Updates, news and stories

Coordinated strategy needed to prevent substance use harms in schools

Dr. Emily Jenkins, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, has led a national survey which reveals that school principals across Canada are spending a substantial amount of time managing student substance use but lack the resources to respond effectively.The study recommends a pan-Canadian strategy to prevent substance use harms through K-12 schools in addition to a coordinated system of support to reduce substance use harms.

UBC recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2025

UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2025. This designation recognizes employers across Canada with exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.  Learn more

Learn about the 2024 UBC Workplace Experiences Survey

Over 9,000 faculty and staff members participated in the 2024 UBC Workplace Experiences Survey (WES), sharing feedback on their experiences of working at the university.Participation across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan was 13 per cent higher than the previous WES survey in 2021. UBC’s overall engagement scores remained at 74% which is consistent with our score in 2021, and 3% higher than our comparison benchmarks for large organizations and the education sector. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. 

Research in focus: Karen Sherwood

Karen Sherwood is a clinical associate professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Her research focuses on using genomics to personalize transplant treatments to improve patient outcomes. Discover how her groundbreaking projects are bringing us closer to achieving transplant tolerance.

2025 President’s awards for staff: call for nominations

Each year, the President’s staff awards recognize and celebrate staff members who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and excellence within the UBC community, and who enable UBC to shape the future of research, teaching, and work.Nominations for exceptional staff may be submitted by faculty, staff, and students. The deadline for nominations is March 28.

Counting the days: A new way to measure disaster impact

UBC sociology researchers have developed a new way to measure the burden that disasters place on communities: person-days under evacuation.Traditional disaster metrics focus on property damage or immediate casualties, whereas this measurement calculates how many people face displacement and for how long, thereby painting a clearer picture of the human cost of disasters.Learn more

Staff in focus: Sam Gannaway

From creative TV producer in the UK to the university’s Copyright and Permissions Assistant at UBC Library, get to know Sam—a self-described mischievous, gracious, and self-effacing adventurer.

Inviting proposals for the 2025 Continuous Learning Advancement Fund

UBC Vancouver faculty members are invited to submit letters of intent (LOI) for Continuous Learning Advancement Fund (CLAF) projects for 2025 funding.CLAF supports the creation, renewal and expansion of non-degree learning opportunities at UBC Vancouver, to help increase the university’s capacity to serve continuous learners in British Columbia.

Lingít: a love language for community—Children of the Taku Society and UBCO partner to document language reclamation and resilience

Indigenous language in B.C. is facing a critical state of emergency, largely due to historical Canadian government policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous peoples into English-speaking, non- Indigenous society. However, located in northern B.C., the Children of the Taku, a non-profit society working to protect the land, culture and language of the Taku River Tlingit People, is leading a revival of their language.

What Trump’s climate policies mean for Canada—and what we can do next

UBC recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers in 2025

UBC is proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers in 2025 for the 18th year. This special designation recognizes employers in British Columbia that lead as exceptional places to work and offer employees the most progressive and forward-thinking programs and resources.