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CHASIcast 18: Participatory Action Research with Trafficking Survivors — Dr. Rita Dhungel

Photo of Dr. Rita Dhungel speaking into a podcast microphone.

How can participatory action research meaningfully improve life for vulnerable communities? The CHASIcast is pleased to welcome Dr. Rita Dhungel, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services. Dr. Dhungel’s her experiences working with human trafficking survivors in Nepal, and how she carries that knowledge forward with her. The CHASIcast is … Read more

CHASI projects take international stage at Pacific Sociological Association conference

Group photo of 15 members of the CHASI team posing in an airport at the end of the trip home. Many are wearing navy blue sweatshirts with CHASI written on them in orange letters.

Students and staff from the Community Health and Social Innovation Hub returned to the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA) conference for the second year in a row. The group of 16 CHASI representatives shared experiences and findings from CHASI’s work while learning from sociologists and practitioners in related fields over the course of four days (March … Read more

Tail-GAY-te party celebrates inclusion at UFV

On April 1, 2025, members of the UFV community, along with friends and colleagues from around the Fraser Valley, gathered to celebrate inclusion, community, and togetherness with an evening of music, food, and camaraderie at the university’s first Tail-GAY-te: Celebration of Inclusion. The event was co-organized by CHASI and Sustainable UFV, with support from UFV’s … Read more

UFV student’s evocative art conveys lived experience of addiction

Photo of the art performance described in this article. A black body bag lies on the side of the street, with a white theatre mask on the face and candles surrounding it.

CHASI had the privilege of speaking with UFV student Adam Nelson about his powerful art installation, which is currently on display at UFV. His work touched our team and provides a window into why work supporting people with addictions is so critically needed. The current exhibition at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery might catch your eyes, or … Read more

CHASI research explores health impacts of technology during pandemic

Photo of a person silhouetted against a cold blue window with the blinds drawn, looking at the phone. It conveys loneliness and isolation.

COVID-19 had more impacts on Canadian’s health than just the effects of the disease: during the early years of the pandemic, restrictions radically changed the way we socialized, learned, and engaged with medical professionals. In particular, technology enabled new, safer alternatives, but they were not a perfect solution. The Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) … Read more

CHASI and Sustainable UFV presentation: Collaboration for pollination — growing partnerships

Photo of a group of people planting plants in the UFV pollinator garden.

CHASI lead researcher Chelsea Klassen joined Sustainable UFV’s Jennifer Martel and Karima Cherifi for a virtual presentation about UFV’s new pollinator garden at the University of Bergen Day Zero Sustainable Development Goals conference. Originally presented February 5, 2025, the presentation discussed how the Office of Sustainability at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, … Read more

CHASI researchers show new moms what a realistic return to movement can look like

Thumbnail photo of a mother sitting on an exercise mat outdoors, holding her baby upright and smiling.

CHASI Faculty Associate Dr. Iris Lesser and UFV student research assistant Megan Filiatrault have released a new report sharing their findings from an initial series of workshops aimed at engaging new mothers in physical activity and presenting a realistic look at what their return to movement may look like. The report, titled Postpartum Physical Activity … Read more

CHASIcast 17: Women’s Health and Physical Activity with Dr. Iris Lesser and Amber Johnston

Photo of Iris Lesser, Martha Dow, and AmberJohnson posing near podcast microphones, smiling for the camera. The graphic has text reading: "CHASIcast #17 - Women's Health and Physical Activity."

In our first CHASIcast of the year we welcome back Dr. Iris Lesser, who is joined by her Kinesiology colleague Amber Johnston, MSc, to discuss their unique course — KIN499: Women’s Health and Physical Activity. Through this course and their teaching, they aim to fill crucial gaps in understandings of women’s health, particularly around menopause … Read more

Swiftie Scholar conference at UFV explores Taylor Swift’s cultural impact

Three organizers of the Swiftie Scholar conference pose for a photo around a decoration in pastel colours with a large friendship bracelet banner. The friendship bracelet reads “Swiftie Scholar – UFV’s version.”

Swiftie Scholar, an academic conference hosted at UFV on December 5, applied an academic lens to the impact and influence of the mega-star Taylor Swift on the day before her three-night visit to Vancouver. With support from CHASI, the event brought speakers from around the world to share analysis of Swift’s cultural impact with UFV … Read more