Updates, news and stories
A selection of updates, news and stories from across the university.
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UBCVMay 5, 2025 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching 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.
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UBCVApril 7, 2025 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: James Lee
As the Director of the Pediatric Neurology Residency Program, James draws inspiration from his mentors, who showed him the positive impact that great teachers have on the professional and personal growth of their students. Discover the three principles that shape his teaching approach.
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UBCVMarch 4, 2025 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Devan Scott
As an adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre and Film, Devan brings his experience working on set and as a critic into the classroom. He aims to help students develop their own design processes, empowering them to become independent and innovative visual storytellers.
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UBCOFebruary 10, 2025 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Johannah Black
As an educator in the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office, Johannah teaches consent, bystander intervention, trauma-informed approaches, and respectful communication. She fosters a collaborative learning environment by inviting learners to share ideas and feedback, challenging themselves and the world around them.
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UBCVNovember 25, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Andrés Varhola
Andrés is an assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Forest Resources Management with the Faculty of Forestry. Through his teaching, he hopes to facilitate turning “aha moments” arising from students’ academic experiences, into effective life-long skills and timeless wisdom.
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UBCVOctober 21, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Sara Ann Knutson
Sara Ann is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of History. Find out about what led her into teaching and how she is consistently surprised by how much the same course can transform with each new student cohort based on their positionalities, life experiences, and expectations.
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UBCVAugust 19, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Patrick Parra Pennefather
Patrick Parra Pennefather is an associate professor with the Faculty of Arts. Discover his passion for project-based learning and how he designs lessons that foster collaboration, communication, self-regulation, problem solving, and critical thinking.
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UBCVJuly 29, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Richard Wong
Richard, a sessional lecturer in the UBC Sauder Accounting Program, believes that a successful educator wears many hats. To make learning income tax and accounting more engaging for his students, he incorporates gamification, real-world practice opportunities, and even humour in his non-traditional classroom.
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UBCVJuly 8, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: J. Logan Smilges
Logan is an assistant professor in the Department of English Language and Literatures. Their teaching approach is shaped by a commitment to trans feminism and disability justice, ensuring students gain a deeper understanding of power and how it relates to them.
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UBCVMay 21, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Jason Ellis
Jason is an associate professor with the Department of Educational Studies in Vancouver. Find out what inspired him to develop his students’ historical thinking skills, and how historical arguments can enhance their understanding of the present.
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UBCVFebruary 12, 2024 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Hanh Huynh
Hanh Huynh is an associate professor of teaching in the Faculty of Medicine. His teaching approach centres on the principle of 'less is more', providing students with the time and space to discover answers to their own questions.
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UBCODecember 4, 2023 | Teaching in focus | Faculty & StaffTeaching in focus: Cameron Crookston
Cameron Crookston is a lecturer in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan. Drawing on his research about drag in mainstream media, theatre history, and politics, Cameron's teaching approach invites students to think critically about the media they are drawn to.