It wasn't so long ago that Molly was just a name. Now, the moniker is slang for the chemical compound MDMA, also known on the street as ecstasy, an illegal psychoactive drug known for its ability to invoke feelings of empathy and euphoria—and a popular drug of choice among festival-goers and young people.
Patrick Dwyer is confident, articulate and sharply focused on his future. Born and raised in Victoria, he loves the outdoors, hiking and reading. He's particularly grateful for the support of his family especially while he completed a BA in psychology with a minor in political science.
A Canadian volunteer leading an aid project and boarding school in Kathmandu for Himalayan children helped transport Dechen Dolma Lama from one of the most impoverished villages in Nepal to UVic where she graduates this month with a bachelor's degree in child and youth care.
Victoria Philibert, who graduates this month with a double major in philosophy and Pacific and Asian studies, is a perfect example of how the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) can impact UVic students whose first forays into deep research evoke personal insights and discovery.
Siyad Jama's journey to a BCom degree at UVic's Gustavson School of Business began when he stepped off the plane in Victoria for the first time in 2011. "I had no idea what to expect," he recalls. "It was all new to me—Canada, Victoria, UVic. I knew it was the warmest place in Canada, but coming from Kenya, even that meant something different."
Chadi Saad-Roy was a high school math whiz with no idea when he first enrolled at UVic in 2012 that he would one day be trying to unravel how a cow with cattle fever spreads the disease to the rest of the herd. What a difference five years makes.
It sounds like a riddle: what has six legs, was built for camping and can walk on its own? The answer, however, is no joke—it's actually the incredibly complex final project of visual arts BFA graduate Xiao Xue.
For his master's degree in physical education, Patrick Boudreau explored the impact of a high school rock climbing program and "self-efficacy"—an individual's belief in their own ability to organize and manage risks to achieve a goal.
Sarah Buydens, who graduates this month with a PhD in educational psychology specializing in counselling, has devoted many years exploring what helps and hinders the outcome of mentoring relationships. Her fascination with and inspiration for mentoring started at a young age while she was in the Girl Guides of Canada.
Growing up in some of BC's most beautiful landscapes—from the snow-covered peaks in Whistler to the shores of the Salish Sea in Victoria—inspired Keegan Meyers to develop a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Honorary degrees—the university's highest academic honour—will be presented to six exceptional individuals during spring Convocation ceremonies.
The recipients of the university's highest academic honour, the UVic honorary degrees this spring, are: acclaimed nature photographer and UVic alumnus Paul Nicklen; former UVic chancellor Murray Farmer; author Joy Kogawa; Canada-China relations builder Brian Lo; conservation research supporter Christina Munck; and Timothy Vernon, director of Pacific Opera Victoria.
The UVic Senate has approved a recommendation that students with developmental disabilities enrolled in UVic courses through a partnership with the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-secondary Education (STEPS Forward) be recognized at the university's convocation ceremonies, starting this June.
UVic's Fall Convocation ceremonies, marking the successful completion of studies for 1,379 graduating students, will be held Wednesday and Thursday (at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day) in the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium. A number of outstanding members of the graduating class are available to talk to the media.
When her job as a Youth Care Worker with the Cariboo-Chilcotin school district was cut last June, Mikara Pettman, 42, was worried. A happy, productive woman—an equal family partner, mother to two teens and active in her community—suddenl…
Four leaders from the fields of computing, telecommunications, public service, and athletics will accept honorary degrees—the university's highest academic honour—during 2016 Fall Convocation ceremonies.
