UPEI graduates urged to dream big and make their mark on the world

Haley Butler, who studied bioresources at the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering, has been busy developing biodegradable plastics using potato starch and lobster shells.

Using the bioplastic material she created Butler makes 3D-printed scaffolds, which she said can be used for tissue engineering.

“If you ever had something in your body and you needed a piece of tissue, usually they’ll extract it from your own body or from a donor body,” she explained. “But this way you can use the material itself rather than getting tendon or muscle from your own body.”

The 24-year-old Charlottetown native was one of more than 950 graduates to cross the stage at UPEI’s Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on Saturday during the university’s convocation ceremonies.

While her undergraduate degree may be complete, Butler is looking forward to continuing her research as she works on her master’s degree at UPEI in the fall. Her work to date has impressed her mentor, assistant professor Ali Ahmadi.

“Her work on 3-D printing of starch-based bioplastic (from potato waste) and chitin-based polymers (from lobster shells) is ground-breaking and can have an enormous impact on the P.E.I. economy, as it converts a waste to a value-added product,” Ahmadi said in an email.

Not only is she a great student, Ahmadi said Butler is “an excellent role model” who sets an example for youth on P.E.I.

“Haley is exceptionally talented, and she is one of the best students that I have had the privilege of working with,” he said. “I believe Haley has a very successful future ahead of her.”

Both the morning and afternoon convocation ceremonies were led by UPEI chancellor Don McDougall.

UPEI president and vice-chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz told graduates to make their mark on the world.

“Some of you may be starting a job in your field of study, or continuing your education through post-graduate studies, or perhaps looking forward to personal growth through experiences such as world travel. Whatever your next step may be, I encourage you to continue to learn and grow—and most importantly to dream big. Your future is bright with endless possibilities.”

Before Saturday afternoon’s convocation ceremony, Butler said she was happy and looking forward to the next chapter.

“I’m excited to be done of my degree, it’s been a long time coming so it’s exciting to be done and move forward.”


 

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