Leadership one-on-one series

Explore a collection of interviews to learn more about UBC’s senior leaders.

  • Ainsley Carry
    UBCV & UBCO
    September 5, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Ainsley Carry

    Ainsley Carry came to UBC in April 2019, charged with leading the VP, Students portfolio. He brings with him a wealth of experience, having most recently served as the Vice-President for Student Affairs at the University of Southern California, and at Auburn University before that. A passionate advocate for students, Ainsley is on a mission to create an unparalleled experience for students at UBC. He holds a doctorate in education and a master’s degree in counsellor education, both from the University of Florida.

  • Peter Smailes
    UBCV & UBCO
    August 4, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Peter Smailes

    Peter Smailes is Vice-President, Finance & Operations. He is responsible for leading the Comptroller department, Financial Operations, Treasury and Safety & Risk Services as well as UBC Facilities (Infrastructure Development, Energy & Water Services, and Building Operations) across the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. As part of his portfolio, he serves as a board member and oversees the university’s relationship with UBC Investment Management Trust, which manages the endowment and staff pension plan, and UBC Properties Trust which develops and manages real estate assets for the benefit of the university. Peter was promoted to Vice-President in July 2018. Prior to that he served as the UBC Treasurer for 10 years and Associate Treasurer for 7 years.

  • Ananya Mukherjee Reed
    UBCO
    June 4, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Ananya Mukherjee Reed

    Dr. Ananya Mukherjee Reed is Provost and Vice-President, Academic, at UBC Okanagan and Professor in the Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science at the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. An interdisciplinary scholar in the field of Development Studies, Dr. Mukherjee Reed’s work over the past decade has mostly concentrated on inclusive and people-centered development. Her current research project, in collaboration with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva, focuses on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the role of universities in social change. Prior to joining UBC in November 2018, Dr. Mukherjee Reed was Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at York University. During her time at York University, she also served as Associate Vice-President of Research, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and Founding Director of the International Secretariat for Human Development. In 2016, she was named as one of five brilliant women in academia by Canadian Immigrant magazine in their third annual tribute to ‘Immigrant Women of Inspiration’.

  • Catherine Dauvergne
    UBCV
    May 4, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Catherine Dauvergne

    Catherine Dauvergne is Dean of the Peter A. Allard School of Law. A life-long legal academic, she has worked in the areas of refugee, immigration, and citizenship law over the past quarter of a century. As a UBC alumna, she clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada, and was named a Fellow of the Trudeau Foundation in recognition of her contributions to public discourse in Canada. She was appointed Dean of the Peter A. Allard School of Law in 2015.

  • Susan E. Parker
    UBCV & UBCO
    April 4, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Susan E. Parker

    Susan E. Parker joined UBC in September 2017, as University Librarian. In her role, she is responsible for providing strategic oversight of the UBC Library system. She has held a number of leadership roles at Tufts and Harvard Law School (where she knew the young Barack Obama), before moving to California State University, Northridge, as the Associate Dean of the Oviatt Library and Associate Professor. Most recently, she served as the Deputy University Librarian and Chief Financial Officer at the University of California, Los Angeles.

  • Robert Helsley
    UBCV
    February 4, 2019 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Robert Helsley

    Robert Helsley is Dean of UBC Sauder School of Business and Grosvenor Professor of Cities, Business Economics and Public Policy. He joined UBC Sauder as Dean in 2012. Dean Helsley began his career at UBC, and previously served as Senior Associate Dean, Faculty and Research, Director of the UBC Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics and Chair of the Urban Land Economics division, all within UBC Sauder. Between 2008 and 2012, before returning to UBC, he served at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley as a Professor and Chair in Real Estate Development, and was the Co-chair of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics.

  • Simon Bates
    UBCV
    December 9, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Simon Bates

    Dr. Simon Bates is UBC’s Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning. He provides academic leadership and oversight of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT), UBC Extended Learning, and the UBC Learning Exchange, and also oversees the development of new programs and curriculum quality assurance. A passionate advocate and champion of technology-led learning, Simon joined UBC in 2012 as the Academic Director of CTLT and as one of the first Professors of Teaching at the university in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

  • Ian Cull
    UBCO
    November 16, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Ian Cull

    Ian Cull is the Associate Vice-President, Students, at UBC’s Okanagan campus. As a leader of student life and experience at UBCO, student engagement is a top priority. With a Master of Arts in clinical psychology, an Honours degree in Anthropology, and a history of post-secondary career progression, Ian understands — first-hand — the importance of enhancing services, experiences, and learning opportunities for students.

  • James Olson
    UBCV
    October 16, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    James Olson

    Dr. James Olson is the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science, and a professor of Mechanical Engineering. He was the past Associate Dean of Research and Industry Partnerships, Director of UBC’s Pulp and Paper Centre, and is an internationally recognized forest products researcher who has been actively involved in the transformation of the forest sector into a vibrant, diversified bio-products industry.

  • Barbara Meens Thistle
    UBCV & UBCO
    September 16, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Barbara Meens Thistle

    Barbara Meens Thistle joined UBC in February 2018, as the Vice-President, Human Resources. A long-time champion of equity, diversity and inclusion, Barbara has a wealth of experience in strategic planning, change management and operational excellence. Prior to joining UBC, Barbara was Vice-President, Central Services at the Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC). She is a Certified Professional in Human Resources and a Fellow in the Canadian Board Diversity Council. In 2016, she was voted HR Professional of the Year by Chartered Professionals in Human Resources, BC and Yukon.

  • Murali Chandrashekaran
    UBCV & UBCO
    July 16, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Murali Chandrashekaran

    Dr. Murali Chandrashekaran is UBC’s first Vice-Provost, International. Born in Bangalore, India, Dr. Chandrashekaran is no stranger to the international scene. He has lived on three continents, and has travelled widely across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. He came to UBC in 2011, joining the Sauder School of Business as Director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School and as Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs, and then started his role as Vice Provost, International in September 2017*. With a focus on deepening UBC’s engagement on issues of global relevance, he and his team manage more than 500 active institutional partnership agreements with universities and research institutions in more than 65 countries.

  • Mary MacDougall
    UBCV
    March 10, 2018 | Leadership one-on-one | Faculty & Staff

    Mary MacDougall

    Dr. Mary MacDougall joined UBC in August 2017, as Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry. From the US originally, she is an internationally recognized scholar, having published 18 book chapters and over 150 peer-reviewed articles. In addition to holding leadership positions at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and most recently, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. MacDougall has served as President of the International Association for Dental Research and as President of the American Association of Dental Research.

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