The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a virtual workshop on pitching fundamentals on Tuesday, March 25, from 12:00-2:00 pm with world-renowned pitch coach Permjot Valia! Participants will learn tools, tips, and tricks around executing a business pitch effectively, efficiently, and engagingly! 

This event is part of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program, but anyone from the public is welcome to attend! Please note: AI notetakers will be prohibited from joining the session. 

Register to attend the virtual workshop here!

Permjot Valia (he/him) is co-founder at Nava Develop Inc., a business development firm serving innovation focused corporates, startup organizations and academic institutions. A globally recognized mentor, facilitator and business coach, he has led strategic planning successes for organizations throughout Canada’s innovation ecosystem. He founded MentorCamp and was Lead Mentor of Cape Breton’s Navigate Startup House. He is an expert pitch coach with companies he has coached winning over $10m in prize money. Permjot serves on Boards of several startups, works with Dal Innovates, and lectures globally on business modelling, strategy and leadership. He is passionate about contributing to Canada’s economic development and cultural success. 

Join us on Friday, April 4, from 5:00–7:00 pm, at The Fox & Crow as we welcome the UPEI Class of 2025 to our alumni family! This event is open to all 2025 grads and UPEI/SDU/PWC alumni.

Celebrate the last day of classes with free refreshments, live entertainment by Ryan Merry, fun door prizes to be won, and more!

• Every 2025 grad in attendance will get a complimentary grad gift! 
• Alumni who RSVP and attend the event will be entered to win an alumni prize pack.
• All 2025 grads who attend will be entered to win additional door prizes.
• Grand prize draw: two lucky grads will each win a $1,000 cash prize* sponsored by TD Insurance.

To RSVP, please fill out the form found here. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Faith Phillips at fsteeves@upei.ca or 902-566-0687.

*Only 2025 grads are eligible to win and must be present at the time of draw.

The UPEI Faculty of Education invites all to attend the public presentation of Paulina Huayamave Hernandez's PhD dissertation defense, "Transformative Teacher Education in Search of the Sumak Kawsay (the Good Living): A Mixed-Methods Study on Critical Global Citizenship Education in Ecuador" on March 27 at 11:30 am. 

Please join us in person in Memorial Hall, Room 417 or via Zoom at https://upei.zoom.us/j/65282001257?pwd=B7Tu73zBAAMGJPl7yzCHCMDOb3Igsa.1
 

Workshop #3 in the monthly Lunch and Learn Library series for UPEI graduate students will take place on Wednesday, March 26, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm Atlantic. In this session, we will cover different online tools for showcasing your publications such as ORCID and Google Scholar, as well as discuss open access publishing, including author processing charges (and discounts), publishing in your institutional repository, and predatory journals.

The workshop is virtual. Register for the link at https://forms.gle/qkWLfFR9UMF7Cjxz6

The facilitator is Keri McCaffrey, UPEI One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian.

For more information, please contact: Kendra Mellish, FGS Graduate Programs Officer, at kmellish@upei.ca

We're wrapping our tenth anniversary year of Soup for the Soul with two more servings in March! 

Enjoy a warm bowl of soup from 11:30 am-1:00 pm on March 11 (served by the Athletics and Recreation Department) and March 25 (served by the staff from the Robertson Library) at the Chaplaincy Centre. 

As the Muslim community celebrates Ramadan, we will continue to have to-go cups available at both Soup for the Soul events.

UPEI Class of 2025 Mix and Mingle!

Event Date: Friday, April 4, 2025, 5:00 pm

Location: W.A. Murphy Student Centre

Room: McMillan Hall

Join us as we welcome the UPEI Class of 2025 to our alumni family! This event is open to all 2025 grads and UPEI/SDU/PWC alumni.

Celebrate the last day of classes with free refreshments, live music entertainment, fun door prizes to be won, and more!

Please RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRWenZcxnWDFxotOXDWGMUsK8vKwzP3V-UfBY55I-5mOhfDw/viewform?usp=header

If you have any questions, please contact Faith Phillips at fsteeves@upei.ca or 902-566-0687. 

A gentle reminder that the deadline to submit a proposal for the 2025 Teaching Community Conference Teaching at the Intersections: Inclusion, Accessibility, and Courage in Education is Friday March 28, 2025.  

Link to submit a proposal.

On May 1, 2025, the PEI Alliance for Mental Well-Being is hosting PEI’s first-ever Reverse Science Fair on mental well-being in partnership with the UPEI Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building.

This event is designed to build connections and share knowledge between community and researchers by swapping the roles that each play in a traditional science fair. Community organizations are invited to host a booth where they’ll share their insights, observations, and challenges from practice. Researchers and students are invited to learn from the community, share insights about the research process, and explore collaborative opportunities to find evidence-based answers to the community’s questions.

The main goal of the Reverse Science Fair is to provide organizations and researchers with the opportunity to connect, learn from one another, and start thinking about how they can work together to improve mental well-being outcomes on PEI. 

To learn more about the Reverse Science Fair, click here.

To register for the event, sign up through Eventbrite.

Master of Applied Health Services Research, thesis defence presented by Madeline Kuiper on March 27, 9:00 am, AVC, Room 286C.

Title of the Thesis: "Inconveniencing the Institution”: An Interpretive Exploration of Pregnancy Experiences of Royal Canadian Navy Service Members"

Abstract: Pregnancy is a significant life event that impacts an individual’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. While common, pregnancy presents unique challenges for those in professions like the military. The experience of pregnancy in the military context remains underexplored.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Royal Canadian Navy members who were pregnant while serving. Semi structured interviews were conducted with ten participants, allowing them to reflect on their pregnancies and interactions with the Canadian Forces Health Services Group, chain of command, and institutional structures. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and de-identified.

The data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative methodology emphasizing personal meaning-making. IPA’s phenomenological, hermeneutic, and idiographic approach enabled a deep exploration of how participants navigated pregnancy within the RCN’s cultural and operational framework.

This study identified three key group experiential themes: 1) shaping an internal locus of control, 2) exposure to external locus of control, and 3) identifying as an imposition to the institution. Participants described balancing professional duties with personal well-being, systemic policy challenges, and interpersonal dynamics in their chain of command. Many also shared strategies for asserting agency within a male-dominated organization.

Findings highlight the need for improved institutional policies and cultural shifts to support pregnant service members, fostering inclusivity and equity in operational environments. This research contributes to military health services literature by offering practical recommendations for creating supportive workplaces for pregnant personnel. 

Everyone is welcome. 

The Canadian Postsecondary Alcohol and Drug Use Survey (CPADS) is live until March 31.  If you are a student attending UPEI consider participating in this very quick survey for the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the UPEI Bookstore. Go to:https://surveys.advanis.ca/cpads24?r=UPEI. For any student who completes the survey, there is now an option at the end of the survey to leave your email and a draw will be made on April 1 for the two gift certificates.  Thank you to those who choose to participate. The results of this survey can help us understand alcohol and drug use on campus, build awareness of potential harms and develop interventions for individuals who may feel they have developed unhealthy use of alcohol and/or drugs.  

The Robertson Library invites the campus community to a candidate presentation for the library’s permanent-track position of Clinical Librarian. 

Candidate: Mr. John Bayhi

Title: evidence-based medicine for undergraduate medical learners

When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Where: Robertson Library, Room 264

Mr. John Bayhi will visit the Library on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 for an interview for the Clinical Librarian position.

At 1:00 pm, Mr. Bayhi will give a 45-minute demonstration, on evidence-based medicine for undergraduate medical learners, with 15 minutes for questions and answers.

John holds an ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Studies degree from the University of Oklahoma. He is currently a Librarian and Director for Research Services at the University of Texas at Arlington.  

Library appointments committee: Kim Mears, (Chair), Rosie Le Faive, Lisa Chilton (History),  Sarah Peddle (Medicine), Tammie Muise (Medicine), Joe Gordon (AVC/Medicine)

The Robertson Library invites the campus community to a candidate presentation for the library’s permanent-track position of Clinical Librarian. 

Candidate: Mr. Jarrod Irwin

Title: evidence-based medicine for undergraduate medical learners

When: Friday, March 28, 2025

Where: Robertson Library, Room 264

At 10:30, Mr. Irwin will give a 45-minute demonstration, on evidence-based medicine for undergraduate medical learners, with 15 minutes for questions and answers.

Jarrod holds an ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Studies degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently the Behavioral and Health Sciences Librarian at Eastern Michigan University.

Library Appointments Committee: Kim Mears, (Chair), Rosie Le Faive, Lisa Chilton (History),  Sarah Peddle (Medicine), Tammie Muise (Medicine), Joe Gordon (AVC/Medicine)

Calling all Students!

First annual Student Engagement Mixer

Join Dr. Wendy Rodgers, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, and members of the UPEI Board of Governors and UPEI Student Union for the first annual Student Engagement Mixer!

Thursday, March 27, 2025
5:00–7:00 pm
McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre

Enjoy some food and conversation at this fun opportunity to engage and share your experiences at the University with UPEI’s Board of Governors and senior leadership team! There will be opportunities to win some great prizes, including a tuition credit!

The third in this series of President's town halls for the 2025 winter academic semester is called "It's Easy 'Bein' Green'!" 

For this town hall, we have invited students to bring forward their ideas for actions that UPEI and its community members can take quickly and easily to enhance our environmental sustainability and reduce negative environmental impact on the University campus.   

Students will provide very brief presentations on what actions could be taken from their points of view. The audience will be able to commit to green-enhancing activities too!

President's Town Hall: It’s Easy “Bein’ Green!” 

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 

11:00 am–12:00 pm 

Amphitheatre, Performing Arts Centre and Residence building (PAC121S) 

If you are unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

On March 27, the UPEI Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dale Sorensen, will present a concert of music on the theme of exploration-of nature, space, sound, and self. The program will include an arrangement of Bedrich Smetana’s Vltava (The Moldau), alongside evocative works by Julie Giroux (Mystery on Mena Mountain), Judith Zaimont (City Rain), and Canadian composer Nova Pon (Tilting Sunward). Of special note will be the performance of Rescue by PEI-born composer E.K.R. (Evan) Hammell, a former student at UPEI. Rounding out the program will be works by Andrew Boysen, Jr. (I Am), Giovanni Gabrieli (Canzon in Double Echo for three antiphonal brass choirs), Yukiko Nishimura (Star Ship), and Dana Wilson (Sang!).

Tickets are available in advance at upei.universitytickets.com or by cash at the door. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Accessible parking is available, and the recital hall has an accessible entrance via elevator.

The UPEI Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, voice majors as soloists, Department of Music alumni, a professional instrumental ensemble, and pianist Leo Marchildon will perform on March 28, at 7:30 pm on the SDU Stage, Dr. Steel Recital Hall. Under the musical direction of Sung Ha Shin-Bouey, the ensembles will perform Mozart's Requiem, a variety of choral gems, and Professor Shin-Bouey's new arrangement of the traditional Korean folk song Sae Ta-Ryeong (Bird Song).

Admission, payable by cash at the door, is $20 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets are available in advance at upei.universitytickets.com. 

Accessible parking is available, and the recital hall has an accessible entrance via elevator.

Join us for the 35th UPEI Faculty Development Summer Institute (FDSI) with multiple days of great professional development focusing on active learning in higher education. The FDSI is relevant to educators at all career stages, especially early career faculty and those looking at tenure and promotion. Ask your Dean or talk to colleagues about their FDSI experiences! Don't miss this opportunity to participate in what past participants have found to be a milestone experience in your teaching career! Join colleagues from across Canada for this year’s FDSI from May 26 to 29, 2025. To learn more, ask questions, and register, check out the FDSI website.  

Building work-integrated learning (WIL) into your courses can help students gain experience, build their network, and learn new skills. Join our lunch and learn with Experiential Education; we'll provide you some examples of what WIL looks like at UPEI and workshop in real time how to build WIL into your programs, courses, and assignments. Learn about what supports are available for planning, programming, and identifying partnerships. Join us on Tuesday March 25 at 12:00 noon in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library, Room 230.

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting an in-person workshop on pitching fundamentals on Wednesday, March 26, from 4:00-6:00 pm with world-renowned pitch coach Permjot Valia! Participants will learn tools, tips, and tricks around executing a business pitch effectively, efficiently, and engagingly! 

This event is part of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program, but anyone from the public is welcome to attend!

The session will take place in the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship, 201 Robertson Library. Register to attend the in-person workshop here.

Permjot Valia (he/him) is co-founder at Nava Develop Inc., a business development firm serving innovation focused corporates, startup organizations and academic institutions. A globally recognized mentor, facilitator and business coach, he has led strategic planning successes for organizations throughout Canada’s innovation ecosystem. He founded MentorCamp and was Lead Mentor of Cape Breton’s Navigate Startup House. He is an expert pitch coach with companies he has coached winning over $10m in prize money. Permjot serves on Boards of several startups, works with Dal Innovates, and lectures globally on business modelling, strategy and leadership. He is passionate about contributing to Canada’s economic development and cultural success. 

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a virtual workshop on pitching fundamentals on Tuesday, March 25, from 12:00-2:00 pm with world-renowned pitch coach Permjot Valia! Participants will learn tools, tips, and tricks around executing a business pitch effectively, efficiently, and engagingly! 

This event is part of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program, but anyone from the public is welcome to attend! Please note: AI notetakers will be prohibited from joining the session. 

Register to attend the virtual workshop here!

Permjot Valia (he/him) is co-founder at Nava Develop Inc., a business development firm serving innovation focused corporates, startup organizations and academic institutions. A globally recognized mentor, facilitator and business coach, he has led strategic planning successes for organizations throughout Canada’s innovation ecosystem. He founded MentorCamp and was Lead Mentor of Cape Breton’s Navigate Startup House. He is an expert pitch coach with companies he has coached winning over $10m in prize money. Permjot serves on Boards of several startups, works with Dal Innovates, and lectures globally on business modelling, strategy and leadership. He is passionate about contributing to Canada’s economic development and cultural success.