UPEI student-athletes are showing that 'Panthers care' at SUBWAY® locations across the province today as part of SUBWAY® Cares for Kids Day.

The event is an initiative of SUBWAY® Canada in partnership with Children's Miracle Network. On Thursday, April 23, SUBWAY® Restaurants on PEI will be accepting donations in support of the Maritime's local Children's Miracle Network member hospital, the IWK Health Centre.

Approximately 30 members of UPEI Panther teams will be in SUBWAY® Restaurants from Summerside to Montague, handing out free cookie coupons to thank patrons who have donated to the campaign.

The University of Prince Edward Island announced today that four Islanders will receive honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at Convocation 2015. Honorary degrees will be conferred upon retired business leader and Senator, and former PEI premier, The Honourable Catherine Callbeck; multiple award-winning singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant; retired educator, and former MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition, and Provincial Treasurer Patricia Mella; and beloved pastor, member of the Queens County Fiddlers, retired UPEI professor, and former UPEI chaplain Father Charlie Cheverie.

'Each honorary degree recipient exemplifies success in their chosen field, whether it be politics, business, education, religious life, or arts and culture,' said President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz. 'We are so excited to honour these distinguished individuals who have contributed so much to their communities. As our graduates begin to imagine how their education will lead to their own success, they will be inspired by the stories of how our honorary graduands have made their mark.'

The University's Senate approved the honorary graduands at a meeting earlier this year in accordance with University policy that states that honorary doctorates of laws will be presented to individuals who display the highest levels of achievement in public and community service.

The Honourable Catherine Callbeck has a long and active involvement in business, politics, and charitable and public service groups at all levels, and is a woman of many firsts and honours. She received her early education Central Bedeque and Summerside, later receiving degrees from Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University. After a period of teaching, Ms. Callbeck returned to PEI where she became involved with the family business-Callbeck's Limited and Callbeck's Furniture. She was the second woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island and, from 1974-78, served as the first female Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Responsible for the Disabled, and Minister Responsible for Non-Status Indians. In 1988, she was the first woman elected as the Member of Parliament for Malpeque, making her the second woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons from PEI. She returned to provincial politics in 1993 when she was elected Leader of the Liberal Party of PEI, and soon after, the first woman in Canada to be elected as Premier. In 1997, she was called to the Senate of Canada and retired in July 2014.

Father Charlie Cheverie is one of PEI's most respected citizens. He was educated at Saint Dunstan's University, Holy Heart Seminary, and the Catholic University of America, where he received a doctorate in biology. He was ordained as Roman Catholic priest in 1957 and in 1959, he began an outstanding career of teaching and research at Saint Dunstan's University, and its successor, UPEI. Following his retirement from teaching in 1997, he served as Chaplain at UPEI. 'Father Charlie' also served as a commissioned officer and military chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces. His devotion to the province and to the well-being of its people has been demonstrated in many ways, through his promotion of traditional music, his efforts to sustain and protect the natural environment, and, of course, by his dedication as a teacher. His leadership is a special blend of personal example, wisdom, and general insight into the ways of people. Over the years, he has received numerous awards-for example, the Rotary Mentor Award and Order of PEI-and was conferred as Professor Emeritus and named a UPEI Founder in 2009.

Lennie Gallant, a native of Rustico and graduate of UPEI, has been fully engaged for more than four decades in his career as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He has recorded ten albums (eight in English and two in French), which have won him a host of awards and nominations from the Juno, East Coast Music, Canadian Folk Music, Étoile, and Éloize awards. He has received numerous honours including the Order of Canada, Red Cross Humanitarian Award and UPEI Distinguished Alumni Award. Mr. Gallant and his band have toured North America and Europe in both acoustic settings and with symphony orchestras, while over 30 artists from around the world have recorded his songs. His hard-hitting lyrics, chronicling the lives of people dealing with tremendous adversity and serious issues, articulate the feelings of many caught up in desperate situations. At the same time, his musical stories celebrate the beauty of lifestyle and landscape with their stirring poetry. He is very generous with his time and talent but is best known for his work with UNESCO and World Vision.

Patricia Mella is a retired educator and politician who continues to serve her Island community. Born in Port Hill, Ms. Mella received her early education in Bloomfield and Kinkora and graduated in 1965 from St. Dunstan's University with a major in English. She received her Master's Degree in Medical Sociology from the Catholic University of America and, in 1973, a Bachelor of Education from UPEI. Ms. Mella enjoyed an extensive teaching career in Washington, DC; Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario; and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She returned to PEI in 1979, teaching Political Science and English at four Charlottetown area schools-Colonel Gray, Queen Charlotte, Birchwood, and Charlottetown Rural. Elected Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI in 1990, she became Leader of the Official Opposition in 1993. In 1996, she became the Provincial Treasurer and Chair of Treasury Board and later was appointed Minister Responsible for the PEI Public Service Commission, PEI Liquor Control Commission, PEI Lending Agency, and Status of Women. She has served on a number of community organizations including the Teachers Federation of PEI, Southport/Bunbury/Crossroads Recreation Commission, Forum for Young Canadians Symposium, and Charlottetown Christian Council (as president).

The Convocation ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 9 in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre with the first ceremony beginning at 10:00 am and the afternoon ceremony at 2:30 pm. Callbeck will address the morning convocation while Mella will speak during the afternoon ceremony.

Charlottetown, PEI (April 30, 2015)-University of Prince Edward Island graduates, their families, and friends are invited to a gathering to celebrate, in prayer and song, the accomplishments of the Class of 2015.

Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 5:00 pm (note new time)
Steel Recital Hall, UPEI

Family invitations will not be sent out this year so please help spread the word.

For further information, contact Sister Susan Kidd, CND, Campus Minister at sukidd@upei.ca or 902-894-2876.

The UPEI Island Studies Student Association (ISSA) and the Institute of Island Studies (IIS) present an "Island to Island Benefit" for Vanuatu at Hot Shots Lounge on Longworth Avenue Saturday, May 2, starting at 8 p.m.

The island nation of Vanuatu was recently hit by Cyclone Pam, destroying much of its infrastructure and housing. UPEI faculty member Dr. Jean Mitchell (Anthropology) has spent time researching on those islands, working with youth and locals. ISSA and the IIS want to connect Islanders here with Islanders there, to show our support and solidarity. Funds raised will support a youth project on the island of Tanna.

Says ISSA Acting President Katharine MacDonald, "After this winter, we know as Islanders how harsh weather can be. This season has been rough for Vanuatu as well. The students, faculty and staff in Island Studies want to show solidarity and support from Islanders to Islanders, and build some long-lasting relationships there. Dr. Mitchell has worked closely with the Cultural Centre on Tanna, and we're excited to help it support its community again."

Acts include Bonnie LeClair; Mike Mooney, Laurie Brinklow and Sean Kemp; Aster; Iain McCarvill; Pete Forbes and band; and Mitch Schurman.

Cover is by donation ($5 suggested); everyone nineteen and over is welcome!

The University of Prince Edward Island Women's Rugby coach Shannon Atkins is excited to announce that Anneke Dykerman has agreed to join the Panthers in September 2015.

Dykerman currently attends Colonel Gray High School and has been a member of the Colonel Rugby team for three years. During her grade 10 year, Dykerman was selected as a league All-Star/MVP and, in grade 11, a league All-Star. Dykerman has played with the U18 provincial rugby team for two years.

A multi-sport athlete, Dykerman was also a member of the Colonel Gray field hockey team and is the recipient of three league All-Star awards. Dykerman has played organized hockey for 12 years, participating in major tournaments such as the Atlantic Provinces and national championships. Academically, Dykerman maintains an honours average and always make time for her studies.

Dykerman says, 'I'm honoured and excited to be able to bring my skills and dedication as a student-athlete to Panther Rugby and UPEI for the next four years.'

'It is exciting to have a new, young, dynamic player such as Anneke added to the team,' adds Coach Atkins. 'Her speed and aggression will be a welcome bonus in the 2015 season."

Dykerman is studying foods and nutrition and has the goal of becoming a registered dietician.

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
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• 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

Years of hard work, study, and creativity culminate at the 2015 convocation ceremonies being held Saturday, May 9 at the University of Prince Edward Island. More than 900 students will be awarded degrees and diplomas at two separate ceremonies: the first beginning at 10:00 am and the second at 2:30 pm at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.

The University will also confer honorary Doctor of Laws degrees to four recipients: The Honourable Catherine Callbeck, senator and former premier; Lennie Gallant, a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter; Patricia Mella, a former MLA, leader of the Official Opposition, and Provincial Treasurer; and Father Charlie Cheverie, beloved pastor, member of the Queens County Fiddlers, retired professor, and former UPEI chaplain.

Seating is limited due to safety regulations at both the morning and afternoon ceremonies; guests must present invitations at the door in order to be admitted to the Sports Centre. Overflow seating and live broadcasts of both ceremonies are available in McMillan Hall in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre. The ceremonies will also be broadcast live on Eastlink TV and online at upei.ca/live.

Convocation Day is a special and memorable one for graduates and their family and friends. As each graduate begins the next chapter of their lives, we salute the dedication that brought them here.

Convocation 2015 website

A complete list of morning graduates and afternoon graduates are available online. Eastlink TV will rebroadcast the morning ceremony on Saturday, May 16 at 10 am. The afternoon ceremony will be rebroadcast at 2:30 pm.

The University of Prince Edward Island conferred degrees, diplomas, and certificates to more than 940 graduates today, as part of Convocation 2015. Among them were the first graduating students from UPEI's Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology) program, and the first two PhDs from the Faculty of Education.

The families and friends of the Class of 2015 gathered for two ceremonies today in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, the first at 10:00 am, and the second at 2:30 pm.

UPEI Chancellor Don McDougall led both ceremonies; President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Alaa Abd-El Aziz addressed both ceremonies with words of celebration and welcome.

'As a community, we are proud of your commitment to your studies and your achievements,' said Dr. Abd-El-Aziz. 'In the spirit of community, we humbly acknowledge that you have not come to this point on your own. Look around and find your family, friends, teachers, and mentors who have encouraged and supported you along your journey. On behalf of the UPEI community, including more than 23,000 alumni around the world, congratulations.'

The University also conferred honorary Doctor of Laws degrees to four recipients: The Honourable Catherine Callbeck, senator and former premier; Lennie Gallant, a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter; Patricia Mella, a former MLA, leader of the Official Opposition, and Provincial Treasurer; and, Father Charlie Cheverie, beloved pastor, member of the Queens County Fiddlers, retired professor, and former UPEI chaplain. Callbeck addressed the morning convocation ceremony; Mella spoke in the afternoon.

'Don't be a bystander,' advised Callbeck to the morning convocation. She then spoke words that she first uttered in 1974 at her first political nomination meeting: 'The strength of our society rests on the willingness and the ability of its citizens to share in the decisions which affect it.
Mella, speaking to the afternoon ceremony, welcomed the graduates into a group of alumni from UPEI and its predecessor institutions: Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan's University. 'You are joining men and women who live and work in all corners of the globe. You will be our ambassadors; you are our marketing team. Be proud of your own accomplishments, and be proud of your alma mater.

Ryan McCarvill of Kensington, who graduated with his Bachelor of Business Administration, was valedictorian of the morning convocation ceremony. Derrick Biso of Charlottetown, who earned his Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), addressed the afternoon convocation.

UPEI held its annual Senior Class Awards at a ceremony the day before, where a number of academic and student prizes were awarded. The complete list will be posted in the coming days at upei.ca/seniorclassawards. The Governor General's Academic Medals were presented during convocation ceremonies by the Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant Governor of PEI. The Governor General's Gold Medal (graduate level) was awarded to Brittany Jakubiec, who graduated with her Masters of Education. The Governor General's Silver Medal (undergraduate level) was awarded to Michelle Trenholme, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Best wishes to all graduates!

Everyone is invited to a public talk by Summerside's Dr. Tiber F. M. Falzett on Scottish Gaelic language and culture as passed down through generations on Prince Edward Island. Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the presentation is Tuesday, May 26, 2015, 7:30 pm in the UPEI Faculty Lounge of SDU Main Building.

Through oral traditions, music, songs, poetry, newspaper articles, and census returns, attendees will be taken on a journey in the life of Scottish Gaels on Prince Edward Island from their arrival on these shores to the decline and eventual disappearance of the language from everyday Island life by the close of the last century.

Excerpts of field recordings made by Dr. John Shaw for the Institute of Island Studies in 1987, as well as earlier recordings made by others, will serve as primary vehicles in our explorations. Tiber will play these Gaelic recordings, which can be easily followed with the English translations he'll provide. This small but significant collection of recordings holds tremendous potential for the homegrown linguistic and cultural renewal of these local traditions at the communal level.

Tiber has himself conducted more than a decade of fieldwork among Scottish Gaels in Cape Breton and the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles. He enjoys a good cèilidh, sharing Gaelic songs and tunes on the bagpipes. He recently completed his PhD in Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh and has now returned home to the Island, where he is now a Research Associate of the Institute of Island Studies. He looks forward to making connections with fellow Islanders interested in Scottish Gaelic in our province.

For more information, please contact Laurie Brinklow at (902) 894-2881 or brinklow@upei.ca.

Climate change, arguably the most pressing issue of our time, is most often discussed and examined from a scientific perspective. A conference hosted this month by UPEI will examine it through the focus of a humanities lens, and will seek to broaden our understanding of the ways in which climate and culture intersect. Climate Change in Culture runs May 28-31 at the Delta Charlottetown, and is generously supported by a Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the PEI Department of the Environment, the University of Prince Edward Island, and the Institute of Island Studies.

Dr. Stephanie LeMenager is one of three conference plenaries. She is the Moore Endowed Professor of English and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon, co-founder of the Environmental Humanities journal, Resilience, and co-founder of the "Humanities for the Environment" workshop series. Her work on the cultural implications of climate change was recently featured in the New York Times and CBC's The Current.

Dr. Adam Fenech has worked extensively in the area of climate change since the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change First Assessment Report in 1988. He is the editor of seven books. He has represented Canada at international climate negotiating sessions and written policy and speeches for Canadian environment ministers. He has taught for more than 20 years at the University of Toronto and the Smithsonian, and is currently Director of the Climate Research Lab at UPEI.

Dr. Andrew Light is a professor and director of philosophy and public policy at George Mason University. He is currently on leave to serve as Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy on Climate Change for the U. S. Department of State. He is a member of the senior strategy team for the UN climate negotiations. He directs the U. S.-India Joint Working Group on Combatting Climate Change, and is chair of the U. S. Climate Change Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals. He is the author, co-author, and editor of 17 books.

'This conference draws together leading and emerging scholars from around the world, along with private-sector, governmental, and public policy stakeholders,' said Dr. John McIntyre, Associate Professor of English at UPEI and chair of the Climate Change in Culture conference. 'Participants include historians, political scientists, psychologists, literary critics, anthropologists as well as architects, land use planners, and private consultants. The four-day event will also showcase contributions from artists, musicians, and film-makers, thus drawing together a wide range of expertise bearing upon the cultural response to climate change.'

'UPEI is delighted to host this innovative and cross-cutting conference, one that builds on the university's current strengths in climate change research and provides new opportunities for our faculty in the humanities,' said Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies at UPEI. 'We look forward to hearing and learning from experts from around the world as they explore the interplay between climate change and the humanities.'

The conference is for registered attendees only, but community member day-passes are available for purchase at a cost of $25 at climatechangeinculture.com.

University of Prince Edward Island men's soccer coach Lewis Page is pleased to announce that Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia native Brett Strba has committed to join the Panthers for the 2015-16 season.

Strba was captain of the Lockview High School team for the past two seasons, and captain of the Suburban FC team for the past three. A key contributor to the two-time Nova Scotia provincial champion Suburban FC, Strba was also selected MVP and Heart Award winner with Lockview. A member of the Nova Scotia provincial team from U12 to U16, Strba also participated in the National Training Centre program. Brett is involved with youth development and has trained young players with the Suburban, Scotia, and Bedford Titans football clubs and during Soccer Nova Scotia camps.

Strba says, 'I was fortunate to have had interest from many universities but ultimately chose UPEI because of the smaller campus atmosphere and the opportunity to play for Coach Page. I am very excited to attend UPEI, I feel it will be a great fit for me, academically and athletically.'

'UPEI soccer is excited to have Brett join our squad,' adds Coach Page. 'He brings experience playing youth and senior soccer and a great attitude to our team. We look forward to him helping us build on our success from last season.'

Strba will be entering the Bachelor of Business Administration program.

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
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• 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