UPEI students recognized for effective writing skills
Forty-eight UPEI students were recognized for effective writing skills at the sixth annual MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing celebration held in Don and Marion McDougall Hall on Friday, November 24.
The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing were established in 2011 by the MacLauchlan family to honour Premier Wade MacLauchlan for his contributions to UPEI as president and vice-chancellor from 1999–2011. The prizes recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning.
UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz congratulated the award winners and thanked the MacLauchlan family for their generosity, and Premier MacLauchlan, an accomplished writer and author, for his commitment to encouraging excellence in writing among students.
Dr. Ed MacDonald, professor and chair of the Department of History—and an award-winning writer—addressed the gathering, saying effective writing communicates, convinces, and inspires.
“Martin Luther King … knew something about the power of words both spoken and written. The descendant of slaves, he knew that one of the ways to keep a people in chains was to keep them ignorant. To deny a people the chance—or the incentive—to read and write was to deny them knowledge and learning and—to some large extent—the ability to fulfill their aspirations and their ideas. But literacy by itself is not enough. To grasp the potential in a language, to make it your servant, to bend it to your will, is to free yourself and to give you true power. That is why effective writing matters.”
Stephanie Cairns, third-year Science, and Lindsay MacGregor, fourth-year Arts and Science, read from their award-winning submissions. After a short address, Premier Wade MacLauchlan presented the winners with their prizes. He congratulated the winners and thanked the faculty who help students develop their writing skills.
2017 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing recipients:
Faculty of Arts: Eric Andersen, Michele Fabienne Bub, Dana Doucette, Emily Eddie, Robbi Henderson-Canning, Elizabeth Iwuna, Charlotte Large, Tristan Lewis, Lindsay MacGregor (Arts and Science), Amy Mol, Rebecca Mullen, Brett Roche, C. Lorraine Rumson, Nick Scott, Elizabeth Shangguan, Katie Van Leeuwen, Grace Wedlake, and Michaela Wipond
Faculty of Business: Jillian Craig, Nathan Hood, William McGuigan, Dami Emmanuel
Faculty of Education: Joseph Doohan, Zachary Gauthier
Faculty of Nursing: Olivia Cass, Jaime MacDonald, Hannah Myers, Kemi Monsurat Tajudeen
Faculty of Science: Ngozichukwuka Agwagom, Stephanie Cairns, Jenny Campbell, Adèle Corkum, Collin A. Dares, Michael J.D. Hannah, Imene Hank, Morgan King, Heather A. Laiskonis, Ama Lawson, Alex McFadyen, Janél Mackay, Precious Oluwabukunmi Ojo, Liam Payne, Kali Ross, Emma Taylor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: Jessica D’Amico, Jaimee Gillis, Julia Kenny, Jenna Lane
Faculty/staff: Dr. Marti Hopson, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing distribute up to $30,000 annually in awards. The family has made previous contributions to the Harry W. MacLauchlan Scholarships in Entrepreneurial Leadership, MacLauchlan Arena, Robertson Library, athletic scholarships, and student prizes in mathematics and entrepreneurship.
