The St. Dunstan's University (SDU) class of 1963 will celebrate its 50th reunion at this year's UPEI Summer Reunion Weekend, July 24-28. Alumni who have reached special milestones will be joined by Prince of Wales College (PWC), SDU, and UPEI alumni from all years of graduation for a fun-filled 'long' weekend.

The always-popular Panther Golf Classic alumni golf tournament, presented by Stewart McKelvey, takes place on Friday, July 26, at the Green Gables Golf Course in Cavendish with a shotgun start at 8:15 am. To register, visit the online form at http://ar.upei.ca/2013-upei-panther-golf-classic

Eliza MacLauchlan, a fourth-year arts student and varsity field hockey player at UPEI, will spend six weeks this summer volunteering in Guatemala. MacLauchlan is the fifth student from UPEI to be selected to represent Canada in the last four years for the International Seminar, supported by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and managed by the Uniterra program.

From July 8-August 19, MacLauchlan will join five other Canadian students and 12 Guatemalan students for the 66^th International Seminar with the theme of 'The impact of volunteerism on sustainable development in Guatemala.' MacLauchlan will work with three different communities to observe how Guatemalans, specifically women, are making an economical impact in their communities. She will be putting together a report on how volunteerism in Guatemala can be used for sustainable development.

MacLauchlan was honoured to be chosen for the Seminar as she has always wanted to volunteer abroad but never had the opportunity. She gives thanks to Dr. Doreley Coll, associate professor in UPEI's Department of Modern Languages who introduced her to the culture of Central and South America, which piqued her interest in this specific volunteer experience.

'I was thrilled when I found out I was chosen to go to Guatemala to represent Canada, and specifically, UPEI,' said MacLauchlan. 'What particularly excites me about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is the direct contact I will have with Guatemalans and their culture.'

Leo Cheverie, UPEI staff advisor for the WUSC local committee, said WUSC members from UPEI were excited to see a UPEI student selected to attend the International Seminar. 'The local selection committee members who interviewed Eliza were impressed with her spirit and commitment to the Seminar and were pleased when she was selected as one of only five students nationally,' he said. 'She plans to remain engaged with WUSC, and in the community, when she returns from Guatemala. She will also continue to study and be engaged in research using her Spanish language skills, which is very impressive,' added Cheverie.

MacLauchlan has a great interest in travelling, loves to experience new things, and is looking forward to chatting with the Guatemalans in Spanish. 'In the end, I'm certain that this opportunity will change my life and lead it in the direction that I've always wanted it to go,' she added.

Most of the financial costs for the 2013 International Seminar are covered by the Uniterra program with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). However, participants are still required to fundraise and contribute $3,500 towards the program for related costs. For more information on how you can support MacLauchlan's volunteer initiative, email her directly at elizamaclauchlan@hotmail.com

UPEI men's basketball head coach Tim Kendrick is pleased to announce that Citadel High School's Jayden Nordin will suit up for the Panthers beginning next season.

Nordin was a former high school teammate of current Panther Deontay (DJ) Smith. The six-foot guard has been a Metro League all-star, and was named a first-team all-star at last year's U17 National Championship, while playing for Team Nova Scotia.

Panther bench boss Kendrick is very happy to have Nordin join the team. 'Jayden has a tremendous amount of potential, and we are very pleased to add him to the Panther family,' he said. 'We expect that he will become a terrific player for us as he develops, he is another fine young man that we are proud to add to our roster.'

Nordin is very excited to be heading to UPEI. 'I'm really happy about becoming a Panther. I'm thrilled about playing with DJ again, and playing for the legendary Coach Kendrick,' he said. 'I'm going to do my best in the classroom and on the court.'

'I welcome Jaydin to the University of Prince Edward Island,' added Bill Schurman, director of UPEI Athletics and Recreation. 'As we promise to all UPEI recruits, we will provide all the necessary supports for Jayden to have a successful experience both on the court and in the classroom.'

Nordin is enrolled in the bachelor of arts program at UPEI.

UPEI Panther basketball 2013-14 schedule will be released soon, followed by season passes and the Green & White Club membership campaign.

For information:

UPEI clarinet professor Karem J. Simon will collaborate with organist Leo Marchildon in performance on Tuesday, June 25 at 1:00 pm at St. Dunstan's Basilica in Charlottetown. The program will feature several works for clarinet alone, a solo organ piece, and a transcription of Alessandro Marcello's Oboe Concerto. Admission is by donation.

For more information, contact ksimon@upei.ca

UPEI Athletics and Recreation announced today that field hockey head coach Sheila Bell has requested a leave of absence from the 2013 season due to sustaining a workplace concussion in November of last year. During her time as head coach for the past four seasons, Bell guided the Panthers to a Maritime Field Hockey Championship, as well as three second-place finishes.

'Concussions need time to heal,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'It's very important that Sheila takes the time she needs to recovery completely. We wish her well, and thank her for all of her efforts and expertise with our field hockey program over the years.'

UPEI is pleased to announce this season's strong coaching staff of Charla Currie, Lacey MacLauchlan, and Barb Carmichael who will continue to build the UPEI field hockey program.

Currie, who has been an assistant coach with the team for the past four years, will take on the role of head coach. Currie also coached with Bell at the 2005 Canada Games and currently coaches the Colonel Gray High School field hockey team where she teaches physical education.

'I've enjoyed working closely with Sheila, and I look forward to building the program to win championships,' said Currie. 'We have a great group of entering and returning student-athletes who are very committed on the turf and in the classroom.'

MacLauchlan, former UPEI field hockey player, will join the coaching staff as assistant coach. For the past three years, she has coached the Charlottetown Rural High School field hockey team, winning PEISAA gold medals in 2011 and 2012.

Carmichael will continue on as general manager of the UPEI field hockey team.

'We congratulate Charla and Lacey on their new roles and we look forward to an exciting and competitive fall season in the Maritime Field Hockey League with a run toward the CIS Championships,' added Schurman. 'I also wish to thank Barb for her continued dedication and commitment to the UPEI field hockey program.'

This fall, UPEI will host one of three Maritime Field Hockey Tournaments on September 21-22.

UPEI women's rugby head coach Shannon Atkins will be an assistant coach with the newly formed Team Atlantic senior rugby team competing in this weekend's National Women's League Championships in Vancouver.

'This has been a large commitment as the team is based out of Halifax and there have been trial and training weekends leading up to this event,' said Atkins. 'It's an excellent professional development opportunity for me personally, and provides an opportunity for athletes from all four Atlantic provinces to play at an elite level together.'

Five Island athletes made Team Atlantic's roster-Ashley MacDonald, Jean Baker, Ellen Murphy, Rebecca Chapman, and Jorie Rose.

MacDonald, a current national team player and assistant coach at UPEI, will add depth and experience as she's played at the top international level. 'This is an exciting opportunity to have the East coast represented on the West coast in Vancouver this week,' said MacDonald. 'I'm anticipating that our team will turn a few heads with the calibre of play we bring, and I'm looking forward to exceeding all expectations.'

Baker, who plays for the Saint Mary's Huskies, is also attending the FISU World University Championships' Rugby 7 tournament in Russia in July, and will add great power and speed to the back line of this weekend's Team Atlantic. Murphy, a Saint Francis Xavier rugby player, will bring size and strength to the tight five, while UPEI's Chapman will add agility and speed to the back row. Another notable addition is Saint Mary's Rose whose versatility at 8-man will complement a talented squad.

'This is a very deserving and wonderful opportunity for Shannon,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'Coaching at the regional and national levels will be a valuable experience as Shannon prepares for the upcoming AUS Season here at UPEI.'

UPEI is hosting the AUS Women's Rugby Championships, October 26-27 at UPEI's Alumni Canada Games Place.

UPEI Athletics and Recreation announced this week the contract signing of men's basketball head coach Tim Kendrick to a three-year extension through to the end of the 2015-16 season.

'We're very excited to make this announcement,' said UPEI Athletics and Recreation Director Bill Schurman. 'Tim has done a great job turning the program around to take annual runs at both AUS and CIS Championships. We appreciate his support of student-athlete academic success, Panther Academy, and community engagement. We're very fortunate to have Tim as a member of our coaching staff.'

Coach Kendrick has led the Panthers to two successive AUS third-place finishes, and an AUS record of 26 wins and 14 losses, with an overall record (including exhibition games) of 35 wins and 27 losses.

'I'm thrilled to be here with the UPEI Panthers. I want to thank UPEI's Athletics and Recreation department staff and the University for making this possible for me,' said Kendrick. 'My family loves it here on PEI, and we're making this our home. A big thank you to the Green & White Club, and all other supporters for all that you do and continue to do for this great program,' he added. 'I promise that our team will not be outworked, and I want to ensure the great people of this Island that we will do our best to achieve great success-both in the classroom and on the court.'

As June comes to a close, Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino completes his 10-year appointment as the Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Baldacchino becomes the first scholar at UPEI to complete the maximum two terms as a Canada Research Chair. His legacy in this position is one that will last for years to come.

Dr. Baldacchino's 10 years at UPEI has advanced a broad research agenda that established island studies as a credible and exciting area of research. He mentored nearly 80 graduate students in the master's of Island Studies program. He worked with dozens of students and scholars, culminating in more than a dozen edited books and special journal issues.

'I conceived and launched Island Studies Journal as a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, now abstracted and indexed in Web of Science,' said Dr. Baldacchino. 'With a research portfolio that includes singing, economic development, migration, struggles for political independence, tourism, heritage management, and entrepreneurship, my work as CRC has certainly not been boring.'

Dr. Baldacchino is a highly sought-after keynote and guest lecturer by universities and institutions across the globe. He has served as a distinguished visiting professor in places such as Australia, Barbados, Denmark, Finland, France, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States.

'I started my appointment as Canada Research Chair in July 2003,' recalled Dr. Baldacchino. 'My first international engagement was shortly after, in Iceland. As a matter of pure coincidence, my last international engagement as CRC was just this month, again in Iceland, when I had the pleasure of securing the bid for bringing the next North Atlantic Forum to Summerside, PEI, in 2015.'

Dr. Baldacchino says the highlights of his time as Canada Research Chair include inaugurating the first master's of arts in Island Studies intake at UPEI in 2003, and being elected vice-president of the International Small Islands Studies Association in 2009.

UPEI's vice-president of research, Dr. Robert Gilmour, said Dr. Baldacchino's tenure as Canada Research Chair represents the spirit of integrity and curiosity of the growing research community at UPEI.

'Through his position as the Canada Research Chair in Island Studies and his tremendous record of scholarly work and outreach, Godfrey has established Island Studies as an internationally recognized field of study and brought global renown and visibility to PEI,' said Dr. Gilmour. 'Given his expertise in a range of social science disciplines, his work is allowing PEI to critically examine its initiatives, development, and social condition in a global context.'

Dr. Baldacchino remains at UPEI as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Since 2000, the Canada Research Chair program has appointed and funded research chairs at institutions across the country in an effort to make Canada one of the world's top countries in the area of research and development.