Announcing the 2022 Wall Scholars Catalyst Cohort

June 14, 2022

We are pleased to announce the members of the 2022-23 Wall Scholars cohort. As part of the Wall Scholars Catalyst program, these 12 UBC scholars will come together to build connections, cultivate relationships and initiate collaborations that engage with the urgency, scale and complexity of the Climate and Nature Emergency.

The program upholds the Institute’s mandate to provide a platform for associated scholars, fellows and partners to engage in research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and that explores innovative ways of thinking and knowing to address the biggest challenges of our time. The scholars will engage with their departments, students, and current emerging issues as they develop inter- and trans-disciplinary relationships at PWIAS.

In 2022-23, the program will be guided by 4 principles:

Ethical collaborations: Transdisciplinary, intergenerational, and community relationship building grounded on trust, respect, reciprocity, consent, and accountability.

Intellectual depth: (self)Critical and relational rigour in moving beyond common patterns of simplistic solutions, paternalistic forms of engagements and ethnocentric ideals of sustainability, justice, and change.

Reparative redistribution: Allocation of resources prioritizing populations most affected by the Climate and Nature Emergency and precarity, and research areas of greatest urgency and impact guided by principles of reparation.

Engagement with the Indigenous Strategic Plan: Deepening understanding of settler responsibilities and supporting the aspirations of Indigenous scholars and communities.

Dr. Mohammed Rafi Arefin will serve as the Wall Scholars Catalyst Program lead responsible for supporting and guiding collaborations in line with the program’s principles. 

The 2022-23 Wall Scholars Catalyst Program establishes PWIAS as an incubator of the kinds of inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations that understand the complexities of bringing about systemic change, and the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address the climate crisis, climate justice and biodiversity loss both locally and globally. We hope to expand the ways of knowing and acting in these challenging socio-ecological times.

Please join us in congratulating the PWIAS 2022-23 Wall Scholars. The term of the appointment for these awardees will be from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023.

  • Derek Gladwin, Language and Literacy Education
  • Ayasha Guerin, English Language and Literatures
  • Bethany Hastie, Law
  • Danielle Ignace, Forest and Conservation Sciences
  • Michele Koppes, Geography
  • Parisa Mehrkhodavandi, Chemistry
  • Srinivas Murthy, Pediatrics
  • Ethan Raker, Sociology
  • Rachel Scholes, Civil Engineering
  • Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, Asian Studies and Critical Indigenous Studies
  • Jocelyn Stacey, Law
  • Michelle Tseng, Botany and Zoology