafted a lifeline for anyone feeling stuck, seeking renewal, or longing to understand their life’s journey. "Writing Together" is an exploration of connection, vulnerability, and the transformative power of shared storytelling.

Join us for an informative session on Innovation PEI's Ignition Fund, a competitive innovation fund designed for entrepreneurs seeking start-up capital for new business ventures. The Ignition Fund provides seed capital to successful applicants, enabling them to turn their venture ideas into tangible, viable businesses. This session is ideal for entrepreneurs, researchers, and anyone interested in leveraging funding for innovative projects. 

What: Ignition Fund Information Session
When: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Where: 201 Robertson Library

Sign up here!

Every day, our colleagues go above and beyond to make our university a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring place to work and learn. “Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues” is your space to give a shout-out to those who embody our mission and values—whether they’re championing a new initiative, supporting student success, lending a hand to a teammate, or bringing positivity to the workplace. You can also use this program to congratulate a colleague on a new role or wish them well in retirement.

Let’s celebrate the big and small wins that make our campus shine! Submit your note of recognition, and let’s cheer on our amazing colleagues together.

How to submit:

Complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/r/766cg9JsT6 

You’ll be asked to share:

• Who are you recognizing? (Name and department/faculty)
• Why are you recognizing them? (Briefly describe what they did or the impact they made)
• Your name 

Submit your form(s) by the last Friday of each month. Human Resources will collect the submissions and work with Communications to feature them in the Campus Connector. Please note, we now have a dedicated page for this program on the Human Resources SharePoint: Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues.

Not a current subscriber to Campus Connector? Find out how to subscribe.

The deadline for our next issue is Friday, October 31, 2025

Please contact Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca should you have any questions. 

We’re pleased to announce two upcoming workshops on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, led by renowned dietitian Shelley Case, RD.

There will be 2 sessions on Wednesday October 15, 2025:

• 1:00–4:00 pm: Health Professionals Session – “What Every Health Professional Needs to Know”
• 7:00–9:00 pm: Public Session – “What’s New and What’s Not”

Location: Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242

These workshops are organized by the Celiac Canada PEI Chapter in collaboration with UPEIs Foods and Nutrition Program.