Ashish Giri is the 2021 Dr. Spiro Yannacopoulos International Engineering Student Memorial Award
After a year spent back in Nepal pursuing his studies online during the pandemic, Ashish Giri is thrilled to be studying in-person on campus at UBC Okanagan. The second-year mechanical engineering student at the School of Engineering has spent the first-term focused on his studies and exploring all that the Okanagan has to offer including his first snow and hiking on Knox Mountain.
Giri took a gap year prior to starting his studies in 2020, and found the online experience challenging especially given the the time difference. Nepal is 13-hours and 45-minutes ahead of Pacific Time, so Giri would wake up in the middle of the night to take classes and participate in group projects. All that hard-work paid off as he was recently recognized with the Dr. Spiro Yannacopoulos International Engineering Student Memorial Award.
“Being recognized with this award means that the faculty has put a lot of faith in me, so I need to continue to work hard to prove them right,” says Giri.
The Dr. Spiro Yannacopoulos International Engineering Student Memorial Award recognizes a continuing international undergraduate student in the School of Engineering who demonstrates strong academic achievement and engagement in their faculty, as well as the potential to make a scholarly contribution within their chosen field of study.
Dr. Yannacopoulos held the roles of Director of the School of Engineering since 2006 and Associate Dean of Applied Science from 2008 through August 2015. His contributions to UBC, and in particular the Okanagan campus were extraordinary, and his leadership contributed to the School of Engineering’s success as one of Canada’s newest and fastest-growing engineering schools.
“Dr. Spiro Yannacopoulos left a lasting legacy on UBC, and his contributions inspire me to dig deeper and try to make a similar impact during my studies,” explains Giri.
For more information about the Dr. Spiro Yannacopoulos International Engineering Student Memorial Award visit https://students.ok.ubc.ca/courses-money-enrolment/finances/financial-support/awards-scholarships-and-prizes/international-student-awards/#drspiroaward