The Graduate Student Assocation is hosting the seminar series "My Journey Through Graduate School," on Monday, March 30 at 12:15 pm with guest speakers Dr. Debbie MacLellan and Dr. Richard Lemm. The seminar will take place in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building. For more information, please contact Brittany Jakubiec at bjakubiec@upei.ca.

The UPEI Department of Psychology Fiona Papps Colloquium Series presents "The lived experiences of women leaders in two universities: Perceived supports, challenges, and barriers," a presentation by Brittany Jakubiec (Memorial Hall, room 215) on Friday, March 27, at 1:30 pm. For more information, please contact Heather Russell at hrussell@upei.ca.

Cheer on your friends as they try to cram years of learning into three minutes! The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a skills development activity which challenges thesis-based graduate students to explain their research project to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes. The competition is Thursday, March 26 at 7 pm in the Wave. First place wins $200 and a trip to Concordia University to compete in the Regional 3MT. Second place wins $100. Third place wins $50. For more information, contact Colleen Gallant, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, cgallant@upei.ca.

Join us Friday, March 27 at 2 pm in the 2nd floor lounge of the Kelley Building for the Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards. Jan Coffin, Strategic Research Initiatives Manager, and Dr. William Whelan, professor of physics, will be honoured in thanks for their work to help promote the community of research and discovery at UPEI. . The Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards were created out of a gift received from Dr. Katherine Schultz, UPEI’s first Vice-President Research. Under her tenure from 2001 to 2012, UPEI enjoyed a seven-fold increase in research funding and intensity. A small reception will follow.

Are you interested in what makes a Passive House different from an R-2000 building, or other energy efficient building techniques? The Environmental Studies and Physics department are sponsoring a showing of the "Passive House Revolution" Documentary (45 min) and hosting a Q&A panel with local Passive House owners, builders and a representative from the Office of Energy Efficiency of PEI on Thursday, March 26 from 7:00-9:00 pm (storm date, Wednesday, April 1) in AVC, Lecture Theatre A. This event is open to the general public.

Take part in this day-long showcase, today from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in the McCain Foundation Learning Commons, AVC. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to take a break from studying and work. Come view over 100 paintings, photography, pottery, drawings, doodles, digital creations, and handcrafted pieces created by AVC students, faculty, and staff. Everyone is welcome!

You're invited to submit stories, announcements, or departmental updates to UPEI's newsletter, the Campus Connector. The submission deadline for the next edition is Thursday, March 26 by 5:00 pm. Submissions must follow these guidelines: -be emailed to communications@upei.ca -sent in a Microsoft Word or plain text document -be no longer than 250 words -maximum one photo per story The editors reserve the right to edit content, will not consider incomplete submissions, and cannot guarantee that all submitted materials will be published. If you have any questions or comments, please contact communications@upei.ca. Not receiving the Campus Connector? To subscribe, please email communications@upei.ca to get your email address on the list!

Join us Friday, March 27 at 2 pm in the 2nd floor lounge of the Kelley Building for the Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards. Jan Coffin, Strategic Research Initiatives Manager, and Dr. William Whelan, professor of physics, will be honoured in thanks for their work to help promote the community of research and discovery at UPEI. . The Katherine Schultz Research Recognition Awards were created out of a gift received from Dr. Katherine Schultz, UPEI’s first Vice-President Research. Under her tenure from 2001 to 2012, UPEI enjoyed a seven-fold increase in research funding and intensity. A small reception will follow.

Cheer on your friends as they try to cram years of learning into three minutes! The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a skills development activity which challenges thesis-based graduate students to explain their research project to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes. The competition is Thursday, March 26 at 7 pm in the Wave. First place wins $200 and a trip to Concordia University to compete in the Regional 3MT. Second place wins $100. Third place wins $50. For more information, contact Colleen Gallant, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, cgallant@upei.ca

You're invited to submit stories, announcements, or departmental updates to UPEI's newsletter, the Campus Connector. The submission deadline for the next edition is Thursday, March 26 by 5:00 pm. Submissions must follow these guidelines: -be emailed to communications@upei.ca -sent in a Microsoft Word or plain text document -be no longer than 250 words -maximum one photo per story The editors reserve the right to edit content, will not consider incomplete submissions, and cannot guarantee that all submitted materials will be published. If you have any questions or comments, please contact communications@upei.ca. Not receiving the Campus Connector? To subscribe, please email communications@upei.ca to get your email address on the list!

Amanda Thomas, Department of Biomedical Sciences will present a seminar called "Discovering UV-Absorbing metabolites produced by Arctic Extremophiles" and Jordan Poley, Department of Pathology and Microbiology will present a seminar called "Sex-biased gene expression reveals mechanisms responsible for sexual dimorphism in the salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis" on Tuesday, March 24 at 3:00 pm in AVC Lecture Theatre C. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Please join us on Friday, March 27 from 1–5:30 pm in SDU Main Building, room 116, for a student conference on "Crusades and Crusading to the Holy Land during the Middle Ages." The conference will feature eight papers: Jordan Fulford, “Horses and Hills: Muslim Warfare During the Early Crusades.” Josh A. Power, “The Knights of Christ.” Coady Lowther, “From Salvation to the Highest Bidder: An Examination of the Transition from Armed Pilgrims to Mercenary Army in the Fourth Crusade.” Vicki MacDonald, “The Role of Pogroms and Martyrdom in the Jewish Experiences during the First Crusade.” Michael Pass, “A Clash of Cultures: Frankish-Muslim Societal Relations and Cultural Exchange, 1096-1145.” Silei Peng, “Fort Building and Mountain Warfare: The surviving strategy of Armenian Principality of Cilicia.” Adam Francis, “The Influence of the Crusades on European Castle Architecture.” Zachary Martin, “The Crusades Go to the Movies.” Everyone is welcome—students, faculty, staff, members of the community—and there is no cost for admission. For more information or for a copy of the conference programme, please contact Dr. Richard Raiswell at rraiswell@upei.ca.

The UPEI basic biosafety training session scheduled for Friday, March 20 has been rescheduled to: Friday, March 27 1:00 - 4:00 pm Kelley Memorial Building, Room 237 Topics to be covered include basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. This session is open to graduate students. If you have any questions about this training session, please contact Pamela or Dr. Rhoda Speare by email (rspeare@upei.ca) or phone (x5071).

UPEI's third annual Mental Health Week wrapped up at The Wave on Friday, March 13 during "Let's Listen," an event featuring a safe-listening environment where various students, staff and faculty members shared their stories and encounters with mental illness. The enlightening and inspiring stories that were shared highlighted how powerful the relationships in our lives can be, encompassing the week's theme "Relationships Matter." This year's events included something for staff, faculty, undergraduate, graduate and international students. To provide your feedback on this year's events and initiatives, please complete the 2015 Mental Health Week survey by following this link: https://docs.google.com/a/upei.ca/forms/d/1i5PJjgvGKg7FH4np-ODr0DVFzJ-o…

The UPEI Music Department Recital Series 2014-2015 is pleased to present a senior recital by Lucas MacPhail, saxophone accompanied by Frances McBurnie, piano on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 pm. in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall. Admission is Free. Lucas will be performing works by Bach, Mackey, Ibert, and others.

Take part in the Mental Health Week Wrap-up today at 3:00 pm at The Wave, W.A. Murphy Student Centre. The event will feature a safe-listening and non-judgemental environment where various students, staff and faculty members will share their stories and encounters with mental illness. These stories will provide us with an opportunity to learn, care, and be inspired to help ourselves and those around us living with mental illnesses, and remind us all, that Relationships Matter. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome to attend!

Are you interested in what makes a Passive House different from an R-2000 building, or other energy efficient building techniques? The Environmental Studies and Physics department are sponsoring a showing of the "Passive House Revolution" Documentary (45 min) and hosting a Q&A panel with local Passive House owners, builders and a representative from the Office of Energy Efficiency of PEI on Thursday, March 26 from 7:00-9:00 pm (storm date, Wednesday, April 1) in AVC, Lecture Theatre A. This event is open to the general public.

The Standard Operating Procedure for -80 Freezers has been updated on the Health and Safety website. The SOP includes requirements and responsibilities of -80 freezer operations. The revision can be viewed by clicking on the bottom link of the Laboratory Safety Webpage: http://www.upei.ca/hr/health-and-safety/lab-safety.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions -- new, renewal, or amendment -- is Friday, April 3 for the April meeting. (Due to the holiday, electronic submissions will be accepted Friday hard copies will be accepted until 8:30 am on April 7). Ensure you always: *Download the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/research-services/research-certifications/a… *Use the most current Adobe Reader to complete forms and only current forms will be accepted. Both the signed hard copy and electronic protocol submission must be submitted by the deadline date. *Submit one copy of original protocol with signature to AVC - North Annex, Biomedical Sciences Department, room 2302. *Submit an electronic copy to animalcare@upei.ca. Protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications. For more information, please contact Sherri Pineau, ACC Administrative Assistant at 566-0973.

In order to communicate effectively, individuals have to master the techniques of effective listening and self expression.These skills involve verbal and non-verbal behaviours as well as the ability to speak with persuasion and confidence. This session will look at both sides of the communication equation. This session offers helpful strategies to: *Develop techniques to communicate assertively. *Speak effectively when conversing about conflict. *Recognize the barriers that can get in the way of listening. This training session will be held on Monday, March 23, 2015 ​from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in Andrew Hall, Room 142. If you would like to attend the session, please pre-register by contacting Megan at mgee@upei.ca. Release-time from your department is generally needed to participate.