Updates, news and stories

UBC named one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2021

Dan Coombs appointed as head for the Department of Mathematics

New method helps pocket-sized DNA sequencer achieve near-perfect accuracy

Ian Mitchell appointed as head of Department of Computer Science

Radio burst in Milky Way sheds light on origins of mysterious phenomenon

Submit staff sick leave statistics for 2020 (by Jan. 29, 2021)

Every year, Human Resources presents the Board of Governors with a report on key health indicators at the university. The report provides a snapshot of the health of our faculty and staff, which includes statistics on the average number of paid sick leave days taken by staff. In preparation for this year’s report, we request that you ensure your department’s administrator enters sick leave statistics for the 2020 calendar year by Friday, January 29, 2021.

Seeking nominations for the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

A message from Santa J. Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor

Research in focus: Mark Cembrowski

Mark is leading research to understand how the brain forms, stores, and retrieves memories. By combining big data analysis and cutting-edge experimental techniques, the team hopes to understand the mechanisms of fear memory, which functions to keep us safe and alive, but can come with unfortunate consequences.

COVID-19 vaccines: what to expect and how to combat hesitancy

With the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, most are eager to roll up their sleeves. But not every Canadian is feeling confident about getting the jab. According to a recent survey conducted by Angus Reid, less than two thirds of Canadians surveyed said they would get the vaccine right away. Twenty-three per cent indicated they would prefer to wait, while 12 per cent reported they would not get vaccinated and five per cent remained unsure.

Meet the new University Killam Professors

UBC congratulates 2020/21 University Killam Professors

We are pleased to announce the appointment of six new University Killam Professors. This is the highest honour that UBC can confer on a faculty member.University Killam Professors are exceptional teachers and researchers who are leaders in their fields, and have received international recognition for their talents and achievements.The 2020/21 University Killam Professors are:

The reality of sci-fi

How science fiction is providing real-world lessons and teaching opportunities for students and professors at UBC Okanagan.   Humans have long imagined what the distant future might look like. Staring up into an inky black sky dotted with far-off stars, planets and seemingly endless solar systems, our thoughts inevitably stray to life beyond this singular, planetary experience.