The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee will host Master of Science Defense on Friday, April 19, 2013 in Duffy Science Centre, room 204. Kristen Vinke, BSc, will present her thesis entitled "An investigation of sampling protocols and community involvement in stream biomonitoring in the Sahtu Settlement Area, Northwest Territories." All are welcome to attend.

The University of Prince Edward Island graduates and their families are invited to a gathering to celebrate—in prayer and song—the accomplishments of the Class of 2013. The gathering will take place on Sunday, May 5 at 6:30 pm at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. Mass celebrants will be The Most Reverend Richard J. Grecco, Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown, and University Chaplain Father Andrew MacDonald. A reception will follow after the mass celebration. Please RSVP to Sister Susan Kidd, Campus Minister, sukidd@upei.ca or 894-2876.

If you have difficulty carving out uninterrupted time for writing, if you struggle with motivating yourself to write, or if you would simply like the supportive collaboration of a writing retreat, consider Time to Write, UPEI's faculty writers retreat. When: Monday, May 20 to Friday, May 24. Where: Stanley Bridge Resort Cost to participants: $200, which includes four nights accommodation, meals and snacks Your project must be at a stage where sustained writing time makes sense. Your research and/or data collection and analysis must be completed to the point that you are ready to write. You must also be prepared to commit to the full program: a total of 3½ days focused on writing. The retreat is open to tenured and tenure stream University of Prince Edward Island faculty in any Department/Faculty/School. We will be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about Time to Write. Please contact Dave Atkinson, Research Communications Officer. datkinson@upei.ca, 620-5117. For more information, including a link to the online registration form, visit http://research.upei.ca/timetowrite.

The Open Minecraft Lab will be an informal opportunity to come and play Minecraft, the popular world-building game, with other people. The emphasis will be on sharing what we know, on learning new tips and techniques: so please come with questions and answers, and your curiosity. For more information, please visit: http://hacker.vre.upei.ca/minecraft-april-20.

SPEAKER: Dr. Carlos Lopez Mendez, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Renal histopathology in Sox4 and Wt1 Knockout mice - A 13 month study

Congratulations to our University of Prince Edward Island students about to graduate—Convocation 2013 will be held on Saturday, May 11. Every spring the University of Prince Edward Island holds convocation ceremonies to award degrees and diplomas to its graduating students. Family, friends, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend these and many of the related joyous events. The regular convocation ceremonies are held indoors at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue in Charlottetown. The first ceremony begins at 10:00 am and the second one begins at 2:30 pm, after graduates have proudly walked in a procession across campus. There are approximately 400 graduates along with their six guests each attending each ceremony. Immediately following each Convocation ceremony, there is a reception at the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall on the UPEI campus. Graduates, students, staff, faculty, friends and family are welcome. The UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre will be closed Friday, May 10 at 5:00 pm until Sunday, May 12 at 12:00 noon for convocation. For more information, please visit: http://www.upei.ca/convocation.

The Open Minecraft Lab will be an informal opportunity to come and play Minecraft, the popular world-building game, with other people. The emphasis will be on sharing what we know, on learning new tips and techniques: so please come with questions and answers, and your curiosity. If you registered for the April 20 lab, please let others register for this workshop. For more information, please visit: http://hacker.vre.upei.ca/minecraft-april-27.

The next UPEI on-site training session in animal use and care will be held Wednesday, May 15 at 1:00-4:00 pm in the AVC - The McCain Foundation Learning Commons (278N). This will be a 3-hour training session with handout, based on the The Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC) recommended syllabus (exam included). The CCAC requires that all personnel involved in the use of animals in research, teaching, testing and service take this course. (A refresher course is required every 5 years.) Please notify me by email animalcare@upei.ca by 12:00 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, if you or any of your staff will be attending this session.

Are you an international student and graduating this year? The International Relations Office would like to congratulate your accomplishments at UPEI. Bring your family and join us on Friday, May 10 at the AVC Learning Commons from 2:00 to 4:00pm. There will be musical entertainment and refreshments served. Please rsvp at estanley@upei.ca by Wednesday, May 8th. Please tell us if you have family coming to the reception.

SPEAKER: Sarah McConnachie, Pathology and Microbiology TITLE: Retention and viability of microsporidial (Loma salmonae) spores within the Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis): Use of an established experimental laboratory model probing pathogen transfer within an integrated multitrophic aquaculture setting (IMTA).