An investment from Fortis BC will provide even more opportunities for K–12 students to participate in UBCO’s Geering Up programs.

An investment from FortisBC is helping UBC Okanagan inspire more of tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, critical thinkers, change-makers and problem-solvers.

FortisBC is investing more than $150,000 over three years to support UBC Okanagan’s Geering Up program. This initiative is designed to inspire and engage youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

The funding will allow Geering Up to increase its outreach and programming, providing more opportunities for students to explore STEM through workshops, camps and special events.

“Geering Up is all about connecting, inspiring and nurturing the engineers of tomorrow,” says Adam Cornford, Manager of Geering Up Okanagan. “FortisBC’s support will be instrumental in broadening the program’s reach to communities outside Kelowna—namely Penticton, Revelstoke and Kamloops to start. It will also help us develop and deliver new programming in conservation and sustainability. We will be simultaneously opening doors for more students and broadening the pathways for learning into some relevant areas, which is very exciting.”

UBC’s Geering Up program, which aims to spark curiosity and develop essential skills, offers students engaging, hands-on STEM experiences. The program reaches youths in nearly 50 communities annually, providing almost 5,000 K-12 students with opportunities to participate in STEM programs at UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses.

Juan Rincon, Program Manager of Community Programs for FortisBC, says the investment reflects the company’s commitment to fostering innovation locally and supporting the next generation of thinkers and leaders, particularly around energy efficiency and conservation.

As both the electricity and gas provider for the region, FortisBC—FortisBC Energy Inc. and FortisBC Inc.—sees advancing skills in this area as vital to meeting the province’s energy needs into the future as well as driving forward the overall emissions reductions required to achieve a lower-carbon energy future.

“We appreciate the work UBCO’s Geering Up team is doing to incorporate energy efficiency and conservation into its STEM programming which is an intrinsic part of sound engineering practices,” says Rincon. “We’re pleased to provide funding for this effort and hope it inspires local youths to become future leaders in this field.”

Building on its successful model in Kelowna, Geering Up will now look to partner with local school districts, libraries and communities to help bring its program to more students, teachers and parents. Geering Up is working toward rolling out the expanded programming in communities by mid-2025.

“Our goal is to build long-term relationships and pathways for students and educators in the communities we are working in,” says Cornford. “STEM topics can feel intimidating for many, and we want to help dismantle the misconceptions for students and also equip educators with new and exciting ways to integrate STEM into their classrooms and other community spaces.”

Geering Up offers:
• Summer camps for participants entering grades 1 to 12 at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Last summer, more than 325 youths participated in 36 camps in topics from aerospace to coding and robotics.
• Saturday clubs from January to April. Each session features new curriculum and hands-on activities led by UBCO undergraduate students.
• Professional development programming to help teachers bolster their STEM skills and knowledge.

“We are deeply grateful to FortisBC for its generous support of Geering Up,” says Dr. Will Hughes, Director of UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering. “This funding will help us deliver innovative programming and inspire even more students to explore STEM learning and career paths. We want students to know that they can do this—that with the right support and empowerment, they can thrive in STEM programs from very early on in their education all the way through post-secondary.”

For more information about the Geering Up program, visit geeringupokanagan.ca.

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UBC Okanagan Drs. Michelle St. Pierre and Zach Walsh have created an index of cannabis equivalency to standardize dosing.

UBC Okanagan researchers Drs. Zach Walsh and Michelle St. Pierre have created an Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE), a unique approach to standardized cannabis dosing across different consumption methods.

Published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, this study represents a significant step towards establishing cannabis dosing guidelines comparable to the standard drink for alcohol.

“Different cannabis consumption methods can produce varied psychoactive effects, which makes it difficult to establish comparable doses across products,” explains Dr. St. Pierre, a member of the Therapeutic, Recreational and Problematic Substance Use Lab.

“The ICE addresses this challenge by providing user-informed equivalencies grounded in psychoactive effects, offering a practical framework to help individuals make informed decisions and better manage their cannabis use.”

The ICE proposes equivalencies for “low-dose” cannabis consumption based on user-reported experiences. An analysis of data from more than 1,300 participants aged 18 to 93 revealed these low-dose equivalents:

• Two puffs from a joint, pipe, or vaporizer.

• One 5 mg THC edible.

• A quarter dab of concentrate.

• One bong hit.

These equivalencies are based on data from individuals with low tolerance for cannabis, ensuring the guidelines prioritize safety and accessibility, particularly for new or infrequent users.

“By creating practical and user-centred guidelines, the ICE can support harm reduction, public health initiatives and consumer education while improving consistency in research and policy,” says Dr. Walsh of UBCO’s Department of Psychology.

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Medical advice, help and doctors with a tablet for healthcare, research and medicine planning. Communication, collaboration and men working in cardiology talking about surgery results on technology.

UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing is now accepting applications for its newest professional development opportunity, a micro-credential in case management and care coordination.

Designed for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, this two-course program addresses the complexities of primary care nursing in today’s health-care environment.

“Evidence shows that having access to primary care improves patient outcomes,” said Sheila Epp, Associate Professor of Teaching at UBC Okanagan.

“UBC Okanagan is committed to developing nursing education to support nurses in building their competencies to be leaders and high-functioning members of interdisciplinary primary care teams.”

This micro-credential program equips students with the expertise to develop, implement and evaluate patient-centred care plans.

Participants will master case management and care coordination principles to collaborate within interprofessional teams and address client needs, including those with chronic diseases or complex social determinants of health.

The program supports nurses in meeting the increasing demand for skilled care coordinators in primary health-care settings, such as clinics and community centres.

Key competencies include applying chronic disease management strategies and fostering health behaviour change, making graduates invaluable in improving client outcomes.

“We know that nurses play a key role in team-based primary care, and specific education in the care area, like these micro-credentials, is important for success,” says Shannon Moore, an adjunct professor at UBCO and primary care nurse with Interior Health.

“As a primary care nurse of over a decade and now an instructor, I am passionate about educating nurses to maximize their role and scope to bring primary care to all.”

Open to registered nurses and psychiatric nurses in Canada, as well as nursing students in their final year, the program provides flexibility with its non-credit format, making it an accessible option for continuing education.

Learners who complete the micro-credential will also receive a UBC Okanagan digital badge, a recognized symbol of achievement and competency. This program is part of a series of stackable micro-credentials targeted at primary care nurses.

The first intake starts in February.

For more information, visit cpe.ok.ubc.ca/programs/case-management-and-care-coordination-for-primary-care-nursing.

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Artist Taylor Baptiste with her piece, How Turtle Set the Animal People Free.

Who: Taylor Baptiste exhibition q̓ayisxn—Off the Rocks exhibition
What: Artist talk and opening reception
Where: FINA Gallery, Creative and Critical Studies Building, UBC Okanagan, 1148 Research Rd., Kelowna
When: Artist talk, Friday, January 10 at 4 pm; opening reception begins at 5 pm
Exhibition Dates: January 9–22, weekdays from 10 am–4 pm

UBC Okanagan Gallery hosts the contemporary sculptures of emerging Syilx artist Taylor Baptiste as her work q̓ayisxn—Off the Rocks is installed on campus.

This exhibition, Baptiste’s second in the Okanagan, features two large contemporary sculptures: How Turtle Set the Animal People Free and Flight of Union.

Her work combines the traditional practice of pictograph making with contemporary sculpture to bring the cultural teachings of her ancestors off the rock and into three-dimensional space,” says Okanagan Gallery Curator Dr. Stacey Koosel.

These larger-than-life installations, like much of Baptiste’s artistic practice, draw from the surrounding landscape, cultures and materials and use a red ochre pigment to honour the sites and stories of her ancestors, explains Dr. Koosel, who along with Curatorial Assistant Ryan Trafananko curated the exhibition.

“Taylor Baptiste is a talented, exciting young artist,” says Dr. Koosel. “We are so honoured to be the first to show her artwork in Kelowna.”

Baptiste is an interdisciplinary artist from the Osoyoos Indian Band of the Okanagan Nation. She draws upon her upbringing in Nk’mip—a field of sagebrush and wild roses nestled between the mountains and Osoyoos Lake on the Osoyoos Indian Band reserve.

Her art practice, rooted in her family, community and ancestral history, incorporates elements of Syilx storytelling and epistemologies and reflects a connection to the land and waters of the Okanagan, explains Dr. Koosel.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design last spring and was an Artist in Residence and speaker at UBCO’s 2024 Indigenous Art Intensive program, an initiative in collaboration with UBC Okanagan Gallery.

Baptiste’s exhibition q̓ayisxn—Off the Rocks is open for viewing from January 9 to 22 at UBC Okanagan’s FINA Gallery located in the Creative and Critical Studies Building. The gallery is open weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm.

On Friday, January 10 at 4 pm Baptiste will host an artist talk that will be followed by an opening reception for the exhibition. These events are free and open to all. The exhibition was made possible by a grant from the British Columbia Arts Council.

For more information about the UBCO Gallery, visit gallery.ok.ubc.ca.

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UBC Okanagan professor Dr. Kasun Hewage stands in the Engineering, Management and Education Building.

Electric vehicles and smart buildings are realities, but can technology be improved as researchers work to keep BC ahead of the curve in energy efficiency?

A renewed research collaboration between FortisBC and UBC Okanagan seeks to do this and more as a grown-in-the-Okanagan smart-energy success story begins a new chapter.

Five years ago, FortisBC, Mitacs and UBC created the Smart Energy Research Chair position to help optimize provincial energy and reduce BC’s greenhouse gas footprint.

Professor Kasun Hewage, with UBCO’s School of Engineering, was appointed to this role, which has just been renewed for another five years.

The research has focused on four theme areas: building energy performance enhancement, clean technologies for climate change mitigation, BC Energy Step Code implementation and demand side management.

“As a society, we cannot make informed and sustainable energy choices if we don’t understand the environmental, financial and social implications—what we call the complete lifecycle—of each of those choices,” says Dr. Hewage. “Over the past five years, we have made a significant contribution to the smart energy knowledge base, and our researchers are making an impact in municipalities, government and industries across BC, Canada and internationally.”

Dr. Hewage says the renewed funding will allow UBC to continue its independent research to address BC’s growing energy needs and improve the sustainable use of energy sources.

An Associate Director with UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre, Dr. Hewage takes a holistic approach to investigating smart energy strategies, including cost-effective, sustainable and renewable energy production systems coordinated by cutting-edge technologies.

By evaluating the implications and cost-benefits of a diverse variety of smart energy solutions, Dr. Hewage says UBC researchers can continue to provide policymakers with invaluable data.

“In this next phase, we will be looking at topics such as the practical realities of implementing hydrogen gas and enhancing electric vehicle charging networks with considerations for wider EV use in public transit,” says Dr. Hewage.

“The renewal of this chair means we can continue to grow UBC Okanagan’s expertise in sustainable technologies and work with stakeholders like FortisBC to advance current tools and strategies—and suggest new ones—to improve energy sustainability throughout the province.”

Dr. Hewage is also part of a multidisciplinary network of UBC researchers—the Cluster of Research Excellence in Green Infrastructure—who develop new tools, techniques, policies and best management practices to address municipal infrastructure challenges, including climate resiliency and the environment.

The cluster integrates the expertise of researchers in engineering, economics, geography and the social sciences.

“We’re thrilled FortisBC is continuing to work with UBCO to pursue greener, more efficient energy solutions that will lead to a more sustainable future,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation.

“At UBCO, we’re committed to pursuing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Partnerships such as this that help investigate cleaner energy alternatives are a key part of advancing that work and achieving success.”

In addition to the funding from FortisBC, the renewed appointment will continue to be supported by matching internship funding from Mitacs. This will allow students to engage with FortisBC, whenever necessary, throughout this five-year collaboration.

Training students and providing research opportunities for them is an important aspect of this partnership, explains Danielle Wensink, Director of Conservation and Energy Management for FortisBC.

“With energy efficiency and conservation being key to transitioning to a lower-carbon energy future, we’re pleased to continue our support of UBC Okanagan through the Smart Energy Chair,” Wensink says. “We look forward to seeing more UBCO students become leaders in the field as well as finding opportunities to apply their research in ways that lower energy use, reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and ensure affordable, resilient energy systems for our customers.”

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Grizzly bears are excellent gardeners, dispersing digested huckleberry seeds near and far, new research from UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver shows.

Grizzly bears are doing more than building fat reserves as they feast on huckleberries each summer in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—they’re playing a vital role in plant ecology.

A study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, published in PLOS ONE, reveals the ecological importance of bears as long-distance seed dispersers.

“Bears don’t just eat huckleberries—they help them grow in new places,” says lead researcher Aza Fynley Kuijt, from UBC’s Faculty of Forestry.

“Our findings show that this mutual relationship is crucial for both species, especially as climate change shifts suitable habitats for huckleberries.”

The study focuses on how bear digestion enhances huckleberry germination and spreads seeds across vast areas, a process called endozoochory.

Researchers found that seeds consumed and defecated by bears had significantly higher germination rates (up to 28.5 per cent) compared to seeds left inside intact berries (0.2 per cent). The key factor is the removal of germination inhibitors in the berry pulp during digestion.

Using GPS data from 74 collared grizzly bears, the study estimated that bears disperse 50 per cent of consumed seeds at least one kilometre away from their feeding sites, with potential maximum distances of up to seven kilometres.

This movement creates a “seed shadow” covering areas as large as 149 square kilometres, enabling huckleberries to expand into new territories.

The implications are significant. Huckleberries are a key food source for bears, providing essential energy during late summer.

In turn, bears help huckleberries adapt to changing climates by dispersing seeds into new, potentially more suitable habitats. However, human activities such as urban development, resource extraction and increased recreation in bear habitats can affect this critical ecological partnership.

The study underscores the intricate relationship between large mobile mammals and the food they eat. Disrupting the bear-huckleberry relationship could have knock-on effects on both species and the broader ecosystem.

“Wildlife conservation is not just about protecting certain species, but about looking after ecological processes and relationships. As we show here, looking after grizzly bears and movement corridors can also help huckleberries, which people and bears both adore,” adds Clayton Lamb, co-author and UBC Okanagan biologist.

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New research from UBC and UBCO demonstrates that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can alleviate postpartum depression.

While many people believe that poor sleep during pregnancy is inevitable, new research has determined that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) while pregnant can not only improve sleep patterns, but also address postpartum depression.

Researchers from UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, as well as the University of Calgary, discovered that delivering CBTi during pregnancy significantly reduces postpartum depressive symptoms after baby arrives.

“Early intervention is crucial for infant and parental mental health,” says Dr. Elizabeth Keys, an Assistant Professor in UBCO’s School of Nursing and a study co-author. “Our research explores how addressing sleep problems like insomnia can lead to better mental health outcomes for families, helping parents and their children thrive.”

CBTi is a therapeutic intervention that identifies thoughts, behaviours and sleep patterns that contribute to insomnia. Treatment includes challenging or reframing misconceptions and restructuring habits in ways that improve sleep quality.

“CBTi is the gold standard for treatment of insomnia and has consistently shown to improve symptoms of depression,” says Dr. Keys. “Its treatment effects are similar to antidepressant medications among adults, but with fewer side effects, and is therefore often preferred by pregnant individuals.”

Sixty-two women assessed for insomnia and depressive symptoms participated in the study—with half randomly assigned to an intervention group and half to a control group.

“We found that CBTi during pregnancy significantly improved sleep and reduced postpartum depressive symptoms for participants,” explains Dr. Keys. “These are enormously encouraging results for anyone that has struggled in those early weeks and months with their newborns.”

Results indicate that effective insomnia treatment during pregnancy may serve as a protective factor against postpartum depression.

“Our study adds to the growing evidence that treating insomnia during pregnancy is beneficial for various outcomes,” Dr. Keys says. “It’s time to explore how we can make this treatment more accessible to pregnant individuals across the country, with the goal of improving sleep health equity.”

The research highlights the interdisciplinary collaborations happening between UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, along with researchers from across Canada. Dr. Elizabeth Keys is from UBCO while Dr. Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen, a Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Intersectionality, is based at UBC Vancouver.

Dr. Keys and Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen are lead investigators on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Sleep Equity Reimagined team and members of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium.

The study appears in the October issue of Journal of Affective Disorders.

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UBC Okanagan is co-hosting the Columbia River Basin symposium with Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

UBC Okanagan’s prominent Indigenous scholar and activist, Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, will deliver the keynote address at the Columbia River Transboundary Water Governance and Ethics Symposium, to be held at Gonzaga University from November 13 to 14 in Spokane, Washington.

Dr. Armstrong will address the critical role of Indigenous knowledge in governance and the necessity of integrating youth perspectives in discussions about water stewardship.

Dr. Joanne Taylor, a UBCO postdoctoral research fellow in Columbia River Basin Governance and the symposium chair, says the event prioritizes youth engagement and seeks to empower the next generation of water warriors committed to protecting the Columbia River Basin.

“The Columbia River is not just a resource; it is a lifeblood for communities and ecosystems,” Dr. Taylor says. “We invite community members, scholars and advocates to join us in this important dialogue as we strive for a just and equitable governance system.”

UBCO and Gonzaga are co-hosting the symposium alongside their host Nations, the syilx Okanagan and the Spokane Tribe of Indians. The event will explore the emerging initiatives and public governance issues in the Columbia River Basin, focusing on the impacts of climate change, water quality, Indigenous fisheries revitalization and public engagement.

This symposium is particularly timely following the recent announcement by Columbia River Treaty negotiators about their agreement in principle.

The agreement between Canada and the United States marks a pivotal step in modernizing the Columbia River Treaty, which has been essential for decades for managing flood risk and generating hydropower.

Registration for the symposium is now open. Participants can expect robust discussions on water quality, climate change, governance and salmon restoration, guided by ethics, justice and intergenerational equity principles.

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