From PhD student to professor: reflections on the road to research and resilience
Dr. Niloofar Akbarian-Saravi shares her UBC Engineering experience At their core, sustainable supply chains are about resilience. For Dr. Niloofar Akbarian-Saravi, those same themes have shaped the past six years of her academic journey at UBC. What began as a PhD in Mechanical Engineering became an experience marked by interdisciplinary collaboration, industry partnerships and opportunities […]
From resilient infrastructure to AI-powered communications: UBCO engineering researchers receive NSERC Discovery Grants
Stronger infrastructure. Smarter communications. Cleaner energy. Better health technologies. Six UBC Okanagan School of Engineering researchers have received a combined $1.55 million in Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for work advancing solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges. The grants are part of a broader investment announced […]
A made-in-BC heat pump with global impact
James Seabrook graduated from UBC Okanagan’s engineering program in 2011 and didn’t leave the region. He walked into a shop in Kelowna, got a job and started building his own business. Today, Vitalis Equipment Technology Inc. employs more than 70 people and counts half its engineering team as UBCO graduates. It’s poised for global growth, […]
Engineering healthier futures through wearable technology
For Brooke Franchuk, engineering is about creating technologies that can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. A 2018 graduate of the Mechanical Engineering program at UBC Okanagan School of Engineering, Franchuk now works at Garmin, where she helps develop wearable technologies designed to support health and well-being. Her journey highlights how engineering skills can […]
From Research to Reality: How Ana Isabel Sarkis Is Rethinking How We Build Safer Structures
Ana Isabel Sarkis Fernandez is a postdoctoral research fellow in earthquake engineering at UBC Okanagan. Originally from Costa Rica, she has lived, studied, and worked across multiple countries, bringing a global perspective to her work on seismic resilience. Her research focuses on understanding why innovative building technologies are not widely adopted in Canada and how […]
Designing for Winter Mobility: A Wheelchair-Accessible Snow Shovel
For wheelchair users, snow-covered paths can create significant barriers to independent mobility. Capstone Project Name: Wheelchair Accessible Snow Shovel Team Members: Axcan Alba Gonzalez – Mechanical Engineering Ian Schoeman – Mechanical Engineering Marcus Chan – Mechanical Engineering Aidan MacKenzie – Mechanical Engineering Lewis McCombie – Mechanical Engineering Michael Zidkovich – Mechanical Engineering Students in the Capstone […]
Dr. Qian Chen named an inaugural UBCO Impact Research Chair
Dr. Qian Chen, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering with UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering, has been named one the campus’ six inaugural Impact Research Chairs in recognition of her leadership in advancing digital construction technologies and sustainable housing solutions. The new program supports researchers whose work is driving meaningful impact within communities, industries and society. […]
UBCO engineering researcher named an international leader in earthquake-resilient construction
Dr. Lisa Tobber’s collaboration with New Zealand researchers aims to strengthen the safety and resilience of prefabricated buildings A UBC Okanagan engineering researcher is helping lead an international effort to make buildings safer in earthquake-prone regions. Dr. Lisa Tobber, Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering, has been awarded a Catalyst International Leader Fellowship from New Zealand’s Royal Society Te Apārangi. […]
Building a solid foundation for sustainable communities: meet Quinn Soon
2026 UBC Okanagan engineering graduate Quinn Soon reflects on leadership, sustainability and creating impact through engineering Meet UBCO 2026 BASc Civil Engineering Graduate Quinn Soon Growing up in the Okanagan, Quinn Soon was drawn to engineering by a desire to help address some of society’s most pressing challenges, including sustainability, housing affordability and community resilience. […]
UBCO engineering student recognized as an emerging founder
A UBC Okanagan School of Engineering doctoral student is being recognized as part of Innovation UBC‘s latest Venture Founder cohort, highlighting the growing impact of engineering-led entrepreneurship across the university. Shayan Narani, founder and CEO of Cement Dioxide, was recently featured by Innovation UBC among a select group of founders advancing ventures with the potential to […]