Celebrating faculty and staff who are generating positive change at the university

In spring of 2024, we asked our faculty and staff to tell us who among them were leading the way in generating positive change at the university. In this five-part series, we've explored a few of their stories.

Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas with us. Unfortunately, we were unable to profile everyone, but you can learn more about our colleagues and their stories in a gallery recognizing their efforts.

Prescription for inclusive healthcare
Pharmacy lecturers Alex Tang and Tristan Lai have developed a queer and trans-inclusive pharmacy curriculum

Find out what inspired Alex and Tristan, lecturers in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, to create one of Canada’s first initiatives to integrate sexual orientation, gender identity and expression into UBC's Entry-to-Practice PharmD program.

Building a culture where learning and community can thrive
UBC Sauder’s Ani Hosepyan and her team launched "U Day" to bridge the gap between teaching, learning and professional development

Discover how UBC Sauder’s Ani Hosepyan and her team launched "U Day" to bridge the gap between teaching, learning and professional development at the university.

When stars align to create immersive experiences for student learning
UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Vikas Menghwani is building a 3D virtual reality field trip to be integrated in sustainability and engineering courses

Learn how Dr. Vikas Menghwani is creating a one-of-a kind virtual reality (VR) field trip that integrates the benefits of in-person experiential learning with Canada’s highest-resolution, 3D, VR-ready video wall.

Mobilizing research, action, and communities to address climate change
Katie McChesney facilitates the exchange of knowledge and ideas at the Centre for Climate Justice

Katie McChesney is on a mission to combat the climate crisis. Learn more about her work with the Centre for Climate Justice and how she leverages UBC’s unique landscape to foster a robust and interdisciplinary research community.

Blending science and meditation to help students learn with a calm mind
Varada Kolhatkar is seamlessly integrating meditation into the academic routine to foster tenacity and emotional regulation

Varada Kolhatkar is committed to bringing self-awareness and meditation into the lives of her busy Master of Data Science students. Find out the positive impact her weekly meditation sessions are having on the community's mental health.

Learn more about faculty and staff who are generating positive change at UBC in this gallery.

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Abhishek Soni
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
UBC Vancouver

Abhishek designed a device that converts waste carbon dioxide on the Earth and Mars into useful fuels using waste heat and water.
Find out more
Contact Abhishek

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Jonathon Breen
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
UBC Vancouver

Jonathon and his colleague developed a 'Disability in the Workplace' training program that has been demonstrated to create more positive attitudes towards disabled employees.
Find out more
Contact Jonathon

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Carolyn Arthur
Vice-President Finance & Operations, Finance & Integrated Services, Financial Services & Strategic Procurement
UBC Vancouver

Carolyn’s team advances diversity, inclusion and innovation in UBC’s buying practices, addressing TRC Call 92, sustainability and social value in UBC’s supply chain.
Contact Carolyn
Indigenous Business Directory | Procure to Pay

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Juliet Oshiro
Rural eMentoring BC
UBC Vancouver

Juliet and the Rural eMentoring BC team work to increase rural student recruitment and retention in higher education by providing online mentoring for rural high school and undergraduate students.
Find out more
Contact Juliet

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Ashley Scott
School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science
UBC Vancouver

Ashley is working to develop an AI-driven, virtual reality simulation that enhances clinical skills for student nurse practitioners with lifelike, interactive patient avatars and immersive training experiences.
Find out more
Contact Ashley

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Kinwa Bluesky
Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
UBC Vancouver

Kinwa is involved in developing a data platform and data access framework that respects Indigenous data sovereignty and will bring equity to HELP’s data and knowledge sharing processes.
Indigenous initiatives | Funded projects
Contact Kinwa

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Megan Lochhead
Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
UBC Okanagan

Megan is integrating transferable skills like teamwork and personal responsibility into science programs, empowering students for success beyond the degree, whether as scientists or full-time parents.
Find out more
Contact Megan

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Brett Couch, Shelly Rosenblum, and Holly Schmidt
Departments of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science; and Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
UBC Vancouver

The trio implemented a cross disciplinary collaboration to teach observational skills to biology students using the gallery and studio-arts approaches.
Find out more
Contact Brett | Contact Shelly

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Dhorea Ramanula
Faculty of Management
UBC Okanagan

Dhorea has been involved in 200 community engagements in the past 12 months, working alongside her colleague Dr. Eric Li.
Contact Dhorea

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Meaghan MacNutt, Hannah Connon, and Johannah May Black
School of Exercise and Health Sciences and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office
UBC Okanagan

The colleagues are integrating trauma-informed practices into teaching and learning across the School of Health and Exercise Sciences.
Contact Meaghan