News and Notes

Mahsa Jessri wins Early Career Researcher Prize

Mahsa Jessri, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Nutritional Epidemiology for Population Health, won an Early Career Researcher Partnership Prize. This is given by the Canadian Nutrition Society and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, recognizing her leadership in collaborating to develop cutting-edge public health research. Dr. Jessri leverages big data analytics and new epidemiological tools to help inform national dietary guidelines and policies aimed at helping to reduce the burden of chronic diseases.

Tianxi Yang wins 2025 Young Scientist Award  

Assistant Professor of Food Science, Tianxi Yang, won the 2025 Young Scientist Award from the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. This award recognizes Dr. Yang’s outstanding scientific contributions to the field of agricultural and food chemistry, among eligible nominees who received their last degree within 12 years.

Expanding community engagement

Two newly announced projects under UBC’s Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Funds are co-led by faculty members in LFS. Katherine Aske from the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm is partnering with Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society on a project called Growing Food and Community Together: A UBC Farm and Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Partnership. In addition, Eduardo Jovel, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Land-Based Education, Research, and Wellness at xwci̓cə̓səm is partnering with Musqueam Indian Band on a project titled Spindling Food Sovereignty, Land-based Wellness, and Land Stewardship at Musqueam and xwc̓icə̓səm. 

Marina von Keyserlingk awarded for mentorship and research

Professor Marina von Keyserlingk is UBC’s first recipient of a national mentorship award – the 2024 Dr. Suning Wang Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship, given by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies. In addition, in early 2025, she received an Honorary doctorate from Ghent University in Belgium, recognizing Dr. von Keyserlingk’s outstanding contributions to animal welfare. With more than 350 peer-reviewed publications, she is one of the most influential scientists in animal welfare and veterinary sciences.

Soil scientist Jean-Thomas Cornelis wins two awards

Associate Professor Jean-Thomas (JT) Cornelis is one of six UBC faculty members who received a Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship this year. A soil scientist, Dr. Cornelis’ SoilRes3 Lab examines the complex relationships between soil, plants, and people across different cultural and environmental settings. The fellowship enables him to expand the reach and depth of his research on ecosystem resilience and Indigenous-led land stewardship.  In addition, he also received a Peter Wall Research Award for his research on revitalizing Indigenous land stewardship to enhance soil health and build resilient food-forest systems in B.C.

Lindsay Cuff recognized for reducing barriers to education

Lindsay Cuff, Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Faculties of Forestry and Land and Food Systems, received an Open Educational Resource (OER) Excellence and Impact Award from UBC. This award recognizes her leadership in advancing open educational practices, breaking down economic barriers, and enhancing accessibility within credit courses.

Universal Design for Learning Fellows

Thorsten Knipfer (Assistant Professor, Applied Biology) and Duncan McHugh (LFS Digital and Instructional Media Producer) have been selected to join the third cohort of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Fellows Program. This professional development program will benefit teaching and learning across the Faculty. Dr. Knipfer integrates dynamic teaching methods—such as problem-based learning and just-in-time quizzes—to motivate student learning while McHugh’s continued engagement in the UDL Fellowship will encourage the widespread adoption of inclusive teaching practices throughout the Faculty and UBC’s Digital Media Community of Practice.

More LFS News