UBC Reports | Vol. 47 | No. 15 | October 4, 2001

Bright new lights

The second of two parts highlighting a few of UBC's newest faculty

Attracting leading scholars and innovative teachers is one of the university's key Trek 2000 objectives. This year UBC has significantly advanced its goal of recruiting outstanding faculty with the addition of 106 professors and librarians. This, the second of two installments, features five of UBC's newest faculty members.

V. Susan Dahinten

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing; scholar, Canadian Child and Youth Research Network

Background: MBA, PhD in Nursing, UBC; MSN, Gonzaga University

Courses taught: Population health and program planning and evaluation

Teaching objective: I would like students to develop a sound understanding of the social determinants of health and become advocates for greater social justice.

Research objective: I am examining family and community factors that influence child and youth health and development, and evaluating public health interventions aimed at promoting child development.

Why attracted to UBC: I was drawn home after teaching at the University of New Brunswick for the last three years. I am attracted by the opportunities for interdisciplinary child health research at UBC and the School of Nursing's international reputation for scholarship, research and teaching. And I love to hike in the local mountains.

Ross Bryant

Assistant Professor Dentistry

Background: PhD, University of Toronto

Teaching objective: My major objective is to support the existing teaching programs in undergraduate prosthodontics (construction of artificial teeth and appliances for the mouth) and in graduate periodontics (study and treatment of tissues surrounding the tooth) at UBC, and to co-ordinate various current and future aspects of these programs.

Research objective: To examine the psychosocial outcomes of implant prosthodontic treatment (artificial teeth set into the jaw) for older adults. I also will investigate how to predict implant outcomes using jawbone densitometry.

Why attracted to UBC: My research interests are closely allied with some senior dental faculty here. As well, my wife and I wanted to return to the natural beauty of Vancouver and the surrounding areas.

Hadi Dowlatabadi

Professor; Canada Research Chair in the Faculty of Graduate Studies with affiliations to the Sustainable Development Research Institute and the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues

Background: PhD, Physics, Cambridge University

Courses to be offered: Integrated Assessment Methods; Climate Change and Climate Policy Analysis; Managing Technical Change

Teaching objective: To deliver useful skills to students and work with them to understand how to use knowledge to enhance welfare.

Research objectives: To be aware of what I do not know. To embrace interdisciplinary collaborations that help solve real world problems, and to use these problems to guide learning and research.

Why attracted to UBC: I love research, teaching and work to have an impact beyond academia. My new appointment allows an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with world-class researchers, to share classrooms with the best students, and to be active in helping shape global change policies at the Liu Centre.

Taraneh Sowalti

Assistant Professor, Advanced Wood Processing, Faculty of Forest Sciences

Background: PhD, Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto

Courses taught: Industrial Engineering

Teaching objective: To provide students with the understanding of industrial engineering methods and techniques, their impact on efficiency, productivity and competitive position of a firm, with the knowledge of real-life situations relative to the concept and systems learned, and to encourage them to apply the concepts and systems in a wood products firm.

Research objective: To improve efficiency and productivity of the wood industry by determining the efficiency of labour and capital utilization in different provinces of Canada, and compare the Canadian wood industry to American and European wood industries.

Why attracted to UBC: The position was exactly what I was looking for.

Dr. Garth Warnock

Professor; head, Surgery Dept., Faculty of Medicine

Background: MD, MSc, University of Alberta

Courses taught: Undergraduate courses including Third-year Clerkship, Clinical Skills, Resident Seminars

Teaching objectives: Promote effective/innovative learning and advance recognition of effective teaching

Research objective: Reverse disease through cell transplantation. My specific interest is islet cell transplantation for diabetes.

Why attracted to UBC: Outstanding scientific collaborators/support, outstanding surgical colleagues, and a nationally recognized university for outstanding teaching.