ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ

Over 900 graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees, diplomas, and certificates, during convocation on Saturday, May 12. ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's class of 2012 and their proud family and friends gathered in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre for two ceremonies, the first beginning at 10:00 am and the second at 2:30 pm.

Three honorary degrees were conferred upon J. Michael Bliss, historian and academic; Frank Zakem, businessman, politician, and administrator; and Derek Key, lawyer and community leader.

In his convocation remarks to the morning graduates, Bliss advised them not to take themselves too seriously, and although he surmised that they would not remember what he said (Bliss states in one of his books, 'whoever remembers what a graduation speaker says?'), he hoped they would remember one word, 'balance.'

Bliss went on to challenge graduates to balance their work and personal lives. 'Almost all of us should turn off our computers and our smartphones and look up at the real world.'

Key addressed the afternoon convocation and explained 'common people can do amazingly uncommon things,' and that everyone is responsible for their own happiness and responsible for the energy that they bring into each day. 'Your job does not define you. Your job or your profession merely will give you the tools and the talents to move forward and perhaps enrich someone else's life,' said Key. 'In doing so, you will enrich your own.'

Two Newfoundlanders delivered the valedictory addresses during this year's convocation ceremonies. Sarah O'Donnell who received her Bachelor of Education degree, gave the morning address, while Amy Wilson who was awarded her Bachelor of Music Education degree, addressed her fellow graduates in the afternoon.

While a number of prizes were awarded at events leading up to convocation, the Governor-General Medals were presented by the Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant-Governor of PEI, during the afternoon convocation to graduate student Adam Proud (Master of Science) of Charlottetown, and to undergraduate student Runmin Shi (Bachelor of Science-Honours Mathematics) of Zhu Zhou, Hunan, China.

Check out 2012 Convocation photos !

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Men's Basketball Panthers are excited to announce that six-foot-five Brian Ofori, from Dawson College in Montreal, has committed to attend ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ in September. Ofori led his team in rebounds and blocked shots, and was among the league leaders in the Quebec CEGEP league.

Tim Kendrick, head coach of the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ men's basketball team was thrilled to learn Ofori would be attending ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ in the fall. 'We are excited to add Ofori to our Panther family. He comes to us with tremendous potential, and I see him as a great fit for our program,' said Kendrick. 'He is a very physical athlete with a solid work ethic and attitude. Most importantly, like all of our players, he is a fine young man.'

Ofori is excited to join the Panthers lineup in September. 'I am very pleased to have been chosen to play with the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Panthers, and to be a part of this up-and-coming program,' said Ofori. 'I have been told that this is the perfect place for me to develop into a great player under the leadership of Coach Kendrick and his staff,' said Ofori. 'I intend to work hard on and off the court and can't thank ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ enough for this opportunity.'

For more information on ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ men's basketball, visit

ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty members were honoured at Faculty Recognition Night, May 7, held this year on campus to celebrate and honour faculty achievements. The annual dinner and gala is co-sponsored by the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Faculty Association and the Office of the President.

This event honours the winners of the Hessian Award for Excellence in Teaching and the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Merit Award for Scholarly Achievement. It is also an opportunity to honour the service of retiring academic staff, as well as to recognize those who have served ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ for 25 years or more.

The Hessian Award is given to a faculty member who has shown outstanding competence in teaching; this year's recipients include: Inge Dorsey, University 100; Stacey MacKinnon, Psychology; LeeAnn Pack, Companion Animals; and Jason Pearson, Chemistry.

This year, three faculty members were recognized for their outstanding achievements as researchers. Carla DiGiorgio, Faculty of Education; and from the Faculty of Science, Pedro Quijón, Biology; and Michael P. Shaver, Chemistry. Each received a 2012 ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Merit Award for Scholarly Achievement. These awards are intended to honour faculty members in scholarly research and/or artistic creation, and in doing so, inspire others to aspire to such achievement.

Raymond Doiron, Education; Ian Dohoo, Health Management; Susan Dohoo, Biomedical Sciences; Gerald Johnson, Pathology and Microbiology; Mary Jean McCarthy, Nursing; Caroline Runyon, Companion Animals; and Gavin Richardson, Health Management, were recognized for their years of service to the University, as they either have already retired, or will be retiring this year.

David Buck, Classics; Pierre-Yves Daoust, Pathology and Microbiology; Lawrence LeClair, Sociology and Anthropology; Jeanne Lofstedt, Health Management; Robert Lofstedt, Health Management; Arthur Ortenburger, Health Management; David Seeler, Companion Animals; Elizabeth Spangler, Health Management; and Andrew Tasker, Biomedical Sciences, received pins in recognition of 25 years of service to ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ.

Earlier on the afternoon of May 7, the first annual Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit, were presented to faculty members and librarians. Awards were given to faculty members in the categories of teaching, scholarly endeavours, service, or a combined achievement, while awards for librarians were based on exceptional performance, in one or more areas of professional practice, scholarly endeavours, professional development, and/or service. The following is a list of Presidential Recognition Award winners:

Rabin Bissessur, Chemistry (combined); Ann Braithwaite, Women's Studies (combined); Gary Conboy, Pathology and Microbiology (combined); Jeff Davidson, Health Management (combined); Lori Weeks, Applied Human Sciences (combined); Susan Graham, Business (combined); Jason Pearson, Chemistry (combined); Michael P. Shaver, Chemistry (combined); Richard Raiswell, History (combined); Ian Dowbiggin, History (scholarly endeavours); Greg Keefe, Health Management (scholarly endeavours); Peter Koritansky, Religious Studies (scholarly endeavours); Tarek Saleh, Biomedical Sciences (scholarly endeavours); Nola Etkin, Chemistry (service); Donna Giberson, Biology (teaching); Kathy Gottschall-Pass, Applied Human Sciences (service); Donald Moses, Library (professional practice); Stacey MacKinnon, Psychology; LeeAnn Pack, Companion Animals; Pedro Quijón, Biology; Carla DiGiorgio, Faculty of Education.

The end is near. It seems the end is ALWAYS near. And the end is always being brought about by hadron-crazy particle physicists, or predicted by ancient Mayans, or the result of betrayal by our trusted friend, the Sun, erupting in a temper tantrum of a solar superstorm.

Will time itself end later this year? What's science and what's science fiction? And what is, sometimes both at the same time? How do astronomers think the universe might end? The closing chapters in the Big Bang Theory used to be either an infinitely long slide towards absolute zero or a "Big Crunch". Why are some cosmologists now talking about "The Big Rip"?

On Saturday, May 19, Professor Jaymie Matthews, an astrophysicist with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UBC will answer some of these questions at a free, public lecture presented by the Canada-Wide Science Fair 2012 and the departments of Physics and Engineering at the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ. The lecture will take place in the Alex H. MacKinnon Lecture Theatre (242) at Don and Marion McDougall Hall from 7:30 to 8:30 pm, followed by a question and answer period.

If the world ends before then, the talk is cancelled. No refunds. (No charge for admission, either.)

About Dr. Jaymie Matthews

Jaymie Matthews is an astro-paparazzo who unveils the hidden lifestyles of stars by eavesdropping on 'the music of the spheres.' Dr. Matthews is the Mission Scientist leading the Canadian Space Agency's MOST (Microvariability & Oscillations of Stars) project, and a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. He and his team are trying to revise the biography of our Sun-past and future-by studying its neighbours in our Galactic city, the Milky Way.

Dr. Matthews is a world-leading expert in the fields of stellar seismology, exoplanetary science, and astronomical time series analysis. He was born in Chatham, Ontario, and obtained his BSc degree at the University of Toronto, and his MSc and PhD degrees at the University of Western Ontario.

In 2006, Dr. Matthews was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2012, he received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The search committee for the Vice-President Research is pleased to announce that the two candidates for the position will deliver public presentations to campus during the week of May 21. Both presentations will be held in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Room 242, Don and Marion MccDougall Hall.

Dr. Robert F. Gilmour, Jr. will present on Tuesday, May 22, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

and

Dr. David C. Malloy will present on Wednesday, May 23, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm

The campus community is invited and encouraged to participate; for more information and to view the candidate CVs, please .

Over the past four months, ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ has engaged its campus and community in a consultation exercise to help develop the University's vision. The exercise, known as the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Reflections and Future Directions initiative, has focused on determining the University's core strengths and how these can be used to shape the future of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ, its people, and communities.

'The level of engagement and consultation within this initiative has been tremendous,' says Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ and Chair of the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Reflections and Future Directions Steering Committee. 'More than 200 people from our campus and communities have been involved in helping ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ rediscover its strengths and determine the vision of our university. This is a huge success that we are eager to build upon.'

The result of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's consultative discussions is the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Vision Document which outlines ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's vision of being 'a leader in delivering outstanding experiential learning opportunities that encourage students to develop to their full potential in both the classroom and community' and 'the development of tomorrow's leaders who will emerge from their studies ready to excel and contribute to the betterment of our local and global communities.'

Although the document is forward looking and focused, the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Vision Document is not a strategic plan or business plan, explains Dr. Abd-El-Aziz. 'The document is a compass that will help guide ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's institutional direction, decision making, and broader planning in the months and years ahead. The strategic plans we put in place and the direction we chose to pursue will need to uphold the vision outlined in the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Vision Document.'

Dr. Abd-El-Aziz has asked Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Vice-Chair of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's Reflections and Future Directions Steering Committee, to lead the next phase of the initiative which includes the development of a Strategy Incubation Team. The development of strategic action plans to build upon the document will begin in the coming weeks and continue into the fall.

'The input we've received throughout our consultative process is invaluable,' says Dr. Abd-El-Aziz.' We are ready to take on the challenge of planning to support our vision, build our relevancy, and ensure the growth of higher education in PEI.'

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Vision Document received endorsement by both the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Senate and Board of Governors in early May. to view the full document.

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Men's Basketball team is excited to announce that six-foot-four guard Joe Kendrick, will be joining the program in the fall. Kendrick was Rookie of the Year and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National champion with the Brock Badgers in 2008. This past season, he was named MVP and was an All-Conference selection with the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA), while playing with the Crandall University Chargers. Kendrick finished 5th on the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) league scoreboard.

Tim Kendrick, head coach of the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ men's basketball team is no stranger to this new recruit, 'We are pleased to have Joe join us. As his father, I'm proud of his accomplishments, and know he will be a great addition to the Panthers,' said Kendrick. 'He has won championships at the high school and CIS levels, and will bring a wealth of 'big game' experience and leadership to the team.'

Joe Kendrick is thrilled to play for the Panthers, 'I'm looking forward to studying at the University and playing basketball for my father, as a ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Panther,' he said. 'It's exciting to be at a school with a basketball program that holds high expectations for its players. I'll do whatever it takes to help the team achieve great success, both on and off the court.'

For more information on ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ men's basketball, .

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Board of Governors recently accepted the recommendation of the search committee for the Dean of Education and approved the decanal appointment of Dr. Miles Turnbull for a five-year term effective July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2017. Dr. Turnbull has been interim Dean since 2011.

'I am especially pleased to erase the ‘interim' label from Dr. Turnbull's title as ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's Dean of Education,' said Vice-President Academic Jim Randall. 'Miles has already proven to be a strong leader and I look forward to working with him to further the goals of the faculty and of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ.'

Since 2002, Dr. Turnbull has worked in and provided leadership to ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's pre-service and graduate programs. He was Coordinator of the Bachelor of Education-français langue seconde from 2002-2010. As Coordinator of Graduate Studies from 2008-2011 he led in establishing the PhD in Educational Studies, and a special cohort of the MEd program for community college educators. His research interests include French as a second language (core and immersion), code switching, teacher development, teacher beliefs, and project-based and experiential learning.

'I'm proud to be Dean of Education at ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ,' said Turnbull. 'Our faculty is an innovative, passionate, creative group of educators and educational researchers, and I join, along with them, in welcoming students to the many unique programs we offer.'

Dr. Turnbull is a past-president of the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) and before joining the faculty at ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ, was an Assistant Professor in the Modern Language Centre at OISE-University of Toronto, and worked in core and immersion French programs in three Canadian provinces. He has his BA (French) from ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ, MA (Études françaises in teaching French as a second language) from McMaster University, and PhD in Second Language Education from the University of Toronto.

The ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Women's Basketball team is excited to announce the addition of Darcy Zinck to the roster for next season. Zinck, a 5'9' guard from Halifax, NS, is joining the Panthers after spending two seasons at Lakehead University, where she was named to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West All-Rookie Team before tearing her ACL in pre-season play this past year.

'ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ was within my top choices coming out of high school, not only based on its strong academics, but the fact that the team was young and developing,' said Zinck. 'I'm excited that the Panthers found a place for me on their team. This season will be my first in a year, and I can't wait to play with this amazing group, while fulfilling my academic goals.'

According to Head Coach Carly Clarke, Zinck has great experience playing with winning programs. 'Darcy has had the opportunity to be a part of very successful programs, and has experience and leadership qualities that should help take us to the next level,' said Clarke. 'She has a tremendous work ethic, and understands what it will take for us to achieve our goals.'

Prior to playing with Lakehead in Ontario, Zinck was a member of the Citadel Phoenix, the 2010 Nova Scotia Provincial Champions, and was a starter on the Nova Scotia Canada Games team that competed in Prince Edward Island in 2009.

For more information on ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ women's basketball, visit

Two business graduates, Janell MacDonald and Kristina MacLean, placed first and second, respectively in the 2012 Estey Undergraduate Student Paper Competition, hosted by the University of Waterloo's Centre for Accounting Ethics.

After three blind reviews, the national competition rated MacDonald's paper, 'Microfinance in the Modern World,' as the best in the nation. Her paper focused on ethical issues surrounding microfinance, specifically in developing nations. The major issues were related to transparency (fees for the individual), excessive interest rates, and group lending practices. MacDonald was awarded a $500 cash prize and the opportunity to present her paper to accounting faculty from across the country at the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA) annual meeting.

MacLean's paper, 'Women in Accounting: Ethical Issues Surrounding the Advancement of Female Accountants,' was selected second in the nation and received Honourable Mention. As a female pursuing a career in accounting, MacLean wanted to explore why there are so few female partners in the profession. Her paper discussed various ethical issues that may inhibit female accountants from advancing to the top of the profession. She also analyzed other potential factors that could contribute to the phenomenon.

'It was such an honour to place 2nd in this national competition,' said MacLean. 'Janell and I had an extraordinary year-placing 1st and 2nd at the Estey Undergraduate Essay Competition is really the 'icing on the cake' to an incredible year at ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ.'

MacLean was asked to present her paper at the 2012 CAAA Annual Conference on June 3, as MacDonald is in Kenya volunteering this summer.

The students originally wrote their winning papers for Amy MacFarlane, Assistant Professor in ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ's School of Business' fourth-year class. MacFarlane was thrilled to learn of their national success. 'Both Janell and Kristina are incredibly special and talented students, and I am very proud of their accomplishments (on top of all their other accolades!),' she said. 'They diligently worked on editing and finalizing their papers while out in British Columbia at their case competition... just to give you an idea of their commitment and incredible work ethic.'

MacDonald and MacLean competed together on the ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ case team that placed 1st at the IIBD Case Competition in Hong Kong and 2nd at the Royal Roads University International Undergraduate Case Competition in British Columbia.