As she reflects on 27 years of teaching at the University of the Fraser Valley, Dr. Christine Slavik sees more than just a number: she sees a body of work that aligns with her core values.   Whether it is leading her team through a pandemic with mindfulness, creating safe digital spaces to discuss concerns,…

When Dr. Sumin Fang first heard about the 2021 flood on the Sumas Prairie, word came to her through unofficial channels. “One of my colleagues was driving to Abbotsford from Maple Ridge and saw pumpkins floating in a farm field. Then some of my students told me they could not come to class because their…

For a self-described anxious kid growing up in Ottawa, Dr. Noah S. Schwartz dreaded the active shooter drills in elementary school. The teacher would lock the door and turn off the lights; the children would duck and cover. Silence ensued in the classroom. The fear would persist long after the drill ended. This was the…

A film with strong ties to UFV’s South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) recently made its debut at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).  Unarchived is a documentary (directed by Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok) backed by the National Film Board of Canada that explores the histories of communities that are often overlooked and excluded by…

The faces of the women are unforgettable. Their voices still echo in her head. Dr. Rita Dhungel, an assistant professor with the School of Social Work and Human Services at UFV, becomes overwhelmed with emotion, mostly sadness, whenever she revisits those vivid memories from inside a brothel in India 18 years ago. Dhungel was working…

This is not their first rodeo. Heck … for some UFV faculty, it might be their 20th or higher first day of school at this university. At this point they have mastered and established first-day preparations, routines, traditions, and expectations – which have all evolved over time. While this time of year is clockwork (literally)…

For Sumin Fang, life as a faculty member at UFV got off to a very lonely start in the fall of 2020. Hired as an assistant professor of communication, all her classes were online due to the pandemic. She lived in Vancouver and had no physical connection to the Fraser Valley. She had met a…

Dr. Allyson Jule, a leader in education and champion for social justice, joins UFV as the inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Education, Community, and Human Development (FECHD). The vision of the new faculty, announced in late 2021, is to create an inclusive and collaborative learning environment dedicated to educating others, and assisting families and…

Congratulations to the following recently retired long-term faculty members, each of whom received Professor Emeritus status. They were honoured at the long-service dinner along with employees marking service milestones and the employee excellence award winners. Robin Anderson, History Sue Brigden, Upgrading and University Prep Christine Dalton, Biology Paul Kroeker, Computer Information Systems Colleen Gingerich, Computer…

From building UFV’s Graphic and Digital Design program from the ground up, to instilling a deep understanding of community and the power of design to generations of students, Karin Jager’s contribution to creative work in the Fraser Valley and beyond is immeasurable. For this and much more, Jager has been named UFV’s 2022 Faculty Service…

We are living in a new environment when it comes to our careers. The chain reaction from the COVID-19 pandemic has altered where we work (remote versus in-person), sparked a Great Resignation, and given a lot of the leverage back to the employee. Dr. Candy Ho, the first-ever assistant professor of Integrative Career & Capstone…

Mop some floors, scrub some toilets. Cleaning work is sometimes dismissed as menial.     The Shepit brothers, Dean and Darin, are used to the misconceptions. Together, they have a combined 45 years of experience in the cleaning business — both on the sales and the education sides. Through the Building Services Worker program at UFV, they…

Dr. Sandra Gillespie’s lineage explains plenty. Growing up in the Fraser Valley in a family of biologists, she developed an affinity for the outdoors and all of the species that inhabit it.  “My interest in the natural world started naturally from being around adults that encouraged observation and curiosity,” says Gillespie, an assistant biology professor…

By Gerald Narciso Like clockwork, the new moms arrived in workout gear, sometimes with their babies on their hips. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning last spring at a grassy area on the Chilliwack campus, the women would laugh together and collectively do lunges, pushups, and squats. For an extra challenge, they’d add weights or even…

One of life’s simple pleasures for Anastasia Anderson, an associate professor of philosophy at UFV, is witnessing children think, comprehend and communicate on an advanced level.  At the annual Thinking Playground camp in late August that she helps organize, children and adolescents alike -- some of whom have attended for the past several years --…