The campus of the University of Prince Edward Island was abuzz with energy the last two days as staff, students, faculty, family, graduates, and friends celebrated Convocation 2019. 

Her Honour, The Honourable Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, recently hosted a luncheon at Government House in celebration of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program and the University of Prince Edward Island’s Queen Elizabeth Scholars. 

It’s Convocation Week at UPEI! Here are the details to help you find your way through our annual celebration of our graduating students.

UPEI’s annual Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit and 25-Year Service Awards were presented to faculty and staff at a ceremony on April 30, 2019. The awards, created by President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, recognize outstanding performance and dedication to students and our community on-campus, provincially, and globally.

Spring is finally approaching, which means bats will soon emerge from their hibernacula and return to their summer roosting sites. People in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and Newfoundland and Labrador (N.L.) are encouraged to call the toll-free bat hotline — 1-833-434-BATS (2287) — to let researchers know that their bats are returning.

L. M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s), a book co-edited by UPEI’s Dr. Jean Mitchell, is one of three books short-listed for the Association of Canadian and Quebec Literatures’ (AQCL) Gabrielle Roy Prize. 

Dr. Étienne Côté, professor of cardiology at the Atlantic Veterinary College, is the winner of the College’s 2018 Atlantic Award of Excellence in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Care. Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, presented the award to Dr. Côté in front of a large crowd of AVC alumni and friends at the Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference in Halifax on April 13. 

The Honourable Brian Francis, Senator for Prince Edward Island, presented Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor, with the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal on April 26 at a ceremony hosted by the Honourable Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island at Government House. 

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. 

Seaside Books in Summerside will host authors Jane Ledwell and JoDee Samuelson for a reading on Saturday, May 11, at 1:00 pm.