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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260521
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260819
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260519T161323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T154848Z
UID:10025584-1779321600-1787097599@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:The Structure of Smoke exhibition
DESCRIPTION:UBC Okanagan Gallery\, in collaboration with the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery\, is excited to announce that a version of The Structure of Smoke exhibition is coming to Syilx territory in the Okanagan this summer. Co-curated by Melanie O’Brian and Tania Willard\, The Structure of Smoke explores artworks that problematize the poetic\, structural and political aspects of fire. \nIn a region where wildfires regularly impact our lives and the landscape\, The Structure of Smoke gathers together artists to conceptualize our relationship to this challenging force of nature. \nThroughout the exhibition\, contemporary artists explore both the metaphorical and literal processes of fire and the spaces it creates and displaces. In a range of mediums—including sculpture\, video\, screen prints\, photography and painting—the works challenge the viewer to examine the ways in which we live with fire both now and in the future. \nThe Structure of Smoke brings together works from select artists in the original exhibition run\, including Amber Frid-Jimenez\, Samuel Roy-Bois\, Heraa Khan\, Jeneen Frei Njootli\, Other Sights\, Pratchaya Phinthong\, Art Hunter and Susan Point. The Okanagan version of the exhibit includes artists Taylor Baptiste\, Andreas Rutkauskas and Woojae Kim. \nThe exhibition is open to the public and free to attend on weekdays from Thursday\, May 21\, to Tuesday\, August 18\, from 9 am to 4 pm in the FINA Gallery\, located in the Creative and Critical Studies building. 
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/the-structure-of-smoke-exhibition/
LOCATION:Creative and Critical Studies Building (CCS) – FINA Gallery\, 1148 Research Road\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Art Gallery,Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260626T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260626T140000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260429T191055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T191609Z
UID:10025549-1782464400-1782482400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Course (re)Design Intensive Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Do you have a new course that you need to design for the next academic year? Are you trying to set aside time to rethink an aspect of an existing course\, such as accounting for students’ use of generative AI? \nThis year’s theme: (Re)designing with generative AI in mind (with optional use of AI to support the process) \nThe Course (re)Design Intensive is an opportunity for you to be guided through the step-by-step process of designing a learner-centred course that aligns with your goals and the needs of your program. Benefit from dedicated time in a collaborative space with constructive feedback from colleagues to produce a well-thought-out course plan. \nRegister now
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/course-redesign-intensive-workshop/2026-06-26/
LOCATION:Science Building (SCI)\, 1177 Research Road\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Centre for Teaching and Learning
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/04/Course-reDesign-Intensive-Workshop-scaled-e1777489631404.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260629T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260629T150000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260519T160559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T155423Z
UID:10025591-1782730800-1782745200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Dissertation Defence: Autonomic Patterns for Presence and Absence
DESCRIPTION:Lisa van den Beld\, supervised by Dr. Brian O’Connor\, will defend their dissertation titled “Autonomic Patterns for Presence and Absence: An Idiographic Investigation of Mind–Body Dynamics” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychological Sciences. \nAn abstract for Lisa van den Beld’s dissertation is included below. \nExaminations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person exams. \nAbstract\nThis dissertation investigated the autonomic physiological correlates of two fundamental experiential states: presence and absence. Presence was defined as self-regulated attention to present-moment experience\, while absence reflected a lack of such attention\, encompassing constructs such as mindlessness and normative dissociation. Guided by Polyvagal Theory (PVT)\, the study hypothesized that these two states would be associated with distinct patterns of autonomic activity across cardiac and respiratory domains. \nA repeated single-case design was employed with five participants over 20 days using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and ambulatory physiological monitoring. Participants provided reports of presence or absence in response to smartphone prompts\, which were temporally linked to data collected via wearable sensors. Measures included heart rate (HR)\, heart rate variability (RMSSD)\, respiratory rate\, and tidal volume. A movement meditation\, hypothesized to foster embodied presence\, was practiced for 10 days. Analyses focused on within-person patterns using permutation-based approaches\, with physiological variables standardized relative to each individual’s baseline. \nResults demonstrated both increases and decreases in reports of presence across the study. Physiologically\, two sets of patterns for presence and absence emerged\, providing preliminary evidence that presence and absence may be associated with identifiable autonomic signatures. One pattern was primarily characterized by cardiac indicators (lower HR and higher RMSSD during absence)\, and another by respiratory patterns (higher respiratory rate during absence). These findings provided partial support for the hypothesized distinction between presence and absence\, while also suggesting that individual differences in arousal and/or valence perception can drive autonomic correlates. While PVT provides a useful organizing framework\, incorporating self-reports of arousal may be necessary for a more complete account of the physiological organization of momentary conscious experience in naturalistic contexts. \nImportantly\, the analysis and interpretation of physiological activity depended on a within-person frame of reference\, highlighting the importance of within-person approaches in psychophysiology. The findings further suggest that idiographic and ecologically valid methodologies are critical for advancing the understanding of mind – body relationships in naturalistic settings.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/dissertation-defence-autonomic-patterns-for-presence-and-absence/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/05/Lisa-van-den-Beld.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260629T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260629T180000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160219Z
UID:10025626-1782741600-1782756000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: The Ghosts Of Vintage Garments
DESCRIPTION:Valeriia Pelevina\, supervised by Dr. Ilya Parkins\, will defend their thesis titled “The Ghosts Of Vintage Garments: Decentering The Liberal Subject Through A Hauntology Of Entangled Relations In Fashion” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Power\, Conflict\, and Ideas theme. \nAn abstract for Valeriia Pelevina’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nThis thesis challenges the assumptions of liberal subjecthood that are present in the fashion industry and in scholarship by developing a hauntology of vintage garments. Such assumptions suggest that fashion functions as a tool of identity formation\, is anthropocentric\, and contingent on mind/body dualism. I use Jacques Derrida’s concept of hauntology to explore how garments previously worn by others impact the current wearer. I view haunting as a type of affect that is transmitted via the garment\, causing the wearer to feel the presence of another while wearing vintage clothes. By using data from qualitative interviews with vintage enthusiasts\, I propose that vintage garments are haunted as they become material memories of others who previously inhabited them. This theoretical claim serves as the basis for three parts of the analysis. I begin my analysis by discussing how vintage garments can cause the wearer to feel haunted and imagine the previous owner\, pointing to non-linear experiences of time as well as feelings of nostalgia that were exhibited during wear. Then\, I suggest that material evidence left behind by previous bodies\, such as smell\, stains\, and holes in the garment\, cause the wearer to feel haunted. Lastly\, I discuss how haunted garments enable us to connect with others\, challenging dominant systems of power through kin-making. I conclude by suggesting that people\, vintage garments\, and ghosts that inhabit them exist in an entanglement\, thereby pointing to a relationality of vintage fashion.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-the-ghosts-of-vintage-garments/
LOCATION:University Centre (UNC)\, 3272 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Valeriia-Pelevina.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T150000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260608T180814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160253Z
UID:10025611-1782808200-1782831600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:UBC Mini Med School
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the 2026 Mini Med School for Black and Indigenous students at UBC Okanagan. Learn everything you need to know about applying to the UBC Doctor of Medicine program\, our admissions process\, and the different pathways to becoming a doctor. \nTake part in fun hands-on activities to see what it’s like to be a doctor for a day! The registration deadline is June 11\, 2026. \nRegister now \nFor more information\, contact stacy.daley@ubc.ca.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/ubc-mini-med-school/
LOCATION:Reichwald Health Sciences Centre (RHS)\, 1088 Discovery Avenue\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Southern Medical Program
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Mini-Med-School.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T110000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260421T155603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T155112Z
UID:10025527-1782810000-1782817200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Tuesday Weekly Writing Community
DESCRIPTION:Tired of solo writing sessions? Craving a supportive environment to fuel your creativity? Look no further than our weekly writing community\, tailored for the UBC Okanagan community. \nYour projects\, your progress\nBring your own research and writing projects to the table! The writing community provides dedicated time for you to focus on your individual writing goals. Get ready to boost your productivity and make progress on your writing projects\, all within a supportive community environment. \nWhat you’ll experience:\nEach session is dedicated to your independent writing time. You can look forward to writing alongside others who\, like you\, are independently working on their own writing projects and goals. \nHighlights of the community:\n\nYour time to write: Join our weekly sessions with your writing and research materials ready\, and take full advantage of this opportunity to write without distractions.\nWrite together: Achieve your individual writing goals alongside other members of the UBCO community.\nGuided structure: Participate in the Pomodoro technique\, expertly facilitated by the Centre for Scholarly Communication.\nInclusivity: From undergraduates to faculty\, everyone in the UBCO community is welcome.\n\nYou’re invited to be part of this enriching community that builds community and fosters productivity. Register now and come prepared to amplify your writing endeavours. Let’s turn solitary writing into a group effort and make getting things done a community experience. \nRegister now \nQuestions? Please contact the CSC at csc.ok@ubc.ca.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/tuesday-weekly-writing-community-3/2026-06-30/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:Centre for Scholarly Communication,College of Graduate Studies,Library
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160338Z
UID:10025624-1782810000-1782824400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Quantification of sediment and organic-carbon fluxes in a boreal sub-arctic river (Dezadeash River\, Southern Yukon\, Canada)
DESCRIPTION:Angelina Nikolaeva\, supervised by Dr. Alessandro Ielpi\, will defend their thesis titled “Quantification of sediment and organic-carbon fluxes in a boreal sub-arctic river (Dezadeash River\, Southern Yukon\, Canada)” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Sciences. \nAn abstract for Angelina Nikolaeva’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nRivers act as global agents in transporting sediment\, including organic carbon (OC) in various forms\, and connect upland environments to oceans. As climate change transforms northern environments\, Arctic rivers therein have been subject to substantial change in their geomorphic and biogeochemical processes. However\, owing to the remote nature of (sub-)Arctic watersheds\, limited studies have attempted to directly quantify river mass fluxes in relation to their morphodynamics. It is therefore necessary to develop novel methodologies to estimate sediment and carbon budgets using site-specific measurements that can be upscaled to predict watershed-wide dynamics. This study aims to estimate sediment and total OC fluxes in the meandering Dezadeash River\, which is found in the sub-Arctic region of southern Yukon\, Canada. Two methodological approaches are presented herein: one based on timelapse photogrammetry and soil total-OC geochemistry\, and one on hydrology and aqueous geochemistry. The photogrammetric analysis revealed that over the observed timespan (1948–2023)\, the migration rate of the Dezadeash River increased\, possibly in response to changes in permafrost and vegetation coverage along its floodplain. This analysis also revealed that the Dezadeash River floodplain exported 0.44(-0.35)(+1.76) kT of total OC per year over the investigated period. In contrast\, the hydrologic methodology determined a yearly total OC export of 4.68(-1.42)(+4.45) kT yr 1\, as well as yearly fluxes for total suspended sediment and total dissolved sediment of\, respectively\, 28.13(-20.66)(+80.66) kT and 112.38(-42.65)(+66.85) kT per year. The difference in OC export between the two approaches reveals different contributions from floodplain and upland catchments\, as well as possible sensitivity to the timescales over which these metrics are integrated. Overall\, this research establishes a novel methodological approach to estimate biogeochemical fluxes along remote watersheds\, which may serve to inform broader-scale carbon budgets under contexts of ongoing and future climatic change.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-quantification-of-sediment-and-organic-carbon-fluxes-in-a-boreal-sub-arctic-river-dezadeash-river-southern-yukon-canada/
LOCATION:University Centre (UNC)\, 3272 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Angelina-Nikolaeva.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260618T162331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T162331Z
UID:10025649-1782810000-1782824400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Beyond the Incident: Exploring Victims’/Survivors’ Experiences of Hate-Motivated Harm and System Responses in British Columbia
DESCRIPTION:Kassandra Roul\, supervised by Dr. Michael Woodworth\, will defend their thesis titled “Beyond the Incident: Exploring Victims’/Survivors’ Experiences of Hate-Motivated Harm and System Responses in British Columbia” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. \nAn abstract for Kassandra Roul’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nHate-motivated harm is commonly understood through police-reported statistics\, legal classifications\, and institutional responses; however\, these sources provide only a partial account of how victims/survivors interpret\, navigate\, and respond to these experiences. This qualitative study examined victims’/survivors’ experiences of hate-motivated incidents in British Columbia\, with attention to meaning-making\, disclosure and help-seeking\, formal and informal responses\, and possibilities for support and repair. Eleven adults who had experienced a hate-motivated incident in British Columbia participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis within an Interpretive Description methodology. The social ecological model and trauma- and violence-informed care informed the study design and were used as interpretive lenses in the discussion. Six themes were developed. First\, participants experienced hate-motivated harm as an attack on identity\, safety\, dignity\, and belonging. Second\, participants questioned whether the incident was “bad enough” to name\, disclose\, report\, or seek support for\, reflecting the legitimacy work involved in making harm recognizable. Third\, help-seeking involved risk appraisal\, as participants weighed the potential benefits of disclosure\, reporting\, or support against possible escalation\, identity exposure\, loss of control\, institutional inaction\, and emotional burden. Fourth\, participants who sought support encountered fragmented systems that required them to locate\, coordinate\, and evaluate support pathways largely on their own. Fifth\, support was meaningful when it was validating\, relationally present\, and identity-attuned; however\, it was hollow when it was generic\, procedural\, minimizing\, or required participants to translate the identity-based meaning of the harm. Finally\, participants moved forward through varied forms of adaptation\, disengagement\, meaning-making\, and imagined systemic repair. \nFindings suggest that the aftermath of hate-motivated harm is neither linear nor adequately captured by whether an incident was reported\, services were accessed\, or a legal threshold was met. Instead\, victims’/survivors’ experiences were shaped by interconnected processes of recognition\, legitimacy\, risk appraisal\, system navigation\, validation\, and repair. The findings highlight the need for coordinated\, accessible\, hate-specific\, identity-attuned\, and trauma- and violence-informed responses that address the emotional\, relational\, and structural dimensions of hate-motivated harm without leaving victims/survivors to prove\, navigate\, or translate their experiences alone in pursuit of support and recognition.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-beyond-the-incident-exploring-victims-survivors-experiences-of-hate-motivated-harm-and-system-responses-in-british-columbia/
LOCATION:Arts Building (ART)\, 1147 Research Road\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T150000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160633Z
UID:10025623-1782817200-1782831600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Tiny Interventions\, Big Impact? An Experimental Investigation Into the Role of Auditory Micro Interventions on Body Image and Thin Ideal Exposure
DESCRIPTION:Erin Fraser\, supervised by Dr. Maya Libben\, will defend their thesis titled “Tiny Interventions\, Big Impact? An Experimental Investigation Into the Role of Auditory Micro Interventions on Body Image and Thin Ideal Exposure” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. \nAn abstract for Erin Fraser’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nThe present study examined the effectiveness of brief microinterventions in reducing state body dissatisfaction and their capacity to attenuate the impact of thin-ideal imagery among female-identifying undergraduate students. 245 participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions formed by crossing four study tasks (gratitude meditation\, mindfulness meditation\, narrated history text\, or read history text) with two imagery types (thin-ideal or neutral). State body dissatisfaction\, gratitude\, and mindfulness were assessed across three time points using validated visual analogue scales. Building on Fraser et al. (2022) the study introduced two methodological refinements: (1) the inclusion of a reading-based control condition to isolate the potential influence of a narrating voice\, and (2) in-person laboratory administration to reduce the potential for participant inattention. Results indicated that all study tasks were associated with significant short-term reductions in state body dissatisfaction; however\, these effects did not differ across intervention and control conditions. Furthermore\, reductions were not maintained following exposure to thin-ideal imagery\, as body dissatisfaction returned to baseline levels\, whereas improvements persisted following exposure to neutral images. Manipulation checks confirmed that the gratitude and mindfulness tasks effectively increased their intended psychological states. Sensitivity analyses indicated that findings were robust to baseline differences in body dissatisfaction and Body Mass Index. Taken together\, these findings suggest that brief microinterventions may produce short-term reductions in body dissatisfaction\, but these effects are not specific to the intervention content and may not persist following exposure to thin-ideal imagery. Future research should focus on identifying conditions under which these approaches may produce more sustained effects.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-tiny-interventions-big-impact-an-experimental-investigation-into-the-role-of-auditory-micro-interventions-on-body-image-and-thin-ideal-exposure/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Erin-Fraser.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T153000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T161358Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160703Z
UID:10025618-1782819000-1782833400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Mechanisms Governing Cerebral Blood Velocity During Cycling and Running
DESCRIPTION:Justin Monteleone\, supervised by Dr. Philip Ainslie\, will defend their thesis titled “Mechanisms Governing Cerebral Blood Velocity During Cycling and Running: The Role of Arterial CO₂ and Blood Pressure” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Health and Exercise Sciences. \nAn abstract for Justin Monteleone’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nDuring exercise\, changes in middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) are primarily driven by alterations in arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO₂); however\, there may be an uncoupling between MCAv and PaCO₂ during running. The mechanisms driving this response could relate to the sensitivity of the brain to changes in PaCO₂\, mean arterial pressure (MAP)\, or differences in exercise modality. Therefore\, we investigated whether 1) does the MCAv increases proportionally with PaCO₂ and MAP during cycling and running\, and 2) does the MCAv-PaCO₂ relationship differs among rest and moderate-intensity cycling and running? Twelve participants (7M/5F) completed cycling (52.3±6.7 ml/min/kg) and running (54.5±6.8 ml/min/kg) maximal oxygen consumption tests (VO₂max). Bilateral MCAv and intra-arterial pressure were measured during a hypocapnia sensitivity test at rest and ~57% of steady-state VO₂max. Additionally\, participants completed staged cycling and running targeting 35%\, 50%\, 65%\, 80%\, and 95% of VO₂max. MCAv increased from rest to 35% of VO₂max and remained stable within ~2 cm s-1 for both cycling (58.3±8.1 to 67.5±11.3 cm s-1\, p<0.001) and running (56.3±6.8 to 62.2±7.8 cm s-1\, p=0.006). The change in PaCO₂ peaked at 35% in cycling (+1.7±2.1 mmHg\, p=0.13) and 50% in running (+1.4±1.4 mmHg\, p=0.04)\, before both progressively declining to below resting levels at 95% of O2max (cycling: -3.8±2.7 mmHg\, p=0.016; running: -2.1±3.5 mmHg\, p=0.44). Meanwhile\, MAP increased by ~33% in cycling (89.5±7.3 to 119.2±10.8 mmHg\, p<0.001) and ~ 28% in running (94.2±6.3 to 120.4±10.0 mmHg\, p<0.001) from rest to 95% VO2max. The MCAv-PaCO₂ slope increased similarly from rest to exercise in both cycling (1.29±0.30 to 1.76±0.40 cm s-1/mmHg\, p=0.001) and running (1.25±0.30 to 2.09±0.90 cm s -1/mmHg\, p=0.008). Dynamic exercise augments cerebrovascular PaCO2 sensitivity and increases MCAv independent of PaCO2. No differences were observed in the MCAv\, PaCO2\, and MAP responses to staged exercise between cycling and running. We speculate that additional\, unaccounted-for elevations in cerebral perfusion during cycling and running are mediated by increases in cerebral metabolic demand.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-mechanisms-governing-cerebral-blood-velocity-during-cycling-and-running/
LOCATION:Arts Building (ART)\, 1147 Research Road\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Faculty of Health and Social Development
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Justin-Monteleone.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260630T170000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T161514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160734Z
UID:10025619-1782824400-1782838800@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Studying Extrinsic Bugs in Open Source Software Ecosystems through Large-Scale Empirical Analysis
DESCRIPTION:Tanner Wright\, supervised by Dr. Gema Rodriguez-Perez\, will defend their thesis titled “Studying Extrinsic Bugs in Open Source Software Ecosystems through Large-Scale Empirical Analysis” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science. \nAn abstract for Tanner Wright’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nOpen-source software has become an important part of modern software development\, allowing developers to build systems quicker by utilizing existing libraries\, frameworks and tools. While this reuse may improve development time\, it also introduces software maintenance and quality concerns since projects are not dependent on code outside their direct control. When failures do occur\, it may not always be easy to understand if the root cause lies within the project’s code base or rather in external dependency\, platforms\, configurations or other ecosystem-level changes. This distinction is especially important in dependency-heavy ecosystems such as the Node Package Manager (npm)\, where software maintenance often involves understanding both local project defects as well as externally induced failures. \nPrior work has coined these failures as Intrinsic bugs\, where the defect is traceable to the project’s own codebases\, as well as Extrinsic bugs in which the defect is introduced beyond the project’s boundaries. While these types of bugs have been studied at the commit level\, Extrinsic bugs still remain very underexplored\, especially at the issue-report level as well as at scale in long-living projects. As a result\, there remains a limited understanding of how Extrinsic bugs evolve over time\, when they tend to appear within a project’s lifecycle and what issue characteristics are associated with their occurrence. \nThis thesis addresses the gap through four connected contributions. We first introduce InEx-Bug\, a dataset of 377 GitHub issues drawn from 103 of the most depended-upon npm repositories\, with each issue manually classified as Intrinsic\, Extrinsic\, Not-a-bug or Unknown. Second\, we developed an iii LLM-based classification framework that sets the annotation rubric as a few-shot prompt\, achieving 80.47% accuracy\, Macro-F1 score of 0.801 and a Cohen’s κ of 0.707 with Qwen3-30B on a stratified validation sample. Third\, we then applied this framework to over 69\,000 issues across eight long-lived npm projects to understand bug distribution types\, lifecycle trends\, and dependency-related predictors of Extrinsic bugs. The results show that bug-type distributions change substantially over lifecycle of a project\, as well as the direct dependency count is a statistically significant predictor of extrinsic bug reports which the odds compounding as the number of dependencies increases. Finally\, we present the InEx-Agent\, an agentic tool built for researchers with LangChain and LangGraph that supports issue collection\, classification\, statistical summarization\, SQLite storage as well as and exportation for public GitHub repositories.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-studying-extrinsic-bugs-in-open-source-software-ecosystems-through-large-scale-empirical-analysis/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Tanner-Wright.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260702T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260702T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T155951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160828Z
UID:10025613-1782982800-1782997200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Lung Volumes and Their Effect on Central Hemodynamics
DESCRIPTION:Jiawen Lim\, supervised by Dr. Neil Eves\, will defend their thesis titled “Lung Volumes and Their Effect on Central Hemodynamics” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Health and Exercise Science. \nAn abstract for Jiawen Lim’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nChanges in lung volumes during breathing; at rest\, exercise or in disease\, alter pulmonary vascular resistance and challenge central hemodynamics. However\, it is currently unknown how changes in the different components of operational lung volumes (i.e. altering end inspiratory or end expiratory lung volume [EILV\, EELV] or tidal volume [Vt]) specifically modify left ventricle [LV]) function. Twenty-five healthy individuals (14:11 F:M) performed an experimental visit with measures obtained during resting breathing followed by 5 randomized breathing challenges. Each challenge was performed with controlled Vt\, breathing frequency\, operational lung volumes and duty cycle while 2D echocardiographic imaging of LV end diastolic (LVEDV)\, end systolic (LVESV) and stroke volume (LVSV) were obtained. Images were also collected for analysis of LV geometry while tissue Doppler imaging and transmitral Doppler were obtained to assess LV myocardial function and filling. Increasing EELV\, with Vt at resting levels and EILV reaching critical inspiratory reserve volume (cIRV i.e.~90%TLC) decreased LVEDV (107±24 vs.102±29ml) and LVSV (66±12 vs. 63±12ml\, p<0.05)\, compared to resting breathing. The changes in central hemodynamics with this breathing pattern were also different from increasing EILV (below cIRV) with an unchanged EELV (p<0.05). Free wall curvature increased from baseline (p=0.03) with the elevated EELV and EILV while lateral E’ and E/A ratio both decreased (p=0.001\, p=0.018). Central hemodynamics were unchanged from resting breathing when increasing EILV solely through altering Vt (even when EILV reached cIRV)\, but lateral E’ decreased (p=0.001). During simulated exercise hyperpnea with a mild increase in EELV with EILV reaching cIRV LVEDV (102±29 vs. 93±26ml)\, LVESV (42±12 vs. 37±12ml) and SV (66±12 vs. 57±14ml) were reduced (p<0.05\, for all) compared to baseline\, but not when breathing with a similar pattern with EELV below FRC and EILV below cIRV. Lateral E’ and E/A ratio was reduced in both hyperpnea conditions (p<0.05). Our data demonstrates that increases in EILV and Vt appear to have little effect on central hemodynamics\, unless EELV rises above FRC. Increasing EELV\, likely reduces LVEDV through both series and direct ventricular interaction associated with external constraint of the LV\, altering LV filling and relaxation.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-lung-volumes-and-their-effect-on-central-hemodynamics/
LOCATION:Reichwald Health Sciences Centre (RHS)\, 1088 Discovery Avenue\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Faculty of Health and Social Development
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260702T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260702T140000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162645Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T160848Z
UID:10025627-1782986400-1783000800@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Post-Disaster Emergency Electrification of Shelters and Vulnerable Households
DESCRIPTION:Haofei Song\, supervised by Dr. Babak Tosarkani\, will defend their thesis titled “Post-Disaster Emergency Electrification of Shelters and Vulnerable Households: A Data-Driven Two-Stage Stochastic Optimization Approach” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. \nAn abstract for Haofei Song’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email babak.tosarkani@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nLarge-scale disasters can severely disrupt the main electricity grid\, leaving shelters and vulnerable households without reliable power when electricity is most critical for safety\, health\, and emergency response. This thesis investigates the problem of post-disaster emergency electrification under prolonged grid outage conditions and develops an optimization-based framework for coordinating stationary and mobile energy resources. The proposed system includes shelter-level photovoltaic panels\, wind turbines\, battery energy storage systems\, and backup generators\, together with electric vehicles (EVs) that can provide mobile electricity support to shelters and critical households. The research is carried out in two stages. First\, a deterministic mixed-integer linear programming model is developed to determine shelter-level resource installation decisions and post-outage operational schedules over a multi-period planning horizon. Second\, this benchmark model is extended into a data-driven two-stage stochastic optimization framework that incorporates uncertainty. In particular\, the stochastic framework considers uncertainty in home and shelter electricity demand\, renewable resource availability\, and the initial state of charge of EV batteries. In the stochastic model\, representative demand scenarios and associated probabilities are generated for homes and shelters using a data-driven procedure based on Gaussian mixture models\, principal component analysis\, robust kernel density estimation\, uncertainty filtering\, and scenario construction. In addition\, renewable resource availability is represented through forecasting-based profiles for wind speed and solar irradiance\, and uncertainty in EV initial state of charge is incorporated as a scenario-dependent parameter. The proposed models are evaluated through a case study motivated by the impacts of Typhoon Faxai in Chiba Prefecture\, Japan. The results show that coordinated use of distributed generation\, battery storage\, backup generation\, and EV-based mobile electricity support can improve service continuity\, reduce unmet demand\, and lower emergency operating costs. The findings also highlight the value of EVs as flexible supplementary energy resources in disaster settings and demonstrate the importance of incorporating uncertainty into emergency energy planning. This thesis contributes an integrated decision-support framework that links disaster-resilient microgrid planning\, EV-enabled mobile energy support\, and uncertainty modelling and stochastic optimization for post-disaster emergency electrification.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-post-disaster-emergency-electrification-of-shelters-and-vulnerable-households/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,School of Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Haofei-Song.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260703T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260703T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260618T162535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T162535Z
UID:10025650-1783069200-1783083600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: On the axiomatization of infinite oriented matroids
DESCRIPTION:Kaioke Begay\, supervised by Dr. Amy Wiebe\, will defend their thesis titled “On the axiomatization of infinite oriented matroids” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Mathematics. \nAn abstract for Kaioke Begay’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. This examination will be offered in hybrid format.  Registration is not required to attend in person\, but please email amy.wiebe@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nOriented matroids are traditionally defined on finite ground sets. While standard matroids have been successfully generalized to the infinite setting without sacrificing matroid duality\, the same generalization for oriented matroids proves challenging. In this thesis\, we explore the connection between affine oriented matroids and oriented matroids in order to guide our understanding of the challenges of creating an axiomatic definition of infinite oriented matroids. We further illustrate some of these challenges by constructing a simple geometric example in the infinite case. We ultimately\npropose a set of circuit axioms which consider circuits to be conformally minimal rather than support minimal. We provide evidence that by viewing circuits in this way\, it may be possible to extend oriented matroids to the infinite setting in much the same way as non-oriented matroids.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-on-the-axiomatization-of-infinite-oriented-matroids/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Kaioke-Begay.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T084500
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T160000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260514T223009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T223009Z
UID:10025585-1783327500-1783353600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Employment Equity Advisor Training Day
DESCRIPTION:The Employment Equity Advisor Program helps faculty and staff involved in hiring develop their expertise in accessible and equitable hiring practices. Join the Equity & Inclusion Office for a full-day training designed to deepen knowledge and build practical skills in equitable recruitment and selection. \nParticipants will explore the role of Employment Equity Advisors in hiring processes\, learn to identify and address bias and structural barriers\, consider strategies to improve accessibility and address academic ableism\, and develop skills for the ethical use of demographic data in hiring. \nThis program is open to faculty and staff members who are involved in\, or intend to support\, faculty and/or staff hiring processes. \nHosted by: Equity & Inclusion Office \nPlease note that light breakfast and lunch options will be provided for in-person participants. For questions about the program\, contact Ike Ibebugwu\, Project Manager\, Equity and Inclusion Office at ike.ibebugwu@ubc.ca \n  \nREGISTER HERE \nFind more information about the program
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/employment-equity-advisor-training-day/
LOCATION:Campus Administration Building (ADM) – Sunroom\, 1138 Alumni Ave\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Equity and Inclusion Office
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T110000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260611T154609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T165010Z
UID:10025639-1783332000-1783335600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Tri-Agency Graduate Awards General Info Session
DESCRIPTION:Are you a current graduate student or upper-level undergraduate student who is unsure what the Tri-Agency awards are\, or have some basic questions about how they work? Are you confused about what all the award acronyms mean? If so\, this information session is for you. \nThis information session will be a basic introduction to the Tri-Agency graduate awards\, which include the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s (CGRS-M) program and the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D) program. These are some of the largest and most prestigious academic research awards in Canada. \nThis information session will go over the following: \n\nWhat are the Tri-Agencies (SSHRC\, NSERC\, and CIHR)?\nWhat are the Tri-Agency awards (CGRS-M and CGRS-D)?\nCan and should I apply for these awards?\nWhen should I apply for these awards?\nHow much time does the application process take? (Hint: more than you think!)\nWhat resources are available on campus to help me if I choose to apply?\nAnd much more\n\nThis session is open to upper-level undergraduate students\, incoming and continuing master’s and doctoral students\, and anyone else who has general questions about the Tri-Agency awards. Please note that the Tri-Agency awards are not open to students pursuing professional programs or degrees that are not research/thesis-based. \nRegister now \nCanvas CGRS-D Course \nCanvas CGRS-M Course
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/tri-agency-graduate-awards-general-info-session-3/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:Centre for Scholarly Communication,College of Graduate Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Tri-Agency-General.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260706T150000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T155801Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161009Z
UID:10025612-1783335600-1783350000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Eyes on Me
DESCRIPTION:Samantha Barg\, supervised by Dr. Maya Libben\, will defend their thesis titled “Eyes on Me: An Eye-Tracking Investigation of Social Anxiety and Attentional Biases on Zoom” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. \nAn abstract for Samantha Barg’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nSocial anxiety is characterized by attentional biases thought to maintain distress during social interactions\, yet whether these biases translate to live videoconferencing (VC) environments remains poorly understood. VC platforms are a central medium for social\, occupational\, and healthcare contexts\, and research suggests that unique features\, such as constant availability of the self-view icon\, may exacerbate social anxiety by prompting self-focused attention\, a key mechanism in its maintenance. While attentional biases in social anxiety have been well-documented in face-to-face and pre-recorded contexts\, few studies have examined gaze patterns during live\, real-time digital interactions. \nThe present study used dynamic eye-tracking technology to investigate the relationship between social anxiety and visual attention during a live Zoom interaction. Twenty-eight female-identifying students engaged in three social tasks with a female confederate: (1) a Neutral Autobiographical\, (2) a Neutral Conversation\, and (3) an Evaluative Speech task with gaze recorded across three regions: the self-video icon\, the confederate’s icon\, and non-social areas. Self-report measures assessed social anxiety\, trait and state anxiety\, self-esteem\, depression\, narcissism\, and Zoom familiarity. \nContrary to predictions\, social anxiety did not predict greater self-viewing tendencies in any task. However\, preliminary findings revealed an association between social anxiety and biased attention toward non-social areas of the Zoom screen during the Neutral Autobiographical and Evaluative Speech tasks\, consistent with attentional avoidance. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that heightened post-speech anxiety predicted reduced self-viewing\, suggesting self-view disengagement may serve as a virtual safety behaviour\, and found that depressive symptoms predicted increased confederate viewing during the evaluative condition. Findings suggest that social anxiety-related attentional biases in virtual spaces may be more context-dependent than current cognitive-behavioural models predict\, and that VC platforms may accommodate unique attentional strategies with implications for virtually delivered mental health care.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-eyes-on-me/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Samantha-Barg.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260707T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260707T110000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260421T155603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T155112Z
UID:10025528-1783414800-1783422000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Tuesday Weekly Writing Community
DESCRIPTION:Tired of solo writing sessions? Craving a supportive environment to fuel your creativity? Look no further than our weekly writing community\, tailored for the UBC Okanagan community. \nYour projects\, your progress\nBring your own research and writing projects to the table! The writing community provides dedicated time for you to focus on your individual writing goals. Get ready to boost your productivity and make progress on your writing projects\, all within a supportive community environment. \nWhat you’ll experience:\nEach session is dedicated to your independent writing time. You can look forward to writing alongside others who\, like you\, are independently working on their own writing projects and goals. \nHighlights of the community:\n\nYour time to write: Join our weekly sessions with your writing and research materials ready\, and take full advantage of this opportunity to write without distractions.\nWrite together: Achieve your individual writing goals alongside other members of the UBCO community.\nGuided structure: Participate in the Pomodoro technique\, expertly facilitated by the Centre for Scholarly Communication.\nInclusivity: From undergraduates to faculty\, everyone in the UBCO community is welcome.\n\nYou’re invited to be part of this enriching community that builds community and fosters productivity. Register now and come prepared to amplify your writing endeavours. Let’s turn solitary writing into a group effort and make getting things done a community experience. \nRegister now \nQuestions? Please contact the CSC at csc.ok@ubc.ca.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/tuesday-weekly-writing-community-3/2026-07-07/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:Centre for Scholarly Communication,College of Graduate Studies,Library
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2024/01/Laptop-6-e1776786934148.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260707T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260707T160000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260501T215211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260504T025654Z
UID:10025553-1783416600-1783440000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:EDI Summer Learning Series: Conflict Literacy
DESCRIPTION:UBCO faculty and staff are invited to this conflict literacy workshop\, part of the foundational conflict training developed by the Equity and Inclusion Office. \nThis foundational course introduces conflict as a natural\, relational and systemic feature of university life\, shaped by identity\, history and institutional structures. It builds learners’ confidence to recognize\, assess and engage conflict in ways that are thoughtful\, constructive\, equitable and aligned with institutional responsibility. \nRather than training participants to “fix” conflict or resolve active disputes\, the course develops conflict literacy: shared language for understanding different conflict situations\, clarity about roles and boundaries\, and foundational micro-practices that support intentional\, trauma-informed\, and equity-aware response. Learners gain tools to pause reactivity\, assess context and risk\, choose appropriate engagement pathways\, and participate more skillfully in difficult conversations. \nParticipants are invited to see how everyday decisions\, communication patterns and leadership behaviours shape the conditions in which conflict either escalates or becomes an opportunity for learning\, accountability and relational repair. By normalizing conflict and strengthening institutional alignment\, the course lays the groundwork for healthier team dynamics\, increased psychological safety and more equitable participation across the university. \nLearning Objectives\nBy the end of the session\, participants will be able to: \n\nUnderstand conflict as a relational\, systemic\, and institutional phenomenon rather than a personal failure\nDistinguish between disagreement\, conflict\, dispute\, complaint\, and misconduct\nIdentify structural and systemic contributors to campus conflict\, including the role of positionality\, identity\, history\, and culture\nApply a shared Conflict Response Guide to decide when and how to engage\nUse foundational dialogue micro-practices to support dialogue and relational accountability\nStrengthen leadership and communication practices that foster a healthy conflict culture\n\nThis foundational course emphasizes orientation\, readiness and skills development\, not advanced expertise. \nMorning refreshments and lunch will be provided. Limited spots are available. Please only register if you are able to attend the entire day. If you have any questions\, please contact Natalia Peñuela Gallo\, the Community Engagement and Educational Consultant for the Equity and Inclusion Office at nataliap.gallo@ubc.ca. \nREGISTER now
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/edi-summer-learning-series-conflict-literacy/
LOCATION:Campus Administration Building (ADM)\, 1138 Alumni Ave\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Equity and Inclusion Office
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/05/EDI-Summer-2026-Learning-Series-Events-calendar.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260708T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260708T143000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260618T162710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T162710Z
UID:10025652-1783506600-1783521000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Impact of crop improvement on cultivated sunflower mycorrhizal responsiveness and preferential associations
DESCRIPTION:Jérémie Poitras\, supervised by Dr. Chase Mason\, will defend their thesis titled “Impact of crop improvement on cultivated sunflower mycorrhizal responsiveness and preferential associations: a comprehensive review and experimental study of sunflower response to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology. \nAn abstract for Jérémie Poitras’ thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nThe history of crop improvement has been shown to have reduced crop genetic diversity\, altered various morphological and physiological plant traits\, and impacted biotic interactions. For many crops\, symbiosis with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) has been found to be altered by crop domestication and improvement – yet few studies have assessed this question in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Here\, I provide a comprehensive review of the impact of crop improvement on the AMF association in cultivated sunflowers and concomitant shifts in plant responsiveness\, followed by a manipulative experiment under controlled conditions. Meta-analysis of the Mycorrhizal Growth Response (MGR) of cultivated sunflowers showed an overall large positive effect of AM on plant growth\, but results also shed light on a potential publication bias against negative-effect studies. Within the manipulative experiment\, contrary to expectations we found reduced plant biomass under mycorrhization though the leaf nutrient status was improved. Comparing sunflower genotypes\, inbred lines introduced after the Green Revolution showed reduced growth responsiveness which translated into significantly negative MGR values compared to the lines introduced before the Green Revolution. Pre-Green Revolution lines invested less biomass in their leaves\, which minimized the plant total biomass loss induced by the AMF\, suggesting that higher total plant photosynthetic capacity was positively correlated with the strength of the AMF carbon sink. Our results suggest little impact of the history of sunflower crop improvement on root AMF community composition\, though AMF richness and evenness increased in sunflower root communities with ongoing plant growth and development. This study highlights the impact of the history of crop improvement on the responsiveness of cultivated sunflowers\, with implications for modern crop improvement efforts.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-impact-of-crop-improvement-on-cultivated-sunflower-mycorrhizal-responsiveness-and-preferential-associations/
LOCATION:Engineering\, Management\, and Education Building (EME)\, 1137 Alumni Ave\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Jeremie-Poitras.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T123000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161115Z
UID:10025629-1783585800-1783600200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Financial and User-oriented Performance Assessment of Aquatic Centres
DESCRIPTION:Haniya Marium Anwar\, supervised by Dr. Rehan Sadiq and Dr. Kasun Hewage\, will defend their thesis titled “Financial and User-oriented Performance Assessment of Aquatic Centres: A Decision-Support Framework” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering. \nAn abstract for Haniya Marium Anwar’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email rehan.sadiq@ubc.ca or kasun.hewage@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nAquatic centres are essential community infrastructure assets that support public health\, recreation\, and social well‑being. Across Canada\, municipalities face growing challenges in managing these facilities\, including aging infrastructure\, high operating costs\, and increasing user expectations. Due to these challenges\, aquatic centres require an effective decision-making process that considers asset condition\, financial performance\, and user experience. However\, current approaches often assess these dimensions in isolation. This research addresses this gap by developing a decision‑support framework that evaluates aquatic centre performance through both financial efficiency and user‑oriented perspectives. The framework is centred around the development of a decision-support model\, which includes four key steps: (i) identification of criteria and indicators\, (ii) data collection\, (iii) financial and user-oriented performance assessment\, and (iv) sensitivity analysis. Performance assessment includes two phases. First\, each facility is assessed using a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) that shows how operating costs\, asset condition\, and monetary benefits contribute to financial efficiency. Second\, a user-oriented performance assessment is conducted to examine how the facility performs in terms of user‑oriented benefits. This dual approach provides a broader understanding of how aquatic centres balance social value with financial sustainability. The proposed framework was applied to selected aquatic centres in British Columbia to demonstrate its practicality and relevance. The findings highlight the need for holistic evaluation frameworks that capture the interconnected nature of costs\, asset condition\, and user experience. The outcome of this research supports municipalities in identifying performance gaps\, prioritizing investments\, and making informed decisions to maintain high‑quality and financially sustainable aquatic centres.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-financial-and-user-oriented-performance-assessment-of-aquatic-centres/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,School of Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Haniya-Marium-Anwar.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T160000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T160958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161243Z
UID:10025616-1783598400-1783612800@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Raman Spectroscopy of Plasma for Biomarker Quantification and Radiation Toxicity Prediction in Lung Cancer
DESCRIPTION:Madelyn Kaban\, supervised by Dr. Andrew Jirasek\, will defend their thesis titled “Raman Spectroscopy of Plasma for Biomarker Quantification and Radiation Toxicity Prediction in Lung Cancer” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medical Physics. \nAn abstract for Madelyn Kaban’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. This defence will be offered in hybrid format.  Registration is not required to attend in person; however\, please email andrew.jirasek@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nPurpose: Lung cancer is commonly treated using radiation therapy (RT)\, however\, treatment effectiveness is limited by the development of radiation-induced lung injury in a subset of patients. Raman spectroscopy is a rapid\, non-destructive optical technique that is capable of probing the biochemical composition of a sample. This work investigates the use of Raman spectroscopy on pre-treatment plasma samples to predict the occurrence of clinically significant radiation pneumonitis (RP) in lung cancer patients. \nMethods: An optimized protocol for Raman spectral acquisition of dried plasma was first developed. Raman spectroscopy was performed on dried plasma from 142 patients: 69 patients presenting RP (grade ≥ 2 post-treatment) and 73 patients as controls (RP grade = 0 post-treatment). Analyses were first conducted to assess whether the acquired Raman spectra captured clinically relevant biochemical variation\, using patient lipid panel measurements as references. Spectral analyses were subsequently applied to identify Raman features associated with RP outcome. A final multivariate logistic regression model was developed\, combining patient clinical characteristics and Raman features selected using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regularization\, and evaluated using a leave-one-patient-out (LOPO) framework. \nResults: Sampling location within the plasma droplet was identified as a major contributor to overall spectral variance. Meaningful associations between Raman spectral features and measured lipid biomarkers were observed\, supporting the ability of the spectra to capture biochemically relevant variation. LOPO cross-validated models using LASSO-regularized feature selection achieved strong predictive performance for triglycerides (r = 0.87) and cholesterol (r = 0.81). A discriminative spectral region between 617−629.8 cm−1 was identified between RP outcome groups\, produc ing a logistic regression model with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.66. Final LOPO cross-validated logistic regression models combining LASSO-selected Raman spectral features from the inner and outer droplet regions with patient clinical characteristics achieved an AUC of 0.80\, showing improved predictive performance from models trained using Raman features alone (AUC = 0.72) or clinical characteristics alone (AUC = 0.69). \nConclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that Raman spectroscopy of pre-treatment plasma captures features that may be used to predict whether a patient will develop radiation pneumonitis following radiotherapy.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-raman-spectroscopy-of-plasma-for-biomarker-quantification-and-radiation-toxicity-prediction-in-lung-cancer/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Madelyn-Kaban.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260709T170000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161303Z
UID:10025621-1783602000-1783616400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: From Policy to Practice
DESCRIPTION:Alexander Dow\, supervised by Dr. James Rochlin\, will defend their thesis titled “From Policy to Practice: Canada’s Engagement With the United Nations and Canadian-based Non-Governmental Organizations on the Rohingya Crisis (2017–2024)” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Global Studies theme. \nAn abstract for Alexander Dow’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email james.rochlin@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nThe Rohingya Crisis remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in Asia\, yet it has received limited sustained political attention since its escalation in August 2017. Canada\, a well-recognized humanitarian middle-power nation\, responded promptly during the onset of the crisis\, but its engagement eventually declined over seven years. This research asks: Why has Canadian interest and governmental commitment to the Rohingya Crisis changed from 2017 to 2024? \nThis research draws upon Kymlicka and Walker’s (2012) concept of Rooted Cosmopolitanism and Cortina’s (2024) Proximity Politics to analyze Canada’s diplomatic and humanitarian engagement through two stakeholders involved in the crisis response: the United Nations (UN) and Canadian-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Methodologically\, this study adopts a qualitative approach\, using data consisting of ten semi-structured interviews conducted by the author with current and former employees of Global Affairs Canada (GAC)\, the UN sector and Canadian-based NGOs; alongside Global Affairs Canada governmental statements and reports\, UN resolutions and reports\, official reports from the Canadian government\, UN General Assembly votes and Canadian English-language news coverage between August 2017 and December 2024. It also draws upon numerical data from GAC’s international aid dashboard and UN humanitarian funding data. The study further employs methodological and data triangulation informed by Denzin (1978). \nThis research advances a two-fold argument. The first is that Canada initially engaged with the Rohingya Crisis through the UN and Canadian-based NGOs because of its rooted cosmopolitanism values\, and its obligations to challenge proximity politics as well as adherence to the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. The second is that Canada’s interest in the Rohingya Crisis declined following COVID-19\, as self-interest conflicts and resource allocation diversions compromised the sustainability of Canadian engagement with the crisis through the UN and Canadian-based NGOs. The findings of this research demonstrate that while Canada achieved partial success in responding to the Rohingya Crisis\, important limitations remained in sustaining long-term political commitment and its humanitarian leadership. It concludes with four policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Canada’s future humanitarian engagement with the Rohingya Crisis and other crises.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-from-policy-to-practice/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Alexander-Dow.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162913Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161359Z
UID:10025630-1783674000-1783688400@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Indoor Pool Halls in Aquatic Centers
DESCRIPTION:Lakkitha Liyanage\, supervised by Dr. Kasun Hewage\, will defend their thesis titled “Evaluating the Energy Performance of Indoor Pool Halls in Aquatic Centers: An Integrated Approach” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering. \nAn abstract for Lakkitha Liyanage’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email kasun.hewage@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nAquatic centers are complex building facilities designed for dynamic recreational activities\, with additional amenities like gyms\, restaurants\, studios\, and sports halls to accommodate diverse user needs. Unlike residential buildings\, these facilities are often overlooked from a sustainability perspective due to their high energy consumption\, which could be four to five times that of an office building. Indoor pool halls within aquatic centers exhibit unique characteristics and energy variations due to interactions among the indoor environment and pool surfaces. While energy assessments using various indicators are practiced in certain countries\, methodical energy performance evaluation for these facilities remains underdeveloped. Additionally\, current literature lacks life cycle-based energy performance assessments\, which are essential for evaluating overall sustainability. Accordingly\, this study developed a framework to integrate life cycle thinking into energy performance upgrades for indoor pool halls. This study proposed a simulation-based energy assessment methodology for indoor pool halls\, followed by the integration of life-cycle emissions and costs to evaluate operational and envelope upgrades for improving the energy performance. Subsequently\, recommendations for optimal operational conditions were provided based on the projected implications of future climate conditions. The developed approach was applied to an existing facility in British Columbia\, Canada\, as a case study. The results revealed that pool water heating accounted for the largest share of estimated energy use\, approximately 50% of the total\, followed by ventilation fans (20%) and dehumidification (11%)\, respectively. Operational upgrade scenarios yielded up to 30% energy savings\, with ventilation and pool water temperatures contributing significantly to variations in total energy use\, accounting for approximately 92%. Envelope upgrade scenarios resulted in up to 0.9% savings in total energy use\, with improved glazing insulation contributing the most. Furthermore\, the relative performance of these operational and envelope upgrades may shift under future climate scenarios due to changing heating and cooling demands\, with annual energy demand intensity projected to increase by up to 0.4% by the mid-21st century. The developed energy performance evaluation methodology provides valuable insights for decision makers\, enabling them to evaluate energy efficiency measures that balance short-term energy reductions with long-term environmental sustainability\, economic viability\, and climate resilience.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-evaluating-the-energy-performance-of-indoor-pool-halls-in-aquatic-centers/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,School of Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Lakkitha-Liyanage.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T110000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260420T161941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161424Z
UID:10025484-1783677600-1783681200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:REWLI Application: Strategies for Success
DESCRIPTION:Ready to secure funding and achieve results with your workshop proposal? Join us for an interactive online workshop tailored for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students at UBC Okanagan. \nLearn how to craft a Research Excellence Workshop Leader Initiative (REWLI) application that captivates the adjudication committee. Our expert leaders will demystify each section of the application\, guiding you through the process of crafting a compelling workshop description and developing precise learning objectives. \nApplication details and deadlines should be updated on the College of Graduate Studies REWLI site when applications open. Applications for REWLI are expected to open mid-June 2026. \nWhether you’re a seasoned applicant or just starting out\, this session is designed to elevate your application strategy and increase your chances of success. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hone your skills and make your workshop vision a reality. \nREGISTER NOW \nQuestions? Contact the Centre for Scholarly Communication at csc.ok@ubc.ca.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/rewli-application-strategies-for-success-4/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:Centre for Scholarly Communication,College of Graduate Studies,Library
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260710T160000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T162754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161447Z
UID:10025628-1783684800-1783699200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Dissertation Defence: A Probabilistic Framework for Prostate Core-Needle Biopsies in HDR Brachytherapy
DESCRIPTION:Matthew Muscat\, supervised by Dr. Andrew Jirasek\, will defend their dissertation titled “A Probabilistic Framework for Prostate Core-Needle Biopsies in HDR Brachytherapy: From Clinical Quality Assurance to Translational Research” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics. \nAn abstract for Matthew Muscat’s dissertation is included below. \nExaminations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. This examination will be offered in hybrid format.  Registration is not required to attend in person; however\, please email andrew.jirasek@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this exam. \nAbstract\nProstate core-needle biopsies acquired during high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy are clinically useful for diagnosis and can also support translational research when linked to sampled tissue\, imaging-defined anatomy\, and delivered dose. The main obstacle is that the effective biopsy location is uncertain by several millimetres because of registration error\, contouring variability\, needle placement uncertainty\, and specimen-related effects. This thesis develops a probabilistic framework for mapping tissue\, dose\, and imaging data\, including image information derived from multiparametric MRI (mpMRI)\, to econstructed prostate biopsy cores under explicit localization uncertainty. \nBiopsies were represented as voxelized core segments in the clinical imaging and treatment-planning reference frame. A shared Monte Carlo localization model was used to propagate uncertainty into along-core tissue-class probabilities\, voxel- and biopsy-level dose summaries\, distributional dose volume histogram (DVH) metrics\, and cohort-level robustness measures. The framework was first applied to estimate the probability that each position along a biopsy sampled dominant intraprostatic lesion and other nearby organs at risk. These tissue-assignment probabilities can be used for targeting quality assurance because they quantify how plausibly a biopsy sampled the intended imaging-defined target. They may also serve as imaging-derived covariates for testing associations with pathology and malignancy-related measures. The framework was then extended to biopsy-scale HDR dosimetry\, showing that nominal assignments can differ materially from uncertainty-propagated quantities and that biopsy dose is heterogeneous along the core. At cohort level\, DVH-style pass probabilities and robustness classes were derived under the localization model\, yielding a probabilistic form of dosimetric quality assurance in which nominal distance from threshold emerged as the dominant determinant of high-confidence passing. Finally\, Gaussian process regression was used to model along-core spatial correlation in dose\, yielding more stable covariance-informed uncertainty summaries than independent voxel-wise Monte Carlo reporting alone. \nIn this setting\, biopsy-linked tissue and dosimetry analysis is better framed as probabilistic spatial inference than as deterministic assignment. By parameterizing and propagating localization uncertainty\, and by explicitly modelling along-core spatial correlation\, the framework yields interpretable biopsy-scale descriptors that can support quality assurance\, assay contextualization\, and future dose-biology studies in prostate HDR brachytherapy.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/dissertation-defence-a-probabilistic-framework-for-prostate-core-needle-biopsies-in-hdr-brachytherapy/
LOCATION:Arts and Sciences Centre (ASC)\, 3187 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Matthew-Muscat.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260713T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260713T130000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260609T160100Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T161508Z
UID:10025614-1783933200-1783947600@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: A Data-Driven Supplier Selection and Order Allocation Optimization Framework Under Tariff and Demand Uncertainty
DESCRIPTION:Marzieh Eskandari Khanghahi\, supervised by Dr. Babak Tosarkani & Dr. Abbas Milani\, will defend their thesis titled “A Data-Driven Supplier Selection and Order Allocation Optimization Framework Under Tariff and Demand Uncertainty” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. \nAn abstract for Marzieh Eskandari Khanghahi’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. This defence will be offered in hybrid format.  Registration is not required to attend in person; however\, please email babak.tosarkani@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence. \nAbstract\nGlobal supply chains are increasingly exposed to demand uncertainty\, tariff fluctuations\, geopolitical disruptions\, and supplier capacity limitations. These challenges make Supplier Selection and Order Allocation (SSOA) decisions more complex\, especially in multi-product and multi-period settings where procurement\, production\, transportation\, inventory\, and shortage decisions are closely interdependent. Traditional cost-minimization approaches may become unreliable when demand patterns shift\, or tariff policies change the relative attractiveness of suppliers across regions. \nThis thesis develops a tariff-aware supplier selection and order allocation framework under demand uncertainty using a Machine Learning (ML)–robust optimization approach. The proposed framework integrates demand forecasting\, residual-based data-driven uncertainty modelling\, and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) to support procurement\, production planning\, and inventory management decisions. Statistical\, conventional ML\, and deep learning (DL) forecasting models\, including Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Regressors (SARIMAX)\, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)\, and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based models\, are evaluated to estimate future product demand. Forecast errors are then used to construct data-driven uncertainty sets based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE)\, allowing the model to capture empirical correlations\, asymmetry\, and non-Gaussian behaviour in demand deviations. Finally\, these uncertainty sets are incorporated into a robust optimization model that accounts for tariff-adjusted procurement costs\, supplier capacities\, quantity discounts\, transportation decisions\, warehouse limits\, overtime\, and shortage penalties. \nThe novelty of this thesis lies in integrating tariff-aware global sourcing\, ML-based demand forecasting\, residual-based PCA-KDE uncertainty construction\, and robust supplier selection and order allocation within a unified decision-support framework. Numerical experiments based on a representative global electronics supply chain show that tariff changes significantly affect sourcing allocations\, total network cost\, transportation choices\, and shortage levels. The results indicated that forecast-based planning can reduce nominal planning costs\, while robust solutions provide stronger protection against demand underestimation and shortage risk.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-a-data-driven-supplier-selection-and-order-allocation-optimization-framework-under-tariff-and-demand-uncertainty/
LOCATION:Engineering\, Management\, and Education Building (EME)\, 1137 Alumni Ave\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,School of Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Marzieh-Eskandari-Khanghahi.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260713T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260713T170000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260618T162856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T162856Z
UID:10025654-1783947600-1783962000@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Evaluating the role of the United Nations in Sudan
DESCRIPTION:Sheela Mbogo\, supervised by Dr. Laura Meek\, will defend their thesis titled “Evaluating the role of the United Nations in Sudan: Is the United Nations failing in its duty to the African continent?” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Global Studies theme. \nAn abstract for Sheela Mbogo’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nThe United Nations is the largest and oldest intergovernmental organization in the world. Like any organization\, it is subject to scrutiny and criticism of its work. This thesis focuses on the United Nations’ role within the country of Sudan as a case study to determine whether the United Nations is failing in its duty on the African continent. I study two specific events that occurred in Sudan\, both of which have required UN intervention. The first event is the Darfur Genocide of 2003-2005. The second event consists of the 2019 revolution and the fall of Omar al-Bashir and his brutal dictatorial reign until December of 2024\, and specifically the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). \nAcross these two events\, I evaluated the United Nations along three distinct themes: 1) their ability to provide humanitarian assistance; 2) their ability to prosecute parties involved in the conflict and other crimes that could be judged under the International Criminal Court; and 3) their ability to offer protection of the country’s resources. I chose this framework as I believe it can comprehensively analyze if\, as time has passed\, the UN sought to enter\, acclimatize\, and improve continuously their purpose and conduct in the nation. Or if the organization has decidedly failed to serve Sudan every step of the way. \nMy findings drawn from these two separate events of my case studies revealed three overarching critiques of the United Nations. The first is that the very countries whose job it is to intervene in times of conflict are the ones benefiting from conflict. Second is that the United Nations’ definition of sovereignty is problematic because it forces them to respect the “sovereignty” of oppressive regimes while ignoring the sovereignty of the people. Third\, the United Nations is an organization that operates through weaponized incompetence as a form of coloniality and anti-Blackness. As a result of these findings\, I suggest that African nations should consider withdrawing from the United Nations and work to strengthen their own regional multilateral bodies into more effective and equitable alternatives. Such a move to strengthen regional leadership would ensure that African problems receive African solutions.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-evaluating-the-role-of-the-united-nations-in-sudan/
LOCATION:University Centre (UNC)\, 3272 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Sheela-Mbogo.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260714T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260714T123000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260618T162755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T162755Z
UID:10025653-1784017800-1784032200@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Thesis Defence: Choreographing Gender
DESCRIPTION:Lanxin Li\, supervised by Dr. Laura Meek\, will defend their thesis titled “Choreographing Gender: Chinese Lala Performance Through K Pop Dance Cover Videos” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Global Studies theme. \nAn abstract for Lanxin Li’s thesis is included below. \nDefences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences. \nAbstract\nK-pop has become highly popular in Asian queer communities\, especially through its cover dances\, which are often performed in queer bars and ballrooms. Previous research has examined how K-pop cover dance empowers queer men to embrace femininity and envision identities outside patriarchal and heterosexual norms\, particularly in places like Thailand. However\, the exploration of lesbianism through K-pop cover dance\, especially among Chinese lala/lesbian K-pop dancers\, remains underexplored. In this thesis\, I will discuss Chinese lalas’ experience with K-pop cover dance on Xiaohongshu and Douyin\, two main social media platforms to post dance cover videos in China. This research aims to investigate how lala-identified video content creators use K-pop cover dance on Chinese social media platforms to negotiate and express gendered subjectivities. Specifically\, I divide the analysis into two parts. The first focuses on performing in the dance videos\, where I examine the different “lala vibes” expressed through dance performance and what these vibes mean to lalas. The second focuses on posting the videos on social media platforms\, where I examine the use of lala-related hashtags such as #le in the circulation and presentation of dance videos. The research involves online participant observations on both Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Following these observations\, I conducted semi-structured interviews with Chinese lala K-pop cover dancers on these platforms. In this thesis\, I argue that lala K-pop cover dance in China operates as a relational and platformed mode of queer world-making\, where embodied dance practices and digital strategies such as hashtagging work together to negotiate gender nonconformity\, visibility\, safety\, and community under conditions shaped by China’s platformized digital landscape. Therefore\, this thesis contributes to the understanding of social media dance as a meaningful practice through which self and community are constructed\, and K-pop cover dance as a medium through which marginalized groups such as lalas build connections. The research also provides empirical material for future scholarship on decolonizing queer Asia by theorizing shuai and zhongxing as locally situated forms of gender expression in China that move beyond identity-based frameworks.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/thesis-defence-choreographing-gender/
LOCATION:University Centre (UNC)\, 3272 University Way\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1V 1V7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:College of Graduate Studies,Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2026/06/Lanxin-Li.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260714T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260714T110000
DTSTAMP:20260626T012840
CREATED:20260421T155603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T155112Z
UID:10025529-1784019600-1784026800@events.ok.ubc.ca
SUMMARY:Tuesday Weekly Writing Community
DESCRIPTION:Tired of solo writing sessions? Craving a supportive environment to fuel your creativity? Look no further than our weekly writing community\, tailored for the UBC Okanagan community. \nYour projects\, your progress\nBring your own research and writing projects to the table! The writing community provides dedicated time for you to focus on your individual writing goals. Get ready to boost your productivity and make progress on your writing projects\, all within a supportive community environment. \nWhat you’ll experience:\nEach session is dedicated to your independent writing time. You can look forward to writing alongside others who\, like you\, are independently working on their own writing projects and goals. \nHighlights of the community:\n\nYour time to write: Join our weekly sessions with your writing and research materials ready\, and take full advantage of this opportunity to write without distractions.\nWrite together: Achieve your individual writing goals alongside other members of the UBCO community.\nGuided structure: Participate in the Pomodoro technique\, expertly facilitated by the Centre for Scholarly Communication.\nInclusivity: From undergraduates to faculty\, everyone in the UBCO community is welcome.\n\nYou’re invited to be part of this enriching community that builds community and fosters productivity. Register now and come prepared to amplify your writing endeavours. Let’s turn solitary writing into a group effort and make getting things done a community experience. \nRegister now \nQuestions? Please contact the CSC at csc.ok@ubc.ca.
URL:https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/tuesday-weekly-writing-community-3/2026-07-14/
LOCATION:Online virtual event
CATEGORIES:Centre for Scholarly Communication,College of Graduate Studies,Library
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END:VCALENDAR