LFS Today Oct 1, 2021

LFS Virtual Townhall today at noon!

All faculty and staff are invited to join today’s Townhall at noon. We have adjusted the date & time to accommodate teaching schedules of the Associate Deans. We will record the session for those who cannot make it this afternoon.

Agenda 

• 12:00-12:05 pm – Welcome and land acknowledgement by Rickey
• 12:05-12:55 pm – Roundtable Updates – from Rickey, Associate Dean, Directors
• 12:55-1:00 pm – Questions and Answers
• 1:00pm – Wrap up

To submit questions in advance or during the Townhall, please use Slido: 

1. Go to the website www.sli.do;
2. Enter event code ‘LFS’ to post a question or vote for an existing one.

If you need the Zoom meeting link for today, contact Rebecca at lfs.dean@ubc.ca

New Face in the MFRE Program!

Please join us as we welcome Olivier Ntwali as our new MFRE Program Coordinator.  His role will be to act as the primary academic resource person to support students and instructors and enhance the student experience by contributing to program learning, activities, planning, and assessment. In addition, he will also be leading several new MFRE initiatives in the areas of agribusiness and  environmental data analysis.

He holds a BSc – Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness from the National University of Rwanda and a MFRE degree. As a MFRE alumnus (2018), UBC Master Card Scholar, and Agricultural Economist, and having worked previously at the MFRE Program back in 2019 and most recently, taking on a promotion to Inventory Lead at Ballard Power Systems, Olivier brings extensive experience to this role. 

Olivier’s academic and work experience, together with his strong skills in project coordination and decision-making software tools, will be a strong addition to the MFRE program. His first day with us will be Nov 1/21 – so please come by and introduce yourself (either virtually or in-person)!

Staff News from LFS Student Services – Congratulations and farewell, Cassandra Torres

It is with mixed emotions we share that Cassandra Torres, Student Support Specialist, will be closing out her time in LFS Student Services after only a few short months with our team – her last day with us will be Friday, October 8. Cassandra was the first one to hold the position when she joined us in June, and was immediately impactful, and developed a strong relationship with our team and our students. She will be returning to the unit she completed a co-op position with, UBC Safety & Risk Services (SRS), as a Emergency Management & Continuity Planning Advisor. This is an exciting opportunity for Cassandra to help support UBC in building resiliency and best prepare for emergencies on campus, and we wish her the best as she moves in to this new position. She will be missed.
 
We thank you, in advance, for your patience as the team operates without someone in this role in the coming months. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Christine Klaray, Director, Student Services: christine.klaray@ubc.ca. 

Job Posting: Undergraduate Student Support Specialist Position

As a member of the LFS Student Services team, this position provides front-line support, information, and assistance in the resolution of complex issues to current students, prospective students, LFS faculty and the general public regarding admission, basic course planning, student records and registration, and other routine functions supporting LFS students. The specialist refers students to University and Faculty policies and procedures and provides guidance and interpretation to students. This position deals with a wide range of confidential and sensitive information. This position may evolve and duties may be added or removed in response to updated operational requirements, unit, and Faculty goals. This position requires an individual who is comfortable in an atmosphere that will adapt to meet student needs, and as new technologies or opportunities for improved processes are identified.

The closing date for this job posting (https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcstaffjobs/job/UBC-Vancouver-Campus/Undergraduate-Student-Support-Specialist_JR4455-1) is 11:59pm on Sunday, October 3^rd . We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.

Call for nominations – Associate Dean, Academic

Zhaoming Xu will be completing his term as Associate Dean, Academic on June 30, 2022. Zhaoming started in this role on July 1, 2019 and has been instrumental in overseeing our undergraduate academic programs, and supporting and promoting effective teaching and learning in the Faculty. We would like to thank him for his excellent service over the past 2 years, and for his outstanding support of the Faculty during COVID-19 when we quickly moved to online teaching and learning.

We are now seeking a nomination for his replacement to start July 1, 2022. If you would like to be considered for this role or nominate another faculty member to serve, please email Melanie Train (melanie.train@ubc.ca). General duties include all activities relating to: teaching and learning in undergraduate programs; fostering and promoting teaching excellence within the Faculty; representing the Faculty across campus on undergraduate education issues; and curriculum coordination. This role comes with a 3 credit course release and annual stipend.

🥎 LFS vs Forestry Softball Fall Classic 🥎 – Monday, Oct. 4

LFS will be taking on its cross-Main Mall rivals in the Faculty of Forestry for a softball game! Sharpen your axes! We’ll be playing on Monday, October 4th from 3-5. The plan is to play at Nobel Park next to UBC Farm, but that is not finalized yet.

Want to join the team? Great! Let Duncan know: duncan.mchugh@ubc.ca No skills or experience necessary, all welcome. If you have a glove, please bring it, though we’ll have a couple on hand. LFS will provide bats, helmets, bases, balls, and snacks. Hope to see you on the diamond!

Sustainable Friday

Your sustainability tip of the week is

Utilize the LFS Freecycle Shelf in the loading bay of the MacMillan building.
You can find novels, textbooks, dishes, clothing, etc.

Do you have a sustainability tip to share with your colleagues? Send it to mcm-lst@lists.ubc.ca and lfs.today@ubc.ca! Tips can cover a range of settings, from lab work to your community to working from home.

UBC Climate Change Research Symposium

VP Research and Innovation is hosting a UBC Climate Change Research Symposium, being held virtually on October 13 & 14.

It will feature climate researchers from multiple faculties on our Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, with keynote speakers UBC Professor of Climate Justice, Naomi Klein and Professor David Wilkinson (Chemical and Biological Engineering). 
 
This symposium will help to make connections between related areas of climate change research and enhance the potential of UBC researchers to significantly impact climate change through research and innovation. 
 
The primary audience for this symposium is UBC’s research community of faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Registration is limited.
 
Visit https://research.ubc.ca/climate-change-research-symposium for more information and to register.