Updates, news and stories

UBC Okanagan – Call for nominations for this year's Principal's Staff Awards

The Principal's Staff Awards (formerly the Staff Awards of Excellence) celebrate the UBC Okanagan staff whose passion, innovation, and dedication have helped shape the campus community and move the campus forward.There are seven categories of awards.

Tell us how you're partnering with others to make an impact

Are you collaborating with others to drive meaningful change and make a positive impact within or beyond the university? If so, we want to hear from you. 

Teaching in focus: Jenna Usprech

Jenna is an assistant professor of teaching at the School of Biomedical Engineering. From cellular bioengineering labs to science communication and ethics courses, her diverse teaching portfolio reflects Jenna’s passion for lifelong learning. Find out what motivates her as an educator and who inspires her most.

A rare book collection and an ambitious dream: preserving and sharing the UBC Japanese Special Collection

At UBC Library, many hands and hundreds of hours are helping to bring a unique Japanese book collection alive.

Applications open for the UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund

As a faculty or staff member, you can apply for a UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund before June 4. These funds are granted to departments and units in Vancouver and the Okanagan to support the university's commitment to the Okanagan Charter to become a health and wellbeing-promoting institution, as outlined in UBC's Wellbeing Strategic Framework.

Share a Staff in focus profile

Staff in focus highlights the diverse roles, talents, and interests of our colleagues across the university.Whether you’ve been here for 10 months or 10 years, we’d love to hear about who you are, what you do, and what motivates you in and outside of work. What work achievement are you most proud of? What's the best thing about your work at UBC? Have you received great advice that you'd like to share with others? Tell us.

Research in focus: Anusha Kassan

Anusha is an associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education. Inspired by her bicultural identity and informed by a social justice lens, her research investigates the impact of immigration across different communities.

Submit a proposal for the PhD Collab Pilot program

Faculty members at UBC Vancouver are invited to submit a proposal for the PhD Collab Pilot program - an initiative that offers up to $100,000 in funding for PhD student and faculty teams who are working together to address complex questions or problems. Letters of intent for the 2025/26 PhD Collab pilot are due by 5:00 pm on June 13. 

Support for those impacted by the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival

How ‘parks for bugs’ boost pollinators in Vancouver

As the days get longer and gardeners plan their spring planting, research from UBC offers some good news—small, simple changes to urban green spaces can make a big difference for pollinators. The study found that reducing lawn mowing and creating pollinator meadows—think of them as ‘parks for bugs’—significantly boosts pollinator diversity, creating healthier and more resilient ecosystems.Read more

UBC recognized as one of Canada's greenest employers in 2025

For the 14th consecutive year, UBC has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. This special award recognizes Canadian employers that lead in creating a culture of environmental awareness, developing exceptional sustainability initiatives and attracting employees because of their environmental leadership. Three reasons why UBC was recognized this year include environmental initiatives across both campuses, its Green Building Action Plan and the Sustainability Coordinator Program.

Staff in focus: Lauren Cheal

As a Workday Student communications manager, Lauren works on two teams within the Faculty of Arts, translating complex information about student systems into accessible communications. Read about her commitment to empathy and wellness in the workplace.