Dr. Sharon Stein has been selected as a 2024 Killam Faculty Research Fellow
Dr. Sharon Stein has received a 2024 UBC Killam Faculty Research Fellowship, which recognizes outstanding research and scholarly achievements across diverse disciplines. This prestigious award, which is granted based on intellectual distinction, character, and personal qualities, enables faculty to pursue full-time research during a recognized study leave.
Dr. Stein’s work explores how education can equip individuals to navigate complex social and ecological challenges in relevant, relationally rigorous, and intergenerationally responsible ways. Her research focuses on the difficulties of confronting historical and ongoing realities of colonialism and climate change in various academic fields and professional practices, as well as the challenges of implementing regenerative and reparative social and institutional change.
As spring approaches, it is a meaningful time to reflect on our shared progress and welcome the new opportunities this season of renewal brings. The strength of our Faculty lies in the connections we build, the community we foster, and the innovations that inspire our growth.
Building on this foundation, the Faculty of Education has launched a new strategic planning process to guide its future. Grounded in collaboration, inclusivity, and diverse community perspectives, this pathway forward begins with a Listening Phase. Throughout March and early April, we invite all community members to join an in-person or virtual focus group to share your insights. You can also add your voice by completing our strategic planning survey. Your valuable input will help shape our Faculty’s aspirations, goals, and strategic priorities.
We are deeply proud of the impact of our work and its ongoing national and global recognition for excellence. In the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, our Faculty again placed second in Canada. In Maclean’s Education 2025 University Rankings, we are tied for first place in Canada. These accolades highlight our leadership in research, teaching, and community engagement, and we celebrate these achievements as shared successes.
Our School of Kinesiology’s recent appointment to the Global Sport University Network (GSUN) Leadership Council further spotlights our Faculty’s global impact. This esteemed position places our scholars at the forefront of research and innovation, shaping the future of sport, public health and well-being.
As we celebrate these milestones, we also honour the remarkable contributions of our community. One way we do this is by recognizing the outstanding achievements of our alumni. The UBC Faculty of Education is now accepting nominations for two prestigious awards.
The Alumni Educator of the Year Award honours alumni who are making exceptional impacts in the lives of their students and learning communities.
The Reconciliation and Decolonization Alumni Award recognizes alumni who are leading efforts to advance reconciliation and decolonization in education or who have inspired others to do so.
We encourage you to submit a nomination by March 31, 2025, to celebrate inspiring educators and acknowledge their dedication, innovation, and lasting impact on both the field of education and the lives of learners.
Our Faculty continues to foster meaningful dialogue and learning. We recently hosted the 2024–25 Global Speaker Series on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Inclusion, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Dennis Francis from South Africa and remarks from Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm, the inaugural Director of the forthcoming Robert Quartermain Centre for SOGI Excellence in Education. The event reaffirmed our community’s commitment to SOGI-inclusive learning spaces. If you missed it, you can watch the video.
I also had the privilege of hosting the second session of our 2024–25 Community Engagement Speaker Series, “Learning to Unlearn: Challenging Our Thinking, Changing Our Practice.” Cultivating Black Flourishing in K-12 Education featured an esteemed panel, including Drs. Marika Kunnas and Glory Ovie, alum Nikitha Fester, and student Nola Charles, who shared valuable insights on fostering affirming and inclusive learning environments. I invite you to watch the video recording and engage in this important conversation.
Together, we will continue strengthening our community, championing transformative education, and driving meaningful change. As always, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to share this Community Update with friends and colleagues who may be interested.
Miigwech – thank you,
Jan
Teaching and Learning
Introducing Studio B – Discovery Lab: Innovating Teaching with VR, AI, and More
The Learning Design & Digital Innovation (LDDI) team has launched this innovative space where Faculty of Education instructors can bring their classes to explore advanced teaching and learning tools, including virtual reality, podcasting, and artificial intelligence. Through these interactive experiences, educators can expand their skills and explore innovative ways to engage learners.
Creativity Meets Technology in Education
Building on Studio B’s hands-on approach, LDDI’s “In-Focus” initiative deepens this exploration through curated online resources, expert panel discussions, exhibitions, and events. The first panel discussion, “Creative Writing in a Connected World,” is now available for viewing.
Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Free Online MOOC
Registration is ongoing for this free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that offers practical strategies for integrating Indigenous perspectives into early learning. Educators, service providers, and families are invited to enroll in this transformative course that weaves Indigenous worldviews with diverse pedagogical approaches to create richer, more inclusive learning environments.
Awards and Accolades
2024-25 UBC Alumni Builder Awards RecipientsThese awards honour alumni whose exceptional contributions have positively impacted the university and enriched the lives of others for an exceptional UBC and a better world. This year’s Faculty of Education recipients include:
Joseph Alexis, BHK’05, acknowledged for being a model mentor and valued volunteer with the Faculty of Education’s School of Kinesiology mentorship program.
Rob Bennett, BEd’19, celebrated for his outstanding work with the Indigenous Academy at Kelowna Secondary School and his steadfast commitment to justice, inclusivity, and equity.
Bradley Menard, MEd’20, recognized for his support of CampOUT! and exceptional dedication to the educational community.
Their dedication and leadership embody the values of this award, demonstrating the lasting impact of the UBC Faculty of Education’s alumni.
2024-25 UBC Okanagan’s Outstanding Instructor Award Recipients
Drs. Peter Arthur and Michael Landry have received this award in recognition of their exceptional commitment to student success, mentorship, and innovative teaching. Nominated by their Faculty peers, these educators exemplify excellence in creating impactful student learning experiences.
Greater Good Magazine’s Top Books for Educators in 2024
Drs. Shannon Leddy and Lorrie Miller have been recognized for their book Teaching Where You Are: Weaving Indigenous and Slow Principles and Pedagogies, which was named one of Greater Good Magazine’s Favorite Books for Educators of 2024. This distinction, awarded by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, highlights their work as among the year’s most thought-provoking, practical, and inspiring education books.
Community Events and Engagements
Faculty of Education’s School of Kinesiology Collaborates on World-First Exercise and Depression Specialization Credential
A research team led by Dr. Guy Faulkner has helped develop a groundbreaking certification program in partnership with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. This program equips personal trainers and exercise physiologists with the skills to integrate exercise with behavioural change techniques to combat depression, providing evidence-based strategies to improve mental health outcomes.
Empowering Black Leaders: Advancing Anti-Racism and Resilience in Education
The Faculty of Education, in collaboration with UBC Connects and the BC Black Educational Leaders Association (BCBELA) recently co-hosted “Advancing Anti-Racism and Resilience through Mentorship and Leadership: A BCBELA Black Leaders Symposium.” Black educators, community leaders and allies gathered for essential educational equity and inclusion discussions, providing participants with valuable tools to advance equity and create meaningful change.
WKTEP Career Fair & Professional Development Day
The West Kootenay Rural Teacher Education Program (WKTEP) recently held this annual event at the Nelson Learning Centre, fostering connections between teacher candidates and representatives from school districts across local, rural, and northern communities. Attendees explored early career mentorship, health and wellbeing programs, community recreation, and professional development sessions led by the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy, the Sn̓ʕaýckstx (Sinixt) Confederacy, and the Inclusive Education department of School District No. 20.
Latest Faculty of Education News
Visit our news and events page for an in-depth exploration of the latest developments within our Faculty, including new leadership appointments, groundbreaking research initiatives, recent funding successes, and prestigious recognitions.
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 (1) winner for each category listed.
Eligibility
Nominees must:
Be a Faculty of Education staff member with a full-time or part-time appointment of 50% or more; and
Be a member of one of the following employee groups: AAPS, CUPE 2950, CUPE 116, Non-union Technicians/Research Assistants, or Executive Administrative Staff; and
Have held an appointment in the Faculty of Education at UBC for two consecutive years or more.
Nominees may be nominated in one of the following categories:
Outstanding Service
Emerging Leadership
Criteria
Outstanding Service
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.
Emerging Leader
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 (1) completed Nomination Form (see following page), signed by the direct supervisor, in consultation with the unit Head/Director/Associate Dean.
A minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) support letters from colleagues, faculty members and/or students.
Complete nomination packages must be sent via email to info.educ@ubc.ca by the end of the day on Friday, April 18, 2025. Receipt of all nomination packages will be confirmed and all information submitted will be kept strictly confidential.
The selection committee will review the nomination packages and recommend the awardees for both categories.
The selection committee for the Dean’s Award for Staff Excellence is made up of the Dean (or designate), two (2) prior award winners, and one (1) of the following members of the Office of the Dean: Assistant Dean, Finance; Director, HR; or Director, Communications & Events.
Announcement of Recipients
The awardees will be announced and presented at the annual Staff Appreciation Lunch.
Up to two (2) awards—one (1) award per category—may be given in one year. Each awardee receives a personal plaque and an honorarium of $1,000. The awardee/s will also have their name/s engraved on the plaque located in the Neville Scarfe Office Block foyer, located on the UBC Vancouver campus.
Dr. Guofang Li has been selected as a 2025 American Educational Research Association Fellow
Dr. Guofang Li, Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transnational/Global Perspectives of Language and Literacy Education of Children and Youth, has been selected as a 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Fellow. This prestigious honour recognises scholars whose research has significantly advanced knowledge in their field, inspired others to follow in their footsteps and contributed to the public good. Among the 29 scholars selected for 2025, Dr. Li is the only representative from a Canadian university, underscoring the global significance of her work.
An internationally recognised second language and literacy education leader, Dr. Li’s research spans immigrant children’s bicultural and biliteracy development, technology-enhanced English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language instruction, and educational diversity and equity. Her work has advanced theoretical frameworks and methodologies in language and literacy education, shaping the discourse on culturally and linguistically diverse learners while informing teacher education and professional development.
Dr. Li’s outstanding scholarship has earned numerous national and international accolades, including the Literacy Research Association’s 2013 and 2006 Ed Fry Book Awards, the 2011 Association of Chinese Professors of Social Sciences Publication Award, and early career awards from AERA in 2008 and 2010.
AERA Fellows are nominated by their peers and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body. This year’s Fellows will be formally inducted at the AERA Annual Meeting in Denver on April 24, 2025.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.
Do you want to have better, more successful conversations each and every day? Conversations that are productive, encourage creativity and engagement, generate solutions, improve relationships, and help attain goals? These are just a few of the benefits of co-creating effective conversations in the workplace. But what does it mean to be more curious, to ask better questions or take time to explore ideas with people at work? And how do you do it?
This interactive workshop will focus on developing essential non-directive conversation and coaching skills that empower individuals to co-create effective conversations and drive positive experiences with their peers, colleagues and teams. Blending content with demonstrations and practice, participants will explore and practice the UBC COEC Model (Connect – Open – Explore – Close) to engage in meaningful and effective co-created conversations with others. This session is for participants who want to:
Hold more successful and productive conversations at work
Gain a better understanding of essential participatory and non-directive conversation skills
Put core workplace coaching skills immediately into practice
Co-Facilitators
Lucy Johannsohn and Jennifer Woloshyn, UBC Coaching Services, Talent Development & Engagement, UBC Human Resources
Registration
Registration will close at end of day on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Join us for a fireside chat with Prof. Emerita V. J. Kirkness, LLD’94 and Dean Jan Hare, PhD’01, hosted by Marny Point, BEd’02, MET’04! Prof. Emerita Verna J. Kirkness, also fondly known as Ni-Jing-Jada, the “Longhouse Lady”, was the first Indigenous director of the First Nations House of Learning at UBC, serving from 1987 to 1993. She is also one of the founding members of the Native Indian Teacher Education Program (NITEP), the First Nations House of Learning, and the Ts”Kel graduate program. This gathering will feature meaningful discussions with the Indigenous Education Alumni Network, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to connect over bannock and tea.
Date
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Location
Sage
The University Centre, 6331 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 – map
Speakers
Prof. Emerita Verna .J. Kirkness, LLD’94
Verna J. Kirkness, CM OM is an associate professor emeritus at UBC. She is a lifelong advocate of Indigenous Education and has created many learning opportunities for Indigenous people at all levels. Her childhood dream to be a teacher set her on a lifelong journey in education as a teacher, counsellor, consultant, and professor. Her simple quest to teach “in a Native way” revolutionized Canadian education policy and practice. Her work in new programs, access and support services, and cultural enrichment has created the foundation on which scholars continue to build. Dr. Kirkness has written and edited nine books, one being her autobiography, entitled Creating Space, and has published numerous articles on Indigenous education in academic journals in Canada and internationally. For more than five decades she has been a major spokesperson for Indigenous education. In recognition of her work, she has received numerous awards, in 1990 she was voted Canadian Educator of the Year, in 1994 she received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (now Indspire) for Education, she is a member of the Order of Canada (1998) and the Order of Manitoba (2007). She was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2003 and has six honorary doctorates.
Dean Jan Hare, PhD’01
Dean Jan Hare is an Anishinaabe scholar and educator from the M’Chigeeng First Nation, located in northern Ontario. As an Indigenous scholar and educator she has sought to transform education in ways that are more inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and languages. Her research is concerned with improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal/Indigenous learners by centering Indigenous knowledge systems within educational reform from early childhood education to post-secondary, recognizing the holistic and multidisciplinary nature of Indigenous education.
Registration
Registration is now closed.
You are still welcome to attend, please email education.alumni@ubc.ca to register.
Open date: February 25, 2025 Deadline to apply: While the search remains open until the position is filled, interested applicants are asked to submit their complete application package by April 4, 2025.
The Faculty of Education invites internal candidates to apply for the Eleanor Rix Professorship in Rural Teacher Education.
The Faculty of Education invites internal candidates to apply for the Eleanor Rix Professorship in Rural Teacher Education. We are seeking a scholar who will work to better understand and respond to current challenges and opportunities that exist in rural education. In the context of this Professorship, rural education may be defined and constructed as education in rural or remote settings, and/or educational environments which experience differences based on geographical location, history, and traditions. All full-time tenure stream UBC Faculty of Education faculty members appointed on the Vancouver campus in either the Professoriate stream or the Educational Leadership stream at the rank of Assistant Professor*, Assistant Professor of Teaching*, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Teaching, Professor, or Professor of Teaching are eligible to apply. The appointment of the Professorship is expected to start July 1, 2025, or as negotiated with the successful candidate.
*Note that faculty members in the rank of Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor of Teaching must, at the time of application, have been in the rank at UBC for 3+ years in order to be eligible to hold this honorific.
In line with our commitment to honouring the intent of the generous funder of this Professorship and the associated terms of reference, the appointee of this Professorship is charged with the following mandate:
Respond to the increasingly diverse landscape of rural school districts in British Columbia and Canada, and determine how best to support educators and communities.
Work with school boards to help create conditions needed to support teachers in rural settings across British Columbia and Canada.
Create provincial networks of academic, educational, and community leaders that will assist in the recruitment and retention of teachers in rural communities.
Explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning in rural settings, including through online and hybrid settings.
Interested applicants are asked to submit the following materials for consideration by the Dean, the Associate Dean, Research, and the advisory committee, for an appointment to this Professorship:
Cover letter (maximum two pages, single-spaced);
Curriculum vitae;
Short biography (maximum one page, single-spaced) that highlights key achievements from your CV in relation to this position;
Vision statement (maximum three pages, single-spaced) for the Professorship, indicating how you would implement the mandate described above and how you would assess the impact of the proposed Professorship activities and initiatives;
EDID statement (maximum one page, single-spaced) that describes and documents your contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) through your teaching, research or educational leadership, service, and community engagement, addressing the following three areas: (1) understanding of and knowledge about EDID, (2) track record in advancing EDID, and (3) future plans for EDID while holding this Professorship; and
Two letters of reference (maximum two pages, single-spaced, each) that are signed, dated, and on letterhead. The references shall be as follows:
One university-affiliated faculty member external to the UBC Faculty of Education;
One non-university community member with whom you have worked on issues relevant to this Professorship.
All application materials must be submitted to the Office of the Dean via email (info.educ@ubc.ca) by the end of the day on April 4, 2025. The two confidential letters of reference must be sent by the referees to the same email.
Criteria for evaluation to be evidenced in the application materials shall include: (a) strong record of research or educational leadership related to the mandate of the Professorship, including successful grant funding where applicable; (b) demonstrated leadership and teaching in the area of rural teacher education or closely related areas; (c) awareness of contexts that impact rural communities and rural educators, including but not limited to community dynamics, globalization, (im)migration, the labour market, settler colonialism, and climate change; (d) awareness of community-oriented approaches to rural teacher education, including the Faculty of Education’s Rural and Remote Teacher Education Program; (e) ability to advocate for policy development and advancement in rural and remote education; and (f) awareness of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization considerations relevant to rural education.
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to participate in an individual interview with the advisory committee, as well as provide a presentation followed by a question & answer session open to the Faculty of Education community. With the shortlisted applicants’ consent, their biographies and vision statements will be shared with the Faculty of Education community before the presentation.
Terms of the Professorship:
The appointment will be for a three-year term.
The Professorship holder must maintain active full-time tenure stream employment status in the UBC Faculty of Education Vancouver Point Grey campus at the rank of Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Teaching, Professor, or Professor of Teaching during the term of the Professorship. Faculty members in the rank of Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor of Teaching must, at the time of application, have been in the rank at UBC for 3+ years in order to be eligible to hold this honorific.
The Professorship holder will be provided with annual financial support of $30,000 per year to be directed to research or educational leadership activities, research assistant support, and programmatic initiatives that are associated with the Professorship. With approval and as permitted by the Faculty Workload Policy, funds can be used for teaching release at $15,000 per three-credit course (up to one course of teaching release per year). Release of funds is contingent on the approval of an annual budget prepared by the Professorship holder and continued availability of the endowment fund’s annual spending allocation.
Implementation and oversight of the Chair, with respect to budget review and annual reporting, will be guided by the Faculty of Education’s Internal Search Procedures for Chairs and Professorships, the Office of Research in Education (ORE), and the Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE) office requirements for annual reports to donors who fund the Professorship.
Questions regarding this call for applications should be directed to Dr. Nancy Perry, Associate Dean, Research, at nancy.perry@ubc.ca.
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Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from colleagues who are members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
All Faculty of Education staff are cordially invited to this year’s breakfast social with Dean Jan Hare. Join us for an hour of conversation over freshly brewed coffee, a selection of teas and a continental breakfast spread.
Date
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time
9:00 – 10:00 am
Location
Room 2414 (fourth floor lounge) Neville Scarfe building
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6T 1Z4
RSVP
Please register by 4:30 pm on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Prof. Emerita Verna .J. Kirkness, LLD’94
Dean Jan Hare, PhD’01
