I would like to acknowledge that UBC’s Okanagan campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, and that UBC’s Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam. Board members and others are joining us remotely from many places near and far, and I’d like to acknowledge the traditional owners and caretakers of those lands as well.
To our students, faculty and staff on both campuses and beyond, welcome back! On behalf of the Board, I hope the first Term of your Winter Session is off to a great start.
We are also now in the fall rainy season, which is much needed after a long dry summer where many parts of the province and across the country were impacted by forest fires and smoke.
This was felt acutely at the Okanagan campus which was under a wildfire evacuation alert. We are grateful to the hard work and resilience of first responders and wildfire personnel, and those at UBCO who managed this situation while evacuating themselves.
We are also reminded by extreme weather occurring around the world, of the need for all of us to do our part to lessen the impact of climate change on the planet. I look forward to our next Board meeting and receiving the semi-annual UBC climate action plan update.
I also hope that everyone enjoyed the summer months and found time for rest, relaxation and fun with friends and family. Members of the Board and Executive leadership had fun this August when we played our annual “Battle of the Bats” – a softball game against the student leadership from the Vancouver campus. In case you are curious, the Board and Executive team were victorious in the Battle of the Bats this summer. We look forward to doing this again next year and thank Athletics and Recreation for organizing the event and thank all who participated.
I would like to acknowledge that this will be the last meeting that Deborah Buszard will be with us as Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, as her term will conclude at the end of October. Last night we held a farewell dinner with current and recently retired Board members. Deborah, I hope that you have heard how much the University Community has valued and appreciated your service over the past year. We have been so very fortunate and grateful to have you step into this role to provide leadership to UBC while the search for the next President took place. Deborah, it has been wonderful to work with you over this past year, and on behalf of the Board, thank you.
The members of the Presidential Search Committee gathered yesterday to acknowledge them for their service. I would also like to thank the members of the Committee for their hard work in the search for UBC’s next President, and for their recommendation. Thank you as well to our Chancellor, the Honourable Steven Point, who acted as Chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
Our next President, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon is present today as a guest. Benoit, we look forward to you officially joining us on your first day, November 1. I am glad you could join us today to meet the Board, Executive and some of the administration, and observe one of our meetings, as well as participate in a number of other activities that I know are planned for you this week. Welcome!
Today is the first Board of Governors meeting for our newest Governors. I want to officially welcome Dr. Sandy Hilton, who was elected by the faculty members of the Okanagan Campus, and Dr. Philipp Reichert, who was elected by the staff of the Okanagan Campus. Welcome to the Board, Sandy and Philipp!
I would also like to welcome Allen Amyotte, who joined UBC in March as Director of Internal Assurance. As many of you are aware, Jennifer Kain’s last day at UBC as Chief Assurance and Risk Officer was September 8, and Allen is stepping into that role on an Interim basis. We thank Jennifer for her time at UBC and look forward to working with you, Allen.
This Saturday, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also referred to as “Orange Shirt Day”. This day marks a commitment to acknowledging historic injustices to indigenous peoples, support healing and foster understanding. This is a time for reflection, education and awareness activities, and to remember and honour survivors, their families, and communities. One way to do that is to visit UBC’s Residential School History and Dialogue Centre to learn more.
Today we will hear from the leadership of UBC’s student unions: the Alma Mater Society and Graduate Student Society from the Vancouver Campus, and the Students’ Union Okanagan from the Okanagan Campus. These remarkable student leaders represent our student body, and the Board greatly values these annual presentations, so that we can better understand the key priorities for students. Speaking of remarkable students, we will also be receiving a presentation on our student varsity athletes and hearing about a few of their personal journeys. We look forward to these presentations this morning.
I am proud to note that the Royal Society of Canada has announced that 10 UBC faculty members are among this year’s Fellows and Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Seven UBC faculty members have been named Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada including:
- Timothy Cheek (History/Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBCV)
- Prof. Leah Edelstein-Keshet (Mathematics, UBCV)
- Catherine L. Johnson (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, UBCV)
- Kevin Leyton-Brown (Computer Science, UBCV)
- Kathleen Martin Ginis (Health and Exercise Sciences, UBCO)
- Diane S. Srivastava (Zoology, UBCV)
- Mark van Raamsdonk (Physics and Astronomy, UBCV)
Three UBC faculty members were named as Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, who are named as follows:
- Emily D. Cranston (Wood Science/Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBCV)
- Jian Liu (Engineering, UBCO)
- Eli Puterman (Kinesiology, UBCV)
These distinguished individuals from all branches of learning have made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life.
As we always do, I would like to acknowledge three faculty members of notable distinction:
- In the research category we congratulate Professor Suzanne Simard of the Faculty of Forestry who was awarded the Kew International Medal by The Royal Botanical Gardens. Simard was also awarded The Rockefeller University Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science which honours “the scientist as poet”.
Dr. Simard’s research focuses on the synergies and complexities of our natural world and the development of sustainable land stewardship practices. Dr. Simard has earned a global reputation for leading research on tree connectivity.
- In the service category we recognize Professor Janice Forsyth from the School of Kinesiology for receiving the R. Tait Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours extraordinary and life-long dedication to the advancement of physical and health education in Canada. She received the award for her 20+ year commitment to advancing Indigenous health and well-being in Canada through research and service in the sport, physical activity, and physical education sectors.
- In the teaching category we recognize Professor Michael Lee from the School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy for being awarded a 3M National Teaching Fellowship from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. This prestigious award, bestowed annually to ten outstanding Canadian educators, recognizes Professor Lee’s exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at UBC, nationwide, and internationally.
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.
