Meet the new faces of UBC Okanagan

Recent appointments

Welcome to new faculty and post-doctoral research fellows who have recently joined UBC Okanagan.

  • Miho Asano, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health and Social Development
  • Tal Avgar, Assistant Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
  • Wouter Gideon Bam, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering
  • Renelle Dubosq, Assistant Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
  • Barrett Ens, Associate Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
  • Clare Harvey, Professor, Faculty of Health and Social Development
  • Femke Hoekstra, Assistant Professor, Southern Medical Program
  • Ryan Hoiland, Assistant Professor, Southern Medical Program
  • Perry Howard, Associate Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
  • Jennifer Frattolin, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering
  • Gady Jacoby, Dean, Faculty of Management
  • Pamela Robinson, Assistant Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
  • David Trumpower, Associate Professor, Okanagan School of Education
  • Gina Whitaker, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Health and Social Development

Meet the Faculty

2024

Wouter Bam, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I am interested in improving decision support towards sustainable development. This includes better conceptualizing what sustainability means, and how different development paths bring us closer to or undermine its achievement.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m truly excited about the role new technologies can play in providing a clearer picture of the impacts of different decisions. This has the potential to dramatically improve our use of resources and support equitable sustainability outcomes.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBCO because of UBC’s excellent reputation for research, coupled with the incredible outdoor lifestyle offerings of the Okanagan Valley – from skiing to mountain biking and camping, the Okanagan really has it all.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

It’s really hard to choose just one. Skiing at Big White, Canada Day at the Waterfront, having a beach day in Summerland with the family, or hiking on Knox Mountain – the variety makes the Okanagan special.

Clare Harvey, Professor, School of Nursing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Primary health care, healthcare workforce, access to care, equity in care

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I love finding new ways of care delivery and supporting people who have struggled to access care because of systemic barriers.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I was “found” by your recruiting agency and they threw the carrot. Once I had come for my interview, I was satisfied that I could make the big leap across continents and seas. I liked what I saw at my interview.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Not sure yet. This is my third week here. The valley and mountains are stunning.


Hashim Islam, Assistant Professor, School of Health and Exercise Sciences

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Mitochondria – aka the powerhouse of the cell – are essential for normal physiological function. My research focuses on mitochondrial function in different human cells and tissues, and the impacts of exercise, nutrition, and chronic disease.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Engaging students in cutting edge exercise metabolism research that is being conducted here at UBCO.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time here as a postdoctoral fellow over the last 3+ years. I believe the environment and connections I have made across campus over the years have set me up to succeed as an independent researcher.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

All things outdoor – running, cycling, hiking, etc. Nothing beats the views at Kalamalka lake on a sunny summer day!

Tal Avgar, Assistant Professor, Biology

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I study wildlife space-use ecology (movement and habitat selection) and its interrelationship with populations and community dynamics

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Integrating behavioural ecology into spatially explicit, individual-based, population viability projections

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I have a great network of collaborators at UBCO, and in Western Canada in general; UBCO is fast becoming a leader in the advancement and application of cutting-edge terrestrial wildlife ecology

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Mountain-biking on the Eastern slopes


Renelle Dubosq, Assistant Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research focuses on investigating the physical and chemical processes that operate at the micro- to nanoscale in minerals. I aim to understand how these small-scale processes relate to larger geological phenomena, such as the formation of ore deposits and the propagation of earthquakes.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

In research, I am particularly excited about the development and application of high-spatial resolution analytical techniques, originally designed for materials science, to the study of minerals. In teaching, I am enthusiastic about engaging with students’ natural curiosities and learning from them as much as they learn from me. I am thrilled to contribute to shaping the next generation of scientists.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBC Okanagan is a young and fast-growing campus, full of energy and potential. The close-knit nature of the EEGS department particularly stands out, as it fosters strong connections between faculty and students, creating a supportive and collaborative environment that is ideal for mentorship and growth.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Hiking! I have been exploring different hiking trails around Kelowna. One of my favorite areas so far is Myra Canyon.


Perry Howard, Associate Professor, Biology

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I am interested in how RNA processing in cells affects cell behaviour during differentiation and under conditions of stress.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m very excited about the regulation of proteins by RNA and how this controls cellular states and responses.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

Research excellence of the Department of Biology and the exciting work that is happening here.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

The hiking in the surrounding hills is spectacular and very accessible. Can be out in the wilderness in no time.

2023

Peter Hutchinson, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research/teaching interest investigates how cultural activities promote health. The cultural activities I am most interested in are land-based activities amongst Metis and First Nations. I work primarily with urban Indigenous People.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the number of urban Indigneous People who are interested in learning within a land based activity. The land is our first teacher and continues to provide lessons if we are open to being students of the land.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose to come to UBCO as I have lived here for several years and have worked closely with many community and faculty members. I appreciate the small city size with a great balance of city and rural life.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

My favourite Okanagan activity is winter sports. I am an avid skier and enjoy exploring the backcountry that is readily accessible from Kelowna. Backcountry skiing provides a balance of tranquillity and excitement.

Anita Girvan, Assistant Professor, English and Cultural Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Cultural politics of climate change; metaphors and stories as mediators of larger-than-human relations; Black and Indigenous feminist ecological thought; local-global traffics of decolonization.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

SSHRC-funded research projects: “E-Race-sures, Renovictions and Reclamations: Cultural-Material Production in Canada” (PI) and “Racialized Ecologies (co-investigator). Current teaching: CULT 490 – “Cultural Studies: From Birmingham to BLM and Beyond.”

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The job description – Cultural Studies and Environmental Justice
Okanagan Syilx beautiful territory

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I am teaching remotely this first term at UBCO, so that is yet to come when I learn more about Okanagan Syilx lands and relations.

Adam Saifer, Assistant Professor

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Critical philanthropy studies; nonprofit organizations; sustainable community development; critical management studies; national identity; “the arts” and cultural production; racial capitalism; critical discourse analysis

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

New projects and collaborations:

  1. Social Justice Philanthropy Under Racial Capitalism w/ Dr. Patrizia Zanoni
  2. Investigating Institutional Philanthropy’s Entanglement with Right-Wing Populism in Canada w/ Dr. Fahad Ahmad

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

Non-traditional, interdisciplinary, and social change-oriented Faculty of Management. Beautiful city. Small campus for collaboration.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Don’t know yet!

Alessandro Ielpi, Associate Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research group is conducting research focused on three broad thematics: Earth and planetary geomorphology; basin analysis; and fluvial biogeochemistry.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Applications of geophysical modelling to surface processes, and particularly landscape change related to external stressors such as climate change and human-driven land-use change.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The focus of EEGS on freshwater- and watershed-related sciences, in conjunction with the expertise therein on other geoscience disciplines related to long-term landscape evolution such as tectonics.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Anything related to outdoors activities, from hiking to paddling.

2022

Lauren Human, Associate Professor, Psychology

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research and teaching interests are in social and personality psychology, with an emphasis on how accuracy and bias in our social perceptions relate to personal and interpersonal well-being.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited about recent developments in my research exploring the implications of online social interactions, through Zoom and social media for example, for our social perceptions and well-being.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBC Okanagan to be part of a vibrant, growing institution that prioritizes both innovative research and teaching, with exceptional students and colleagues, and that is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

My first introduction to the Okanagan many years ago was visiting some of its beautiful wineries and that remains one of my favourite activities in the area.


Laura Meek, Assistant Professor, CCGS

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Pharmaceuticals and Counterfeits, Global Health, Leprosy, Disease Elimination, Tanzania and East Africa, Indian Ocean Worlds, Ethnography, Cultural and Medical Anthropology, Black Studies, African Studies, Feminist and Postcolonial Science Studies

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m collaborating with African students and scholars to organize a conference entitled “Decolonizing Global Health and Science in Africa”. This conference will be devoted to rethinking Western definitions of what counts as “health” or “science.”

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBC Okanagan because I was impressed by the intellectual rigor, ethos of experimentation, and interdisciplinary openness of all the faculty and students I met here. I’m very excited to be thinking and teaching in such an environment!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I just moved here so don’t know the area well yet, but I took my family to Paul’s Tomb (a beach) at Knox Mountain Park and we all loved it. The Okanagan is even more stunning than the photos can capture. I can’t wait to explore it more!


Sajjad NejatieSajjad Nejatie, Assistant Professor, History

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

In broad terms, my research and teaching cover the history of Islam in Asia. I am particularly interested in understanding the societies, politics, and cultures of the “Persianate” world—that is, the vast territory of Eurasia stretching from Iran and Turkey in the west to Central Asia and India in the east that was historically defined by Persian culture. Within the burgeoning field of Persianate studies, my research focuses on the complex processes involved in state-building, how early modern polities commemorated their accomplishments in the historical works they patronized, and the ways in which pre-modern histories are represented in modern nationalist discourses. This research background informs the courses I teach on Asian history.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am currently engaged in a number of research projects, including a book manuscript entitled The Pearl of Pearls, which charts the emergence of the modern Afghan state in the lifetime of the nation’s putative founder, Ahmad Shah Durr-i Durran (r. 1747–72). I am also thrilled to bring my teaching experience to UBCO’s Department of History and Sociology and to engage the student community within the framework of both existing and newly designed courses.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

What attracted me to UBC Okanagan was the environment of respect, collegiality, and academic excellence that it nurtured. It is truly exciting to be part of a growing and vibrant community whose core values align with my own.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

There is no shortage of activities to enjoy in the Okanagan. As someone who enjoys spending time in the outdoors, I am eager to further explore the hiking trails, cycling routes, and natural beauty of the area.

Annie Wan, Associate Professor, Creative Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Creative tech

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

AR/ VR/ XR

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBC Okanagan because it is one of the best universities in the country

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I enjoy boating.

Klaske van Heusden, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research interests are in data-driven and learning control, with applications to mechatronic systems, robotics and emerging applications in agriculture and health care.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m really excited by developments in Ag-tech, spurred by advances in sensing and vision. Our food production relies on feedback from observations. Translating information from new technology to impactful decisions can really improve sustainability.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The combination of a world-class university and the location. I am also really excited to be part of a school where it is easy to connect with colleagues from other disciplines.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I love mountain biking, my favorite local trail is the test of humanity in Summerland.

Katrina PlamondonCarla Hilario, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My teaching and research are intertwined and grounded in a commitment to addressing health equity and fostering health, with a focus on young people’s health outcomes and access to healthcare using mixed methods and community-engaged approaches.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited to learn more about the Okanagan and ways that my research can grow in the direction of integrating myself into the work of health equity and adolescent health promotion in this part of the world.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBC Okanagan for its renowned nursing faculty and the School of Nursing vision for promoting health and advancing equity. In addition, UBCO is able to draw on the UBC infrastructure while cultivating its own collegial, generative community.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I am afraid I don’t have one yet and would love recommendations!


Mary Clare Kennedy, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research primarily focuses on social-structural dimensions of health among people who use drugs and novel substance use interventions, with a current focus on safe supply programs and supervised consumption services.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m really excited about working with faculty, students, affected community members and health system partners to identify and advance evidence-informed strategies to improve the health of people use drugs in the Okanagan and beyond.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The opportunity to work at an institution with a strong commitment to supporting interdisciplinary, community-engaged research that addresses society’s most pressing challenges.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I love running, hiking, cycling, paddleboarding and snowboarding, so I’m looking forward to exploring all the nature and beauty that the Okanagan has to offer.

2021

Adeniyi P. Asiyanbi, Assistant Professor, Geography

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research and teaching combine insights across critical geography and interdisciplinary political ecology to understand nature-society relations broadly. Specifically, my research sits at the intersection of forests, climate change & neoliberalism.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the critical and innovative contributions that my field is making around some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time — from climate change to biodiversity loss, from sustainability issues to social justice.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

First, it was the perfect alignment of the advertised position with my areas of research and teaching expertise. I was also drawn by the excellent reputation and dynamism of UBC. Of course, with the position in the Okanagan, it can’t get any better.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I enjoy hiking in the mountains and along the lakes. I also love to pick my fruits and vegetables out on the farms.


Jonathan Cinnamon, Assistant Professor, Geography

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I’m interested in how digital technologies shape society and the places we inhabit, including the societal impact of location technologies, surveillance, data-driven urbanism, and digital inequalities.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I have an ongoing interest in the development of novel data collection and analysis techniques. In particular, I’m excited about further developing my research and teaching on visual methods, including the analysis of panoramic street-level imagery

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I came to UBC Okanagan to be a part of a rapidly growing and exciting environment that fosters academic excellence in education, research, and community impact, while also being proximate to family and recreation opportunities.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I’m looking forward to winter sports and cycling, and spending my free time exploring places off the beaten path with my partner, son, and dog.


Brad Epperly, Assistant Professor, Political Science

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Research: rule of law, courts, democracy Teaching: political economy, law and politics, democracy and authoritarianism

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m working on a project examining the use of law and violence as tools of voter suppression in the post-Reconstruction US South. In term 2 I’m teaching a class on democracy and authoritarianism. Both are new to me, and therefore fun and exciting.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

Cascadia is my favorite corner of the continent, and UBC is a great university.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Arriving in the middle of a pandemic has made for an odd experience, and has limited my activities. Walking my dog through Rotary Marsh Park every morning is a pleasure.


Elena Nicoladis, Professor, Department Head, Psychology

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I am interested in understanding how children and adults learn language. By language, I mean both speech and other communicative bodily movements (like hand gesture and facial expressions and stance). I’m interested in both bilingual and monolinguals.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

We just completed a study in which we found that Punjabi-English bilinguals were more comfortable speaking Punjabi with another bilingual than English. This was a curious finding because they were more proficient in English than in Punjabi.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

It is exciting to be on a campus with such high morale for what can be done here. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

My new favourite pastime is to drive at the speed limit: it’s great fun. Drives people nuts, particularly on one-lane roads.


Madeleine Ransom, Assistant Professor, Philosophy

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My current research is on perceptual bias, and how this can undergird or reinforce social stereotypes. My teaching interests range from the philosophy of psychology to the meaning of life.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited to teach Philosophy of Biology next Fall, with a focus on failed biological explanations of race and sex. This ties into my research as it focuses on the interplay between perceptual categories and biological theorizing.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

It’s a top Canadian research university in a beautiful setting.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I’m not sure yet as I only move to Kelowna this summer. I suspect it will be the beach.


Geoffrey Sigalet, Assistant Professor, Political Science

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research and teaching concerns the relationship between constitutionalism and democratic politics. My work spans the fields of constitutional theory, the politics of the Canadian Charter, comparative constitutional law, and legal philosophy.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m very excited about my research on section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the “notwithstanding clause”). The clause has been invoked in a number of recent statutes and I am fascinated by its implications for protecting rights.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

That’s easy: I was drawn to the excellent research community here and its proximity to my family. My grandma lives just up the road in Vernon and my family has deep roots in the area.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I love fly fishing on the beautiful high country lakes and skiing in the Shuswap on Queest Mountain.


Camille Simardone, Assistant Professor, Economics

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research interests are in applied econometrics, machine learning, and labour economics. Most recently, I have been investigating how the pandemic has affected the labour market outcomes of women, particularly mothers, in Canada.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

My research will evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic on labour market outcomes of women in Canada, using both traditional and novel econometric approaches.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBCO because of the interdisciplinary nature of the department, the communal culture, and the strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

As a former ski instructor, I am looking forward to the ski season!


Onyx Sloan Morgan, Assistant Professor, Geography

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research and teaching interests inform one another. Most of my research is community-engaged and focuses on how communities are navigating complex social and legal power structures to enliven self-determined ways of being.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

My most affirming development to date is that the communities who I started doing research with years ago still want to work together. I’m also regularly amazed at the brilliance and passion of students. I’m constantly developing because of them.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I grew up in so-called BC, and my research and personal relationships are here. UBCO is at an exciting place of growth and change while being focused on local priorities. I value this focus and am grateful to be on a smaller, engaging campus.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I’m fascinated by the landscape, colours, and creatures who I have met on Syilx territories. So much feels so new. I’m excited to cross country ski, snowshoe, and to enjoy the milder winters since I’ve been in northern BC for the last four years.


Shawn Wilson, Associate Professor, Indigenous Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research focuses on the development of Indigenous research methodologies and methods in the fields of culture, health and well-being. We apply the resulting Indigenous knowledge in community contexts to make the world a better place.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

We are currently working to revive traditional methods in Indigenous Astronomy. Indigenous astronomy helps us to better understand the underlying nature of the universe so that we are better able to fulfill our roles as humans within it.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The other faculty working at UBC Okanagan!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Due to the global Covid pandemic, I am currently working from home in Australia. I look forward to making the physical move to the Okanagan in the coming months.

Sakiru Adebayo, Assistant Professor, English and Cultural Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

African Literature, African Diaspora Literature, Memory Studies, Melancholy Studies and Postcolonial Studies

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am very excited that academia is becoming more receptive of decolonial scholarship, that we are becoming more recognizant of other ways of knowing which may not be in accordance with colonial epistemologies.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I was persuaded that UBCO’s intellectual environment and culture would enhance my flourishing as a research and teacher. I knew I could make an impact in my Department and the University at large; I felt my expertise would be highly appreciated.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

None yet.


Astrida Neimanis, Associate Professor, English and Cultural Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I work in the field of feminist environmental humanities – i.e. feminist, queer, crip, antiracist, decolonial approaches to climate change and environmental crisis. I work with artists and scientists. Mostly, I write about water and weather.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Finding new ways to understand climate catastrophe and the various deformations of social relations that subtend it. This work is depressing and difficult, but can also be joyful, affirmative, inspiring, and best of all – contagious.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

A tremendous research-focused opportunity to work across two departments – Cultural studies in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and Gender studies, in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. This is my perfect fit! A unicorn, actually.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Swimming in the lake before swimming season really begins. It is solitary, freezing cold, and entirely life-affirming.


Shawn Serfas, Associate Professor, Creative Studies

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Contemporary painting and drawing concerning relational abstraction, environmental aesthetics, religion, the landscape, as well as issues bordering abstraction and representation are the basin and range of my creative research.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

My new research lab/studio in Lake Country has much promise, it is currently being renovated and should be operational spring 2022. As for teaching, I am excited to help continue building one of the best creative schools in the country.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The region, the great people and diverse programs, plus the ability to build at UBC Okanagan were highly desirable.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Hiking with my family, and laughing while getting some exercise.

Jessica Chan, Assistant Professor, Education

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research examines individual differences in reading achievement for language-diverse learners, including children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and children with and without learning disabilities.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am interested in how oral language skills relate to reading achievement, and how language and literacy skills impact learning across the curriculum. I am excited about bridging different disciplinary perspectives in my research program.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I am inspired by the faculty’s commitment to building and fostering community-based partnerships. At the Okanagan School of Education, I will contribute to the B.Ed. and graduate programs in the fields of Literacy and Language Arts Education.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Exploring different trails and farmers markets around the Okanagan Valley!

Michael Benoit, Assistant Professor, Manufacturing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research falls into two main areas: metal additive manufacturing and welding & joining. What excites me the most about my research is that we get to push the limits of materials science & engineering while also solving industry-driven problems.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am very excited by the opportunity to build & lead my research group, to engage with local industry to solve meaningful problems, and to build interdisciplinary collaborations with a dynamic group of colleagues in the School of Engineering.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I chose UBC Okanagan because of the opportunity to join & help shape the new manufacturing engineering program. The Okanagan is also an absolutely beautiful place to be!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

My favourite activity/spot in the Okanagan so far is taking my two dogs down to Okanagan Centre for a swim in the lake.


Alon Eisenstein, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My teaching is focused on entrepreneurship and professional development. This includes transferable skills such as leadership and communication. My research focuses on studying pedagogical approaches such as experiential and problem-based learning.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Work-Integrated Learning is evolving fast these days, including Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning, which is particularly exciting as there are growing calls for more entrepreneurship teaching and innovative pedagogies.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBC Okanagan is situated in the breathtaking Okanagan valley and is bubbling with excitement due to super-fast growth. This makes UBC Okanagan the best place to live, work and grow, while enjoying nature at its best.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I love hiking, and Okanagan has so many to offer. Both within Kelowna or a short drive up the mountains around, there is so much nature to see and take in.


Suliman Gargoum, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My work focuses on developing ML algorithms that help transform the road design and infrastructure management process into one that is data-driven and road user-centric. I then use the information in advanced modelling of road safety and resiliency.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Laser scanners & ioT sensors have caused an influx of big data. I believe research on translating data into information using statistical models, machine learning, and AI will transform Civil/Transportation Engineering, which I’m very excited about!

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBC is one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions known for promoting cutting-edge research. The School of Engineering’s structure encourages cross-discipline collaboration. The combination made it a great research growth opportunity!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

To this point, I didn’t really get a chance to explore the region but there are multiple activities on my to-do list!


Alyse Hawley, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I use systems ecology approaches with big data science to uncover how microbial metabolic interactions underlie the stability and processes robustness within both engineered and natural microbial ecosystems.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited to study parallel processes in engineered systems (eg bioreactors) and natural environments. This provides insights into both engineering interventions and natural processes where microbes impact the environment on a larger scale.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The feeling of collegiality on a smaller campus. The opportunity to be a part of UBCO growing into something bigger.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I have enjoyed picking apricots from our tree with my family.


Vicki Komisar, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Research Interests: Balance, Falls, Aging, Biomechanics, Motor Control, Ergonomics, Assistive Technology, and Built Environment Design Teaching Interests: Anything related to engineering design and biomedical engineering

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m excited to work with UBCO researchers, older adults, caregivers and practitioners, on key challenges in balance and falls. Beyond community/clinical contexts, my research recently led to a change in WorkSafeBC’s guidelines for fall prevention.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBCO has world-leading researchers in balance, falls and human movement sciences who are well-connected with the community. The combination of research excellence and a small school to facilitate multi-sectoral collaborations was a major draw.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

My favourite Okanagan activities are anything involving the lake or a hike in the mountains.


Lisa Tobber, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

I develop seismic design guidelines for reinforced concrete buildings, where I use both experimental testing and computer models to understand the movements and forces within these buildings under strong earthquake shaking.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

My research will be instrumental in changing the way we design buildings, making them both safer and more resilient. I am excited about making an impact on the world.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBCO is unique as it is a world-class institution in the middle of a phenomenal natural environment. I love working on research with a diverse group of people during the day and then exploring the mountainside alone in the afternoon.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Fishing by far! I love ice fishing in the winter and fishing at one of Okanagan 50+ lakes in the spring, summer, and fall.


Babak Mohamadpour Tosarkani, Assistant Professor, Manufacturing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My areas of expertise are in the field of Operations and Supply Chain Management. I teach three courses, including Production Systems Management II (MANF 370), Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainability (MANF 450), Supply Chain Tactics and Strategies (MANF 460).

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited to advance state-of-the-art methods to support industries in the configuration of sustainable closed-loop supply chain networks in which several facilities cooperate effectively over the entire product life cycle. 

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

All UBC faculty members are pioneers in their fields which makes me motivated to do the interdisciplinary research. Collaborative research is one of the key factors to enhance the prospective impact of our investigations on society.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Walking and swimming are my favourite activities.

Vicki Foley, Associate Professor of Teaching, Nursing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Nursing pedagogy, clinical teaching/learning, preceptorship, nursing workforce issues, & care of the elderly; expertise is in qualitative methodologies

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Promoting the scholarship of clinical teaching and learning, as well as enhancing the knowledge mobilization strategies associated with qualitative research in the discipline of nursing.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The high standard of education programs offered at UBCO as well as the climate in the Okanagan region. It’s such a beautiful place to live and work!

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Boating, hiking, and skiing at Silver Star. I love all outdoor activities in this beautiful place! The Okanagan Rail Trail is another absolute favorite.


Jeffrey More, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Social Work

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Jeffrey’s teaching focuses on preparing graduate students for ethical and inclusive (anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive) clinical practice. His pedagogy intends to model the fundamentals of the skills and knowledge he disseminates.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

He is passionate about expanding ways to integrate students to collaborate in grading and developing each course curriculum. Although research is not his current priority, he remains enthused about recent projects that intend to enhance clinical SW.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

Teaching in a graduate program and one that bases itself on clinical social work practice is why Jeffrey competed for a position in the SSW at UBC-O.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

In the Okanagan, Jeffrey continues his enthusiasm for mountain biking which he admits comes close to an obsession. He will be found on all the local trail networks rejuvenating himself.


Charlene Ronquillo, Assistant Professor, Nursing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My program of research focuses on health informatics, nursing, and health equity, underpinned by critical theory and implementation science.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited to build new relationships and strengthen existing collaborations with the health authorities and colleagues from other disciplines.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

To be part of a highly respected, research-intensive, and and top Nursing school in Canada, and a world class institution. Of course, a chance to live in the beautiful Okanagan and be closer to family were big draws as well.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I am still in the process of discovering the Okanagan so identifying favourite activities and spots are actively in the works!


John Sasso, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Health and Exercise Science

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Teaching Interest: Exercise Physiology Physiological Assessment & Evaluation Training Program Design in Health, Sport & Chronic Disease Clinical Exercise Therapy Applied Sport Science Practical Skills in Exercise Testing, Prescription & Monitoring

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Designing new approaches to preparing students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills to work as clinical exercise professionals in sport, fitness and health care environments.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

UBC Okanagan has is uniquely placed to support the training and qualification of health and exercise practitioners, with its focus on undergraduate education, clinical research and its robust connections with the surrounding community.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Cycling and running through the many routes and trails of the Okanagan. The diverse landscapes embedded in the area’s natural environment provide awe-inspiring places to build and maintain health & wellness.


Melanie Willson, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Nursing

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Active learning; perinatal and childbearing families health; lactation; clinical education; remediation in clinical practice; preceptorship.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Given the current context of the pandemic, teaching students in 4th year leadership and final practice placement courses is an honour. These students are the nurses of tomorrow and I am so proud of their hard work.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I have been a clinical assistant and lecturer in the school of nursing for the past 6 years. I am excited to shift into this new role and opportunity.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Okanagan lake. I love open-water swimming and we’re lucky to have so many options for swimming in Kelowna.

Brendan Dyck, Assistant Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research is focused on understanding the chemical and physical processes operating deep within a terrestrial planet’s crust. I employ thermodynamics, microscopy and, where possible, fieldwork to study deep crustal and metamorphic processes.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

On the experimental side, the integration of mineral microstructure and chemistry. On the theoretical side, it is the integration of new astronomical data with petrological models that were developed for Earth’s crust & mantle that excites me most.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The research facilities and expertise in trace element & isotope geochemistry and electron-beam microscopy in the FiLTER lab.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

In the winter, nordic skiing at one of the many excellent ski areas found in the Okanagan. In the summer, biking the trails in and around Kelowna.


Emmanuel Osei, Assistant Professor, Biology

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research focuses on establishing 3D in vitro models to understand how multicellular and multiorgan interactions contribute to lung immunity and tissue homeostasis in health and disease. I lecture Developmental Biology in the Biology department.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I am excited about using 3D bioprinters, & organs-on-chip systems to tease out the complex interactions between structural and immune cells in the lungs. I believe we are making headway in replacing & refining animal use in research with 3D models.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

My PhD was joint between UBC & the University of Groningen. Hence I spent half of it in UBC Vancouver and did my postdoc there too. It was always a dream of mine to work in UBC, and I prefered the Okanagan due to its beauty & smaller campus.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I am yet to explore the Okanagan, but I will say my favourite spot so far is the beach and lakefront. It has incredible scenery. I am looking forward to more amazing fun activities as I explore with my family, colleagues, and friends.


Conor Pranckevicius, Assistant Professor, Chemistry

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research centers around the development of new sustainable catalysts for essential chemical reactions. My group approaches this problem by studying new methods for the activation of inert chemical bonds utilizing earth abundant elements.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

The past decade of research has uncovered striking reactivity of earth-abundant Group XIII compounds in challenging bond activations. Developing this technology will help curb our reliance on rare and toxic precious metals in catalysts.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

As a growing university, UBC Okanagan provides a unique opportunity for my research team to shape the future of the Chemistry department here. I am very excited to be in an environment where I can collaborate with many rising stars in the community.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

Rock Climbing! UBC Okanagan is fortunate to be on the doorstep of many beautiful wilderness areas, and being able to easily access spaces such as KLO Creek and Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park allows one to find a fulfilling work-life balance.


Gema Rodríguez-Pérez, Assistant Professor, Computer Science

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

My research interests are empirical software engineering; mining software repositories; bug localization and prediction; diversity and social aspects in software engineering, software team dynamics.

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

I’m excited to develop technologies and approaches that can improve the quality and mitigate the embedded biases of software products developed in online collaborative environments.

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

The diversity of the department and its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion on Campus. The beautiful location also helped me 🙂

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I like all outdoor activities because you can enjoy the beautiful scenery while doing workouts.


Robert Szilagyi, Associate Professor, Chemistry

What are your teaching and/or research interests?

Theoretically oriented structural and physical inorganic and organometallic chemistry, metalloenzymology, soft and hard-materials science

What developments in your research/teaching are you most excited about?

Symbiotic combination of experimental work and theoretical modeling; spectroscopic and/or theoretical method developments, using computational chemistry to provide the missing critical pieces of an experimental structure/function study

What made you choose UBC Okanagan?

I was attracted to the scientific research-oriented focus of the upper administration, the world-class research activities at the Faculty of Sciences, in particular at the Department of Chemistry.

What’s your favourite Okanagan activity or spot and why? 

I am currently training and teaching at Okanagan Aikikai, but looking forward to taking advantage of downhill and cross country skiing, hiking during the spring and autumn, and watersports during summer.