Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues–July 2026, Issue 2
Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues continues to be a meaningful way for our community to celebrate one another. To date, 263 submissions have highlighted the exceptional work, dedication, and kindness of our colleagues.
Thanks to the ongoing interest and participation, submissions will continue to be featured in upcoming issues of Campus Connector. You can read this month’s submissions (organized in alphabetical order) below.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share stories of appreciation and celebration for their colleagues. It’s inspiring to see our community come together to recognize those who go above and beyond every day.
Submissions for next month are now open! Share your note of recognition by the last Friday of the month, and let’s continue celebrating the amazing colleagues who make our campus shine.
As part of our continued efforts to grow and improve this program, we’ve introduced a new submission form. With this updated process, the colleague being recognized will automatically receive an email notification that they have been recognized and will appear in next month’s “Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues” issue. For more details on the program, including links to past issues and details on the new submission form, please click here.
Janice Murphy, Research Services
Janice is always incredibly helpful and a pleasure to work with, but this was especially evident over the past couple of years during a particularly intensive project with tight timelines that involved researchers located regionally, nationally, and internationally. She was an enormous support throughout the process, working efficiently to help us complete numerous fee-for-service agreements, collaborative research agreements, and multiple contract amendments, all on very tight timelines. She was also exceptional at answering our questions. If she didn’t know the answer right away, she quickly found the information and followed up with us promptly. Although Janice was supporting many others across campus at the same time, she made us feel like we were her only research team. She handled every request with a positive attitude and a pleasant demeanour, even when we were frequently asking for quick turnarounds on important documents. A huge thank you to Janice for always taking our calls and for being so friendly, supportive, and efficient. Your dedication and professionalism have been greatly appreciated!
Janice has been so welcoming to me as a new employee and has helped me with getting my footing in my new position every step of the way! She is such a pleasant office neighbour, always wishing me good morning and adding sunshine to my day. Nothing seems to get her in a bad mood, and she is always willing to go the extra mile for everyone and brighten their days. She may not realize, but she makes a huge difference in boosting morale and just making UPEI a great place to work.
Deandra Needham, EDI and Human Rights
Deandra is kind, helpful, interesting, smart, and thoughtful. I love working with her and I always appreciate her help so much!!
Marc Richard, Research Services
Marc brings so much laughter and positivity to the office. He is easy to connect with and makes a genuine effort to get to know everyone around him. Even during busy or stressful times, he has a great sense of humour and finds small ways to make work feel a little lighter.
Rebecca Scott, Faculty of Medicine
I’d like to recognize Becca Scott for the incredible support she provides to our team every day. She is organized, attentive, kind, and always willing to lend a helping hand, no matter what is on the go. She somehow manages to juggle countless inboxes, requests, and demands while making everyone feel supported and valued, all with a smile on her face. Her reliability, positive attitude, and dedication truly keep our office running smoothly. She is an invaluable part of our team, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have her.–Jessica Bard
Rama Tadesse, IT Systems and Services
After putting in an ITSS request for a specific issue I was having, I was told that a co-op student was going to look into the request and get back to me. Rama reached out and set up a Teams call where he spent over an hour with me, relentlessly troubleshooting the issue until we finally got it sorted! I am so thankful for the time and effort that he put into my request. Way to go, Rama!
Kelton Thomason, Ancillary Services
I would like to recognize Kelton Thomason, Manager of Residence Life, Ancillary Services, for his unwavering commitment to supporting UPEI students and enhancing the residence experience.
Kelton is truly student-focused and consistently puts the needs of students first in everything he does. He is dedicated to ensuring that students have the best possible residence experience while attending UPEI—one that is safe, fun, welcoming, and supportive. His care and commitment help create an environment where students can thrive both personally and academically.
Through his leadership, Kelton works tirelessly to foster a strong sense of community within residence and to ensure students feel supported throughout their university journey. His passion for student success and well-being has a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of countless students.
Thank you, Kelton, for your dedication to our students and for all you do to make UPEI residences a positive and enriching place to call home.
Julie Vanleeuwen, Research Services
Julie is easygoing, smart, and exceptional at what she does. I am always in awe watching her work, especially when she hosts research-related events. She brings such depth of knowledge and has a real gift for connecting with people, whether they are students, faculty, staff, or members of the broader community. I know I can always count on Julie. She approaches her work with heart, pride, and care. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with her.
Laura Weatherbie, Academic Affairs
Although Laura has only been with the Undergraduate Medical Education Office (UGME) in the Faculty of Medicine fora short time, she is already having big impacts. Laura is a collaborative and creative person. She takes the time to listen to team members and designs solutions that align with their goals. We can already see how Laura’s eye for efficiency will make UGME run more smoothly. We are so glad you are here, Laura!
Patti Wheatley, EDI and Human Rights
Patti holds key institutional knowledge that helps her team make important decisions. She manages a huge workload with grace and finds time to connect with her colleagues. She’s funny, logical, smart, approachable, collaborative, and hardworking. She’s the glue that holds us together, and I appreciate her so much.
