UPEI was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Mary (Nicholson) Ross, honorary degree recipient and former head resident of Marian Hall. Ross passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at the Dr. John Gillis Memorial Lodge, on Saturday, May 4. She was 94 years old.

Raised in Flat River on her family farm, she graduated from Prince of Wales College and began her teaching career at the age of 16. After 32 years of teaching, Ross accepted a position with UPEI where for 13 years, she became the head resident of Marian Hall, a men's dormitory. In 1995, the University paid tribute to Ross and her work by awarding her with an honorary degree.

'On behalf of the entire University community, I'd like to extend sincere condolences to Mary's family and friends,' said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'UPEI was fortunate enough to work and learn from this remarkable woman, and during this time, we, too, feel a tremendous loss.'

The following is a passage from her honorary degree citation which references her time as head resident and describes her selflessness, compassion, and character. 'Many of those young men-sometimes lonesome, often afraid and uncertain of direction or goal in life-owe a degree of their later success to her wise counsel and to her sympathetic ear when no one else seemed to be listening or to care. Indeed, some of these students will tell you that, without her influence in their lives, they would never have completed university at all.'

Online condolences may be expressed at www.macleanfh.com.

The University of Prince Edward Island Board of Governors approved a balanced budget for the 2013-14 operating year at its regular monthly meeting Thursday night on the UPEI campus.

It was reported earlier this year that UPEI faced a shortfall of $9 million between projected revenues and expenditures for the time frame May 1, 2013-April 30, 2014. According to the University Act, UPEI must table a balanced budget; therefore, the proposal to the Board needed to strike a balance between tuition revenue increases and expenditure reductions to preserve services, maintain quality, and keep education affordable at the Island's only university.

President and Vice-Chancellor Abd-El-Aziz said, 'The University administration addressed its budget with a thoughtful approach and kept students and staff at the forefront of our deliberations. As of tonight, we have an approved, balanced budget, but it is based on a number of assumptions. We need to continue to work diligently to achieve projected revenue targets and keep costs under control to avoid any further adjustments.'

While UPEI tuition fees will remain among the lowest in the Atlantic Provinces for both Canadian and international undergraduate students, an increase of four per cent was approved. This translates into an increase of $21 per course. Since 2003, the average annual tuition increase has been 3.1 per cent.

UPEI Student Union President Anastasia Smallwood added, 'As representatives of the students of UPEI we, the UPEI Student Union, dislike any increase to tuition. However, we understand the difficulties faced by the University in the creation of the 2013-14 budget. We appreciate the fact that student interests have been put first and that the tuition increase has been kept to a minimum.'

There were no core programs affected by this budget despite the University experiencing many pressures. The status quo provincial operating grant combined with normal inflationary effects, as well as salary increments, pension commitments, benefit costs, heat, electricity, deferred maintenance, and HST, were cost drivers.

Throughout the budget process, administrators across campus worked to minimize the impact on UPEI's most valuable resource-people-by reducing non-salary expenditures as much as possible and employing a number of cost cutting measures. However, with 73 per cent of expenses allocated to salaries and benefits, some job reductions will be unavoidable in order to balance the budget.

The approved 2013-14 UPEI Operating Budget will be available online May 10, 2013.

*For a complete list of graduates, click here

A record 954 graduates were conferred with degrees, diplomas, and certificates as they crossed the stage at UPEI's convocation on Saturday, May 11.

The Class of 2013 and their proud families and friends gathered to celebrate in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre for two ceremonies-the first beginning at 10:00 am and the second one at 2:30 pm.

Both events were led by Chancellor William Andrew and featured remarks by President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.

Abd-El-Aziz challenged the graduates and said, 'As you begin this next stage of your life, you will choose a path. Ask yourself, ‘What is next?' and make sure you have a good answer! Be adventurous, define a goal, and boldly move towards it with the encouragement of those who care about you.'

Honorary degrees were conferred upon business leader and volunteer Fred Hyndman, humanitarian and community activist Marie Burge, science educator and entrepreneur Regis Duffy, and environmental expert and research Diane Griffin. Hyndman addressed the morning graduates while Duffy addressed the afternoon convocation.

During Hyndman's address, he asked graduates to be thankful for their former teachers and professors who have helped them reach this day. 'Certainly not all, but most of you graduating today are receiving your first degree. You must be excited, relieved, proud, and grateful. ‘How can I know?'' he asked them, 'Because I, too, am receiving my first degree and am excited, proud, and grateful.' Hyndman reminded graduates to embrace risk, 'for it is only by taking calculated risk that discoveries are made, that innovation occurs, that profits are earned, and the unknown is explored.'

Jason Cook, from Moncton, N.B. delivered the valedictory address in the morning, and Robert Hainsworth, of South River, Ont. delivered the address in the afternoon. Cook received his Bachelor of Education degree and was awarded the Faculty of Education Prize for an outstanding education student. Hainsworth was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree during the afternoon ceremony.

While a number of prizes were awarded at events leading up to convocation, the Governor-General Medals were presented during the convocation ceremonies by the Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant-Governor of PEI. The Governor General's Medal (graduate) was awarded to doctor of philosophy degree recipient Fernanda Dórea of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the morning convocation. During the afternoon convocation, the Governor General's Medal (undergraduate) was awarded to Bachelor of Science-Honours degree recipient John Paul Larkin. Larkin was also awarded The Polyclinic Prize for the student who has achieved the highest aggregate in the four years of an undergraduate program.

UPEI congratulates all degree, diploma, and certificate recipients!

This year's Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit and 25-year Service awards were presented to staff and faculty at a special ceremony on Monday, May 6. The awards recognized outstanding performance and dedication to students and our community-on-campus, provincially, and globally.

The Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit for Faculty and Librarians are awarded based on teaching, scholarly endeavours, service, or combined achievement. Awards for librarians are based on exceptional performance, in one or more of professional practice, scholarly endeavours/professional development, and/or service. The following is a list of faculty and librarian award winners: Teaching: Dr. Susan Dawson, Dr. James Polson, Ms. Charlene VanLeeuwen; Scholarly Endeavours: Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Dr. Dany MacDonald, Dr. Larry Hammell, Dr. Kate Tilliczek, Dr. John Vanleeuwen; and Service: Dr. Sheldon Opps.

The Presidential Recognition Awards of Merit for Staff acknowledge staff for exemplary service, campus spirit, volunteer and community service, and support and student success. This year's recipients are from a variety of different departments and areas.

The Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Campus Spirit is presented to a UPEI employee who has fostered a sense of excitement on campus and promoted fellowship, goodwill, and belonging within the University community, by supporting and promoting UPEI, was awarded to Mr. Rocky Paquet, Facilities Management.

The Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Exemplary Service is presented to a UPEI employee who has demonstrated outstanding service and/or who has made significant contributions to the university community beyond that normally expected for his/her position. This year's recipients are Ms. Virginia Sheehan, Facilities Management and Mr. Gerard Burge, ITSS.

The Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Volunteer and Community Service recognizes and honours an employee who demonstrates the University of Prince Edward Island's commitment to community service through volunteer work, both on and/or off campus. Mr. Roland MacSwain, from Facilities Management received this year's honour in recognition of the countless volunteer hours he has given to minor hockey.

The Presidential Recognition Award of Merit for Support of Student Success is presented to a UPEI employee who has made significant contributions to higher education via supporting student success. This year's recipient is Ms. Anne Bartlett, from Student Affairs.

25-year Service awards were also presented at the ceremony. This is an incredible staff achievement that is recognized by certificates and 25-year Service watches. The University recognized the following for their commitment and dedication:

Donna Barnes, David Buck, Pierre-Yves Daoust, Robert Doiron, Sherman Elderkin, Debbie Gass, Cheryl Gaudet, Betty Gregan, Stephen Hughes, Allan Keoughan, Jeanne Löfstedt, Robert Löfstedt, Dawna Lund, Lorraine Lund, Jennifer MacDonald, John MacDougall, Kathy MacKenzie, Dianne MacLean, Rosemary MacIver, Christopher McQuaid, Susan O'Connor, Arthur Ortenburger, Robert Page, Kenneth Parry, Linda Ruschkowski, Rita Saunders, David Seeler, Darcy Shaw, Elizabeth Spangler, Wayne Squarebriggs, Andrew Tasker, and Allen Veale.

Congratulations to all award recipients!

The UPEI Department of Athletics and Recreation was especially proud on Saturday during the afternoon convocation when UPEI women's hockey player Jaime Lynn Donaldson was named the first recipient of the Rory Beck Outstanding Academic and Athletic Leadership Award.

Friends and family created this award to honour the late Rory Beck's passion for sports and his belief that education and community service are critical components of a meaningful life. The award is granted to the graduating student who has displayed the most outstanding dedication to athletics, academics, leadership and campus spirit throughout their post-secondary under graduate studies at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Roderick (Rory) Beck was one of those rare individuals who touched the lives of so many people through his professional careers, sports involvement, and personal life. Beck passed away suddenly of natural causes in April of last year.

Donaldson was selected by the UPEI scholarship committee because of her demonstrated excellence in both academics and athletics. A great leader on and off the ice, Donaldson was captain of the women's hockey team this past year, a member of AUS Championship team last season, recipient of an Academic All Canadian award, and was involved in numerous charitable events and fundraisers, including the RBC 'Newcomers Play Hockey' program and the UPEI Paderno Challenge Cup. Donaldson truly exemplifies what this award stands for.

Congratulations to Jaime Lynn, Panther for Life, and a sincere thank you to all of the donors who made this award possible.

The 11th annual Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)/UPEI Math Camp was recently held on campus May 3-5. The Math Camp is a national initiative that sponsors close to two dozen regional camps across Canada.

UPEI's Math Camp is the main community outreach activity of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. This year, the camp hosted a group of sixteen students-ten girls and six boys from grades 10 and 11-from eight Island high schools and one home scholar.

This group represents some of the best math students on PEI, with goals to enhance student education, and to encourage students to continue studying math when they reach the university level. Most of the math and statistics faculty present 60-to 90-minute sessions with the camp attendees, introducing some mathematics that is understandable to the students, but unfamiliar in a high school curriculum.

The students are also challenged with group problem-solving, mathematical relays, and mathematical trivia. As the camp runs for three days, the students stayed overnight in Andrew Hall, and relaxed during the evenings with some recreational activities. The students got a better sense of university life during their stay in residence.

In the fall of 2012, a research team at UPEI launched a website where the public could report their sightings of red foxes on Prince Edward Island. Today, the team behind upei.ca/redfox launches a new crowd-funding project to help fund the next stages of their research so that we can improve our understanding of one of PEI's largest predators.

'A fox-sightings map gave us information regarding the distribution and relative abundance of foxes in Charlottetown, particularly during the fall. We have also collected anecdotal evidence regarding their behaviour, including the potential location of dens. All this information has helped us to identify the next steps of the project,' said Dr. Marina Silva-Opps, a terrestrial ecologist and associate professor of biology at UPEI. 'For instance, we have used this information to identify sites for our study which will track the movement of foxes.'

The public can and are encouraged to continue reporting fox and den sightings at upei.ca/redfox. Once people have submitted their information, they'll be encouraged to make a donation at upei.ca/donate. Donors of more than $10 will be given a tax receipt.

The data collected at upei.ca/redfox have been invaluable to the team, as they learn more about the population and distribution of red foxes on PEI.

'In the next phase of the project, we will use GPS collars to track foxes. We will also collect feces (or scat) to learn how they use and move through urban habitats,' said Dr. Silva-Opps. 'We will also study where foxes live in urban areas.'

Dr. Silva-Opps' team is hoping to raise $5,188. This money will help cover the wages for an undergraduate research student and for equipment to help monitor and photograph foxes in their urban habitat.

For more information, and to report a fox or den sighting, visit upei.ca/redfox. To follow along with the progress of the project, and to see photographs collected by our team and the public, 'like' the project on Facebook. The page is at facebook.com/upeiurbanfoxproject

UPEI women's rugby head coach Shannon Atkins is pleased to welcome two Island rugby players to the Panther lineup-Sidney Corrigan and Holly Hartlen. Corrigan, a native of Sherwood plays wide side flanker for the Charlottetown Rural Raiders rugby team, while Hartlen of Summerside plays for the Three Oaks Axewomen.

'Sidney is aggressive, dominant, and fast on the field, and having Holly on the team will make a big difference to our backline as she's considered to be one of the best backline players to come out of the PEISAA league this year,' said Atkins.

'It's great that these two strong Island rugby players have committed to UPEI,' said Bill Schurman, UPEI Director of Athletics and Recreation. 'As we do with all new recruits, we will work with them individually to ensure they thrive as student athletes here. Both Sidney and Holly will be great additions to the rugby team as we get set to host the 2013 AUS Women's Rugby Championship this fall.'

Corrigan has always dreamed of playing university rugby, and by joining the Panthers, she will make that dream a reality. Hartlen is excited to join the team and be a part of the rebuilding process.

Congratulations, and welcome to Sidney and Holly!

UPEI women's rugby Head Coach Shannon Atkins is pleased to welcome Island native Leah Corrigan to the Panther program for the 2013-14 season.

'Leah is a hard runner and powerful tackler; she can run on angles and read the opposition,' said Atkins. 'Her powerful running will be a welcome addition to the backline which has been depleted this past year.'

A Covehead resident and grade 12 student attending Charlottetown Rural High School, Leah played this past year as an inside and outside centre for the Raiders in the PEI School Athletics Association.

'Being asked to play rugby for the UPEI team is a privilege,' commented Corrigan. 'I would never have this opportunity without the great coaching I've received over the last couple of years'.

'It is a pleasure to welcome Leah to the University of Prince Edward Island,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'We will provide all the necessary supports for her academic success. As we prepare to host the AUS Women's Rugby Championship, I'm sure Leah will enjoy her first-year, student-athlete experience'.

Corrigan is interested a career in nursing, and will be taking necessary courses in her first year to apply to the Nursing program at UPEI.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and Six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

In another cost-cutting move, the University of Prince Edward Island has eliminated the senior administrative position of Assistant Vice-President Graduate Studies. Services offered to graduate students services and postdoctoral fellows by the Office of Graduate Studies will continue from its new location within the Research Services department.

The Assistant Vice-President, 3M Canada Teaching Fellow Dr. Brian Wagner, will step down from his administrative role as of July 31, 2013 and return to the Faculty of Science where he is a Professor of Chemistry.

Interim Vice-President Academic Christian Lacroix, who currently has graduate studies in his portfolio, thanked Wagner for his leadership and dedication.

'Brian Wagner was instrumental in establishing the Office of Graduate Studies, which was needed at a time when the number of graduate students at UPEI was growing rapidly. He led the transformation of UPEI from being seen as an undergraduate school to one where the impact of graduate studies and graduate students is tremendous both at the University and beyond.'

He added, 'We sincerely thank Brian for his vision, applaud his accomplishments, and appreciate that he will assist with this transition.'

The Office of Graduate Studies serves as a central location and source of information for all graduate students and graduate faculty, develops graduate studies policies, supports new program development, promotes graduate student research and scholarly work, and provides guidance and support to graduate students in their programs. The Office of Graduate Studies will continue to do so under Research Services in the Office of the Vice-President Research.

'All graduate students conduct research, and having access to administrative support and research services under one roof will certainly be beneficial, avoid duplication of effort, and lead to new synergies, ' said Vice-President Research Robert Gilmour. 'Due to the establishment of such solid supports, practices, and policies by Dr. Wagner, UPEI will be able to offer the same quality of service to graduate students despite the change in the delivery model.'

Gilmour was formerly the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education at Cornell University and is both familiar with, and dedicated to, excellence in programs of graduate studies.

Dr. Wagner commented, 'I am committed to working with VP Research Gilmour during the transition of the Office of Graduate Studies into Research Services to help our graduate students continue to find success and access a high level of service.'