The University of Prince Edward Island recognized three well known alumni-Lennie Gallant, Dr. Theresa Bernardo, and Dico Reijers-at the UPEI Distinguished Alumni and Inspiring Young Alumni Awards on March 28.

Host of CBC's Mainstreet, Karen Mair, delivered the citation for the first 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Lennie Gallant. Mair made note of Lennie's supportive family, and the pride that Islanders share of Gallant's success as an accomplished Island born singer and songwriter.

'With his national and international success and longevity in creating and performing music since his graduation from UPEI, it might be easy to forget that Gallant has been able to stay in the Atlantic Region and make a living doing what he loves, and he continues to craft some of the best known and loved songs of the region,' said Mair.

Dr. Ian Dohoo, Professor of Epidemiology at the Atlantic Veterinary College, gave the second award citation for Dr. Theresa Bernardo. Dohoo made note of Bernardo becoming AVC's first graduate student back in 1986, and how she set the bar high for future students, having published three peer-reviewed papers and several international presentations from her MSc. Dohoo described Bernardo as always having been a broad thinker willing to explore new frontiers. He is pleased to have been a part of Bernardo's journey as she now continues her efforts in social media and new technologies to help solve today's health issues.

In Elissa Blacquiere's absence, Student Union President Rob Livingstone read the citation for the Inspiring Young Alumnus award recipient and successful entrepreneur, Dico Reijers. Livingstone described Reijers' first business venture with his brother when he was 10 years old-he would pay his brother to fish golf balls out of a nearby water trap, and then would sell them on the side of the road. Reijers has come a long way, as he now owns and operates three businesses, InternetWorks Ltd., Apartments PEI, and the Dutch East Trading Company.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honour presented by the Alumni Association and are presented annually to graduates who have made an outstanding contribution to knowledge, the arts, the community, to the University, or have made a special contribution to an area of service to humanity. The Inspiring Young Alumni Award is presented annually to a deserving graduate, under the age of 40, who has shown outstanding determination in achieving success at an early age.

After serving the University of Prince Edward Island in several volunteer leadership capacities, Fred Hyndman will retire as Chair of the Board of Governors on May 31, 2012. He will be replaced, effective June 1, 2012, by Tom Cullen, currently Vice-Chair of the Board. The Board unanimously endorsed Cullen's nomination at a meeting held March 29, 2012.

Fred Hyndman, managing director and CEO of Hyndman and Company Ltd., has made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the University over the past ten years, most recently guiding the University through the presidential transition as UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz assumed leadership of the University on July 1, 2011, replacing former president Wade MacLauchlan. Hyndman first served as Chair of the highly successful Building a Legacy Campaign for three years, and since 2006 as the Chair of the Board of Governors.

'I have enjoyed my association with the University,' said Hyndman. 'The past ten years have been a time of dynamic change and opportunity and I have been pleased to be part of it. It has been a privilege working with others to improve the effectiveness of the University, which I believe is a vital cornerstone of our Island's future progress and prosperity. I've timed my retirement to allow my participation in the Convocation of the UPEI Class of 2012. Convocation is always one of the best days of the year.'

Board Chair elect, local businessman, and UPEI alumnus Tom Cullen has been a valued member of the UPEI Board of Governors for four years and has served as Vice-Chair of the Board and Executive Committee, Chair of the Board Appeals Committee, and as a Member of both the Finance and Audit, and the Property and Asset Committees.

'It will be an honour to serve the University as Chair of the Board,' said Cullen. 'It is both an important and a daunting role. It is critical that the University continues to offer excellent educational experiences to our students, while contributing to the success of our community and province.'

President Abd-El-Aziz, expressed thanks to Hyndman for his fine work on behalf of the University, and for his support during the President's introduction to the Island. 'Fred Hyndman is a selfless person who has taught me a great deal about the University, the community and the province, and I am so grateful for his support during the first year of my presidency,' said Abd-El-Aziz. 'And, I look forward to working with Tom, whose commitment to the value of education, and dedication to our University is evident.'

This year's Atlantic Inorganic Discussion Weekend (AIDW) took place in Charlottetown on March 23-25.

Research Professor and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Michael Shaver and one of this year's organizers said, "The weekend has a longstanding tradition as a centerpiece in bringing together inorganic chemists from across Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI and promotes excellence, collaboration, and collegiality."

Over 50 delegates took part in the conference, in which 37 undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers gave stimulating presentations on their latest research. Professor Bobby Ellis of Acadia University and Professor Vy Dong of the University of Toronto gave plenary lectures.

Prizes were awarded for the best graduate and undergraduate student talks and student posters. UPEI's Edward Cross was awarded the best graduate student talk prize, while UPEI's Mitch Perry took home the prize for best graduate student poster.

The 2011-2012 UPEI Recital Series will end on a high note on Tuesday, April 3rd when the UPEI Jazz Ensemble is joined by vocalists, jazz violin and the UPEI Percussion Ensemble. Under the direction of well-known percussionist and instructor Dave Shephard, vocalists Brittany Banks, Hannah Rollwage and Noah MacDougall will join the band to present jazz standards ('Satin Doll' and 'A Foggy Day in London Town') and contempory songs ('Don't Know Why' by Nora Jones). Olivia Barnes, violin, will perform 'I Can't Get Started' with the ensemble.

Dave will be sharing the conducting duties with students from his Jazz Techniques class and the Percussion Ensemble will join the band on 'St. Thomas' and 'Big Yello Mambo.' A highlight of the evening will be the debut performance of 'Waltzing,' a jazz waltz chart composed and arranged by guitarist Nik Dragatakis.

The concert is at 7:30pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, UPEI, and admission is free.

The UPEI Hockey Mommas Paderno Challenge Cup recently brought together female hockey teams from the Atlantic region to raise an impressive $8,000 for breast health programs in PEI. The fundraiser, known as 'the' tournament for female hockey players 35+ in Atlantic Canada, took place March 30 to April 1.

The UPEI Hockey Mommas Paderno Challenge Cup fosters the development of women's hockey with proceeds from the tournament donated to the UPEI Women's hockey team and the Canadian Cancer Society, PEI Division.

Bruce Donaldson, Head Coach of the UPEI Women's Hockey team and fifth-year organizer of the fundraiser, was amazed at how receptive the teams were to the tournament's fundraising vision. 'This event is one of our team's primary fundraisers, it enables the players to be involved in various aspects of the behind-the-scenes requirements of tournament organization which is very educational,' said Donaldson.

Betty Fraser, President of the Canadian Cancer Society, PEI Division, said 'Participants in the UPEI Paderno Challenge Cup demonstrated once again their commitment to being a part of the fight against cancer. Whether it is our own personal experience, that of a loved one or of a friend, neighbour or colleague, they came together to make a difference in the lives of Islanders being impacted by cancer.' Fraser continued, 'Because of this, the Canadian Cancer Society, PEI, can continue to see more people survive cancer. In fact, we have moved the marker; in 1942, only 25% of people with cancer survived. Today we have a survival rate of over 60%. By holding this fundraiser, the hockey players are a part of that!!!'

The annual tournament began in 2008 with eight teams; it has now grown to more than 20 teams, with 300 participants. UPEI faculty members were among the tournament participants, including Dean of Nursing Kim Critchley, Associate Professor Sue Dawson, Assistant Professor Tess Miller and Assistant Professor Aimie Doyle.

The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, in partnership with the University of Prince Edward Island and Innovation PEI, recently held its 5th Annual Bioscience Business Marketing Competition for students from Dr. Susan Graham's Business Marketing Course at the University of Prince Edward Island. Over 22 teams totalling more than 120 students were judged on the marketing strategies they developed for five PEI bioscience companies.

Linden MacIntyre, distinguished Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and novelist, will read from his new novel, Why Men Lie, on Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 pm, in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.

MacIntyre has won nine Gemini Awards, an International Emmy, an ACTRA Award, and numerous other honours for his writing and journalistic excellence. Born in Newfoundland, and raised in Cape Breton, MacIntyre began his career in 1964 with The Halifax Chronicle Herald as a parliamentary bureau reporter. He joined the CBC in 1976. In 1990 he was appointed co host of The Fifth Estate. For three decades, he has produced documentaries and stories from all over the world.

His first novel, The Long Stretch, was published in 1999, and his 2006 memoir, Causeway: A Passage from Innocence, won the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non Fiction and the Evelyn Richardson Prize for Non Fiction. The Bishop's Man, his second novel, won the 2009 Giller Prize for fiction.

In Why Men Lie, Effie MacAskill Gillis is confident she knows the answer. She learned the hard way-from a war damaged father and a troubled brother who became a priest, through failed marriages and doomed relationships with weak and needy men. Men lie to satisfy the needs they never can articulate: for sex, love, and reassurance. Now in middle age, she feels immunized against the damage men can do and enjoys hard won independence. But a chance encounter with a man on a subway platform changes everything.

MacIntyre's reading is sponsored by the UPEI English department and co-hosted by the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, with support from The Canada Council for the Arts. A reception and book signing will follow, and admission is free.

The University of Prince Edward Island will confer honorary degrees on historian and academic Michael Bliss; business person, politician and administrator Frank Zakem, and lawyer Derek Key during Convocation on Saturday, May 12.

Senate approved the honorary graduands at a meeting earlier this year in accordance with University policy that states honorary doctorates of laws will be presented to individuals who display the highest levels of achievement in public and community service.

UPEI Chancellor Bill Andrew said, 'We are thrilled to honour these distinguished individuals who have contributed so much to the communities in which they live, work, and serve. UPEI convocations are very special celebrations of achievement, and as our graduates begin to imagine how their education will lead to their own success, they will be inspired by the stories of how Michael Bliss, Frank Zakem, and Derek Key have made their mark on the world.'

Dr. Michael Bliss, CM held the elite title of University Professor when he retired in 2006 after 38 years at the University of Toronto. Formally University Professor Emeritus, he continues to write and lecture to audiences throughout North America and Europe and has recently (2011) published a memoir, Writing History: A Professor's Life. He specializes in the history of medicine and the history of Canada. His fourteen books, have received numerous honours, including all the major prizes awarded by the Canadian Historical Association, two City of Toronto Book Awards, three Jason Hannah Medals for medical history from the Royal Society of Canada, the Welch Medal of the American Association for the History of Medicine, and the National Business Book Award. Professor Bliss was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1984. The Royal Society has awarded him its Tyrrell Medal 'for outstanding work in the history of Canada' and the American Osler Society has given him its Lifetime Achievement Award. At the time of his retirement, Canada's national news magazine, Maclean's (June 5, 2006) referred to Bliss as 'perhaps Canada's greatest living historian.' Also known as the 'leading public intellectual' in Canada, Michael Bliss has been awarded honorary degrees from McGill University, McMaster University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and the Medical College of Wisconsin, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Frank Zakem received his education at Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan's University earning Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees. He also spent two years at the Grand Seminary of Montreal and completed the Management Development Program for College Administrators at Trent University. Zakem was involved in many organizations including the Boy Scouts movement and Basilica Youth Club, as well as very active in his family business and has shared these experiences in several successful books. After years of working in the family food and real estate business, Zakem spent 26 years in administration and served for ten years as Principal of Holland College. For six years, he was seconded to work in various jobs in the office of Premier Joseph Ghiz. A well-known municipal politician, Zakem served fourteen years as a councillor, deputy mayor and mayor of Charlottetown. As Mayor (1975-77), Zakem promoted a set of Heritage Guidelines for the promotion and development of the cultural legacy of the city, and oversaw the creation of the Charlottetown Development Corporation. Much of the revitalization we see in the city today can be traced to Zakem's initiatives. In the 1990s, Mr. Zakem served as Director of the Federation of PEI Municipalities. Through his many contributions to community, Frank Zakem has demonstrated a deep commitment to serve the people and the province of Prince Edward Island. Zakem was a recipient of the Order of PEI in 2009, and was honoured as Founder of the University of Prince Edward Island in 2011.

Derek D. Key, CM, QC was born and raised in Summerside and is a proud graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island and Dalhousie University. Together with his wife Nancy, Key is a founding partner in the law firm, Key McKnight & Maynard. Key's influence can be seen and felt across his community. He is past president of both the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce and of the Summerside Rotary Club. His fundraising efforts were instrumental in conversion of the City's old train station into a new Public Library. He also helped establish a 50-acre park within the boundaries of the City of Summerside. Key played an important role in the Community Connections campaign that built and equipped a new resource centre for the mentally and physically challenged and as well helped raise $13.6 million for the Prince County Hospital Foundation. The Paul Harris fellowship, the highest honour Rotarians bestow, is one of his many awards for community service. Key, a Member of the Order of Canada, was also honoured with Summerside's Citizen of the Year award for 1998, Mayor's Medal of Honour in 2003 and the Order of PEI in 2005. Derek Key's contribution to building our Island community is reflected in his clear commitment to public service, to the practice of law, to his friends and family and those in need.

The convocation ceremonies will take place in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre at 10 am and 2:30 pm. Chancellor Andrew will confer an honorary degree on Bliss (who will deliver the address) at the morning convocation while Key will address graduates and receive his degree, as will Zakem, at the afternoon ceremony. For complete convocation information, click here to visit the UPEI Convocation 2012 webpage.

On Wednesday night, UPEI Athletics and Recreation celebrated their 43rd year by recognizing their student athletes at the annual UPEI Panthers Athletic Awards ceremony held in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. The Alumni Athletes of the Year Awards went to swimmer Janet Gamble and men's basketball star Manock Lual.

Gamble being out of the CIS for some time, came into the 2011-12 season with high expectations for herself, and she did not disappoint. Winning four AUS medals, breaking numerous UPEI and AUS records, and making the 'A' finals at the CIS Championships in times faster than she swam during her Olympic career.

Manock Lual had an outstanding career with the basketball Panthers. He ended the season as the second top scorer for the team, and fifth overall top scorer of the AUS league. He currently sits 16th in the AUS history books for scoring, and topped off the season strong, being named an AUS 1st team All Star.

The UPEI Rookie of the Year awards went to hockey rookies Laura Bradley and Mavric Parks.

The J.T Mickey Place Awards were also presented this evening to student athletes who have made a contribution to student leadership on their team and on campus. John Thomas 'Mickey' Place was connected not only with Athletics at UPEI, but with all aspects of campus life. He believed in fair play and that through respect for one's opponent, an athlete could gain the ultimate respect for themselves. This award is provided by the Student Union in his memory. The winners from each team include:

UPEI Business 391 students finished the semester on a strong note, as their Strategic Management course provided them with the opportunity to analyze a privately owned and operated waste management company interested in pursuing coffee pellet and bio-solid products.

Each year, UPEI's Business 391: Strategic Management course provides its students with opportunities to analyze real companies and to develop strategic plans for the company's future. This semester, Dr. Juergen Krause, associate professor and director of UPEI's Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research, approached Maritime Waste Services (MWS).

'We are thrilled to be able to provide our students with yet another opportunity to work for a PEI business sponsor, like Maritime Waste Services,' said Krause. 'Not only does it provide our students with the opportunity to apply their learned knowledge in a practical setting, but it also supports local businesses, and allows them to see first-hand how our students can offer invaluable advice.'

Three teams were selected from the class to present their projects to the client on April 5. Chosen based on their scores on a previous class case, 'Querdenker-The Global Consultants,' 'nGage Consulting Group,' and 'MJ Consulting' delivered their plan to three representatives from Maritime Waste Services.

Kirk MacKinnon, Phil O'Halloran, and Adam Doiron from Maritime Waste Services judged the student presentations and their strategies. MacKinnon was impressed by the research put into the projects, 'All three groups demonstrated that through hard work, comes great results. The groups had done their homework and were passionate during their presentations.' MacKinnon was happy that Maritime Waste Services was able to provide this real-life opportunity to the students. 'This wasn't just an opportunity for the students; we were also able to gain fresh perspectives and strategic advice from them which will go a long way.'

After a difficult deliberation, the judges dubbed 'MJ Consulting' the winners and Maritime Waste Services presented them with a $1,000 cash prize. Team members Jamie Currie, Jamie Lawlor, JP Paquette, Michelle Ward, and Mark Wilson recommended MWS focus on establishing relationships with local buyers who are willing to purchase the coffee pellets, and to connect with local golf courses and landscaping companies in regards to their fertilizer pellets. The team also advised MWS to advertise the products to educate the public that their products are made with 100% recycled products, which supports a 'Green Movement.' The team also came up with a catchy new name for the business initiative, the 'Pellet King' along with a company logo.

'We would like to thank MWS and the UPEI School of Business for giving MJ Consulting the opportunity to work with a local business,' said winning team member, Michelle Ward. 'Giving us the chance to develop a future strategic plan for a real company allowed us to apply what we learned in the classroom to a real business opportunity.' Ward completed the rest of her Bachelor of Business Administration courses this week and said the win was a great way to end her undergraduate years.