UPEI's Relay for Life will take place October 26 at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre giving students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to celebrate life, and remember those who have won or lost their battles with cancer. The first campus Relay for Life took place in October 2008.

More than 20 student teams will take part in the 12-hour, overnight event from 6 pm until 6 am, Saturday, October 27. Staff and faculty are invited to join UPEI students by putting together their own relay teams. Everyone on campus is encouraged to attend and contribute. Come cheer on cancer survivors as they take part in the victory lap!

Students like Ben Cudmore will be on-site and have great stories to share. Cudmore has taken his personal fundraising initiative to a whole new level. Aside from setting up an online donation page, he also rolled out a Facebook campaign where he promised to donate $1 for every 'like' or 'share,' as well as a hefty $10 donation for every friend that shaved their head and posted a photo to support the cause. Cudmore shaved his head in support of his mother who is battling cancer.

If you are not available to participate, there's still time to support the teams involved. Donate online here.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada's Minister of State for Science and Technology, has announced the latest round of funded projects through the CFI's Leaders Opportunity Fund. The list includes $250,000 towards a new collaborative research laboratory within UPEI's Department of Chemistry. Existing space at the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre will be refurbished to house a collaborative laboratory for UPEI's growing expertise in macromolecular chemistry.

The project is led by Dr. Rabin Bissessur, Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Bissessur's research examines nanomaterials which could be used as inexpensive, lightweight replacements for current electrolyte elements within lithium rechargeable batteries.

'Our research space is currently housed in multiple areas of the building,' said Dr. Bissessur. 'To achieve the bold and ambitious goals of our research programs, it is imperative that we bring together the collective expertise available within our academic unit and create a much-needed collaborative research and training space that will accommodate our expanding department but, more importantly, serve as a vehicle for accelerating discovery.'

The new synthetic and characterization laboratory will add significant research and trainee capacity and will allow UPEI to accommodate its growing macromolecular sciences research cluster, which includes the research program of Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, Professor of Chemistry and a materials scientist.

'My graduate students are excited about the opportunities that this new lab will offer,' said Dr. Abd-El-Aziz, 'It is a privilege to be a part of the energy and excitement that flows out of discovery and exploration. This Leaders Opportunity Fund project helps make that happen.'

This funding will also assist in the purchase of an electron microscope and an elemental analyzer. This equipment is unique in the Atlantic region, and will allow UPEI to be a leader and hub for macromolecular science research.

The collaborative research space will be available to other members of the Department of Chemistry, including students in UPEI's new PhD program in Molecular and Macromolecular Science.

'Given the right infrastructure, this talented group of innovators will create solutions that benefit Canadians and Canadian communities,' said Dr. Gilles G. Patry, President and CEO of the CFI.

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

UPEI music students will be turning the Steel Building into a spooky three story haunted house on Saturday, October 27 from 7:00 pm-midnight. The fright tour will begin in the recital hall and proceed through a maze of haunted practice rooms and hallways.

Admission is $5.00 and will include a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider and a real Halloween scare. The society would like to remind everyone that this event is not recommended for small children.

Proceeds from this event go towards music scholarships and bursaries awards to the UPEI Wind Symphony for their annual tour and such community affairs as the Kiwanis Music Festival.

UPEI students are going door to door in surrounding neighborhoods to collect non-perishable food items on Wednesday, October 31 from 5-7 pm in support of UPEI's food bank.

'Trick or Eat' is a national Hallowe'en food drive organized by Meal Exchange, a registered charity that empowers student leaders to address hunger in their communities. Since 1993, the charity has raised over $3M worth of food and engaged over 87,000 youth across North America.

Suggested items include: pasta products/pasta sauce, rice, canned meats and fish, peanut butter, cereal, canned vegetables, dry and canned soups, fruit juices, canned/powdered milk, baby food, diapers, beans and legumes.

Food and/or $1 donations to purchase a paper pumpkin for Bernardine Hall's Hallowe'en pumpkin wall can also be donated to the group organizers. All proceeds will support UPEI's Food Bank.

Interested in canvassing for the campaign? Contact UPEI organizers Kaylee Graham, UPEI Residence Life Advisor at krgraham@upei.ca (902) 218-3772, or Jill Martin, UPEI Aboriginal Student Society leader at jimartin@upei.ca (902) 394-7750.

Help support UPEI's food bank, and have a safe and happy Hallowe'en!

UPEI's dean of education, Dr. Miles Turnbull, was recognized recently by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers' (CASLT) Robert-Roy Award for his outstanding contribution as an educator and researcher in the field of French as a second language.

Ray MacCormack is no stranger to soccer. The Nova Scotia native has extensive experience as a player, coach, and advocate and UPEI is happy to announce he will be attending the 2012 Subway Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Men's Soccer Championship as the honorary chair.

MacCormack's soccer career began in the mid 1960s, where he played two years with Xavier Junior College-now known as Cape Breton University-before moving on to finish his studies at St. Francis Xavier University where he played on their varsity squad for two years.

Upon graduation, MacCormack headed to Prince Edward Island where he played in a recreational soccer league before taking on a high school soccer coaching opportunity in Sierra Leone, West Africa, for two years.

MacCormack received his Bachelor of Education from UPEI and went on to teach for 30 years at Queen Charlotte, East Wiltshire, and Stonepark intermediate schools, where he also coached boys' soccer. In 1981, MacCormack saw a need and established a junior girls' soccer program at East Wiltshire, the first of its kind across the province.

'Sport is fantastic, it builds so much character in young people,' said MacCormack.

During his time as a coach, MacCormack won approximately 10 championship titles. He's also been involved for many years in organizing university, local, and national soccer tournaments. MacCormack was the 2005 AUS honorary chair and is thrilled to be a part of this year's championship weekend.

'We all have talents and gifts, but the key to the talent or gift is to pass it on. One of our greatest gifts is time, and we need to pass that on to others-it will create lasting friendships and memories,' he said.

The championship weekend kicks off with soccer action on Friday at 3:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance by contacting (902) 566-0432.

The UPEI Wind Symphony will collaborate with the Three Oaks High School (TOSH) Music Department in a recital on Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 pm at TOSH in Summerside.

The Wind Symphony will perform an eclectic set of pieces designed to engage the audience and showcase the unique sounds of the wind band. Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovitch's 'Festive Overture' will open their performance. Written in 1954, this work is a favourite of the orchestral repertoire as it is noted for its opening fanfare and rapid, lyrical melodies.

'Traveler,' by the American composer David Maslanka, is the centrepiece of the program. An emotional and virtuosic work, listeners will be immediately captured by its cascading runs, colourful orchestration, and spiritual melodies.

Saxophonist Kevin MacLean is soloist in the performance of Claude T. Smith's 'Fantasia.' This work exploits the technical and lyrical capabilities of the saxophone. MacLean is UPEI's sessional saxophone instructor and is known for his body of work as a soloist and chamber musician. He has been featured with the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra.

The Wind Symphony will conclude the evening with Charles Ives' 'Variations On America.' Ives was just seventeen when he wrote this work for the organ. It has been popularized as a result of transcriptions for orchestra and wind band. This piece presents five variations each with its unique character.

The UPEI Wind Symphony consists of 25 music majors, other UPEI students, and community musicians. Its mandate is to provide opportunities for its participants to apply their performance skills and develop musically through the study and performance of original and transcribed wind band literature. In addition, it is a forum through which professional attributes of ensemble performance are developed. It is within its mission to give its audiences meaningful and personal experiences with quality wind music, in the widest possible range of musical style and expression. The Wind Symphony has one, two-hour rehearsal each week.

The University of Prince Edward Island invites the nomination of candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at Convocations in 2013.

Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, 'for the sake of honour,' and are intended to recognize outstanding provincial, national, and international contributions in any field(s) of endeavour. Contributions should reflect extraordinary intellectual or artistic achievements or significant service to society at a standard of excellence that merits the University's highest honour.

Nominations can be made online or mailed; all forms are available at upei.ca/nominatehdr.

Deadline for 2013 consideration is November 23, 2012.

For information, contact Angela Deighan, UPEI Senate Office at (902) 566-0540 or adeighan@upei.ca.

After a brief hiatus, Panther TV is back, and will feature live streaming of this weekend's UPEI men's hockey games at MacLauchlan Arena. The Panthers take on the SMU Huskies on Friday, November 2 and the St. FX X-Men on Saturday, November 3. Game time is 7:00 pm for both match-ups.

Check out the full men's hockey schedule by visiting http://www.gopanthersgo.ca/schedule/mens-hockey/