UPEI to confer three honorary degrees at Convocation 2019
Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Prince Edward Island, announced today that three exceptional leaders in their respective fields will be awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at the University’s Convocation ceremonies on May 10 and 11, 2019. Honorary degrees will be conferred upon Roger W. Warren, Albert P. Fogarty, and the Honourable Diane Campbell.
“Our 2019 recipients are excellent role models for our graduates and each one is a distinguished individual who has made a significant impact in their community,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “By recognizing their outstanding achievements and connections to Prince Edward Island and UPEI with honorary degrees, we acknowledge them for their many contributions to society.”
The UPEI Senate approved the honorary graduands at a meeting earlier this year in accordance with the University’s policy that states honorary doctorates of laws will be presented “to individuals who display the highest levels of achievement in public and community service.”
For the first time, UPEI has added a third ceremony for Convocation to accommodate the growing number of graduates and limited seating capacity in the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. The Convocation ceremonies, which are by invitation only, will take place on Friday, May 10 at 1:30 pm (honorary degree recipient, Roger W. Warren), Saturday, May 11 at 10:00 am (honorary degree recipient Albert P. Fogarty), and Saturday, May 11 at 2:30 pm (honorary degree recipient Hon. Diane Campbell). Ceremonies will be broadcast live on Eastlink Television. For more information on UPEI’s Convocation Ceremonies, please visit upei.ca/convocation.
About the recipients
Mr. Roger W. Warren
Born in Ontario, Roger Warren’s sincere interest in students and education, paired with his philanthropic generosity, has had impact across the country and beyond. Mr. Warren is passionate for student-centred initiatives rather than bricks and mortar projects and has demonstrated this through the many boards and committees he has volunteered with over the years. He is most interested in education for youth and the disadvantaged, especially those with learning disabilities.
After studying commerce at McGill University, Mr. Warren began his illustrious investment career in 1955 with A.E. Ames & Co., working in their New York, London, and Toronto offices, and retired from RBC Dominion Securities’ Bay Street offices after serving in senior investment and portfolio management roles.
He created the Rathlyn Foundation as a small, private family foundation to support medical education and research; advance veterinary science and education; and areas where trained animals are used to assist persons with disabilities. The Foundation has grown tremendously and counts as its benefactors: McGill University Law School (advancing rights of people with disabilities; business management; scholarships, bursaries, and endowments for Indigenous students); Ontario Veterinary College at University of Guelph; The Gow School to support students with disabilities; and UPEI to support Atlantic Veterinary College student awards, the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, and the Chinook Project, which provides essential veterinary care to isolated communities in the Canadian north.
Mr. Warren is a founding member and honorary trustee of the Ontario Veterinary College’s Pet Health Trust and holds an honorary degree from the University of Guelph.
Mr. Albert P. Fogarty
Albert Preston Fogarty has had a long and distinguished career in public life in Prince Edward Island. He was born in Cardigan, and educated at Saint Dunstan's University (BA ’62, BEd ’66), the University of New Brunswick (Graduate Studies in History), and Saint Francis Xavier University (MEd ’77).
In the early days of rural secondary education, Mr. Fogarty began his teaching career at Montague Regional High School, but very quickly moved to the principalship at Souris Regional High School. In this position, he lobbied for excellent teachers and indeed succeeded in bringing a high level of education to this part of Prince Edward Island. Under his leadership, he developed an excellent staff and many graduates proceeded to further education and distinguished careers in Canada and abroad.
As well as his contributions to education, Mr. Fogarty extended his skills and abilities to his community. He served as president of the Prince Edward Island Teachers' Federation from 1969 to 1970 and represented 1st Kings district in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1979 to 1993, serving in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Health and Social Services from 1981 to 1986. Fogarty was Superintendent of Education for the province from 1993 to 1994. In 1997, he became executive director of the adult and community education institute at Holland College, retiring in 2001.
Mr. Fogarty has published several reports and papers and was a contributor to Minding the House: A Biographical Guide to Prince Edward Island MLAs. He is a recipient of a Centennial Citizenship Citation (1973) and Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Confederation (1992). Over the years, he has volunteered for a variety of boards and committees and is current Chair of the Saint Dunstan’s University Board of Governors and SDU Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI.
The Honourable Diane Campbell, QC
The Honourable Diane Campbell, from Summerside PEI, graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She proceeded to the University of New Brunswick on full scholarship to complete her law degree in 1975, and her Master of Law degree the following year from the prestigious Harvard Law School.
As the first woman called to the Bar in PEI with a Masters of Law from Harvard, Madam Justice Campbell spent almost 25 years as a sole practitioner in Prince County, focusing her general legal practice on business, commercial, estates, and real estate law. While a resident of Prince Edward Island, she was extensively involved in the community, holding volunteer roles often at the leadership level with the PEI Literacy Council, Summerside Chamber of Commerce, the Boys and Girls Club, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Cancer Society, the PEI Humane Society, and PEI Women in Business Association.
In 2000, she was appointed to the Federal Tax Court of Canada as one of 20 judges—the first female from Prince Edward Island to hold this honour. Ms. Campbell is a well-respected Canadian jurist who regularly attends international meetings as a representative of the Canadian branch of the International Association of Women Judges. Diane Campbell's impressive career in law is a shining example of what can be achieved, particularly important because of her gender, as she was among the few women in the mid-1970s who entered the legal profession. UPEI recognized Justice Campbell as one of its most distinguished alumni with a 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award.
