Updates, news and stories

Meet the turtle that helped reduce plastic office waste

As part of a UBC Psychology experiment, pictures of a turtle and other marine animals were placed above recycling bins to see if they could influence people to reduce their plastic waste in offices. The research indicates that visualizing marine consequences helped reduce plastic waste by 17%.

Santa Ono and UBC professor Henry Yu discuss Asian Heritage Month and what it means to them

New research suggests ways to get men to open up

Reconnecting on campus: Graduation and Principal’s Town Hall

A message from Lesley Cormack, Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, UBC Okanagan Dear colleagues, It’s been a tough two years—but the normal things in life are starting to resume. And opportunities to connect on campus are resuming, too. I’m pleased to highlight the return of two meaningful opportunities to connect with our community on campus in the coming weeks:

Equity Enhancement Fund — call for proposals

As part of UBC’s commitment to advancing equity and inclusion across its campuses, faculty and staff are invited to submit a proposal to the Equity Enhancement Fund for projects that are responsive to community needs and advance one or more of the actions outlined in UBC’s Inclusion Action Plan.  Please encourage faculty and staff in your area to submit a proposal by June 5. A total of $40,000 is available at UBC Vancouver and $5,000 at UBC Okanagan. Applicants can request up to $5,000 per project in Vancouver and up to $1,500 in the Okanagan. 

Message from the Provost, UBC Okanagan

A message from Rehan Sadiq, Provost and Vice-President, Academic pro tem, UBC OkanaganDear colleagues,As we conclude a busy winter term at UBC Okanagan, I am pleased to share a new iteration of the Provost Office newsletter, Academic Update. We will be issuing this newsletter quarterly on the Provost’s website to keep you apprised of the many academic initiatives happening on our campus.

Santa Ono speaks with UBC's Chancellor, the Honorable Steven Point

Santa Ono talks to UBC's 19th and current Chancellor Steven Point about his distinguished career and his philosophy of life. Find out more

UBC research shows virtual visits with dogs improves wellbeing

While spending time with dogs has been well documented as an activity that improves wellbeing, new research — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic — proves that a remote canine session can be just as therapeutic as an in-person visit. The research, led by Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, Associate Professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Education, and Dr. Christine Tardif-Williams, an Associate Professor with Brock University, has found that spending time virtually with a therapy dog can enhance student wellbeing.

Women working for apps like Uber and Doordash often ‘brush off’ harassment

Call for volunteers to support UBC Okanagan’s Spring graduation ceremony

On June 9 and 10, UBC Okanagan will be celebrating the graduation of nearly 1,900 students. Volunteers play a key role to help make the graduation ceremonies a memorable experience for graduates and their families. You can get involved by volunteering to support the event.  A number of volunteering opportunities are available for faculty and staff. Detailed instructions for each of the key roles needed for the graduation ceremonies are available on the registration page.