Upcoming Events

Dr. Derryck Smith, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Psychiatry, will speak about The Medical Legal History of Assisted Dying in Canada. Dr. Smith is a Vancouver-based psychiatrist, still active in clinical teaching of medical students and residents. He is a past president of the BC Medical Association and a past board member of the Canadian Medical Association, as well as a past president of the Medical Legal Society. He served as Chair of the Board for the Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services Society. Dr. Smith provided an affidavit in support of legalizing medically assisted dying in the recent Gloria Taylor case in BC.

VIEWPOINT:  "As a physician, and assuming the law prohibiting physician-assisted dying were changed, I view physician-assisted dying in prescribed circumstances with appropriate safeguards (as) part of the appropriate continuum of care that I would provide a patient. This care, in my view, would be consistent with my ethical and professional obligations."

Professor Bruce Jakosky 
Professor of Geological Sciences
Associate Director for Science, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
MAVEN Principal Investigator
Ph.D., 1982, California Institute of Technology

Research Interests:
Prof. Jakosky teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in both Earth and planetary geology and extraterrestrial life, including both the science and the societal and philosophical issues relating to the science. His research interests are in the geology of planetary surfaces, the evolution of the Martian atmosphere and climate, the potential for life on Mars and elsewhere, and the philosophical and societal issues in astrobiology. He has been involved with the Viking, Solar Mesosphere Explorer, Clementine, Mars Observer, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft missions, and is involved in planning future spacecraft missions. He heads up the University of Colorado’s team in the NASA Astrobiology Institute. He has published more than 100 papers in the refereed scientific literature. His book “The Search for Life on Other Planets” was published in 1998 by the Cambridge University Press, and “Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe” was published in 2006 by University of Arizona Press. He serves on numerous national advisory committees. He serves as Associate Director for Science in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado.

"Mars exploration - 2021 and beyond"
2021 has seen the arrival of four new spacecraft at Mars -- two that will orbit the planet and two that will land -- coming from three different countries.  At the same time, both government and private entities are planning for future human exploration of Mars.  What makes Mars such a compelling place to explore?  What are we trying to learn and why?  Professor Jakosky will discuss recent and ongoing exploration of Mars by robotic spacecraft, possible human missions over the next few decades, and whether we can change the Martian climate ("terraform" it) to better allow humans to survive on the surface.

Tentative Time line
1:00pm Business Meeting
1:30pm Awards Ceremony for:
-President's Award for Distinguished Service by UBC Emeriti and
-UBC Emeritus College Award for Excellence in Innovative and Creative Endeavours
2:00pm Speaker Bruce Jakosky, Professor
3:00pm Q&A
3:30pm End of Meeting