Past Events
Joint Council Meeting - June 16
The Joint Council will meet online.
Wednesday, 16 June 2021 - 10:30am to 12:30pm
Emeriti Serving the Community - Near and Far
Many emeriti serve the community, as locally as driving for Meals on Wheels or as large in scope as working on issues that confront society in general. This presentation provides an opportunity to hear about the work of Graham Kelsey, Professor Emeritus of Educational Studies and winner of the 2021 President’s Award for Distinguished Service, and Jim Zidek, Professor Emeritus of Statistics and first winner of the College’s new Award for Excellence in Innovative and Creative Endeavours.
Join our two panelists in their discussion on how they have extended their work and knowledge to important societal and practical issues.
Graham Kelsey, Professor Emeritus of Educational Studies
Much of my work for the past twenty years has been with not-for-profit organizations chiefly in small cities and rural communities (primarily but not exclusively in arts and culture). A great many groups (clubs, societies, organizations), while passionate about what they do, say they need help in doing it.
In working with some forty different organizations, I have found that while they may give a variety of reasons for seeking help (a problem, personnel difficulties, a requirement for planning, revenue shortages or simply a feeling that they need some rethinking of their mission. I will talk about what proves to be most helpful, for both large organizations and small ones: engagement in a process that clarifies some basic organizational elements.
Jim Zidek, Professor Emeritus of Statistics
My contributions are applications of statistics in different domains: air pollution, environmental health, engineering, movement of sea mammals, and the forecasting crop of yields on Canadian farms during this time of climate change. These are extensions of my career into new areas that are of concern to society. Specific examples; serving on a US EPA Committee that in 2015 led to changes in the US air quality standards for ozone; a Canadian program for monitoring the strength properties of lumber; service on task forces to estimate the burden of disease due to particulate air pollution (for the World Health Organization) the health effects of high air temperatures over the UK (for the UK Met Office). These contributions to the community in turn led to several novel research discoveries and training opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students under his supervision or co-supervision. My talk will briefly describe these contributions and the innovations to which they led.
Spring 2021 Graduation
As we did in 2020, we look forward to celebrating our graduates at a virtual ceremony, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. We will hold one ceremony for students graduating from UBC Vancouver that morning, and one ceremony for students graduating from UBC Okanagan that afternoon.
For details about the graduation ceremony, including how to join, please visit: https://graduation.ubc.ca
Wednesday, 2 June 2021 - 12:00pm
Easy Riders June 1, 2021
Kay Teschke and Graeme Wynn invite any emeriti with a recreational interest (or more) in cycling to join them for the inaugural gathering of the College’s Easy Rider’s Special Interest Group.
The idea for the group emerged from Kay’s Senior Scholars’ Series talk last November, and it was named with a nod to the long ago Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper film -- but with no expectation of sharing more than each other’s company and inhaling the good outdoor air.
Our inaugural ride will commence at the Old Hastings Mill Store Museum (Alma St and Point Grey Road ) at 3:00pm on THURSDAY June 1. We will circuit False Creek . Please allow a couple of hours for this gathering – about an hour of cycling (17kms) with an occasional stop to look at the view, and some time to discuss aspirations for the group – the frequency and planning of rides, their length and type; announcement and coordination of excursions; and so on.
We envisage intermittent, recreational rides designed for sociability as well as modest exercise. All are welcome, including ebike pilots.
If you are interested in this outing or in being made aware of subsequent rides please notify Graeme (wynn@geog.ubc.ca) beforehand.
Tuesday, 1 June 2021 - 3:00pmEasy Riders May 27, 2021 - POSTPONED TO JUNE 1
Kay Teschke and Graeme Wynn invite any emeriti with a recreational interest (or more) in cycling to join them for the inaugural gathering of the College’s Easy Rider’s Special Interest Group.
The idea for the group emerged from Kay’s Senior Scholars’ Series talk last November, and it was named with a nod to the long ago Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper film -- but with no expectation of sharing more than each other’s company and inhaling the good outdoor air.
Our inaugural ride will commence at the Old Hastings Mill Store Museum (Alma St and Point Grey Road ) at 2:30 on THURSDAY May 27th. We will circuit False Creek . Please allow a couple of hours for this gathering – about an hour of cycling (17kms) with an occasional stop to look at the view, and some time to discuss aspirations for the group – the frequency and planning of rides, their length and type; announcement and coordination of excursions; and so on.
We envisage intermittent, recreational rides designed for sociability as well as modest exercise. All are welcome, including ebike pilots.
If you are interested in this outing or in being made aware of subsequent rides please notify Graeme (wynn@geog.ubc.ca) beforehand.
postponed to june 1, 2021 due to weather conditions
Thursday, 27 May 2021 - 2:30pm
Film Group May 26, 2021
UBC Emeriti – Film Group
Series Twelve – Ecofeminist Warriors
The films can be screened via the streaming sites listed with each film
Zoom discussions of each film will take place on: April 28, May 26 and June 30 at 4pm
Hosted by John LeBlanc
Series Twelve: Ecofeminism addresses the relationship between human beings and their surrounding world from a gender-based perspective, insisting upon equality for women within a patriarchy-dominated society while also demanding the ethical treatment of a nature suffering a similar patriarchal oppression. Unlike Hollywood films (such as Interstellar) that present the relationship with nature from the perspective of patriarchal elites, which devalues human and natural diversity and democracy, ecofeminist films emphasize that we live in harmony with nature, instead of dominating it, with women playing a strong role in redressing that imbalance. The first two films in the series (Spoor and Woman at War) feature examples of strong European women who defy their entrenched social orders to achieve their ecofeminist goals. The third film (Women Without Men), situated in the strongly patriarchal culture of Iran, provides a more nuanced, artistic consideration of ecofeminist activism.
May 26 – Woman at War (2018) – directed by Benedikt Erlingsson (the much-loved Icelandic film, TV and theatre actor and director) focuses on Halla (an early 50s single woman, leading an otherwise responsible life) whose attack on an environmentally insensitive new aluminum smelter in Iceland’s highlands escalates to industrial sabotage as she attempts to thwart negotiations between the corporation and the Icelandic government even though her activism threatens her upcoming adoption of a Ukrainian child. Counter-pointing the seriousness of the issue is a humorous tone, accomplished by the repeated appearance of a musical chorus and the director’s resistance of auteur seriousness and refusal to grant storytelling the power to transform lives. STREAM VIA UBC LIBRARY CATALOGUE: SEARCH TITLE OF FILM.
To join the group, please email john.leblanc @ ubc.ca