Updates, news and stories

Applications for Partnership Recognition Fund open until Sept. 25

The Community Engagement Partnership Recognition Fund is designed to help fill small resource gaps and acknowledge the contributions that community partners make to UBC. It also aims to raise awareness about the value of relationships and working together in a thoughtful way. Apply by September 25.  Partnership Recognition Fund

Update from the Principal

We are underway for Term 1, and I want to thank everyone at UBC Okanagan for the extraordinary efforts made over the past months to prepare for this academic year.

Extension of appointment of Dr. Minelle Mahtani, Senior Advisor to the Provost on Racialized Faculty

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Minelle Mahtani’s appointment as Senior Advisor to the Provost on Racialized Faculty has been extended for a second two-year term, commencing September 1, 2020. Dr. Mahtani will continue to support our institutional commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environment for faculty members at UBC Vancouver.

Championing sustainability for twenty years

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sustainability Coordinator program we spoke with three people who’ve been involved since the start.

UBC Studios and UBC IT reimagine September kick-off events in virtual format

Read about how UBC Studios and the Audio-Visual team are turning the Imagine UBC Pep Rally and Create kick-off celebration into compelling virtual experiences for our incoming students on September 8.

UBC students take part in historic first-ever virtual orientation

This September, thousands of UBC students will make history when they take part in the university’s first ever virtual orientation. With most classes being offered online this fall due to COVID-19, UBC’s three hallmark orientation events—Jump Start, Imagine, and Create—will also be delivered virtually. Staff have been working hard planning a virtual orientation that will be a meaningful and engaging experience for new and returning students.

UBC researchers help detect the most massive black hole collision ever observed

An international team of researchers, including scientists with the University of British Columbia’s gravitational wave astrophysics group, has detected a signal from what may be the most massive black hole merger yet observed. The discovery, outlined in papers published today in Physical Review Letters and The Astrophysical Journal, raises a slew of new questions about the nature of black hole formation, and upends previously held theories about how big holes can get.

Tŝilhqot’in Nation and UBC sign Memorandum of Understanding and Indigenous Knowledge Protocol Agreement

On August 11, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and an Indigenous Knowledge Protocol Agreement (IK Protocol) were signed by the Tŝilhqot’in Nation and the University of British Columbia. These agreements were led by Chief Russell Myers Ross, Vice Chair of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) and Prof. Helen Burt, Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation at UBC.

Honorary degree nominations open until Sept. 30

The Vancouver and Okanagan Senates welcome the nomination of worthy individuals for honorary degrees before September 30. Honorary degrees are intended to recognize individuals who have made substantial contributions to society at the local, national and global level. The committee encourages nominations which reflect the cultural diversity of Canada and the international character and diversity of UBC itself.

Watch Santa J. Ono’s video welcoming the UBC community to the new academic year

Q&A: How parents can identify anxiety warning signs as students return to school

When students across British Columbia head back to school, they’ll enter a new world of COVID-19 precautions and protocols. Consequently, students of all ages, from kindergarten to Grade 12, may experience higher levels of anxiety with varying symptoms and consequences. Steven Taylor, professor at UBC’s department of psychiatry, a clinical psychologist, and author of The Psychology of Pandemics has some expert advice for parents of school-aged children.

UBC Researchers Awarded $2.1m through SSHRC Insight Development Grants