Canadian children’s diet quality during school hours improves over 11-year period

August 26, 2019

Tagged with: 2019, Food Nutrition and Health, Graduate

Tagged with 2019, Food Nutrition and Health, Graduate
Categories: News

Barbara Hsiao receives President’s Staff Award

August 26, 2019

Barbara Hsiao, Director of HR & Administration, receives President’s Staff Award

Aug. 26, 2019 – Barbara Hsiao, the director of HR and administration in the faculty, was recognized with a 2019 President’s Staff Award (Wellbeing).

While she is a trusted advisor to many, Barbara stands out for her continuous commitment to delivering outstanding service. As the Faculty of Land and Food Systems director of HR and administration (staff) since 2008, Barbara has put into place many best practices and brings people together by organizing team-building activities, opportunities for learning, and events to share her love of food.

These are some of the initiatives that Barbara has spearheaded:

Big Bike to support the Heart & Stroke Foundation – she co-captains the LFS team and leads fundraising of $5000 every year, with a new record of $7000 last year!
Barbara introduced a policy of giving LFS staff the day off on their birthdays.
UBC Walkabout Challenge – during the competition, she initiates walking meetings and extra meet-ups so all LFS participants can gain steps during the workweek and on weekends.
Organizes the annual Staff-Faculty Professional Development Day – a day of activities for staff to learn something new and bond with co-workers. Often this is themed around land or food, such as tea-making at UBC Farm.
Implemented a Faculty subsidy for events to encourage participation and overcome cost barriers: Sun Run, Harvest Feastival, Walkabout.
Organizes an LFS team for the annual Sun Run.

She has worked at UBC since 1998 and has a strong knowledge of UBC administration. Within the Faculty, Barbara has built a strong community that makes land and food systems recognized as the “Friendly Faculty”.

Tagged with: 2019, Staff

Tagged with 2019, Staff
Categories: News

Alexandra Protopopova

August 8, 2019

Alexandra Protopopova

Associate Professor, Applied Biology (Animal Welfare Program)

NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare

604-827-2256

a.protopopova@ubc.ca

MacMillan 193, 2357 Main Mall

UBC Animal Welfare Program

@dr_prot

Education

PhD in Behavior Analysis, University of Florida

MS in Behavior Analysis, University of Florida

BS in Pre-Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst

BS in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Research

My research aims are to (1) improve animal shelter practices, (2) improve companion animal welfare through the development of behavioural interventions in shelters as well as pet homes, and (3) assess and improve on the well-being of dogs working in assistance roles.

Selected Publications

Please visit Dr. Protopopova’s Google Scholar page for a full list of publications.

Protopopova, A., Matter, A., Harris, B., Wiskow, K., Donaldson, J. (In press). Comparison of contingent and non-contingent access to therapy dogs during academic tasks in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Andrukonis, A. & Protopopova, A. (In press). Occupational health of animal shelter employees by live release rate, shelter type, and euthanasia-related decision. Anthrozoos.

Protopopova, A., Hauser, H, Goldman, K, & Wynne, C. D. L. (2018). The effects of exercise and calm interactions on in-kennel behavior of shelter dogs. Behavioral Processes, 146, 54-60.

Gunter, L., Protopopova, A., Hooker, S., Ananian, S. D., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2017). Effects of an owner activity & behavioral intervention on walking activity and return rates of shelter dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 20(4), 357-371.

Protopopova, A., & Gunter, L. M. (2017). Adoption and relinquishment interventions at the animal shelter: a review. Animal Welfare, 26(1), 35-48.

Tagged with: Applied Animal Biology, Applied Biology, Faculty

Tagged with Applied Animal Biology, Applied Biology, Faculty
Categories: News, Profile Faculty

Mentoring Helps Students Navigate Real-World Job Market

August 1, 2019

Mentoring Helps Students Navigate Real-World Job Market

Mentor: Cait Murphy (left)

Mentees: Kira Knight (centre) and Rose Wu

Photos of Cait and Kira provided courtesy of Ashley Kobayashi

In the months following her graduation from the Global Resource Systems (GRS) program, Cait Murphy recalls applying for multiple jobs and not getting anywhere. During that period, she had a wonderful mentor who taught her networking and goal-setting skills to help her better understand the job market.

Now as the Program Coordinator of Climate Change and Air Quality at the Fraser Basin Council, Murphy jumped at the chance to become a UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) mentor, wanting to ensure that her mentees had the necessary post-graduation job market skills that gave her a leg up.

Through the 2018-2019 LFS Mentorship Program, she not only shared her knowledge, she also gained knowledge in return. Her mentees, Rose Wu and Kira Knight are both GRS students. Murphy is inspired by their passionate involvement in extracurricular activities, club associations and podcasts. “They made me think about the types of extracurricular activities I’d like to be pursuing.”

While Murphy does not work in Knight’s field of interest of global health, she significantly expanded Knight’s interpersonal skills, knowledge about her career journey, especially how to navigate networking events, job applications and interviews.

“Cait is a wonderful mentor dedicated and motivated to helping me and Rose,” said Knight. “Together, we made time in our schedules to meet and debrief on various topics above and beyond those assigned to us from the Mentorship Program. The skill I developed most was how to interact in a professional environment, whether at an interview or with colleagues. I have a better understanding on how to adjust my behaviour to ensure a cohesive and positive working environment.”

From Knight’s perspective, the best thing about her mentoring experience was all of the connections she made. “Not only did I network with other mentors at the opening and wrap-up events, my mentor Cait provided me with many connections in my field of interest. I have many more doors open to me with respect to finding future employment opportunities.”

Fellow mentee Rose Wu transferred from Science to GRS, completely changing her major, and joined the Mentorship Program with the intention to connect with professionals in similar fields and get a better understanding of what work would be available post-graduation.

Through this program, Wu learned about work dynamics and personal work strategies from Murphy and Knight. “Cait helped me see how the StrengthsFinders personality quiz [that we did in LFS 250] is used in her organization’s collaborative projects and how to be more effective in the workplace and life in general.”

Wu also honed her ability to ask for help and reach out to people out of genuine curiosity. Where she previously feared they would not want to waste their time talking to her, she learned about the value of informational interviews. Both Murphy and Knight connected her with people in her field of interest.

“This experience has made me less afraid of networking and has inspired me to make more connections,” said Wu. “I see the power of simply knowing people and asking for help. I have learned that job searching and career building is not something one does alone. In the future, I see myself expanding my career by reaching into my network for support as well as giving support to those who need it.”

Since 2001, the LFS Mentorship Program has created networking opportunities for students, alumni and local professionals.To become a mentor, contact Niki Glenning, our Alumni Relations Manager, at 604-822-8910 or niki.glenning@ubc.ca.

Tagged with: 2019, Staff

Tagged with 2019, Staff
Categories: News

Tim Lau

July 25, 2019

Tim Lau, Dietetics Program, Student Award Recipient

Tim Lau grew up in Vancouver and didn’t always live the healthiest lifestyle prior to joining the Faculty of Land and Food Systems in the Dietetics Program. A growing interest in health and wanting to apply healthy eating to his own lifestyle has been Tim’s main motivation. Following in his family’s footsteps, with both of his parents and his siblings becoming UBC Alumni, he decided that the Program was a great choice for developing a career. Receiving student support was a humbling experience, Tim highlighting that “sometimes with the work you put in day in day out you don’t see the outcomes right away and its easy to feel a little low if you’re not achieving what you want to achieve that, but to be recognized with an award like this, speaks volumes.”

Tim has found his experience at UBC and in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems to be consistently supportive, whether it was celebrating Imagine Day, walking through the halls of the H.R. Macmillan Building or going to counsellors for advice on course work or managing stress, he has always felt a caring atmosphere abounds. Tim reflects that the faculty were approachable, encouraging, and willing to go above and beyond saying, “it’s the people who really made my experience so special and I credit my success to them for sure”.

The most meaningful aspects of his time in LFS include getting to know a wide variety of people, within the Dietetics Program, and beyond, through extracurricular activities and being involved with the LFS community dinners. Along with feeling empowered through relationships, Tim found the coursework and group projects provided a significant baseline for his co-op placement as a dietician in Vancouver General Hospital, where he was able to further excel and to learn saying, “the fundamentals of teamwork and leadership required and also about how to be the most efficient employee, best human, and team member possible, I think the placement has been as valuable as the textbook and course material”.

As someone who is humorous, hardworking, and disciplined, Tim’s advice to prospective students is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Tim highlighted that “we often get overwhelmed because we don’t see many opportunities on the horizon, but they always present themselves and I think I have been fortunate enough to be able to have those which really allowed me to maximize the most out of my university career, and also my life”.
He acknowledges that it can be challenging to be in a new situation and nerve-racking trying to fit in to new place.

Timothy is grateful for the award and has the following to say to his award donor, “thank you so much for even considering or thinking of me. I don’t do any of it for the recognition, to be able to be recognized means so much to me, I hope I have done you proud and will continue to build on that.”

Timothy is currently working at the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority as a Clinical Dietitian.

Tagged with: 2019, Awards, Dietetics, Undergraduate

Tagged with 2019, Awards, Dietetics, Undergraduate
Categories: News

Brittany Myhal

July 25, 2019

Brittany Myhal

Name	Brittany Myhal
Title	Natural Resource Specialist
Company	BC Hydro
Program	Masters of Land and Water Systems (course)

July 25, 2019 – Prior to joining the Master of Land and Water Systems program (MLWS) in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Brittany completed her undergraduate degree in Nanaimo. Realizing that her biology degree was overall very general, she searched for a specialized program to excel in and launch her career from. She found the perfect fit in the MLWS program, which combined her interests in soil science, water shed management and resource conservation.

The intensive and expensive nature of the program makes student support vital. Brittany reflects that she was unaware of student support as a potential avenue for her to focus more on her studies than work and that an award would have made a huge difference in her studies. Having delayed her studies for two years to save up, as well working part-time during the Program, Brittany sees the importance of accessing opportunities to receive awards and support.

Overcoming the challenges by dedicating herself to her studies, she expresses how meaningful it was to have the academic and emotional support from professors who she says, “genuinely cared how well you were doing academically and personally, reminding me that if my personal life isn’t going well it can impact my studies.” She was pleasantly surprised to receive that level of care in a large institution such as UBC. The opportunity to complete a substantial project that was a hands-on project on “Food Security Concerns and Challenges of First Nations Communities in the Interior of BC”. This project was a big accomplishment and has excelled her learning, made a different in the community and in her ability to find work in her field.

As a compassionate, driven, and independent individual, Brittany has made the most of her time in LFS. Her advice to prospective students is to start applying for jobs sooner than graduation and to really focus on your major project. She advices that, “what you put in is what you get out as it. It is a very self-directed program, so engage with your professors and go on the field trips, if you want to get out of it the most you possibly can”.

She describes LFS as a community that is involved, dedicated, genuine, compassionate and understanding. She emphasizes the importance of the community saying that, “the quality of your experience is so high through the relationships you form with the students and teachers and the quality of the academic experience exceeded my expectations, the environment here is really great and positive and it is a very inspiring place to learn.”

Brittany found a job right after graduating from the Master of Land and Water Systems professional program. She is applying her gained knowledge and skills in her current position at BC Hydro as a Natural Resource Specialist.

Tagged with: 2019, Alumni, Master of Land and Water Systems

Tagged with 2019, Alumni, Master of Land and Water Systems
Categories: News, Profile Alumni, Profiles

Allison Li

July 25, 2019

Allison Li, Masters of Food and Resource Economics, Student Award Recipient

Studying finance in China, Allison Li, was hoping to find a more specific area to inspire her career. Following a summer program at UBC Sauder School of Business Allison enrolled in the Master of Food and Resource Economics program in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. One highlight of her time in the summer program, was how different the learning environment is at UBC, one that enables you to have a real-world experience, and she started to explore a new area of study for her career aspirations.

Allison is a big fan of extreme sports and rock climbing, with nature and outdoor activities and was excited to see that Vancouver was able to offer the space to explore her hobbies. She expressed how important the support she received, whether academically or in her own health and wellness, gave her the ability to thrive as a student. She has built a strong community of students, teaching assistants and professors by cultivating relationships. She was able to excel in her study groups and harness her leadership skills, as well as to gain tangible skills both in the classroom and beyond. Along with gaining the knowledge and abilities to progress in the field of Food and Resource Economics, Allison found the career development through workshops and networking opportunities, helped launched her career after graduating.

Allison felt increasingly prepared to work in her field during her studies and was hired right after completing her classes. The most meaningful aspect of studying in LFS for Allison was connecting over food, and though she found the MFRE program challenging, she found the community of LFS made it easier to navigate. In the cooperative study atmosphere there is a sense of enjoyment, even with the high work load.

Allison’s advice to current and prospective students is to focus on gaining analytical skills, and encourages students to balance study and social life outside of school and to enjoy the outdoor beauty that Vancouver has to offer.

Grateful for having received student support, she acknowledges how important it was to “keep pushing me forward and to know that I am on the right direction in terms of my goals”.
With the student support, she acknowledges that LFS has been a journey for her getting to know herself, getting clear on her goals, and learning the skills that helped her the direction she wanted and was looking for.

After graduating, Allison is now working as a Business Intelligence Analyst at G & F Financial Group.

Tagged with: 2019, Awards, Graduate, Master of Food and Resource Economics

Tagged with 2019, Awards, Graduate, Master of Food and Resource Economics
Categories: News

Akshaya Akshu

July 25, 2019

Akshaya Akshu, Masters of Food Science, Student Award Recipient

Prior to joining the Masters of Food Science program (MFS) in LFS, Akshaya Akshu who was born in raised in India, studied with a focus around food technology that was considered an odd field by most there. Inspired to help aid India’s solutions to a more sustainable food system that can reduce waste and increase food security through enhancing processing, she searched for the best food technology program. With a lack of mentors and no other food technologists to aspire towards, Akshaya took an active effort in her own learning in her undergrad to get hands on experience with processing, food safety, packaging, shelf life, and a passion for food chemistry.

Moving from India to Vancouver was the first time she lived alone and she exudes positivity around the challenges that provide further learning outside the classroom. Learning a lot about different people and different cultures, and the different ways of thinking that you become exposed to and that shape you. Amazed at how, “she didn’t expect to meet people you’re your own wavelength from different cultures”, she’s so grateful for the ability to gain independence and discover herself through her time studying here. Appreciative of how easy it was for her to adjust with all of the support from UBC, her fellow students, and professors.

She describes LFS as professional, friendly, dedicated and up-to-date. She highlights how the faculty is hands on in staying relevant on current issues and advances and the learning style if very hands on and accompanied by passionate staff and professors to help students grow into the perfect job for them. Akshaya also reflect on how important it was that teachers taught her how to learn in a way that went beyond memorization and instead encouraged learning from a place of inspiration. Her advice to potential students of course include appreciating the library as well as utilizing the resources on campus over all. Connecting with professors and peers to gain varying perspectives helps further awareness and success as a student.

The significance of student support is clear in Akshaya’s experience. It has given her a lot of confidence in herself and in her ability to make a difference through her studies. She also highlights how important it is for supporters to recognize students beyond grades to help further the goals of students who think outside the box, people with big ideas and ideas, as it is important for those people to get boost and have that confidence to pursue their dreams.

Akshaya is currently working at Paradise Island Foods as a Food safety and HACCP coordinator.

Tagged with: Awards, Graduate, Master of Food Science

Tagged with Awards, Graduate, Master of Food Science
Categories: News

Monicah Namu

July 24, 2019

Monicah Namu, UBC Mastercard Foundation Scholar

“I was very interested in helping my community in terms of food security as my country experienced famine and crisis,” said Namu. “I could see the lack of good agricultural inputs and knowledge of how to process food after production, which included a post-harvest loss of almost 40 per cent. I thought, if I can do something, now is the time.”

Born and raised in Kenya, Monicah Namu explains why she felt compelled to come to UBC for a Master of Food Science degree, a professional program within the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Without donor support, she could not have made the journey to Canada. Monicah studied biochemistry in her undergraduate degree and was always at the top of her class—she did not have role models or much exposure to the idea of food science as a possible future career pathway. Now as an aluma, and having landed a job in food science prior to graduating, she reflects on her journey getting to LFS and how greatly a Master of Food Science has shaped her as a person and her career.

Inspired to make a difference, Monicah began searching for scholarships before choosing to study at UBC. She was supported by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, which gives students from Africa financial, social, and academic support to complete their education. After graduating, the scholars then utilize their learning and experiences to contribute to the economic growth and social transformation of their communities in Africa.

“I am so happy they gave me an opportunity to study here and they should continue doing this because there are so many other kids from Africa who have dreams, and because of financial constraints they can’t achieve those dreams, most of them give up along the way. Donor support to help someone achieve a dream goes a long way in changing society; the support doesn’t just benefit me, it benefits my community too.”

To Monicah and her peers in the professional program, UBC is one of the best institutions that has transformed her life, not only in career development, but her as a person. She is confident in her ability to impact her community in her hometown. Her advice to current and prospective students is that “you have opportunity to make an impact in the world. Once you are at UBC take an interest in learning as much as you can, not just course material, learn from your peers, instructors and most importantly from the cultural diversity at UBC. Engage and interact with people different from you to expand your cultural intelligence. Be ready to learn in your classroom and beyond, with the whole community, it makes more sense to learn from a 360-degree perspective and to try new things.”

Monicah now works as a Quality Assurance Technician at Pace Processing, applying all of her new skills and knowledge and is grateful that she can make a difference, “every day food recalls are reported, pathogen and microbial issues are found, and I felt the responsibility as a food scientist to make sure the population is safe. When I am there on the ground, I can do something to ensure the food safety.”

Tagged with: 2019, Awards, Master of Food Science

Tagged with 2019, Awards, Master of Food Science
Categories: Profiles

Learning through the grapevine

July 16, 2019

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Categories: Uncategorized