Congratulations to 2022 UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund recipients

Congratulations to 2022 UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund recipients

By avril hwang

Congratulations to UBC Education graduate student Sarah Panofsky and faculty members Drs. Anusha Kassan and Jasmin Ma who received funding from the UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund for their projects that are empowering community–university collaboration and relationship building.

Receiving up to $1,500 each, this year’s projects are exceptional examples of how communities and UBC are working together to advance equity, diversity and inclusion; Indigenous engagement and reconciliation; health innovation and community wellbeing; sustainability and climate action; and teaching, learning and research excellence.

Learn more about these inspiring partnerships between communities and the university:

Quick Facts

  • $70,237 awarded to 47 projects
  • 8 Indigenous community partners funded
  • 16 faculties represented across Vancouver and Okanagan campuses
  • 12 projects with student co-applicants

2022 UBC Education Projects

Community-Based Mentoring and Tutoring Initiative for Newcomer Learners with Interrupted Schooling

  • Community Partner | Jennifer Reddy, EdMeCo (Education, Mentorship & Connection)
  • UBC Partner | Faculty: Dr. Anusha Kassan, Education, UBC Vancouver

Mobilizing Wet’suwet’en Wellness

Strength Training in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Educational Videos from the Lived Experience Perspective

To learn more about all 47 community partners, visit the UBC Community Engagement’s 2022 Partnership Recognition and Exploration fund page.

Dean’s Awards for Staff Excellence 2022–23

By avril hwang

March 8, 2023

The Dean’s Awards for Staff Excellence were created in 2001 as an annual celebration of the Faculty’s appreciation for the valuable contributions of our staff. These awards are bestowed in recognition of excellence in personal and professional achievements and contributions to the vision, mission, and goals of the Faculty, and of the University as a whole. There is one winner for each category listed.

Eligibility

Nominees must:

  • Be a Faculty of Education staff members with a full-time or part-time appointment of 50% or more;
  • Be a member of AAPS, CUPE 2950, CUPE 116, or members of the non-union/excluded category (members of CUPE 2278 are not eligible to be nominated); and
  • Have held an appointment for two consecutive years or more.

Nominees may be nominated in one of the following categories:

1. Outstanding Service Award Criteria

The nominee must demonstrate some or all of the following criteria:

  • Displays a commitment to serving people in the Faculty or in the broader University community, above and beyond the requirements of their position;
  • Establishes and maintains exemplary and inclusive people practices;
  • Engages in consistent, high-quality and welcoming interactions;
  • Creates new, cost-effective or innovative methods for performing day-to-day activities; or,
  • Encourages others to build consensus and action around unit-level or Faculty objectives.

2. Emerging Leader Award Criteria

The nominee must demonstrate some or all of the following criteria:

  • Manages and leads change initiatives effectively;
  • Provides a sense of purpose, vision and mission for their co-workers or staff;
  • Contributes to making UBC and Faculty of Education a better workplace in their own unit or more broadly;
  • Is passionate about the role and clearly understands the impact of their role in the Faculty;
  • Seeks professional growth and enriches the work experiences through collaboration with team members and other units in the Faculty;
  • Serves as a role model to others through openness to new ways of doing things and engages in consistent, high-quality and welcoming interactions; or
  • Invests time and effort in coaching or mentoring students or colleagues.

Nomination Process

The nominator is responsible for preparing and submitting the nomination package, which must include:

  • One completed nomination form, signed by the direct supervisor in consultation with the unit head or director.
  • A minimum of two and maximum of five support letters from colleagues, faculty members or students.

Please return your completed award nomination package on or before April 14, 2023 to info.educ@ubc.ca (Accepting electronic nomination packages only.)

Download nomination package

Selection Committee

The Committee for the Dean’s Award for Staff Excellence is made up of the Dean (or designate), two prior award winners and one of the following members of the Office of the Dean: Assistant Dean, Finance, Director, HR, or Director, Administration & Communications. This committee will administer, receive, evaluate and recommend the winner.

Announcement of Recipients

All nomination packages will be acknowledged. All information submitted will be kept strictly confidential. Winners will be announced and presented with their award at the Staff Appreciation lunch.

Up to two awards, one award per category, may be given in one year. Each recipient receives a personal plaque and an honorarium of $1000. Award recipients will also have their names engraved on the Staff Excellence Award plaque located in the Neville Scarfe Office Block foyer on the Vancouver campus.

Rethinking Wellness and How to Thrive as a School Leader | April 25, 2023

By abby blinch

Join Dr. Jan Hare, UBC’s Dean of Education, pro tem, for the second annual Dean’s Community Engagement Series, highlighting key questions and significant priorities engaging educators today.

This virtual session will feature Dr. Sabre Cherkowski of UBC Okanagan’s School of Education, followed by a panel discussion featuring school and school district leaders Jody Billingsley, Principal in the Delta School District; Nicole Davey, Director of Instruction, Learning & Innovation in the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District; Alice Jungclaus, Vice Principal in the Vancouver School Board; and Annie Varghese, Principal in the Richmond School District.

Explore strategies to support the wellbeing of teachers and school leaders and rethink answers to questions such as:

  1. What are the conditions that contribute to schools and people in schools flourishing?
  2. How do we increase the resilience, vitality and happiness in school settings in order for educators and learners to thrive in these settings?
  3. How can educational leaders encourage and sustain cultures of flourishing for all members of the learning community?

Event Details

Date: April 25, 2023
Time: 4:30-6:00pm PT
Format: Online via Zoom

Learn more about the 2022-2023 Dean’s Community Engagement Series

Watch the Recording

About Dr. Sabre Cherkowski


Dr. Sabre Cherkowski (BA’92, BEd’94) is Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Okanagan School of Education at the University of British Columbia. She holds a Tier 1 Principal’s Research Chair in Leadership, Learning and Wellbeing. She has been researching flourishing in schools for several years, and was recently awarded UBC Okanagan’s Researcher of the Year award. Sabre brings her experiences as a teacher, coach, and parent to her passion for exploring what it means to flourish in work and life.

About Jody Billingsley


Jody Billingsley (MEd’11, TELP’20) has been a teacher and educational leader for the past 21 years. He taught in Vancouver, West Vancouver, and the Bronx, New York. He currently leads as a Principal in the Delta School District. Jody Billingsley is an educational advocate for equity, inclusion, and for doing what is in the best interest of children. He believes all children should be able to access the curriculum and find success, and that relationships and networking are key within education systems. Jody Billingsley received his Master of Education in Administration and Educational Leadership from UBC and is a graduate of UBC’s Transformative Education Leadership Program (TELP).

About Nicole Davey


Nicole Davey (TELP’17) is currently the Director of Instruction, Learning and Innovation in Nanaimo Ladysmith School District. She is a doctoral candidate with the University of Western Ontario and a graduate of the Transformative Educational Leadership Program with the University of British Columbia. Nicole believes that transformation in education is possible through human connection, supportive learning networks, and an unrelenting moral purpose grounded in equity. She is curious about how to support the learning of all those within the system, connecting to both the head and the heart.

About Alice Jungclaus


Alice Jungclaus (BA’94, BEd’95, MEd’06, TELP’22) is an educational leader who enables learners to develop their individual potential. She holds a Master of Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of British Columbia. As a teacher and coach, Alice’s career spanned from British Columbia in Canada to China, Japan, and Switzerland before returning to Vancouver to assume her current role as a Vice Principal with the Vancouver School Board. Alice is a member of Little Pine First Nation and brings her experiences and perspectives as a Canadian of Plains Cree and Igbo descent.

About Annie Varghese


Annie Varghese (TELP’22) has been an educator for over 21 years as part of the Surrey and Richmond School Districts. She is currently a Principal in the Richmond School District. Annie received her Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the Transformative Educational Leadership program at UBC. As a learning leader, her recent focus is on the work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and creating belonging for all learners in her school community. She is a passionate believer that all students can find success given a foundation of trusting relationships with a focus on the whole child. Annie values mentorship and ongoing professional learning in her journey as an educational leader.

UBC Okanagan launches Doctor of Education program

By helen mclaughlin

March, 8, 2023

New degree provides flexible learning opportunities for aspiring educational leaders

UBCO will soon be offering a Doctorate of Education program with the majority of the coursework delivered online.

UBC Okanagan has a new graduate degree that will provide educators and leaders an opportunity to advance their careers while staying in their local community.

A new Doctor of Education (EdD) program, offered by the Okanagan School of Education, will fill a niche for those seeking an advanced degree and flexible professional development, says Dr. Rehan Sadiq, UBCO Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

“At UBC, we are committed to providing innovative and inclusive education,” says Dr. Sadiq. “The launch of our flexible EdD program is a testament to that commitment, as it offers a unique opportunity for educators and leaders to pursue their doctorate while balancing work and family obligations. It also makes it possible for students from across Canada and beyond to participate, bringing together a diverse community of learners.”

The three-year program is designed to inform, empower and engage current and aspiring educational leaders, explains Dr. Sabre Cherkowski, Director of Graduate Programs at the Okanagan School of Education. The majority of the coursework will be delivered online with opportunities for students to come to campus for summer intensive sessions.

“Our focus on a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to learning will bring together students from diverse educational backgrounds to share their experiences and perspectives—creating a rich and dynamic learning experience,” adds Dr. Cherkowski.

The course design will allow the degree to address timely, ever-changing and relevant issues in education, as well as meet emerging needs of professional learners, explains Dr. Jan Hare, Dean pro tem with the Faculty of Education.

“Unique to the program is the scholar-practitioner emphasis woven throughout,” she says. “We are excited to offer a program that provides professional learners with the knowledge, skills and practical experience needed to make meaningful contributions and changes in their local communities.”

The EdD offers credentialing that may provide career options for those seeking senior-level leadership or consulting positions, roles within government sectors, as well as community organizations.

The program will start accepting applications this summer and the first cohort will start in July 2024. Interested applicants can register to receive an email for updates on the program, including when the intake begins.

For more information about the EdD program, visit education.ok.ubc.ca/EdD.

A version of this story appeared on the UBC Okanagan News website.

UBC Education’s 2020–2022 Research Report

By helen mclaughlin

The Faculty of Education has released the 2020–2022 Research Report. Learn about our research centres, scholarly awards and grants, chairs and professorships, and the work of the Office of Research in Education, and discover the diverse and innovative research emerging from across the Faculty by researchers at different stages of their careers.

Hybrid Work Program Evaluation: Staff focus group discussions | March 28 and 31, 2023

By avril hwang

Faculty of Education staff are invited to attend focus group discussions that will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of our current Hybrid Work Program. If you have feedback or ideas to share, we want to hear from you!

Please register for one of the following discussion sessions. All feedback collected during the focus group discussions will remain anonymous.

Session 1

Date

March 28, 2023

Time

9:00 to 10:00 am

Location

Scarfe Room 308A

The session you have requested has reached full capacity. If you would like to be waitlisted, please email communications.educ@ubc.ca. You will be notified if additional focus group sessions are scheduled.

Session 2

Date

March 31, 2023

Time

10:00 to 11:00 am

Location

Online via Zoom | link will be provided to registrants

The session has reached full capacity. If you would like to be waitlisted, please email communications.educ@ubc.ca. You will be notified if additional focus group sessions are scheduled.

Hybrid Work Program Evaluation RSVP Form | March 31, 2023

By avril hwang

Hybrid Work Program Evaluation RSVP Form | March 28, 2023

By avril hwang

Dr. Tania Lam and team receive CIHR Project Grant to investigate effects of pelvic floor muscle exercises in people with spinal cord injury

By helen mclaughlin

February 22, 2023

Dr. Tania Lam and team receive CIHR Project Grant to investigate pelvic floor muscle exercises in people with spinal cord injury

Dr. Tania Lam, UBC Education professor and principal investigator, and team were awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant for their research project, The PELvUS Study. Co-applicants include Drs. Andrea Bundon (UBC Faculty of Education), Andrei Krassioukov (UBC) and Matthias Walter (University of Twente).

The CIHR Project Grant program supports research projects with the greatest potential for important advances in fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health care, health systems, or health outcomes. The best ideas may stem from new, incremental, innovative, or high-risk lines of inquiry or knowledge translation approaches.

The aims of The PELvUS Study, short for Pelvic floor Exercise to Lessen Urinary incontinence and Sexual dysfunction in people with spinal cord injury, are to explore how to prescribe pelvic floor muscle exercises to people with spinal cord injury and understand what effect this type of training could have on bladder and sexual health.

New strategies for improving bladder and sexual health after a spinal cord injury are desperately needed to improved the quality of life of patients who have been severely affected by their injury. Dr. Lam and team hope that the results of their study will open new areas of research for using exercise-based strategies to improve bladder and sexual health after a spinal cord injury.

UBC Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization Scholars for 2023

By helen mclaughlin

February 21, 2023

The UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit announced today that Faculty of Education’s Dr. Jasmin Ma and Dr. Michelle Stack are among the first cohort of Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization (KxM) Scholars.

The program aims to enhance the practice and science of KxM in UBC faculties and schools and, as KxM Scholars, the cohort will participate and lead community of practices, implement and evaluate KxM training activities, and provide peer mentorship in their respective faculties.

Dr. Jasmin Ma

Assistant Professor, UBC School of Kinesiology
Clinical investigator, Arthritis Research Canada
Investigator, International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries

Dr. Jasmin Ma is an assistant professor of teaching in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, a clinician investigator with Arthritis Research Canada, and investigator with the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries. She teaches and provides training in the areas of exercise prescription, physical activity behavior change, and disability. Her research and educational leadership activities include three areas of focus: 1) implementing experiential learning opportunities in community-based exercise settings, 2) co-developing knowledge translation tools for clinicians to promote and prescribe physical activity for people with chronic disease and disability, and 3) advancing the methodology of physical activity counselling and tailoring, particularly for people with arthritis and spinal cord injury.

Dr. Michelle Stack

Academic director, UBC Learning Exchange
Associate professor, UBC Department of Educational Studies

Dr. Michelle Stack is the academic director of the Learning Exchange for the University of British Columbia and an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies. Her central research interest concerns how people, knowledge and institutions are categorized and the influence of these categorizations on our ability to grapple with inequity. Her current work focuses on cooperative colleges and universities as a way to provide opportunities for democratic decision-making, and food, job, and housing security for students, staff and faculty. Dr. Stack has received the Killam Award for Teaching for her innovative courses focusing on knowledge translation and equity, intergenerational and community engaged learning and commitment to advocating for students. She received the Inaugural Public Humanities Hub award in recognition of her work as a public scholar and her commitment to assisting students and colleagues in expanding scholarly conversations through media engagement.

To learn about all the 2023 Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization (KxM) Scholars, read the UBC Knowledge Exchange announcement.

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