UPEI welcomed 20 high school students from 10 local high schools to campus over the weekend as they took part in UPEI's annual Math Camp. The event, organized by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and co-sponsored by the Canadian Mathematical Society, took place May 4-6.

The students involved are among the best math students in the province and the camp is an opportunity for them to hone their skills through problem-solving competitions including math relays, as well as some recreational activities in the evenings. Faculty sessions by Dr. Shannon Fitzpatrick, Dr. Sami Khedhiri, Dr. Gordon MacDonald, Dr. Max Burke, Dr. David Horrocks, Dr. Nasser Saad, and Dr. Ken Sulston also took place on various mathematical topics.

'Math Camp brings some of PEI's best math students to campus. They get introduced to some new math concepts and tackle some challenging problems. Hopefully, they leave with an increased appreciation that math is both fun and useful,' said Sulston, event co-organizer and faculty session presenter.

Along with co-organizer and colleague, Dr. Shafiqul Islam, Sulston solicited applications to the tenth annual event by approaching high school math teachers-with an attempt to reach the brightest and most enthusiastic math students. The camp is another great example of UPEI's teaching excellence and community service.

With a difficult financial landscape facing institutions and organizations across Prince Edward Island, the UPEI Board of Governors was pleased to approve a balanced operating budget for 2012-13 at its May 8 meeting.

The University addressed its budget with a goal of minimizing the impact on students during these fiscally challenging times. The 'bare bones' budget is based on specific enrolment projections, conservative assumptions for expenditure growth, and budget reductions across campus. An increase in student tuition was limited to $20 per credit course-a 4 per cent increase-similar to the average tuition increase over the past 10 years at the Island's only university. Tuition at UPEI remains highly competitive.

President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz admits that he faced hard decisions with his budget team, 'This has been a challenging first year as president. However, despite budget reductions, pension issues, and five collective bargaining processes underway, it is critical that we were able to maintain our focus on students and employ an open, thoughtful approach to address these challenges, ensuring that we did not burden students with a large tuition increase.'

UPEI was able to sustain its high quality programs and limit increased costs to students despite receiving a recent 3 per cent cut in its operating grant from the provincial government. Interim Vice-President Administration and Finance Phil Hooper said, 'As a result of long-term fiscal prudency and unprecedented recent enrolments, the University entered the budget process with the ability-this year-to mitigate some level of financial challenges. However, dealing with a funding cut of $1.3 million from government, coupled with normal inflationary growth of 4-6% on the expenditure side, did create significant challenges in balancing the budget.'

Abd-El-Aziz indicated that further adjustments might be necessary during the year if the University doesn't achieve projected revenue targets or if core expenditures grow more than expected.

UPEI Student Union President Kate VanGerven acknowledged that the University faced a difficult predicament. 'While a tuition increase is always tough, given what has been taking place across the country at other post-secondary institutions, we could have been presented with a much worse scenario. I congratulate the UPEI administration for including students in the budget process and for consistently keeping our best interests at the forefront of their deliberations.'

Members of UPEI's Class of 2012, along with their family and friends, will gather in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on Saturday, May 12, to celebrate convocation, the biggest event of the academic year. Over 900 students, the largest graduating class to date, will receive degrees, diplomas, and certificates during two ceremonies, the first beginning at 10:00 am and the second at 2:30 pm.

UPEI will confer honorary degrees upon J. Michael Bliss, historian and academic; Frank Zakem, businessman, politician, and administrator; and Derek Key, lawyer and community leader. Bliss will address the morning convocation while Key will address the afternoon convocation.

The following degrees, diplomas, and certificates will be granted during the morning convocation: Accounting Certificate, Business Certificate, Adult Education Certificate, Inclusive Education Certificate, School Librarianship Certificate, Bachelor of Business Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Administration (Co-operative Education), Bachelor of Business Administration-Honours, Bachelor of Business Administration-Honours Conversion, Bachelor of Business in Tourism & Hospitality, Bachelor of Business in Tourism & Hospitality (Co-operative Education), Bachelor of Education-Human Resource Development, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Education-Enseignement en français langue seconde, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Applied Health Services Research, Master of Science-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy.

During the afternoon convocation, the following degrees, diplomas, and certificates will be granted: Public Administration Diploma, Public Administration Certificate, Engineering Diploma, Bachelor of Integrated Studies, Bachelor of Applied Arts in Print Journalism, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts- Honours, Bachelor of Arts-Honours Conversion, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Child and Family Studies, Bachelor of Applied Science in Radiography, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science-Honours, Bachelor of Science-Honours Conversion Certificate, Bachelor of Science (Co-operative Education), Bachelor of Science-Honours (Co-operative Education), Master of Science, Master of Arts.

Sarah O'Donnell, from Goose Bay, N.L., who will receive her Bachelor of Education degree, will give the valedictory address during the morning convocation, and Amy Wilson, from Dumville, N.L., who will be awarded her Bachelor of Music Education degree, will address her fellow graduates at the afternoon ceremony. Macebearers at the morning and afternoon convocations, respectively, are Doctor of Veterinary Medicine recipient, Sadie Griffin, from Annapolis Royal, N.S., and Lauren Catherine Murphy, from Bedeque, who will receive her Bachelor of Arts-Honours degree.

Students will assemble in the Duffy Science Centre at 9 a.m. for morning convocation and at 1:30 pm for afternoon convocation. A reception for graduates, guests, and faculty will be held in the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall immediately following each ceremony (guests of graduates from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine can also attend a reception at the Atlantic Veterinary College). Visitors can park in any of the UPEI parking lots. Ceremonies will also be broadcast live on Eastlink TV, starting at approximately 9:50 am for the morning, and 2:20 pm for the afternoon ceremony.

Senior class awards will be presented at 12:00 noon following convocation rehearsal on Friday, May 11, at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. Awards and recipients will be printed in the convocation program.

For a complete list of graduates, visit: http://www.upei.ca/registrar/convocation/

For the first time on PEI, the Canada-Wide Science Fair 2012 will take place in Charlottetown from May 12 to 19, on the University of Prince Edward Island campus.

This national event brings together Canada's 500 top scientists from grades 7 to 12 who have won their local, regional and provincial science competitions. And beyond showcasing their projects and competing for top awards and prizes, finalists will share a week of fun, discovery, and networking with other Canadian students, scientists and researchers, industry, and Islanders who are also interested in science and technology.

Everyone is invited to come to the UPEI campus to welcome, congratulate and meet Canada's future science leaders during the public viewing times:

UPEI Applied Human Sciences professor Jennifer Taylor was named a Female Food Hero by Oxfam Canada recently. Oxfam's Female Food Heroes are "women who are working to build a movement for good food, food that is grown well and shared fairly."

Taylor is a female food hero because of the amazing variety of food-related community contributions that she makes on PEI. She is an award-winning leader in the community, and works with others to promote access to healthy food. She is a strong proponent of local food and of ensuring local producers are part of the solution to providing local healthy food for all.

Oxfam Canada will hold its regional meeting on PEI on May 11-12, where they will discuss local and global food issues, celebrate and support the critical role of women around the issues of food both nationally and internationally. Oxfam believes ending global poverty begins with women's rights.

Members of the UPEI community are invited to take part in the public forum, "The Future of Food in PEI: Ending Hunger Globally, Sourcing Food Locally" on Friday, May 11 from 7:00-8:30 pm at the Murphy's Community Centre. Free admission and all are welcome.

On Friday, May 11, academic and senior student awards were presented during a ceremony held in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. The celebration is an opportunity to honour fellow graduating students for academic and campus spirit achievements before they embark on new journeys after convocation on May 12.

The ceremony was attended by the deans of each faculty and other faculty members who joined together to acknowledge the years of dedication and sleepless nights the graduates endured to achieve their goals. The ceremony was also attended by many individuals and business representatives who have generously donated prizes to deserving students.

All graduates were encouraged to attend the awards ceremony to promote spirit for the Class of 2012 and to acknowledge the donors for prizes that students received. Students received awards for academics, campus and class spirit, a resident life award, life executive award, and faculty association award were also presented.

*Please note that the full list of awards and recipients from this ceremony will be printed in the Convocation program. The following is a list of the 2012 Senior Class Award recipients which were presented at the ceremony:

Over 900 graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees, diplomas, and certificates, during convocation on Saturday, May 12. UPEI'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 here!

The UPEI Men's Basketball Panthers are excited to announce that six-foot-five Brian Ofori, from Dawson College in Montreal, has committed to attend UPEI 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 UPEI men's basketball team was thrilled to learn Ofori would be attending UPEI 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 UPEI 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 UPEI enough for this opportunity.'

For more information on UPEI men's basketball, visit http://www.upei.ca/athletics/mens-basketball/

UPEI 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 UPEI Faculty Association and the Office of the President.

This event honours the winners of the Hessian Award for Excellence in Teaching and the UPEI 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 UPEI 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 UPEI 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 UPEI.

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.