Fall Convocation: Spotlight On Graduates

Fall convocation ceremonies—Nov. 9 and 10—mark the successful completion of studies for 1,401 recipients of University of Victoria degrees, diplomas or certificates. Here are some examples of the varied paths that have led to convocation:

Lara Dahle, BSc (Health Information Science)
A four-term president of the Health Sciences Students Association, Dahle also worked with Dr. Judy Burgess (Nursing) on the UVic Health Care Team Challenge, which helped to shed a light on the value of health informatics in the broader health care field.

Nancy Sandy, LLM (Law)
Her thesis research reached back in time, working with elders of the Secwepemc Nation (B.C. Interior) to explore the ways traditional laws protected children and how they continue to be exercised despite their erosion by state law.

Jason Zapantis, BEng (Mechanical Engineering Co-op)
Zapantis spent 16 months in Chongqing, China – a region of 40 million people where English is rarely spoken – working for Silian Sapphire. He adapted quickly, helping Chinese staff set up a plant and begin production of LED substrates.

Kat Robert, MSc (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
A SCUBA diving enthusiast, Robert felt right at home during an all-day 2,100-metre trip to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean as part of her research with the UVic-led Ocean Networks Canada Observatory.

Lorraine Courneyea, PhD (Physics)
Courneyea worked in Geneva on the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator, and chaired an international team tasked with ensuring electronics for key components of the detector were properly calibrated.

Lauren Jerke, MFA (Theatre)
After 18 months researching links between smoking and mental illness, Jerke developed an original play, Mixed Messages, in collaboration with the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s smoking cessation and reduction group at Eric Martin Pavilion.

Daniel McCombe, Master of Global Business
McCombe is among the first graduating class of MGB students who study international business management and leadership at three campuses (at UVic and in Taiwan and Austria). McCombe is now working with Mazda Motor Europe.

James McAra, BCom (Entrepreneurship)
McAra is this year’s recipient of the Gustavson School of Business Bachelor of Commerce Program silver medal for highest grade point average. He has started two businesses, with a third in development. He has given himself until next September to launch the enterprise, just before he starts a new job with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Devin Tepleski, BA (Anthropology)
Tepleski’s anthropology and visual arts coursework took him to Ghana where his photography documented a village displaced by a hydroelectric dam. His images earned a 2010 International Photography award and a profile in Time magazine.

Ian Wrohan, MSc (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Summer fieldwork with his supervisor and a team of scientists took Wrohan to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans building a baseline of data on summertime water conditions. It led directly to employment Rescan Environmental Services in Vancouver.
 

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