UPEI celebrates the MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing

UPEI celebrated the MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing today at its first annual event in recognition of the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning. The award-presented to 39 students and one faculty member this year-was established in 2011 by the MacLauchlan family to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan's contributions to the University and his 12 years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor.

UPEI's interim vice-president academic, Christian Lacroix, acted as the event master of ceremonies. 'The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing allow us to recognize students enrolled in a wide variety of programs at UPEI who produce notable written work, or have shown significant improvement in their writing,' he said. 'These awards also allow us to recognize faculty and staff who have contributed to the development of our students' writing skills.'

Fourth-year arts student and prize recipient Danielle MacDonald read an excerpt from her piece entitled 'Sexual Intercourse, Repression, and the Body,' and said receiving the award was an honour. 'The MacLauchlan family's generosity will help me continue my education at UPEI, and it's very encouraging to see students being rewarded for their academic successes,' she said. 'Their continued support of post-secondary education and contribution to students on an individual level is exemplary.'

'On behalf of the entire UPEI community, I thank the MacLauchlan family for their outstanding generosity in establishing the MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing. I also thank former President Wade MacLauchlan for his long history of commitment to excellence in education,' said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'I congratulate each recipient of these prestigious prizes and encourage them to continue developing their writing ability which will impact their potential for future success.'

Host of CBC News: Compass and author of RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME Sidney, Heather, Boomer and Me, Bruce Rainnie was the event's special guest speaker. Rainnie entertained the crowd as he spoke about his own personal journey as a new author and the importance of writing as an effective skill for success.

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.