On April 26, a senseless attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver left at least 11 people dead and injured many others. It is shocking that a tragedy of this scale and violence could happen right here in our city, and our thoughts are with everyone who has suffered loss on this dreadful day. At this very […]
On December 18, 2024, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada. A number of the most recent appointments have ties to UBC, as faculty members and alumni.
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the recent passing of our Chancellor Emeritus Lindsay Gordon BA’73, MBA’76, LLD’23. On behalf of UBC, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Liz, and their children and family.
This message was sent to faculty, staff and students in Vancouver and the Okanagan. It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone back to our beautiful campuses for the 2024/25 academic year. I hope you like September as much as I do; there is always something special in the air as we get back to […]
As we welcome the beautiful summer months, I wanted to take a moment to share some good news and highlight some of the remarkable UBC accomplishments over the past year. Congratulations to everyone in our community for these shared successes!
On June 27, 2024, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada. Many of the most recent appointments have ties to UBC, as faculty members, researchers, alumni, and supporters.
Dear Members of the UBC community, Campuses across North America and the world continue to experience tensions and protests related to Israel and Palestine. As you know, such a protest started on our Vancouver campus on April 29th and more recently in the Okanagan. On May 15th, the protestors at MacInnes Field on the Vancouver campus formally provided the university a document outlining their […]
As we head into the winter holidays, I would like to share a brief message of gratitude with the UBC community. Happy holidays and all the best for the New Year!
It has been wonderful to get to know the UBC community since I officially started in this role on November 1, and it gives me great pleasure to share highlights from this first month at UBC.
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Philip B. Lind, CM (BA ’66, LLD ’02), a distinguished alumnus and loyal supporter of UBC. On behalf of the entire UBC community, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Phil’s family. As one of Canada’s respected media industry leaders and […]
To quote the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan, “Truth before Reconciliation,” all of our actions need to be based on a fundamental commitment to truth, to openness and transparency, and to humility. We know that this has been a difficult three months. We are deeply concerned that the issues raised and the university’s response have harmed […]
On November 3, 2022, I sent the following letter to the co-presidents of UBC Sprouts: Gizel Gedik and Delanie Austin Co-Presidents UBC Sprouts Board Room 0001C, 6138 Student Union Blvd. Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Dear Gisele and Delanie: Thank you for your letter of October 21, 2022, regarding food security at UBC. I would also […]
Dear members of the UBC community: As UBC’s newly appointed Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, I would like to thank UBC Board Chair Nancy McKenzie and the Board of Governors for entrusting me with this responsibility. It is an honour to take on the position and contribute to this remarkable university. I enjoyed serving as Deputy-Vice […]
Last week, I had the opportunity to reflect on my six years as president of UBC in a conversation with Kathryn Gretsinger of UBC’s School of Journalism, Writing and Media. You can watch the interview here:
Last month I had the privilege to meet with members of the Disability Affinity Group. I’d like to thank them for taking the time to prepare their report on accessibility on the UBC Vancouver campus. As I said at our meeting, I will make sure that the current Executive, the Board of Governors, the Senate […]
On September 26, 2021, the university community was shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic deaths of two students. Their lives came to an end all too quickly and under terrible circumstances. We have collectively and individually mourned Emily Selwood and Evan Smith in the weeks and months since, and on behalf of the […]
03 Welcome back to campus and the start of the 2022-23 academic year! I hope you all had a good summer. Welcome Students This week, UBC welcomes thousands of new and returning students to our campuses and learning sites. Thousands of new students are coming to our Okanagan and Vancouver campuses from across British Columbia, […]
UBC’s commitment to the wellbeing of its students is something I’m very proud of and I am so excited that we are about to embark on a new endeavor that supports UBC students’ fitness and wellbeing goals. Earlier this summer, the UBC Board of Governors approved the Recreation Centre North project – a brand new […]
When we launched the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) nearly two years ago, we hoped it would provide guidance and inspiration for the UBC community and beyond. Being able to invest in our commitments and enable student-led projects to come to life and have a genuine impact in our communities is a crucial step in the […]
It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss that we learned of the passing of Dr. Djavad Mowafaghian. Affectionately called “Dr. M” by those whom he’s helped through his generosity, he was one of Canada’s most visionary philanthropists and a dear friend of UBC. On behalf of the entire UBC community, […]