Campus Notices
Calling all current UPEI graduate students: engage in dialogue with UPEI Senior Leaders on topics of importance to you at the upcoming 2026 Graduate Student Town Hall, co-hosted by SU Graduate Senate Representative Prince Ehimiyen and UPEI Faculty of Graduate Studies.
When: 3:00-5:00pm | Friday, October 16, 2026
Where: MacMillan Hall, WA Murphy Student Centre (Building #4 on UPEI Map) or by Teams Link (Join HERE)
Hear short presentations from President Rodgers, VPAR Wood-Adams, AVPR/Dean Sweeney-Nixon and ISA Stanley about key graduate student focused initiatives within their portfolio, followed by an opportunity to pose your questions directly to the speakers in the moderated question and answer period. Stay afterward for an informal mix and mingle with peers and the speakers, and enjoy refreshments co-sponsored by Faculty of Graduate Studies and UPEI Student Union.
The Office of Research Services (ORS) would like to make all UPEI researchers aware that UPEI will be transitioning to a new electronic Research Administration Software (eRAS) in mid-2027.
Our current platform (ROMEO) is at the end of its life and will no longer be receiving software updates. The new eRAS, Endpoint IQ, will have added functionality and be more user-friendly.
ORS has created an information hub on our SharePoint site. This hub contains more information about how the new eRAS was selected, progress updates, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). While important updates will be circulated through various university communications channels, all updates will be available on the hub.
ORS would like to assure researchers that the existing software, ROMEO, will be maintained and supported until the transition to Endpoint IQ is complete.
Questions related to this transition can be directed to Maria Steele, Manager of Research Administration, Partnerships, and Innovation (mlsteele@upei.ca).
The Department of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights (EDIHR), which includes the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO), and the Human Rights Office (HRO), has moved!
Our new location is in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, on the 2nd Floor, above the UPEI Bookstore. We are now neighbours with the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. You can access our office via the stairs or elevator across from the Bookstore.
The Department of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights is a place you can come with concerns relating to harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence at UPEI. We can provide trauma-informed support; referrals to helpful services; safety planning; workplace and academic accommodations; information about applicable policies; information about reporting and resolution options; and more. We are here to help.
If you have included our contact information on your course syllabus, program materials, or other resources, we ask that you update them with our new location. This important step will reduce additional barriers for folks trying to access support. We appreciate your help!
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is pleased to announce an upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering thesis defense on Friday, October 16 at 8:30 am.
Nikashini Thirugnanam, supervised by Dr. Senthilkumar Thiruppathi, will present her thesis titled "AI-integrated digital and ultrasound imaging platform for advanced quality assessment of french fries"
The presentation and examination will be held in person in Room 223 of the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is pleased to announce an upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering thesis defense on Wednesday, October 14 at 12:30pm.
Kaushik Raja Bengahalli Kundu Raja, supervised by Dr. Senthilkumar Thiruppathi, will present his thesis titled "Image-based assessment of surface blemishes in french
fries: from controlled imaging and interpretable machine learning to deep learning and multi-fry system development."
The presentation and examination will be held in person in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Room 223.
A new book titled "Moral Puzzles: Contractarian Fix," by Dr. Malcolm Murray, professor of philosophy at UPEI, will be launched on Monday, October 19, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge (Room 201), SDU Main Building. Hosted by the Bookmark, this event is free, and all are welcome.
Standard approaches to moral puzzles rest on a shared premise: that morality is timeless, written into the fabric of the universe. In Dr. Murray’s view, morality is not a set of enduring truths but the outcome of human evolution and natural selection. This social contract—a system of rules that rational, self-interested agents agree to follow because it enables a safer, more co-operative social life—highlights the difference between idealized moral theories and the real-world applications that often fall short of those ideals. In elegant, entertaining prose, "Moral Puzzles" ventures beyond the popular understanding of morality as a natural product, revisiting problems in moral philosophy with striking results. Dr. Murray invites readers to rediscover the central puzzles of moral theory through fresh arguments and interpretations.
Dr. Murray is the author of six philosophy books including "Morals and Consent: Contractarian Solutions to Ethical Woes." In addition, he has written a collection of one-act plays titled "The Philosopher," and his short stories have appeared in "Snow Softly Falling," "Riptides," "Galleon," and "Fiction Fix."
The Faculty of Education invites all to attend the public presentation of David Varis's PhD Dissertation Proposal.
Indian in the academy: A Reflective Journey on Reconciliation Education and Relational Accountability.
Please join us on October 16 at 3:00 pm, in Memorial Hall, Room 417 or via Teams; see the link below.
D. Varis ED 7060 Dissertation Proposal Exam | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available for all UPEI students, employees and their families. The following is the vaccine clinic schedule for 2026:
- Wednesday, October 21, 12:00–6:00 pm, The McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium, Atlantic Veterinary College
- Wednesday, October 28, 9:00 am–3:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
- Thursday, October 29, 12:00–6:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
*We stop registering patients for vaccination at 6:00 pm on October 21 and October 29 and at 3:00pm on October 28. Vaccinations are available while supplies last.
Important Details:
- Vaccines are administered on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is necessary.
- This service is free of charge for everyone.
- Please bring a valid provincial health card or student ID for registration.
- Those being vaccinated are required to wait 15 minutes in the post-vaccine waiting area after receiving the vaccine to monitor for a possible allergic reaction.
Please note:
- Children aged 2 and under cannot receive the flu shot at UPEI and must be vaccinated at Public Health Nursing.
- Flu Mist (nasal spray) is available only at the Public Health Nursing community vaccination clinics for children 2 to 17 years of age.
- The COVID-19 vaccine is available to children 12 and older. COVID-19 immunization clinics are located in communities across PEI.
For more information, please contact the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre by phone at 902-566-0616.
The Island Lecture Series presents a talk by Billy Johnson, “Arthur Huff Fauset’s Folklore from Nova Scotia and the Idea of Modern Canada,” on October 20, 2026, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building Room 201, University of Prince Edward Island.
Published in 1931, Arthur H. Fauset’s Folklore from Nova Scotia was the first scholarly collection of folktales in Canada and the only substantial collection of Black Canadian folklore in the 20th century. Largely overlooked in its time, the book’s significance goes beyond its having been the first and only collection of its kind. By illuminating the rich folk culture of Black Nova Scotia, Fauset challenged dominant assumptions about whose stories were worthy of preservation, and he unsettled the myths that folklorists told themselves about the people and places they studied.
Assistant Professor Billy Johnson joined the English Department at the University of Prince Edward Island in July 2026. He is the author of Publishing Place: Transatlantic Modernity and Periodical Culture on Canada’s East Coast (McGill-Queen’s UP 2025), which was awarded the 2026 Clio Atlantic Prize for Best Book. His research spans Atlantic Canadian literature, Canadian publishing history, and Black Canadian culture in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The lecture is free, and all are welcome. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.
Calling all current UPEI graduate students: engage in dialogue with UPEI Senior Leaders on topics of importance to you at the upcoming 2026 Graduate Student Town Hall, co-hosted by SU Graduate Senate Representative Prince Ehimiyen and UPEI Faculty of Graduate Studies.
When: 3:00-5:00pm | Friday, October 16, 2026
Where: MacMillan Hall, WA Murphy Student Centre (Building #4 on UPEI Map) or by Teams Link (Join HERE)
Hear short presentations from President Rodgers, VPAR Wood-Adams, AVPR/Dean Sweeney-Nixon and ISA Stanley about key graduate student focused initiatives within their portfolio, followed by an opportunity to pose your questions directly to the speakers in the moderated question and answer period. Stay afterward for an informal mix and mingle with peers and the speakers, and enjoy refreshments co-sponsored by Faculty of Graduate Studies and UPEI Student Union.
As we head into flu season, UPEI Health, Safety & Environment encourages our campus community to take steps to protect themselves and others from communicable diseases.
Vaccination is one way we can help reduce the spread and impact of communicable diseases on our campus. UPEI's Communicable Disease Policy and the UPEI Guidance for Respiratory Illness support public health practices and identify immunization as an important part of managing communicable disease risks. During an outbreak, UPEI's Communicable Diseases Outbreak Plan also emphasizes infection-prevention measures such as staying home when ill.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available on campus this October for UPEI students, employees, and their families.
October 21, 12:00–6:00 pm — AVC, McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium
October 28, 9:00 am–3:00 pm — McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
October 29, 12:00–6:00 pm — McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
Small steps can make a big difference in keeping our campus community healthy.
How do we design assignments that keep students engaged across a term while also making their thinking visible as it develops? ARTS-1050 AI and Society pursued both through critical making. Over six weeks this summer, first-year students in a large asynchronous course produced a series of multimodal artifacts: maps of the algorithms shaping their digital lives, cardboard machines filmed on residence-room floors, physicalizations of recommendation systems, nutrition-style labels for language models, and more. Each was paired with a two-minute, unedited voice memo reflecting on the process. The result was a collection of more than 2,000 artifacts documenting how students made sense of AI and the systems around them. Join Ryan Drew for a session that looks at what students made, how process and final products were assessed together, what these different modes revealed about student thinking, and what he would build differently next time.
The Office of Research Services (ORS) would like to make all UPEI researchers aware that UPEI will be transitioning to a new electronic Research Administration Software (eRAS) in mid-2027.
Our current platform (ROMEO) is at the end of its life and will no longer be receiving software updates. The new eRAS, Endpoint IQ, will have added functionality and be more user-friendly.
ORS has created an information hub on our SharePoint site. This hub contains more information about how the new eRAS was selected, progress updates, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). While important updates will be circulated through various university communications channels, all updates will be available on the hub.
ORS would like to assure researchers that the existing software, ROMEO, will be maintained and supported until the transition to Endpoint IQ is complete.
Questions related to this transition can be directed to Maria Steele, Manager of Research Administration, Partnerships, and Innovation (mlsteele@upei.ca).
As part of our upcoming Wellness Week in November, we’re planning a fun, informal activity called “Make n’ Mingle”—a time where students, staff and faculty can take a break, get creative, learn something new, and connect with others.
We’ll have a variety of crafty and creative activities available, but we’d also love to showcase the talents and interests of our own employees!
Do you have a crafty or creative skill that you’d enjoy sharing with others? Perhaps you knit, crochet, paint, draw, make jewelry, sew, scrapbook, make cards, or have another fun creative hobby. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated—if you enjoy it and would be willing to show others the basics, we’d love to hear from you!
You don’t need to be an expert or have any teaching experience. This is simply an opportunity to share something you enjoy and help others try something new.
If you have a creative hobby you’d like to share, please reach out to Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator at amarchbank@upei.ca, event date and location to be announced.
Looking to grow your skills and explore new learning opportunities? Join us to learn about the professional development resources available to UPEI staff and faculty. This session will provide an overview of the new Professional Development Opportunities Catalogue, the HR Calendar, the Teaching and Learning Centre, and LinkedIn Learning.
Learn where to find available learning opportunities, how to access key professional development resources, and how to register for and navigate LinkedIn Learning to support your ongoing growth and career development at UPEI.
Wednesday, October 14 10 am-11 am
This is a virtual session. Register here
Open to all staff and faculty
Facilitated by Cassie Driscoll, Training and Development Officer and the Teaching and Learning Centre
The Biosafety Officer will be offering Bloodborne Pathogen training for faculty, staff, and students who work with or may be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Date: October 29
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm
Location: AVC Room 278N
This training will cover:
- Bloodborne pathogen hazards and routes of exposure
- Safe work practices and exposure prevention
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Spill response and incident reporting procedures
- Relevant biosafety requirements and responsibilities
Individuals whose work involves handling human blood, tissues, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials are encouraged to attend.
Please register by emailing the Biosafety Officer (Tasha Benoit) at biosafety@upei.ca.
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is pleased to announce an upcoming Master of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering thesis defense on Wednesday, October 14 at 12:30pm.
Kaushik Raja Bengahalli Kundu Raja, supervised by Dr. Senthilkumar Thiruppathi, will present his thesis titled "Image-based assessment of surface blemishes in french
fries: from controlled imaging and interpretable machine learning to deep learning and multi-fry system development."
The presentation and examination will be held in person in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Room 223.
Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall is now offering special meal pricing for staff and faculty. Enjoy lunch or dinner for $15.00, taxes included. All you care to eat, including daily specials. Lunch is served 11:30-1:30 pm, and dinner is served 4:30 - 6:30 pm. To check the weekly menu, go to UPEI_eats on Instagram or Facebook. Enjoy!
Please be advised that Financial Services and Procurement Services (KMB 131) will be closed from 12:00 - 4:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026, for a staff professional development session.
This closure also includes the Student Financial Services office (DH 202), and the Shipping and Receiving offices (AVC 1011N and HEF 143).
The Faculty of Education invites all to attend the public presentation of David Varis's PhD Dissertation Proposal.
Indian in the academy: A Reflective Journey on Reconciliation Education and Relational Accountability.
Please join us on October 16 at 3:00 pm, in Memorial Hall, Room 417 or via Teams; see the link below.
D. Varis ED 7060 Dissertation Proposal Exam | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
