Featured Speaker Profile

Simon Bates, UBC Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning. Dr. Bates was previously the Academic Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology at UBC. He is a passionate champion of evidence-based and technology-led learning and has taught inUBC’s Department of Physics since 2012.

Patty Hambler (pronouns she/hers) is a Student Affairs educator who is passionate about lifelong learning, health promotion, and community building. Within Student Affairs, Patty has worked in a variety of roles over the past twenty years including residence life, student leadership development, peer programs, and health promotion. Currently, Patty is the Director, Health Promotion & Education. Within this portfolio, a key priority is working with faculty members and educational leaders to explore the ways that the learning environment can support and enhance student wellbeing.

Opening Workshop: Who are UBC’s First-Year Educators and First-Year Students?

Kari Marken (pronouns she/hers) is an Educational Designer at the Centre for Student Involvement & Careers (CSI&C) where she works on a variety of programs that support and enhance students’ experiences as they move into, through, and beyond university. She recently graduated with a PhD in Curriculum Studies and her dissertation focused on the experience of UBC faculty who indicate a preference for teaching first-year students in large-scale research-intensive universities. Before working in Student Affairs, she was a sessional instructor, high school teacher (across Canada and internationally), non-profit educator, and theatre director.

Opening Workshop: Who are UBC’s First-Year Educators and First-Year Students?

Jennifer M. Gagnon (PhD, Political Science, University of Minnesota) is a sessional lecturer in Political Science and Vantage College at UBC. Her research is interdisciplinary and embraces a broad range of topics in political theory, classics, disability studies, qualitative methods, feminism, and gender. Her main area of research is in the intersections between ancient political thought and disability studies, especially as concerns gender, inclusion and exclusion, violence, and visible and invisible disabilities.

Keynote Workshop: Inclusive Design and Teaching Practices: UDL for First-Year Experience Educators

Laila Ferreira (PhD, English, University of British Columbia) is a lecturer of academic research and writing in the School of Journalism, Writing and Media (JWAM) as well as Vantage college at UBC. Her most recent research and pedagogical work is in the areas of inclusive teaching and curriculum design, particularly in the writing classroom. She is a contributor to innovative initiatives and studies at UBC in the first-year experience and teaching of writing, disability, and Internationalizing and Indigenizing the curriculum that seek to increase accessible teaching practices for the retention and successful learning experience of a diverse student body.

Keynote Workshop: Inclusive Design and Teaching Practices: UDL for First-Year Experience Educators

Hanae Tsukada, Educational Strategist, the Equity & Inclusion Office, the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology

In partnership with the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT), Hanae develops and implements strategic approaches to embed inclusive teaching and learning strategies across UBC. She also collaborates with CTLT’s leadership team and staff members to weave equity and inclusion into its unit structures, cultures, and practices through consultations, strategic planning, and capacity-building. Prior to this role, she was an International Student Advisor at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) and an Educational Consultant with CTLT’s Indigenous Initiatives team. She holds a PhD in Educational Studies from UBC.

Keynote Workshop:Understanding and Support Indigenous Students

Benjamin Cheung is a lecturer and Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator in the Department of Psychology, and affiliated faculty with the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration program. His work centres around improving the engagement between Department of Psychology’s and Indigenous students, and to generally improve the state of inclusivity within the Department of Psychology.

Keynote Workshop:Understanding and Support Indigenous Students

Jennifer Doyle, Indigenous Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program Analyst, Arts Co-op.
Jennifer works out of UBC’s First Nations House of Learning as the the Indigenous Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program Analyst. In this role, she is working with Indigenous students at UBC and Indigenous communities and organizations to better understand perceptions and experiences with WIL, and develop recommendations to inform WIL opportunities at UBC and beyond for Indigenous students. Jennifer also works as a research assistant for Dr. Benjamin Cheung– investigating how to better support Indigenous students in the psychology department at UBC. Jennifer graduated from UBC with a major in psychology.

Keynote Workshop:Understanding and Support Indigenous Students

Sahil Nandal,Student Panelist
Hi there, my name is Sahil, and I’m a 5th year Materials Engineering student. Born in India and raised in Indonesia for all of my life as a single child by two incredible parents, I’m so happy to say that as my first stop in North America, UBC has indeed resonated more with being home with each passing year of my time here. I’m also a Senior Residence Advisor in Marine Drive residence, and am hoping to graduate in May this year. Some of my favorite activities and hobbies include badminton, aircraft, writing, mobile technology and Bollywood!

Lindsey Palmer, Student Panelist

This is my second year with the UBC Collegia Program, last year as a Collegia Advisor and this year as a Senior Advisor. I’m also a Wellness Peer and sit on the Student Health and Wellness Advisory Committee. I’m an Arts student double majoring in English Literature and Political Science and hoping to pursue education after my undergraduate degree. I’m a book worm at heart and passionate about mental health and sustainability!