I would like to give a warm welcome back to all students, faculty and staff and a special welcome to those new to UBC this September. The circumstances under which you are welcomed to UBC are highly unique in 2020. I recognize the challenges that we all face in ensuring the outstanding teaching, learning and research for which UBC is known.
I think I speak not only for myself, but also for the Board, when I remark upon how awe inspiring it has been to see how quickly and effectively UBC pivoted towards this new reality. Whether in the classroom, in orientations, in ceremonies, in all the work that supports the University, the community has come together to continue UBC’s critical academic purpose in amazing new ways. It has taken significant hard work and financial investment to get here. The level of dedication and passion from all of UBC’s faculty, staff and students is evident and profound. On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our deep gratitude in particular to the faculty and staff who put in heroic efforts over the summer months to convert curriculum to online learning formats. Later in today’s agenda we will hear from some of the faculty on this transition.
Today we also will be hearing from the executives of the AMS, GSS and SUO about the strategic priorities for students for the upcoming year. I have had the opportunity to meet with some of the student executives since taking on the role of Board Chair, and am grateful that they have taken the time at the busy start of this academic year to prepare presentations for the Board. I am sure these will be very enlightening.
I believe that the President, in his remarks, will be providing updates on UBC’s anti-racism initiatives that he spoke about at the June meeting of the Board. Without pre-empting his comments, I want the wider UBC community to know that the Board has also taken steps to address matters of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it carries out its business. In the coming weeks, the Board will be receiving unconscious bias training from UBC’s own AVP of Equity and Inclusion, Sara-Jane Finlay and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training from Dr. Malinda Smith, a nationally recognized leader in EDI. As I said in my remarks last meeting, education is a first small step we can take as a Board, but there will be much more work ahead of us.
I am also extremely pleased to acknowledge the official launch of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan last week. A celebration was held last Monday – at the Reconciliation Pole and virtually – with many notable dignitaries speaking and expressing their support for the Plan, including Chiefs and Grand Chiefs as well as high-level representatives from the United Nations, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry, and governmental representatives. Many speakers also provided sage advice about implementation. Great credit and our gratitude go to Drs Sheryl Lightfoot and Margaret Moss for their leadership in bringing this plan forward, a plan which is the first of its kind in the world, and will be the framework by which UBC can provide leadership in moving towards real, lasting and meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Every meeting we recognize three scholars of notable distinction at UBC – this cycle, I am happy to note that all three of our honorees are from the Okanagan Campus.
In the research category, we have Cigdem Eskicioglu, a Professor in the School of Engineering. Professor Eskicioglu is a globally recognized researcher in civil and environmental engineering. Her research focuses on biological processes that produce cleaner wastewater by-products for pollution prevention, bioenergy maximization and resource recovery from organic waste. She was named the 2020 UBC Okanagan Researcher of the Year after NSERC awarded her with a NSERC/Metro Vancouver Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Resource Recovery from Wastewater.
In the teaching category, we recognize Sheila Epp, Associate Director and Associate Professor of Teaching, in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Development. The Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC has awarded Shelia Epp the BC Honours in Excellence in Nursing for Excellence in Nursing Education. Sheila Epp has led an innovative redesign of the Okanagan’s four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum. This curricular innovation has been fully embraced by faculty and has been highly commended by external reviewers at the provincial and national levels as innovative and transformative. This new undergraduate curriculum has also been recognized by many other schools of nursing across Canada.
In the service category, Professor Kasun Hewage from the School of Engineering is recognized. Professor Hewage is the FortisBC Smart Energy Chair and was awarded the Walter Shanly Award from the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering. The Shanley award recognizes outstanding contributions by a civil engineer to the development and practice of construction engineering in Canada. He is directing the UBC Okanagan’s Life Cycle Management Laboratory, which is the only such facility in Canada. His research team has been assisting many municipalities and neighborhood developers to improve energy efficiency in the existing and planned buildings and neighborhoods by identifying economically and environmentally feasible waste-to-energy options, smart technologies, and optimal energy sources.
I am also pleased to announce that nine UBC faculty members have been selected for induction into the Royal Society of Canada. These include the following seven, who were selected for induction as fellows:
- Jinhua Chen, Professor in the Department of Asian Studies
- Ara Norenzayan, Professor of Psychology
- Mark Halpern, Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy
- Scott Hinch, Professor of Forest & Conservation Sciences
- Leonie Sandercock, a Professor in the School of Community and Regional Planning
- Alla Scheffer, Professor of Computer Science
- Amanda Vincent, a Professor with the Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries
There were also two UBC faculty members selected for induction as members of the college of the Royal Society of Canada: Dr. Abbas Milani of the School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan and Dr. Catherine Winstanley, Professor of Psychology. Members of the College are Canadians and Permanent Residents who, at an early stage in their career, have demonstrated a high level of achievement.
To these distinguished faculty members, and the others whose research, scholarship, teaching and other academic contributions have recently been recognized, we offer our recognition and appreciation.
Before handing the floor over to President Ono for his opening remarks – on behalf of the Board I want to congratulate him on his well-deserved reappointment through to 2026. Santa, UBC is very fortunate to have you and we are all looking forward to working with you in the coming years ahead.
