It was a rainy October day in Vancouver, BC when Dr. Satwinder Bains, director of UFV’s South Asian Studies Institute, stepped into a garage full of three million photos. “There’s maybe 100 boxes in there,” the photographer’s son, Vimal Bodalia, had guessed on the phone. It was 2021. Chandravadan “Chandra” Bodalia had passed away four…

Wind fluttered through the banners over Montrose Avenue, where UFV’s newest degree program made its mark on the Abbotsford community. The Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning (BRCP) is a four-year degree that draws connections between environmental studies, art, natural sciences, policy and law, urban design, history, and communications. Through work-integrated learning projects such as…

When Dr. Leili Heidema (BA ’06) graduated from university and went north for her first job in 2010, she didn’t plan on staying long. Fifteen years later, she’s still in the Northwest Territories, loving life in the community of Fort Smith and using her UFV education to make a difference serving remote and isolated Indigenous…

With a career ranging from trauma-informed teaching to international education and award-winning paleoart, Nikita Griffioen has followed an unconventional path.  After completing her Bachelor of Arts in less than three years, Nikita went on to earn a Bachelor of Education from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in 2017. Since graduating, Nikita has dedicated…

For the eleventh year in a row, the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) has been recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers. This award is given to industry-leading employers with outstanding workplaces, as part of the annual Canada’s Top Employer competition. As UFV celebrates its 50th anniversary, this honour sets a promising precedent for…

Ashlyen Singh doesn’t see themself as remarkable. They balk at the idea of being recognized and are quick to shift the spotlight to the people and communities that have shaped them.   “Everything I am today has come from other people,” they say. “Everything I do is done with others, in partnership. It feels strange to…

The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is receiving federal funding to help expand the National Invention to Innovation (i2I) Network, a program that aids Canadian STEM and healthcare researchers in their quest to solve global challenges.   UFV will share in $23 million provided through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Lab…

The UFV community gathered February 5 to honour the life and legacy of Justice Murray Sinclair (Mazina Giizhik) — a leader whose work shaped the way we understand truth, reconciliation, and the centering of Indigenous voices. The evening began at UFV’s Mission campus, highlighting the university’s ongoing reconciliation efforts before moving into the adjoining Clarke Theatre for…

Whether lifting boxes or answering emails, everyone deserves to stay safe at work — and Jason Dallavalle, manager of Environmental Health and Safety, knows a thing or two about a healthy workspace. After 20 years in the field, he can spot an injury waiting to happen, even somewhere unsuspecting like a desk. Ergonomics (the design…

A UFV professor is a key contributor to a significant report on missing Indigenous children, unmarked graves, and burial sites associated with residential schools.  Dr. Mark Kersten, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice, researched and drafted four chapters in the 1,300+ page document that was released last October.  Compiled by special interlocuter Kimberly…

Sheetal Deo (BA ’12) changed lanes to follow her heart, centering her life’s work around equity and accessibility. This comes through in the way she approaches her work as a lawyer.  “While community legal aid centres exist and provide free legal help, these organizations are often under-funded, under-resourced, and as a result, unable to help…

Before Jordon Fernandez enrolled in the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) Xwelítem Siyáya: Allyship and Reconciliation Building program last year, he says he didn’t know enough about Indigenous peoples in the Fraser Valley.  “On a scale of one to 10, I’d say I was at a one,” he admits. “I knew there was lots to learn, but…