The President’s Medal of Excellence: 2019 Recipients
This week I had the honour of presenting the University of British Columbia President’s Medal of Excellence to four of the University’s strongest supporters. The President’s Medal is awarded to a person who has made a significant contribution to the purposes and ideals of the university. In particular: For members of the academic community, either […]
Episode 9: Congressional Hearings
The Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences was hosted at UBC from June 1st to the 7th, 2019. It’s the largest academic conference in Canada. As delegates shared big ideas, Santa and Margot discuss the future of higher education with Jessica Riddell of Bishop’s University. Blue and Goldcast · Blue And Goldcast Episode 9: […]
Changing My Mind: Margaret Trudeau on Mental Health
Earlier this month I had the privilege of introducing Margaret Trudeau at a talk she gave in downtown Vancouver on mental health. Trudeau – the former wife of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the mother of the current prime minister, Justin Trudeau – had the audience spellbound as she frankly and courageously described her […]
“Never lose that sense of adventure, that sense of wonder”
As president of the University of British Columbia, it is my privilege to preside over graduation ceremonies at both the UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan campuses. Seeing the joy on the faces of the new graduates and the pride on the faces of their family members is an unforgettable experience. I also have the privilege […]
June 2019
Welcome Welcome to the first issue of Letter from Santa, a regular communication to members of the UBC community. Highlights Graduation 2019 June 7 marked the completion of the Spring 2019 graduation ceremonies. Thousands of students received diplomas in the 28 ceremonies held at UBC Vancouver and 6 ceremonies at UBC Okanagan. In addition, we […]
June 2019
Welcome Welcome to the June 2019 Letter to the Board, a regular communication from the President to members of the UBC Board of Governors, issued in advance of regular meetings of the Board.You can view this email online at https://president-2023.sites.olt.ubc.ca/communications/letter-to-the-board/, where you can also access previous issues. Highlights Graduation 2019 Last week marked the completion of […]
Welcoming Margaret Trudeau, author of Changing My Mind
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Good evening. When Margaret Trudeau wrote her courageous memoir, Changing My Mind, in 2010, she noted that three million Canadians suffered from serious depression and that only cardiac disease does more damage and draws more dollars from the health care budget than mental illness. Almost a decade later, not much has […]