Featured College of Arts students Archive
Student research gigs led to passion for sociology for Larissa
Larissa Kowalski made a big leap when she enrolled at UFV. She was the first in her family to attend university. Making the even bigger leap from student to researcher during her undergraduate years gave her the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needed to successfully apply to and complete a graduate degree. Larissa came to…UFV Theatre presents video performances of Climate Change Theatre Action
UFV Theatre presents the first production of its 2021/22 theatre season, Climate Change Theatre Action 2021, directed by visiting guest artist Elaine Ávila. Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 is a globally distributed theatre festival, now in its fourth iteration, made up of 51 short plays by world-renowned playwrights and creators from every continent on earth,…2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Jason Beck turned a chance
Jason Beck thought farming was his destiny. An Abbotsford boy born and bred, as a teenager he assumed that his future was literally in his backyard, working on his family’s farm. “That was my plan,” Beck, 39, says before quickly clarifying. “Well, it wasn’t even a plan, it’s just what I thought was going to…2021 Young Distinguished Alumni recipient Sheetal Deo leveraging a career
Sheetal Deo (BA ’12) was the kind of undergraduate student who would take electives in the summertime as a way to relax and hang out with friends. That’s a good thing, because it helped her discover her love for philosophy, political science, and social justice. Deo, who earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University…Catching up with Tanya Jonker — applying research at Facebook
When we last checked in with Dr. Tanya Jonker in 2014, she was pursuing her PhD in psychology and planning a career in academia. Since then, she has completed her doctorate and transitioned to a career in research and development as a research science manager with Facebook Reality Labs. She leads a team of interdisciplinary…Catching up with Justice Shirzad Ahmed — 2011 Distinguished Alumni
A former UFV student from the university-college era is now a Federal Court judge. Justice Shirzad Ahmed was appointed to the Federal Court on September 14, 2017. The Federal Court is Canada’s national trial court. It deals with cases in a broad range of areas of federal jurisdiction, including national security law, intellectual property law,…Research opportunities led to graduate school acceptance for first-generation student
By Elicia Tournier RuoYu Xiao came from a hard-working family of farmers with no academic background. "We never thought I’d be an academic, but now I’m on this path to become a researcher,” she notes with a chuckle. As a first-generation university student and an international student from Chengdu, China, RuoYu wanted to maximize her…Telling her truth — Pursuing her passion leads to success
Jasmin Kaur’s imagination is taking her places. From her bedroom office in Abbotsford she is living the life of a twice-published author and worldwide influencer. Her novel If I Tell You The Truth, is interspersed with poetry and tells the story of Kiran, an international student who stays illegally in Canada to raise a baby…Tetsuomi Anzai appointed Associate Dean of College of the Arts
By Mitch Huttema Tetsuomi Anzai has been selected as the Associate Dean of Faculty within the College of Arts. His five-year term begins Sept. 1, 2021. Tetsuomi joined UFV as a sessional instructor shortly after completing his Master of Fine Arts in photography at Concordia University in 2005 and became permanent faculty in 2007. He…Black Lives Matter Social Justice Art Project encourages solidarity and
A new exhibit in the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery on the UFV Abbotsford campus shines a critical light on racism and promotes ways of addressing and opposing it. The Black Lives Matters Social Justice Art Project brings together four local BIPOC artists, most of them UFV students, who have been selected to create works of art…Lieutenant Governor’s Medal: Faria Firoz uses art to advocate for
Faria Firoz has only lived in Canada for five years, but she is already making a difference by using her art to communicate about social issues. As she graduates with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UFV, she is one of four artists featured in the Black Lives Matter Social Justice art project that…Governor General’s gold medal 2021: Ryan Buhrig expands his understanding
Even as a child, the intricacies of law have always appealed to Ryan Buhrig. So, when it was time to pinpoint a career, it was no surprise which field he would pursue. The only question left was: which direction of law would serve his greatest purpose? As an undergraduate student at the University of British…Black Lives Matter Social Justice Art Project launches
This post is contributed by UFV Bachelor of Computing Information Systems student Prabhjot Kaur. Racism is a pandemic too! #BLM I am an international student enrolled in the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems program at UFV. I am currently involved in a work-study position focused on web design and community engagement with CityStudio Abbotsford. Part…Teacher who makes a difference receives Betty Urquhart Community Service
Nerlap Sidhu is a teacher who believes her role extends beyond the classroom. She’s a dedicated volunteer, community engager, and change-maker, whose commitment to improving society has earned her the Betty Urquhart Community Service Award. Sidhu, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at UFV in 2004, teaches at Eugene Reimer Middle School in Abbotsford.…Crim alumnus and podcaster Aaron Pete gives back by encouraging
Aaron Pete (BA Crim '17) is the personification of the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” He grew up along the corridor of downtown Chilliwack’s Wellington Avenue, the only child of a single mother with a disability. As he made his way to and from Central Elementary each day, he did so…BLM art exhibit calls out systemic racism — works are
In 2021, four Fraser Valley artists created a series of paintings with a clear focus on increasing awareness of the systemic racism faced by Black people and inspiring concrete action to tackle its existence globally and locally. UFV’s Community Health and Social Innovation Hub produced a video about the project and released it during Black…From Beowulf to text encoding — a thoroughly modern approach
Sien Barnett learned early about the value and importance of education. His mother tried to complete her degree while supporting her family as a single parent, but had to drop out. “She always made sure we knew that getting a good job without an education is really tough,” Sien says. Fortunately for Sien, he found…Pahladsingh wins BMO 1st Art! award
When Shannon Pahladsingh (stylized as “shannon pahladsingh”) (BFA ’21), reclaimed her experiences of racism into philosophy and political science research essays, she never expected the ordeal to transform into an award-winning, and nationally recognized spoken word poem. Performed by shannon pahladsingh for her capstone Bachelor of Fine Arts project, her spoken word poem oh, thank…Student research gigs led to passion for sociology for Larissa
Larissa Kowalski made a big leap when she enrolled at UFV. She was the first in her family to attend university. Making the even bigger leap from student to researcher during her undergraduate years gave her the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needed to successfully apply to and complete a graduate degree. Larissa came to…UFV Theatre presents video performances of Climate Change Theatre Action
UFV Theatre presents the first production of its 2021/22 theatre season, Climate Change Theatre Action 2021, directed by visiting guest artist Elaine Ávila. Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 is a globally distributed theatre festival, now in its fourth iteration, made up of 51 short plays by world-renowned playwrights and creators from every continent on earth,…2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Jason Beck turned a chance
Jason Beck thought farming was his destiny. An Abbotsford boy born and bred, as a teenager he assumed that his future was literally in his backyard, working on his family’s farm. “That was my plan,” Beck, 39, says before quickly clarifying. “Well, it wasn’t even a plan, it’s just what I thought was going to…2021 Young Distinguished Alumni recipient Sheetal Deo leveraging a career
Sheetal Deo (BA ’12) was the kind of undergraduate student who would take electives in the summertime as a way to relax and hang out with friends. That’s a good thing, because it helped her discover her love for philosophy, political science, and social justice. Deo, who earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University…Catching up with Tanya Jonker — applying research at Facebook
When we last checked in with Dr. Tanya Jonker in 2014, she was pursuing her PhD in psychology and planning a career in academia. Since then, she has completed her doctorate and transitioned to a career in research and development as a research science manager with Facebook Reality Labs. She leads a team of interdisciplinary…Catching up with Justice Shirzad Ahmed — 2011 Distinguished Alumni
A former UFV student from the university-college era is now a Federal Court judge. Justice Shirzad Ahmed was appointed to the Federal Court on September 14, 2017. The Federal Court is Canada’s national trial court. It deals with cases in a broad range of areas of federal jurisdiction, including national security law, intellectual property law,…Research opportunities led to graduate school acceptance for first-generation student
By Elicia Tournier RuoYu Xiao came from a hard-working family of farmers with no academic background. "We never thought I’d be an academic, but now I’m on this path to become a researcher,” she notes with a chuckle. As a first-generation university student and an international student from Chengdu, China, RuoYu wanted to maximize her…Telling her truth — Pursuing her passion leads to success
Jasmin Kaur’s imagination is taking her places. From her bedroom office in Abbotsford she is living the life of a twice-published author and worldwide influencer. Her novel If I Tell You The Truth, is interspersed with poetry and tells the story of Kiran, an international student who stays illegally in Canada to raise a baby…Tetsuomi Anzai appointed Associate Dean of College of the Arts
By Mitch Huttema Tetsuomi Anzai has been selected as the Associate Dean of Faculty within the College of Arts. His five-year term begins Sept. 1, 2021. Tetsuomi joined UFV as a sessional instructor shortly after completing his Master of Fine Arts in photography at Concordia University in 2005 and became permanent faculty in 2007. He…