On April 9, 2026, the UBC Okanagan community gathered for a student-led celebration to recognize faculty and staff who are contributing to student wellbeing by creating accessible and health-promoting classrooms. This year, 198 students submitted meaningful nominations and provided incredible examples of pedagogical approaches that significantly impact students.
Profound words were shared by Dr. Marie Tarrant, Provost and Vice-President, Academic pro tem, Dr. Trudy Kavanagh, Associate Dean, and Dr. Tareq Yousef, Assistant Professor. Student co-chairs Sierra Garabed and Lillian Brogan provided planning coordination and a multidisciplinary team of students served on the adjudication committee. Funding and guidance were provided by the Campus Wellness and Education team.
Dr. Claire Budgen Golden Apple Awards
These awards acknowledge faculty members making outstanding contributions to wellbeing in the academic environment. The ten award categories are based on the tool Teaching Practices that Promote Student Wellbeing and were distributed as follows:
- Creating a safe classroom environment – Kyle Hamilton, PhD, Lecturer, Faculty of Education
- Openly discuss wellbeing-related topics – Amielya Keast, RN, MSN, Lecturer, School of Nursing
- Recognize that students have lives outside of academics – Amir Ardestani-Jaafari, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Management
- Fostering instructor-student relationships – Peter Arthur, Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Education
- Fostering Peer-to-Peer Relationships – Meaghan MacNutt, PhD, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Health and Social Development
- Helping students find value in the subject matter – Sumi Siddiqua, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Applied Science (Eng)
- Helping students find value in the learning process – Tareq Yousef, PhD, Assistant Professor of Teaching-Psychology, Faculty of Arts
- Supporting learning outside the classroom – Robert Szilagyi, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science
- Structuring course effectively – Madeleine Ransom, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts
- Delivering course effectively – Amin Ahmadi Digehsara, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management
I Am Accessible Awards
The I Am Accessible Award recognizes and celebrates UBC Okanagan faculty and staff members who exemplify the qualities of an inclusive educational institution. Nominees may epitomize Inclusive Education by demonstrating the following:
- Equitable access to learning materials and resources in the classroom and/or lab
- A positive attitude towards diverse learning needs and an understanding that students may need different things to achieve similar outcomes in class
- A willingness to be flexible while maintaining academic standards
- Making you feel welcome and included at UBCO
This year’s recipients were:
- Faculty Award: Dennis Jasper, RN, MSN, Lecturer, School of Nursing
- Staff Award: Crystal Westgate, Physical Activity and Wellbeing Coordinator, Athletics and Recreation
To learn more about creating a classroom that supports wellbeing please explore the Wellbeing in the Classroom Toolkit or consider joining the community of practice.