UBC Emeritus College Conversations - October 21, 2020

Judy Hall
Professor Emerita of Pediatrics (2004)

Judith Hall MD OC is Professor Emerita of Medical Genetics and Pediatrics. She works on congenital anomalies and non-traditional forms of inheritance. She has described the clinical features and natural history of many rare disorders. She has been active and served on the boards of many national and international professional organizations and parent support groups. Recently her interests have included the continuing scholarly contributions of retired academics.

Richard Vedan
Associate Professor Emeritus of Social Work (2013)

Dr. Richard Vedan is a member of the Secwepemc First Nation. He has been a Social Work Clinician and Educator since the late 1960’s and held appointments as Director of the First Nations House of Learning and Senior Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Affairs.

Richard has been active in community-based research with Indigenous peoples across Canada and in New Zealand. Current focus is complex intergenerational trauma with residential school survivors and Aboriginal Veterans.

Marvin Westwood
Professor Emeritus of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education (2015)

Marv Westwood is a Professor Emeritus in the Counselling Psychology Program, and recipient of the Royal Canadian Legion Professorship in Education. His major areas of teaching and research are focused on program development, teaching and delivery of group-based approaches to help clients make effective life transitions. Prior to coming to UBC, he taught at McGill  University (1973-80). and prior to that St. Francis Xavier University (1971-73).  Over the past 25 years he has led the development of the UBC Veterans Transition Program to help promote recovery from war related stress injuries for which he received both the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals in 2005 and 2013. In 2012 he established the Centre for Group Counselling and Trauma (CGCT) for teaching and research in the area of group work. He is advisor to the President’s initiative for the development of UBC Veteran Friendly Campus.  Currently, he is Senior Advisor for the Institute of Veteran Education Transition (IVET).

Brian O'Neill 
Associate Professor Emeritus of Social Work (2016)

Brian O’Neill is an associate professor emeritus in the University of British Columbia School of Social Work.  He taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels, addressing research methods, social service management, and social work practice. He conducted studies of health and social services as well as professional education, in relation to members of ethnic and sexual minority groups.  His work documented subtle, and often not so subtle, ways in which members of these groups are discouraged from talking about their experiences of being silenced regarding their sexuality. His most recent interest has been in settlement services’ responsiveness to lesbian, gay, and bisexual newcomers.