April 27, 2006 Source: :
http://www.stfx.ca/media/04_2006.htm Over 1,000 To Graduate StFX Honours Gaetano Gagliano, Dr. Martha Piper, Joan Dillon and Donald Munroe ANTIGONISH, NS --- St. Francis Xavier University will bestow honorary degrees upon businessman Gaetano Gagliano and UBC president Dr. Martha Piper in morning ceremonies, and X-Project icon Joan Dillon, and businessman and StFX alumnus Don Munroe in the afternoon ceremony, during Spring Convocation 2006 on Sunday, May 7 at the Charles V. Keating Millennium Centre. StFX will graduate over 1,000 students in the two ceremonies. Degrees or diplomas will be conferred in graduate studies, adult education, education, science, nursing, human nutrition, human kinetics, and engineering during the morning ceremony, and in arts, business administration, information systems, music and jazz studies during the afternoon program. Dr. Piper will address the morning ceremony, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Mr. Munroe will deliver the address to the afternoon convocation, which starts at 3 p.m. Gaetano Gagliano
Gaetano Gagliano of Concord, ON is an Order of Canada recipient who came to this country as an immigrant and went on to become founder and leader of one of the largest private businesses in Canada, St. Joseph Communications. Born to a family of shepherds in Sicily in 1917, he was brought up to respect family and hard work. When he immigrated to Canada, he found work in a printing plant in Toronto for $2 a day, supporting a family of six. Two years later he bought a small home and set up a printing plant that soon was thriving in the Italian community. Steady expansion took place, in business and in family. He is proud father of 10 children and 30 grandchildren. Naming his companies after St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers, is reflective of Mr. Gagliano's profound faith. He funded the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network in 2003, which attempts to strengthen the Catholic faith community. He is a philanthropist, was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1998, and has received an honorary degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University. He admires the work of the Coady International Institute. Mr. Gagliano is 88. Today, his children and relatives manage St. Joseph Communications, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Dr. Martha Piper
Since 1997, Dr. Martha Piper has served as the 11th president and vice-chancellor of The University of British Columbia. She has enjoyed a distinguished career including posts at McGill University, where she was director of the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, and the University of Alberta, where she served as dean of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and vice-president research, a portfolio later expanded to include External Affairs. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed her to the National Advisory Board on Science and Technology in 1994 and, in 1996, to the Board of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors for the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, and a member of the National University of Singapore Council. In 2005 she was appointed a Public Governor of the Board for the Canadian Academies of Science and was named a member of the Board of Directors for PrioNet Canada. Dr. Piper has been awarded six honorary degrees, been named Educator of the Year by The Learning Partnership, and is an officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia. In 2006, The Instituto Technologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico held a special ceremony to recognize her contributions to higher education, marking the first time a non-Mexican received such an honour. Joan Dillon
Joan Dillon is the co-founder of X Project, the renowned social action committee that has involved over 3,500 StFX students since 1965. Her greatest contribution to StFX and to outlying communities was administrator and inspirational leader of these literacy and social programs for young people of rural Mi'kmaq and African-Canadian communities in Pictou Landing, Afton, Upper Big Tracadie, Lincolnville and Sunnyville communities. She has been recognized for extraordinary contributions to making this a better world, including The African-Canadian Heritage and Friendship Centre in Guysborough in 2005, Lincolnville in 2003, First Nations in 1988, and "CTV Live at Five" Volunteer Award for Outstanding Contributions to Maritime Communities in 2003. She was presented with one of StFX's first honorary X Rings in 1991. Born in England, she moved to PEI during World War II, and has lived in Antigonish since the 1950s, working at St Martha's Regional Hospital in medical records and as secretary for over 30 years. She also worked at the StFX Alumni Aquatic Centre. Her official employment was only a small part of her day. She was a Boy Scout and Cub leader, recognized for her faithfulness with awards in 1979 and 1980, and a member of an Eastern Nova Scotia Ladies Softball League team in the 1960s. Donald R. Munroe
Nearly three decades of StFX's growth has been shaped by Donald Munroe's dedication: three six-year terms on the Board of Governors capped by three years as its first lay chair, and 25 years on its Investment Committee. Born in Stellarton, N.S., where his father was mayor for many years, Mr. Munroe graduated from StFX with a commerce degree in 1958 and went on to a successful business career including posts as chief operating officer and president of Central Trust in Moncton and Halifax, and first vice-president and regional manager of Wood Gundy in Halifax. His charitable endeavours have been many, including the Halifax Metro United Way, Peter Gzowski Golf Tournament for Literacy, and investment advisor to the Dalhousie University Internal Medicine Research Foundation. He has been a key part of the StFX Investment Committee, which has been recognized as having the best investment performance of all Canadian universities over the last 10 years. This performance has made a huge difference for StFX. The capital fund provides in annual returns more than $3 million dollars for student scholarships, Chairs of Studies, the Coady Institute and other worthy endeavours. Recently his pro bono work on the St Joseph Society has lead to a major turnaround in the fortunes of that capital fund for retired priests.
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