Scholarly Pursuits A n a n n u a l c ompendium of stories about the impact of giving
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Barry Meckler, President and CEO, and Amanda Sheehan, Community Investment Advisor, Interior Savings Credit Union
interior savings credit union supports lifelong learners at ubc okanagan For many students, returning to school after a break is much harder than going to school in the first place. Resuming an academic career that is interrupted by other priorities – family needs; community service – can be particularly challenging.
interior of BC. In December 2008 Interior Savings and UBC announced the creation of the Lifelong Learner Bursary. This bursary will be awarded annually, beginning in 2009, to a UBC Okanagan student with one or more dependents who is entering or returning to post-secondary education after a pause in studies of one year or more, and who has demonstrated active community involvement.
“Everyone is on a different path in life, and we wanted to support people who are active in the community,” says Barry Meckler, President and CEO of Interior Savings Credit Union, explaining the organization’s motive for creating a bursary at UBC Okanagan for students who return to university after a pause of a year or more.
“Our organization is dedicated to the prosperity of our communities, and the people in them,” says Barry. “So we understand how important it is to support people who are active
Interior Savings Credit Union is a financial institution with 80,000 members and 21 branches throughout the central and southern
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a sustainable scholarship honouring sustainability pioneer
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scholarship allows student to contribute more
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bursary support keeps hygienist in the clinic
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friends come together to create memorial scholarship
6 new awards
Freda Pagani
a sustainable scholarship honouring a sustainability pioneer In 1997, UBC became the first Canadian university with a sustainability policy, and Dr. Freda Pagani became the first staff person in charge of implementing that policy. She had no money, no staff, and little support on campus. But like many pioneers before her, she had a novel idea: pay for the implementation with savings realized through energy efficiency and waste reduction. Just 11 years later, in 2008, UBC was named the top Canadian post-secondary institution in the College Sustainability Report Card. Today the Sustainability Office, which Freda founded, supports four full-time and three part-time staff. It is funded, as it always was, out of savings in electricity, water and paper realized across campus. It’s no wonder that when Dr. Pagani retired in 2007, her UBC colleagues, friends and students paid tribute to her by establishing the Freda Pagani Scholarship in Sustainability. “The idea for a scholarship came from my staff in the Sustainability Office. They knew I wouldn’t want a bag of golf clubs,” Freda laughs. Freda joined UBC in 1989 as a design coordinator in what was then Plant Operations. The World of Opportunity fundraising campaign launched, and in less than a year Freda was appointed Associate Director of New Projects. A highlight of Freda’s time in this role, and the project she calls “my baby”, was the development of the C.K. Choi Building: a multi-award winner and the first green building on campus. “I was
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becoming very interested in environmental issues, especially after hearing a guest lecture by Dr. William Rees, who pioneered the idea of the ecological footprint. Buildings consume so many resources; eventually I knew that I either had to quit my job or start building in a different way.” The C.K. Choi Building opened in 1996 and quickly became a model for other green buildings on campus such as the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Life Sciences Centre. Anticipating the completion of the World of Opportunity campaign, Freda began studying for a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies. She completed her degree at about the same time as the university approved its sustainability policy, and she set to work on its implementation immediately. The Freda Pagani Scholarship in Sustainability is open to graduate students in Resource Management and Environmental Studies. The scholarship will be awarded for the first time in the fall of 2009. As an endowed award, this scholarship is inherently sustainable: the principal of the gift is invested and only the interest is used for the annual scholarship. This way, the award is maintained in perpetuity, and, as Freda says, “you know the money is going where it is really needed; to a deserving student who has the potential to really make a difference.”
Alex Etchell and Thelma Sharp Cook
scholarship allows student to contribute more Even though he graduated last April with a BA in political science, Alex Etchell’s academic journey is far from over. This multi-scholarship recipient began his first year in law school at the University of Victoria in September 2009. In his final year at UBC Alex received the Thelma Sharp Cook Scholarship, which recognized his academic standing as well as student leadership, athletic achievement and commitment to community. He previously received the Trek Excellence Scholarship, the Hugh Brock National Entrance Scholarship and the Trek Scholarship for Continuing Students. Receiving an entrance scholarship helped Alex decide to attend UBC. “It was great to get the money, and I really felt good getting that personal letter from the university. It made me feel like they really wanted me to come to UBC.” “Because of the scholarships, I could dedicate time to things I really wanted to do, time that I’d otherwise have to spend at a job.” Some of those things included volunteering in the Student Environment Centre, being a Sustainability Ambassador, and two years as a Residence Advisor. Before attending UBC Alex studied at Pearson College of the Pacific on Vancouver Island. There he lived and studied with 200 other high school students from around the world. “We started a fundraising project for my roommate’s cousins in Kigali, Rwanda. Their father
couldn’t afford to send all the kids to school, because not even public school is free,” he says. Thelma Sharp Cook is a professor emerita in the Faculty of Education, who has been “interested in working with young people my whole life.” As a UBC professor, she was instrumental in the creation of the Wesbrook Scholars group. “I was the chair of the Senate Awards Committee and we were fundraising to increase the number and value of scholarships and bursaries. There wasn’t any kind of club for excellent students, and so we established the Wesbrook Scholars. In the early days all we could offer was the prestige; there wasn’t any money!” “The need is still there today,” she adds. “Scholarships allow students to accomplish some great things in their time at UBC.” Thelma is clearly enthusiastic about Alex and other students who earn scholarships at UBC. “You need to keep an eye on these great students,” she says. “It won’t be surprising to see them become leaders of their communities because they have already had so many experiences, and because they know how to balance their time.” To anyone who is considering establishing a scholarship, Thelma advises, “Do it now, when you can see the difference it makes. You can always find extra money that you can put toward a scholarship. It is so important for BC and Canada’s future.”
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Madelene de Castro
Bursary Support Keeps Hygienist in the Clinic Madelene de Castro is a third-year student in the Dental Hygiene degree program, the only one of its kind in British Columbia. She was inspired as a child by her aunt, who is a dentist, and although her mother wanted her to study nursing, “I wasn’t interested in the whole body back then. But as I advance in the program I am realizing that oral health is an important part of overall health,” she says. “I’ve wanted to be a dental hygienist since I was in high school.” A bursary from UBC is helping Madelene fulfill her dream. The Dental Hygiene program is highly competitive and growing in popularity each year. Madelene is part of the first graduating class in the new Entry to Practice program, in which students attend UBC for all four years. The other program, called Direct Entry, requires students to attend UBC in first and fourth years, and to study at Vancouver Community College, College of New Caledonia or Camosun College in second and third years. Dental Hygiene students must pay an annual clinic fee of over $8,000 on top of tuition, student fees and books. Madelene’s full course load, combined with clinic work two nights a week and Saturday morning, means a part-time job to help offset these costs is out of reach. “Tuesdays and Thursdays are 12-hour days,” she says, “but I really enjoy the clinical practice.”
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“Last year I really struggled financially. When you’re trying to study, thinking about money all the time is really stressful.” Madelene consulted a financial advisor in Enrolment Services, and discovered that a student loan would only cover 25% of her clinic fee. Madelene was able to remain in the Dental Hygiene program thanks to the Edwin H.K. Yen Bursary in Dentistry. Dr. Yen was Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry from 1994 to 2007, and the bursary was endowed by alumni and friends in his honour. Although most people are still likely to encounter a hygienist in their dentist’s office, Madelene is quick to point out how the profession is changing. “Dental hygienists are working in public health, administration, and research as well as in private dental practices. So far I’ve been doing some workshops with kids in grades 2 and 3, as well as ESL students. I like teaching them about good dental care and answering their questions.” Next semester Madelene will have a clinical placement at Douglas College in New Westminster. “I strive to work hard and do my best so that I can contribute to the community. The financial assistance I received really helped me do this,” she says.
Pavan Dhillon, Store Manager/Pharmacist, Shoppers Drug Mart
friends come together to create memorial award When Andreas Baur died unexpectedly in December 2008, within days his friends and former classmates had established a Facebook group in his memory and were discussing how to create a scholarship or bursary in his honour. At the same time, three senior executives of Shoppers Drug Mart were recommending that a gift be made to UBC in Andreas’ name. Thanks to Dan Worsley, former Associate Director for Awards Development, the two groups found out about each other and came together to create the Andreas Baur Shoppers Drug Mart Outreach Award. Andreas graduated from the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2008, and had returned to his home town of Quesnel to become the Associate (Pharmacist-owner) at the local Shoppers Drug Mart. His mother Annemarie says there was never a dull moment when Andreas was around. “He made a volleyball team with his staff. He was always in touch with friends. He loved the outdoors, he loved doing so many things.” Andreas was also a dedicated volunteer who spent his summer months throughout school volunteering at an orphanage in Ghana and starting up an HIV clinic in Kenya. Pavan Dhillon is the Associate at Shoppers Drug Mart on Campus at UBC Vancouver. He graduated with Andreas, and was one of his
closest friends. “Andreas’ experience of going to Africa was one of the key contributors to his character,” Pavan says. “When we were thinking about creating a scholarship, we wanted it to give others that life-changing experience.” Lisa Gibbs is the Manager of Community Investment for Shoppers Drug Mart. “Our strength is in the Associate concept; the individual Pharmacist-owners in each store,” she says. “While Andreas had been an Associate for a short time, in BC everyone knows everyone else. The news of his sudden passing shocked us all and motivated us to action.” The award inspired by Andreas is for students in Pharmaceutical Sciences who have demonstrated an interest in and commitment to working in communities that are underserved by health care professions. Annemarie says, “We want to inspire students with this scholarship. Maybe this will get them thinking a little bit, becoming more socially conscious, helping others who are not as fortunate.” Lisa adds, “Andreas was a special individual with so much ahead of him. Thankfully, it’s rare to establish an award in honour of a life cut so drastically short. This award represents his spirit, in perpetuity.” Pavan reflects, “This award is a kind of consolation; it keeps some of Andreas’ spirit with us. We can’t change the event, just ourselves, for the better.”
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new awards
approved by senate s in 2008-09 winter session
vancouver campus Applied Science B.C. Medtec Graduate Award in Biomedical Engineering Delcan Corporation Graduate Bursary Delcan Corporation Undergraduate Bursary John R. Grace Graduate Scholarship in Chemical and Biological Engineering Edward and Aldine Madsen Scholarship Martin Sikes Memorial Scholarship in Electrical and Computer Engineering Martin Sikes Memorial Service Award in Electrical and Computer Engineering Garreth Ewan Thomas Memorial Award in Mechanical Engineering Architecture HB Lanarc Sustainability Award in Landscape Architecture Grace Palomar Memorial Scholarship Sharp & Diamond Ecological Design Scholarship in Landscape Architecture Arts Robert Mills Clark Memorial Scholarship Arnold and Orma Kyle Memorial Bursary in Religious Studies Reginald Palliser-Wilson Scholarship Russ Patrick Arts Undergraduate Student Research Award Stafford D. Plant Scholarship in Fine Arts Jared Stanley Memorial Prize Athletics Sue Demaine Recreation Award Nestor Korchinsky Recreation Award Gail Moore Memorial Thunderbird Women’s Golf Award Thunderbird Women’s Softball Award Audiology and Speech Science B.C. Association of Speech/Language Pathologists and Audiologists Travel Award in Audiology B.C. Association of Speech/Language Pathologists and Audiologists Travel Award in Speech Pathology Sauder School of Business BDO Dunwoody LLP Service Award Grace Lap-Yu Chan Bursary Concert Properties Leaders’ Award Lambda Alpha International Vancouver Prize in Real Estate Real Estate Council of British Columbia Scholarship Dentistry Rashida Ali Award in Dentistry Chris Clark Bursary in Dentistry David Donaldson Bursary in Dentistry W. Jo Gardner Memorial Award in Dental Hygiene Monarch Pediatric Dental and Orthodontic Centre Bursary in Dentistry Monarch Pediatric Dental and Orthodontic Centre Entrance Bursary in Dentistry Dr. Juan Tobias International Scholarship in Dentistry Vancouver Iranian Dental Association Award in Dentistry
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Education Alishia Nora Harris Memorial Practicum Award School of Human Kinetics Physical Education Bursary International Tuition Award in Education (12-Month Option) International Tuition Award in Education (Two-Year Option) Yvonne M. Marr Bursary in Education Shirley M. Wong Award in Education Shirley M. Wong Bursary in Education Forestry Gerry Burch Scholarship in Forest Sciences Joseph and Joyce Gardner Scholarship in Forestry Kenneth and Keith William Haley Memorial Bursary in Forestry Tyler O’Farrell Memorial Prize in Sustainable Forest Management Graduate Studies Audain Foundation Graduate Fellowship Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Fairchild Group Scholarship Charlotte Douglas Fee Graduate Award Sherrill E. Grace Graduate Scholarship in English Rita L. Irwin Graduate Scholarship in Visual Arts Education MEC Graduate Research Fellowship in Sustainability Freda Pagani Scholarship in Sustainability PIBC Graduate Scholarship in Planning J. Lewis Robinson Memorial Scholarship Pei-Huang Tung and Tan-Wen Tung Graduate Fellowship Land and Food Systems British Columbia Food Technologists Graduate Student Award Jerry Heddinger Leadership Award in Food Science Katherine Hume Scholarship in Animal Welfare Law Association of Women in Finance Scholarship in Law Kenneth H. Crook Memorial Scholarship in Law Graduating Class of Law 1988 Vince Bjorndahl Bursary Allan McEachern Memorial Scholarship in Law Prosecution Services of British Columbia Bursary in Criminal Law Medicine Charlotte Borgen Memorial Scholarship Mark Cohen Prize in Ophthalmology Dr. and Mrs. Victor Fenyo Scholarship Genetic Counselling Graduate Entrance Scholarship Dr. Dimitrios Giannoulis Memorial Prize for Overseas Rotation Research Project in Anesthesia Dr. Dimitrios Giannoulis Memorial Prize in Regional Anesthesia Judith Gurney Memorial Bursary in Medicine Yamuna Kalyampur Prize in Obstetrics and Gynecology Philip W. Leong Scholarship M. Gail MacDonald Memorial Bursary in Medicine Dr. Adam Margesson Award in Addictions Medicine
Medicine (cont’d) Medical Staff Association for the South Island Bursary Faculty of Medicine Bursary Omer H. Patrick II Memorial Prize Ernest Williams Bursary in Cardiology Anna P. Winkler Memorial Bursary in Medicine Music Fenyo Prize in Music Tanabe Thorne Scholarship in Opera Alban and Audrey Tufts Memorial Scholarship in Music occupational therapy OTDBASE Distant Fieldwork Award in Occupational Therapy JR Rehabilitation Services Graduate Award in Occupational Therapy open awards, bursaries and scholarships Graduating Class of 1948 Bursary Michael Topolewski Memorial Bursary Pharmaceutical Sciences Frank S. Abbott Scholarship Andreas Baur Shoppers Drug Mart Outreach Award Finlay Angus Morrison and Dorothy Ellen Morrison Scholarship Cheryl L. Olma Memorial Bursary in Pharmaceutical Sciences Pharmaceutical Sciences Travel Abroad Award Waters Limited Graduate Student Travel Award
okanagan campus Athletics Capri Insurance Athletics Entrance Scholarship Coast Capri Hotel Men’s Varsity Athlete of the Year Award Coast Capri Hotel Women’s Varsity Athlete of the Year Award Creative and Critical Studies Doug Biden Memorial Scholarship in Visual Arts Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Art History Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Creative Writing Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Cultural Studies Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies English Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies French Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies French Essay Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Spanish Prize Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Visual Arts Prize Open Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships Lena Benson Aboriginal Scholarship Interior Savings Lifelong Learner Bursary IODE Silver Star Achievement Award UBC Okanagan Bursary
Science Sheridan Amanda Hepner Memorial Bursary Werner and Hildegard Hesse Fellowship in Ornithology R. Grant Ingram Memorial Scholarship in Oceanography
A Quick Guide to Award Types Scholarships These monetary awards recognize academic achievement and help students with the cost of continuing their education. Scholarships are merit-based, and recipients must be in the top 10% of their class or have an average of 75% or higher. Bursaries A bursary is a non-repayable award that helps to fill the gap between a student’s assessed financial need and available government assistance. UBC’s Policy 72 states that “No eligible student will be prevented from commencing or continuing his or her studies at the University for financial reasons alone.” In 2008-09, UBC issued $12.6 million in bursaries to 3,161 students.
Fellowships These prestigious awards enable graduate students to concentrate full-time on their studies and research. They are granted on the basis of academic excellence and/or research productivity. Prizes Students can receive prizes for academic excellence or achievement in a particular subject area. Prizes usually take the form of a monetary award, sometimes accompanied by a medal, plaque or certificate. Service Awards These monetary awards recognize excellence in a range of non-academic fields, such as community service, student leadership, volunteerism, and athletic or artistic performance. They are given to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Please contact us for more information on how to set up your choice of award at UBC.
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and volunteering in the community; people who have family or community obligations that so far have kept them from pursuing their education goals.” “We know that these people have the potential to become strong leaders because they value both education and building community.” The Lifelong Learner Bursary joins a bursary that Interior Savings previously established at UBC Okanagan, for which any student in financial need is eligible.
Interior Savings has also partnered with UBC Okanagan in a monthly luncheon series that brings together successful UBC alumni with third and fourth year students. The three or four alumni have a panel discussion about their education and careers, helping students understand that a successful career pathway is not necessarily linear. “We get excellent feedback on these events from the students and alumni,” says Amanda Sheehan, Community Investment Advisor for Interior Savings. She adds, “The staff at UBC Okanagan were fantastic to work with in creating the Lifelong Learner Bursary. And it’s wonderful that this is an endowment that will endure over time.”
Introducing Rhonda Roth Rhonda Roth is the new Associate Director for Awards Development as of August 2009. She takes over in this position from Dan Worsley, who has retired after 30 years of service to UBC.
Before joining the Gift and Estate Planning unit, Rhonda held positions of increasing responsibility in the Development Office in the Faculty of Medicine, culminating in her role as Associate Director of Development.
Rhonda was born in Vancouver and raised in Calgary, and graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts in political science. While still a student, she began volunteering in a Faculty of Commerce fundraising campaign and quickly became interested in the field of fundraising. She took a position with a hospital foundation in Calgary and worked there until returning to Vancouver in 2001 to work at UBC.
“I had begun to work with donors who were giving to student awards, and I found myself drawn to that special group,” she says. “Dan was a mentor to me, so it is very rewarding for me to continue in the position that he has left.” Rhonda looks forward to working with existing donors and encouraging new ones to support awards for UBC students.
contact us rhonda roth Associate Director Awards Development Gift and Estate Planning Phone 604.822.3846 rhonda.roth@ubc.ca Fax 604.822.8151
lesley campbell Manager Awards Development Gift and Estate Planning Phone 604.822.8920 lesley.campbell@ubc.ca Fax 604.822.8151
sharon de vries Major Gifts Officer UBC Okanagan Phone 250.807.8433 sharon.devries@ubc.ca Fax 250.807.9211
If you want to support UBC students, we can help. Our experience and expertise can help you turn your ideas into student awards. UBC Development Office 500 – 5950 University Blvd. Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3 UBC Okanagan Development Office 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1V 1V7 www.supporting.ubc.ca/givingoptions
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