Updates, news and stories

Clearcut logging leads to more frequent flooding, including extreme floods

Discounted monthly transit passes available for UBCO faculty and staff until Aug. 31

Apply to the Teaching Development Program for new faculty

The Teaching Development Program for new faculty is an 8-month long faculty development program offered by the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. The program runs from August 2023 to April 2024 and will help faculty members (research-stream, educational leadership stream, sessional faculty, lecturers) build a foundation for their teaching careers by providing a network of support around teaching and learning.  Accessible via CWL, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 18.

Canada ‘falling behind’ in efforts to lessen teen vaping, UBCO researcher says

A UBC Okanagan researcher says Canada is falling behind in developing intervention programs to stop young people from beginning to vape. Dr. Laura Struik, an assistant professor with UBCO’s School of Nursing and a Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar, researches nicotine dependence, cancer prevention and behaviour change using digital technologies.

UBC Library receives Peter Oberlander archives

Turning climate worry into climate action: expert tips for managing climate anxiety

Wildfires. Flooding. Extreme heat. The impacts of climate change are being felt close to home and dominating headlines around the world. For many, it is source of considerable stress and anxiety. Dr. Steven Taylor, Professor of Psychiatry at UBC and clinical psychologist, discusses the steps people can take to cope with climate anxiety – and how those feelings can be turned into a motivating force for climate action.

New algorithm maps safest routes for city drivers

UBCO researchers recover vital resources from wastewater sludge

At first glance when one looks at sewage sludge it can be challenging to find any redeemable value. However, researchers at UBC’s Bioreactor Technology Group see it in a whole other way. Using a combination of heat, water and phase separation, these researchers have developed a cost-effective method to concentrate phosphorous—which can be efficiently recovered by extraction—from wastewater sludge.

Teaching in focus: Jonathan Verrett

Jonathan is an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC Vancouver. His teaching approach ensures students are equipped with leadership, teamwork, and communication abilities, as well as technical skills that address complex societal challenges.

New Hybrid Work Agreement for staff

Effective July 24, a new Hybrid Work Agreement will be available in Workday that consolidates important elements of the original Hybrid Work Request and Work Area Safety Assessment into one simplified request process, and previous agreements will need to be replaced. All eligible staff who participate in UBC’s hybrid work program need to complete the new Hybrid Work Agreement in Workday, including individuals who already have a previous agreement in place. 

How to keep the fun and ditch the food poisoning this summer

UBCO researchers investigate new use for plastic bottles