2022 President’s Awards for Staff Recipients

By Melissa Baluk on August 29, 2022

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the President’s Service Awards for Excellence and the President’s Staff awards, presented by the university annually to recognize staff members who demonstrate outstanding achievement and excellence within the UBC community. 

View photos from the 2022 President’s awards for staff reception. 

President’s Service Awards for Excellence 

The President’s Service Awards for Excellence are presented each year to up to five outstanding staff members. The PSAE acknowledges staff who have made outstanding contributions to UBC, and who excel in their personal achievements. 

The 2022 President’s Service Awards for Excellence recipients are: 

President’s Staff Awards 

The President’s Staff Awards at the Vancouver campus recognize the personal achievements and contributions that our staff make to UBC, and to the vision and goals of the university. 

The 2022 President’s Staff Awards recipients are: 

President’s Staff Award for Leadership 

President’s Staff Award for Enhancing UBC Experience  

President’s Staff Award for Creativity and Innovation 

President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence  

President’s Staff Award for Wellbeing 

President’s Service Awards for Excellence   

Pinder Dosanjh, Operations Manager  

Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute  

At the interface of science and operations, Pinder Dosanjh is a catalyst for the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute’s (QMI) growth and a driving force for research at UBC.  

Pinder contributes his technical and scientific skills and expertise – and passion for the work he does – to provide leadership on infrastructure development, foster research relationships, train students, lead outreach programs, volunteer on committees and even conduct his own research.  

When it comes to academic impact, Pinder is a force of nature. From designing learning to mentoring young scientists, Pinder has trained and influenced generations of students. His future-mindedness extends to sustainability; Pinder developed a protocol for reusing helium (a non-renewable and expensive resource needed for research activities) and implemented sustainable helium cooling practices at UBC. His excellence continues through his scientific output; since 2010, Pinder produces about four academic publications per year with a steadily increasing body of citations – a rare staff achievement!  

Pinder generates and stewards research collaborations in Canada and abroad. He was integral in the recent launch of a new beamline at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon – a project supported by 17 universities that will enhance UBC’s research capabilities. Furthermore, through his collaboration with local industry, he has powered the growth of the nanofabrication industry in B.C.  

Pinder champions inclusivity in science. He’s a founding member of QMI’s equity, diversity and inclusion committee and, with the pandemic, ensured students from equity-deserving identities could continue to participate in meaningful research and training experiences. 

Shannon Dunn, Director, Business Operations

AVP Finance and Operations 

Through her leadership in food services, student housing, and a variety of operations at the UBC Okanagan campus, Shannon Dunn takes a caring and ambitious approach to enhance our living and learning communities. 

Shannon’s leadership in the recent development of Nechako and Skeena Residences not only enabled the growth from about 400 student residents to 2,100; but also intentionally promoted community and led in sustainable and innovative practices. For instance, Skeena is the first Passive House certified student housing development in British Columbia. 

Shannon recognizes the diverse experiences and needs our students bring with them when they arrive at UBC.   

Through thoughtful changes to human resources, information technology and facilities, Shannon transformed food services at UBCO by bringing operations in house – a rare endeavor for most organizations. She works with the Residence Life team to create a welcoming community for new students and their families. For example, the team connects with over 500 parents and families on move-in weekend to ensure they feel confident and comfortable, increasing the students’ sense of belonging. At a governance level, Shannon advocates for policy changes with the UBC Board of Governors and recommends changes to approaches and protocols that may adversely affect some student groups, especially for systematically underrepresented and marginalized communities. 

Shannon gives back to her professional network, her local community, and the university through volunteering. At UBC, Shannon has served on the Board of Governors, the student-led Non-Academic Misconduct Committee and many more committees. 

Patricia Ormerod, Laboratory of Archaeology Manager

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts 

For over 20 years, Patricia Ormerod brings expertise, empathy, and dedication to her role at the Laboratory of Archaeology (LOA). Responsible for the care and housing of hundreds of thousands of artifacts, belongings and environmental samples recovered throughout British Columbia, Patricia advocates for the inclusion and agency of Indigenous peoples in B.C.’s archeology and heritage management.  

In developing respectful, reciprocal and lasting partnerships with the students, faculty, Indigenous communities and government, Patricia positions the lab as the repository of choice for Musqueam, as well as serving Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and other Indigenous communities. She is a leader in proactive repatriation and decolonizing archaeological collections. 

Recently, Patricia played a leadership role in realizing the Community Research Centre. Once complete, this state-of-the-art provincial repository will house thousands of artifacts, enabling researchers, students and community partners to work on multiple projects simultaneously. 

Patricia also fosters an inclusive community for students. She regularly includes student assistants in the lab’s collections curation and provides practical hands-on training and mentorship. She supports faculty in securing grants and hiring student assistants to carry out research, curatorial, and public outreach functions.  

Patricia is actively engaged in many aspects of the archaeological community at UBC and beyond. She served as the President of the B.C. Archaeology Society. She helps organize UBC’s annual Archaeology Day and volunteers at Open Archaeology Lab Nights, providing students with hands-on experience in Archaeology. 

Jody Swift, Director, Strategic Initiatives

Faculty of Applied Science  

Driven, fearless, and committed to advancing the strategic priorities of the Faculty of Applied Science, Jody Swift is impacting the future of health care, technology and innovation, and city and community planning in B.C. and beyond. 

Jody plays an important role in developing new academic programs, from extensive consultations to curriculum development. This includes advanced manufacturing engineering, urban studies, clinical informatics and many other innovative programs. 

Jody tackles challenges in a way that empowers the people around her; an ability that has led to her becoming an integral connection point within the Faculty. In leading the Faculty’s strategic planning process, Jody was committed to intentional consultation and vision building. This enabled many stakeholders to inform the plan and include varied perspectives on nursing, engineering, community planning and architecture.  

Recently, Jody spearheaded an initiative to bring Afghan women scholars to UBC to pursue their master’s degree. She has worked collaboratively across the university and with the broader community to help develop pathways and support for these women to relocate to Vancouver and transition to UBC.

Jody aims to create an inclusive and welcoming community throughout the Faculty. She has revitalized the staff awards program to recognize staff throughout all career levels, builds relationships outside of reporting lines to create a sense of belonging, and also supports students to navigate operational challenges in their extracurricular activities. 

Karen Yan, Graduate Program Assistant  

Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education    

Karen Yan maintains a high quality of service and excellence in providing support to the students, faculty and staff within the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education. For over three decades, Karen has been a leader in building a community where new students and new faculty feel included and at home.  

As the first point of contact during the admissions process, Karen’s interactions with students are welcoming and informative, and help students be successful both in their application and later in their transition to campus life. She goes above and beyond to assist international applicants and applicants from underrepresented communities, especially those who lack convenient access to technology or experience language barriers, so that all applicants feel that UBC is a place for them to be successful in their academic journey.  

Karen guides graduate students as they navigate course planning, clinic placements, and graduate requirements. From orientation to graduation, Karen takes great care to assist and recognize students and promote a culture of respect. 

In addition to student success, Karen is also vital in the success of faculty and staff across the department. She takes initiative to ensure administrators and faculty are aware of updates to graduate policies; she mentors colleagues on admissions processes and re-accreditation processes; she assists new faculty and helps them settle into their roles, and; she reaches out to alumni, providing information about professional certification requirements and opportunities to connect back with the department.  

President’s Staff Awards

President’s Staff Award for Leadership  

Daniel Strikaitis, Head, Electrical Projects  

Building Operations

Departments and researchers across campus rely on Dan Strikaitis and his team of electricians to deliver power to their projects and upgrade infrastructure in support of excellence in research and learning.  

An avid electrician, Dan is collaborative, optimistic and creative in finding effective solutions to support his team, coordinate with project stakeholders, and meet client needs. He balances each project’s unique challenges – complex physical constraints, specialized research equipment – with electrical codes, UBC technical guidelines and other considerations. His commitment to operations doesn’t stop at electrical projects; Dan works collaboratively across campus to ensure researchers are set up for success.  

Dan’s commitment to excellence not only powers the research community but also creates a welcoming and engaging workplace for those around him. When new electricians join the team, Dan onboards them to the university environment, which can be a culture shock for electricians coming from different industries. He contributes generously to developing the leadership capacity and strengths of those around him. For instance, Dan participated in the selection process for the department’s Expression of Interest program, which is designed to give staff an opportunity to grow in their career and build leaders in the department. 

Asima Zahid, Director, Student Solution  

Integrated Renewal Program Student  

Through her leadership in the renewal of the student information system (IRP Student) – a project that will call upon the university to adopt new ways of business – Asima Zahid demonstrates that the processes we design, the data we collect, and the words we use matter to people and are an opportunity to live UBC’s values.  

Asima is articulate, patient, and unfailing in her constructive approach to bring everyone along on this journey. Through years of complex planning and challenging discussions, her focus and positivity keep things moving forward. 

With hundreds of community consultation workshops over the years, Asima welcomes feedback and ensures people are heard, their concerns are addressed, and that they share confidence in the vision. She takes great care to be inclusive and responsive to matters affecting underrepresented communities, including Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+ and students with disabilities. 

Asima demonstrates her commitment to equity and inclusion by developing the leadership capacity and strengths of those around her, particularly those underrepresented in higher education. Perceptive to how their identities may influence their opportunities, Asima deliberately created roles on her team that allow for career progression. She provides mentorship and encourages professional development as well as opportunities for career growth.  

President’s Staff Award for Enhancing UBC Experience   

Vivian Becker and Kelvin Wu, Senior Immigration Advisors  

Housing, Immigration and Relocation Services, Human Resources  

Vivian Becker and Kelvin Wu are experienced Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants who help people moving to UBC navigate immigration law, policies and procedures needed to enter and remain in Canada to work. The immigration process is complex, and frequent changes – especially during the pandemic – impact our faculty, postdoctoral fellows, staff and visiting researchers as well as the departments, research programs and students that depend upon them.  

Vivian and Kelvin respond quickly, skillfully, and accurately helping our newcomer community feel welcome and allowing UBC to attract and retain staff and sustain excellence in research, teaching and learning. 

Vivian and Kelvin go out of their way to offer outstanding service and anticipate diverse needs. For example, for clients whose preferred language is not English, the pair will translate rules and processes in a way that is clear and accessible, ensuring individuals are prepared to communicate effectively with officials at visa offices across the world, international airports and so on. They also assist newcomers in their journey to permanent residency – a highly personal and complex service that offers the individual and their family job security as well as a welcoming step into life in Canada.  

Bernie Flinn, Senior Support Analyst  

UBC IT | Peter A. Allard School of Law   

Bernie Flinn goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service to students, faculty and staff at the Peter A. Allard School of Law and, for over 25 years, has played a leadership role in IT infrastructure, software, security and strategic planning. 

Bernie strives to improve the value, efficiency and sustainability of IT services across the School of Law, including support at related facilities such as the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic (ICLC) and RISE Women’s Legal Clinic. At the onset of the pandemic, Bernie helped the community pivot to remote and hybrid environments.  

He is generous with his time and tenacious in finding solutions for individuals – not only anticipating their needs but also recognizing their varied experiences and challenges. For example, Bernie collaborates with faculty and staff with disabilities to leverage and optimize unique tools and solutions to increase ease and accessibility. And, for people whose first language is not English, he offers to install and run software in their preferred language.   

Bernie is warm and cheerful, and genuinely builds community through his interactions. He regularly volunteers to provide IT/AV support at students’ social events, helps students navigate new exam software, and participates at the ICLC student orientation. 

President’s Staff Award for Creativity and Innovation  

Venkatasubraman (Venkat) Mahadevan, ARC Cloud Architect 

Advanced Research Computing   

With a desire to drive scientific discovery through pioneering capabilities, Venkat Mahadevan blazes trails for researchers and computing professionals alike. Venkat is dedicated to bringing researchers powerful yet easy-to-use solutions while also mentoring colleagues to ensure solutions are supported and sustainable.  

For example, Venkat centrally implemented commercial cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, making these accessible to researchers. 

Notably, Venkat led the adoption and integration of the UBC ARC RONIN self-service research platform – positioning UBC as the first university in North America to offer self-service supercomputing in the cloud for research. With just a few mouse clicks, students and researchers can leverage vast computational capabilities, accelerating time to discovery.  

Venkat recently launched a pilot to use cloud bursting technology to move research computing workloads automatically from on-site into the cloud – another first of its kind at UBC and in Canada.  

Throughout his career, Venkat has been a driving force behind many of the pivotal technologies used to this day by students, faculty and staff. He helped develop UBC’s email security and mailing lists service, and architected the first iteration of UBC’s Enterprise LDAP service – a data source (i.e. Campus-Wide Login) that remains a cornerstone today.  

Effiam Yung, Web Communications Specialist  

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education  

Effiam Yung couples his technical expertise with initiative to create innovative technologies and inclusive spaces for students, faculty and staff.  

Notably, Effiam led the programming and technology in two innovative projects: Singling and PhoneMe. These open-access software platforms fill important technology gaps that advance research, teaching and learning in literacy studies across Canada and around the world. 

Through his innovative programming and development of Singling, Effiam played a pivotal role in allowing researchers to convert any text into sound or musical information – the auditory equivalent of data visualization. Singling can assist scholars with visual impairment in their analysis of qualitative data via sonification, and has many diverse and exciting applications for research, teaching and the arts.  

Over several years, Effiam also led the technological development of PhoneMe. This application connects Indigenous pedagogies of place-based awareness with poetry in a social media environment. The app was especially popular during the pandemic as teachers were seeking meaningful and engaging literacy-promoting opportunities. PhoneMe enabled UBC’s Digital Literacy Centre to make significant strides in teaching and enhancing digital and creative literacies in communities, schools, and higher education across the country.  

Effiam also contributed to these projects by co-authoring journal articles and text book chapters, presenting at conferences, and offering demonstrations and musical performances.  

President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence   

Natalie Chambers, Manager, Clinical Practice Placement Unit  

School of Nursing   

At the School of Nursing, Natalie Chambers interacts with over 200 clinical sites to ensure over 200 nursing students have access to relevant clinical practice experiences during their degree. In her role as a manager as well as an active member of School’s anti-racism committee, Natalie is a leader in building respectful and inclusive environments that reflect the diversity of students and nurses within the academic setting.  

Natalie co-led the development of the committee’s comprehensive work plan to foster an equity-oriented, culturally safe, and decolonizing environment. This work includes embedding an anti-racist orientation in policies and practices, and building the leadership capacity of students, faculty and staff to be agents of structural change within the university, the nursing profession and health care system.  

She also worked collaboratively with the School’s Indigenous Cultural Safety committee, recognizing the need to focus on the unique Indigenous experience at UBC.  

Natalie promotes inclusive excellence by encouraging faculty and staff professional development to build equity, inclusion and anti-racist competencies. She has also been instrumental in including students in anti-racism work and supported the development of a Student Anti-Racism Caucus. 

Her commitment to redressing historical injustices against racialized people is unrelenting and her ability to move this agenda forward is exciting. 

Christine Lee, Associate Director, Alumni Engagement  

Development & Alumni Engagement | Faculty of Arts  

Christine Lee’s commitment to cultivating respectful and reciprocal university-community relationships goes far and wide – and reflects her leadership in equity, diversity and inclusion at UBC.

Christine is a founding member and co-chair of UBC’s Asian Canadian Community Engagement (ACCE) initiative and in this role, she has made incredible strides improving engagement between UBC and local Asian Canadian communities. Her leadership spans over a decade, and includes stewarding the ACCE and supporting the legacy and UBC’s commitment to pay tribute to the 76 Japanese Canadians who were sent away to internment camps and were unable to graduate in 1942 and received honorary degrees in 2012. 

Christine continues to advance anti-racism through leading the creation of the new Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement. During the planning process for the National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism, she played a pivotal role in holding space for students, faculty and staff to share their expertise, perspectives and lived experiences.  

Christine is tireless in her efforts to raise the voices of systemically underrepresented and marginalized communities, as she did when shaping a groundbreaking study to survey the landscape of Asian Canadian experiential learning on alumni over the past 15 years. 

Her volunteerism and leadership have resulted in significant institutional change. 

Note, the term “Asian Canadian” encompasses local communities whose origins stem from Asia (including East, South, Southeast and West Asia). It is important to note that not all such communities self-identify using this term, and there is no single “Asian” community in Canada. We use the term “Asian Canadian” to refer, therefore, not to a pre-existing category of people, but as a way of acknowledging the ways in which diverse migrant communities within Canada have forged meaningful, dynamic, and complex connections both in Canada and across the Pacific. Learn more at https://acce.ubc.ca/ 

President’s Staff Award for Wellbeing  

Felicia de la Parra, Senior Library Assistant  

Rare Books and Special Collections, Library 

At the Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC), Felicia de la Parra is a community builder who brings people together and inspires wellbeing in the workplace.  

Felicia fosters welcoming spaces to nurture an increased sense of community and networks of care. In support of mental, physical and social health, she organizes team-building events such as a breakfast potluck, team puzzles and nature walks. She promotes social connections by celebrating milestones and accomplishments, encouraging colleagues to invest in themselves through professional development, and motivates others to participate in campus-wide activities like Move UBC and Thrive. Felicia also takes an active role behind the scenes securing grants for many initiatives, for example to fund a disposable mask recycling program at the library.  

Felicia is connected to the university at large, providing RBSC employees with information on formal wellbeing programs, initiatives, and resources. She is on the Library’s Climate Action Team, UBC’s Walk for Joy committee, and serves in her department as a UBC Health Contact, Sustainability Coordinator and a Workplace Wellbeing Ambassador. 

Felicia also takes special care to welcome student employees, answer questions with kindness and care, and ensure access to professional development so they can succeed in their roles. 

Christine Klaray, Director, Student Academic Services; Rob Kim, Career Strategist; Thilini Leitan, Student Engagement Officer; Ella Wong, International Academic Advisor; Bre Jakobsen, Academic Advisor, and; Bonita Perko, Academic Advisor  

Student Services, Faculty of Land and Food Systems  

The Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) Student Services team – Christine Klaray, Rob Kim, Thilini Leitan, Ella Wong, Bre Jakobsen and Bonita Perko – are recognized for developing the innovative, student-centered program ROOTSS: Reach Out, Orientation, Transition & Study Skills. 

ROOTSS is an online program and virtual space designed to support new-to-LFS students throughout their first year through academic success, social connection and wellbeing.   

Voluntary and self-paced, the program enables students to start building relationships shortly after the accept deadline for UBC, an earlier connection point than is typically experienced by new students. New students also connect with senior peers, faculty and staff to build confidence in their academic readiness through workshops, academic and program support, check-ins throughout first-year and social activities. The curriculum intentionally features a strong student voice and peer-to-peer engagement, fostering an inclusive and safe online community. 

Notably, the team launched ROOTSS over a year in advance to accommodate more than 500 students incoming during the pandemic – a time when social connection and wellbeing were paramount to student success.  

Online and offline, Christine, Rob, Thilini, Ella, Bre and Bonita lead with compassion as they help students navigate and build resiliency in their academic, professional and personal pursuits. 

Congratulations, all!

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UBC Staff Awards

The President's Awards for Staff includes both the President's Staff Awards for UBC Vancouver staff and the President's Service Awards for Excellence (PSAE) .

Learn about the Staff Awards of Excellence at the Okanagan campus.

Past Award Recipients

Read about the recipients of President's Staff Awards: