What a difference a decade can make.   10 short years ago, Matt Loewen was in Botswana, Africa with an organization called Kings Active Foundation, a group that leverages sports to enrich the lives of young people, while at the same time helping them to find and fulfill their potential.  Today, Loewen, who was named one…

Of the 50,000 alumni who have graduated from a UFV program since 1974, 17,000 of those have earned a four-year bachelor’s degree. But if it weren’t for a determined group of students and community members who advocated for degree-granting status in 1991, UFV might still be a two-year college.   Jackie Rea was one of the students…

Stacey Irwin was a leader on day one. And she hasn’t stopped since. Irwin (BBA ’97) co-founded the UCFV Alumni Association and sat as its first chair -- a position she held until 2008 -- but her contributions didn’t end there, thanks to an incredible commitment to community, driven by three principles of success: be…

Dedicated to creating and caring for a better berry, Dr. Eric Gerbrandt’s research takes him from the fields of his Yarrow farm to labs and conferences around the world. For this and more, Eric has been named UFV’s Distinguished Alumni Award winner for 2023. Eric has been leading the BC berry research portfolio as Research…

Eryn Braley is thankful to have chosen a career in Indigenous public health that allows her to connect with her Indigenous identity. “I am so appreciative of the Indigenous mentors and peers who have guided me in my career and personal journey. Through teachings, connection, and ceremonies, I am connecting with who I am as…

Keenan Beavis was already going places as an entrepreneur before he hit elementary school. But the Bachelor of Business Administration alumnus (BBA '18) gives credit to his UFV experience for helping him along the way. Five years out of university, Beavis has been named one of BC Business magazine’s 30 Under 30, a list that…

For Danielle Deschamps (Cert ABT ’15), painting with watercolours is an escape into paradise. “I’ll put on some music, maybe have a glass of wine, and paint. It’s a great way to escape from all my worries for a while,” she notes. Although not formally trained as an artist, Danielle has honed her craft under…

Lisa Doell has learned a lot by taking the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program at the University of the Fraser Valley, but she’s also done more than a little teaching. For her efforts to help her professors and fellow students understand Indigenous culture and the issues faced by Indigenous people, Doell is this year’s…

A student would have to be really outstanding to be the first-ever winner of the UFV Alumni Association’s Outstanding Student Leader award.  Manjot Benning fits the bill, and then some!  She’s graduating this June with top marks in her Bachelor of Science degree program, with sights set on medical school applications in the future. She’s…

What began as a temporary posting in the auxiliary pool in 1999 has led to a fulfilling professional career in human resources for Tara Rozenek, this year’s recipient of the UFV Staff Excellence award. Like many UFV staff members, Tara is a graduate of the Applied Business Technology certificate (called Office Careers back in her…

Lorna Andrews doesn’t have an easy job, but she has an important one. As UFV’s Teaching and Learning Specialist with a focus on Indigenization, she helps faculty and staff understand issues regarding colonial impacts on Indigenous people and the need to work towards reconciliation in Canada. For her efforts, she is being recognized as the…

Whitney Fordham has been drawn to leadership roles for her whole life. Through Girl Guides and 4-H and serving as a goalkeeper on various soccer teams, she has emerged as someone who can keep her eye on the big picture and guide her teammates or colleagues through their challenges. As Director of Alumni Relations, Fordham…

UFV alumni Warren Rossing and Caleb Steegstra were each summoned into their respective bosses’ offices in early August. For aspiring Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) who make the prestigious honour roll, this is how Common Final Examination (CFE) test results are typically delivered. Steegstra (BBA ’20), a project accountant at Westbow Construction in Chilliwack, had been…

Matt Douma is a shining example of an outstanding UFV alumnus now, but back in the mid-2000s he wasn’t your typical nursing student. Douma, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006, is this year’s recipient of the UFV Distinguished Alumni award. During his student days he chafed against convention and questioned the…

Inside a high-rise office overlooking Sydney's endless sea of skyscrapers, Kara Chan and her team are helping solve Australia’s most pressing climate and energy-related issues. On any given day, the team can brainstorm, debate, and build strategic plans around the country’s impending forest fires, floods, heat waves, energy consumption, and alternatives, and extreme storms. The…