Between 2017-2019 G+PS organized Great Supervisor Week in May of each year during which graduate students were encouraged to give kudos to their supervisors through social media and our website.
May 8-14, 2017, was the inaugural #GreatSupervisor week at UBC
May 7-13, 2018, was the second annual #GreatSupervisor week at UBC.
May 6-12, 2019, was the third annual #GreatSupervisor week at UBC.
#GreatSupervisor week started at the University of Calgary in 2014, and we are grateful to them for their inspiration and support in this initiative.
Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl knows how to both support and challenge her students to bring us to new heights. She provides us with so many academic and professional opportunities. She is brilliant yet very humble. She is kind, caring, and compassionate. She is very generous with her time even though she is the busiest person I know. I'm very grateful for my amazing supervisor. #GreatSupervisor
Jennifer is a wonderful mentor and supervisor. Her commitment and energy to her students is beyond compare, and she always makes time for our needs and for us has people before students. She effortlessly advocates for our needs and makes us a priority in every interaction. Jennifer is prompt and thoughtful in her feedback, and she is always looking to improve our work for our own goals. Her critical questions and lenses always pushes me to think more about my work and deeply about every choice through my degree. She demonstrates admirable work-life balance and is aware of our needs and timelines as well. I cannot speak highly enough of Jennifer and all that she has done for me in my time here at UBC!
I am grateful for Dr. Yong endless support. Big thanks and much appreciation. He always makes time in his busy schedule for his students.
My supervisor Dr. Amanda Giang is a #GreatSupervisor for so many reasons! She supports our mental health and well-being, always making sure that our wellness is a priority. She is inclusive and open to new ideas. She gives amazing constructive feedback that improves our work. She is always there to cheer us on when we succeed. She encourages us to make connections that will further our goals. She is approachable and friendly. I feel lucky to have her as my supervisor.
Continuous support and encouragement.
There are many great things about my supervisors and the program that they have created. Their research program is admirable and it makes me happy and proud to be part of it. Each and every student in my program is up to solving big problems in order to improve the lives of animals and it takes great supervisors to create and then lead such a program. In addition, the program is perfectly organized. There is no competition between the students, there is always help available if needed and more importantly, it feels like a family. Though my supervisors are extremely busy, but, they still make sure that they give enough support and advice to their students in order to succeed. Regardless of it being challenging, I enjoy every day of my life in my program and I feel like I have everything I need to grow and succeed.
For always supporting, encouraging, stretching, and inspiring!
Tim Kieffer is exactly the #GreatSupervisor you hope to have. Dr. Kieffer never fails to challenge you to do better and never ceases to support you through adversity. Thank you for making the Kieffer Lab a place of creativity, productivity, and positivity. It is a privilege to recognize Tim as my mentor and I will proudly do so for my entire career ahead.
In our research group, Dr. Lester sparks innovative conversations between students from a wide range of backgrounds. From computer science students contributing to the development of a mobile health technology to public health researchers studying the implementation of this tech globally, he has a knack for translating information that serves a spectrum of interests. It really helps to bring together students who might otherwise work in silos. I've really appreciated his can-do attitude and the positive perspective he has when tackling complex problems in low-resource settings. He always makes his students feel capable and confident in their abilities and reminds us of the importance our research has in a broader context. As a student from a remote and isolated community, I value that Dr. Lester, his family, and the research group offer a sense of community I need to thrive. Thank you, Dr. Lester, for making anyone and everyone feel welcome in your lab. And I am so grateful for the accommodation of my dog as well; this helped me acclimatize to the city and make transitioning back into post-secondary an easier choice. Thank you!
Candace listens and supports me in a way that respects my role as a husband, father, and member of my First Nation as well as a scholar.
I also really appreciate her understanding as an Indigenous scholar.
Professor Pinar inspires you both by his scholarly knowledge and by his humble attitude towards. His perceptive personality gives you a supportive and caring space to know yourself. He provides a valuable opportunity to take your time during your learning experience. I am proud of my doctoral experience at UBC mainly because of his guidelines, patience, and dedication to my learning experience. He is extraordinary!
Bonny Norton is not only a #GreatSupervisor, she is the #BestSupervisor. Bonny is not only my supervisor, she is a mentor, friend and role model. She cares deeply about her students and is ALWAYS willing to take the time whether it's help with a school-related task, frustration, advice or personal issues. Bonny has made me believe I am capable of more than I knew was possible; she sets the bar high and is available to help every step of the way. Bonny's brilliance is matched only by her warm and caring heart. I feel so lucky and grateful that I have the privilege of working with Bonny for she is without a doubt a #GreatSupervisor.
He is helpful, patient, kind, and understanding. He always encourages me to do and be my best.
Vicki is a wonderful supervisor because she has great knowledge in our field of study, she is very supportive and always believes in me, even when I don't. She incentivizes me to pursue new skills but always respecting my personality and will. She is always using positive words and her critiques are always constructive and objective so I can really improve myself. I feel very blessed to have her as a mentor in a challenging stage such as the Ph.D. course.
I'm so thankful for Dr. Mitchell-Foster, and all she does to support my research. She is approachable, very knowledgable and patient in helping me learn the ins and outs of academia. The way she manages her students, being a baby-saving obgyn and her adorable family is inspirational. I'm so grateful to have such a strong female role model in my life! Thanks for all you do!
I am eternally grateful to have had Dr. Beristain as my MSc supervisor for the past 2.5 years. Dr. Beristain is a great mentor and has always been there to support, motivate and challenge me. I have grown both academically and personally thanks to Dr. Beristain's guidance.
Despite being in global demand and usually found flying around the world Sheryl is really down to earth. Her teaching style is subtle and layered; she has so much knowledge and experience but you have to LISTEN, there are no cheat sheets. She is phenomenal in her ability to groom young academics into communities and jobs where our work can contribute to meaningful change for the larger Indigenous and global communities. With each step of the PhD process, her expectations, and the opportunities she offers increase and its up to you to decide how committed you are. If you're prepared to do the work, she's got your back.
Dr. Jolanta is a hard-working faculty member at UBC. She supervises many masters and PhD students and a committee member of many research committees. She is able to handle all of that and give each student enough attention. She follows up with each student to make sure that the research projects are on track. She suggests continuously reading materials to students to expand their knowledge. She's special for her resilience & cooperation to make the research experience as smooth as possible.
My supervisor is great because of the support she provides. Not only does she make sure that I'm supported financially but she cares about my personal well-being and my career and we can openly talk about both. She's created an environment where I'm not afraid to talk about personal or professional struggles and wins. She is a #GreatSupervisor
Sheila and Grant are always available. They are highly knowledgeable and very caring about my learning. They are respectful and treat me like a colleague. Sheila and Grant also provide excellent guidance and support which is necessary as a hopeful researcher. Their experience is so helpful to me and they have me involved in their research projects which has helped me to develop my research skills. They have taught me how to write and submit manuscripts, write applications for awards, and are generally very kind and caring. They are amazing.
Many people know Dr. Pauly as a world-renowned fisheries scientist and an author or co-author of over 30 books and 1000 scientific articles. I am honoured to know him for his honesty, inclusivity, humour, and encouragement in his role as my supervisor. Dr. Pauly never fails to provide positive feedback and constructive criticism in order to guide me along my academic journey. Under his leadership, I always feel as though I am part of a strong and diverse team, where my voice matters and is heard. These are just a few of the reasons why Dr. Pauly is a #GreatSupervisor.
Huge thanks, from the bottom of my heart to my #GreatSupervisor, Dr. Peter Loewen, for supporting me and believing in me (sometimes more than I believe in myself), in the past 3 years. I am a better person because of you.
Because he truly is a teacher.
Dr. Ahenakew is a great supervisor because he cares first and foremost about his students as people.
My supervisor, Dr. Han, is not only nice and kind but also she is always very supportive in so many different ways. She always open her doors for all students. She always listen to our voices. She always try to expand students' abilities and possibilities as much as possible.
I am pleased to have Dr. Nielsen as a supervisor for my PhD studies at UBC. For the past three years, I got to know an incredibly nice and supportive mentor that always guides me towards my goals. My vision to discover new and better ways to improve breast cancer patients' lives brought me 10,000km across the world to work under the supervision of Dr. Nielsen as an expert leader in the field. He provided me with the ideal learning atmosphere of skills, knowledge, resources, leadership and supportive interpersonal relationship to help achieve my goals. He diligently encourages me to maximize my potentials and draw up plans of actions to succeed all along the path of my career.
Professor Beasley-Murray is a supervisor who does not hold your hand in this journey called 'PhD' so you can discover your true potential and present some unique and brilliant idea to the world. Instead, he watches you carefully and when you are lost, he shows you a light to help you get back on track. A modest 'Thank you' is not enough to express how grateful I am for all the help, support and valuable feedback I have received from him. This dissertation would not be same without him as my supervisor.
Dr. Nashon's genuine care and support is truly admirable. He believes in supporting and educating the whole person by caring for their wellbeing and intellectual development. I am truly thankful for his support.
So grateful to have such an inspiring, encouraging and supportive supervisor in Dr. Bainbridge. Thank you for all the time, energy and enthusiasm you bring to supporting me through this process!
Villy has always given me the freedom and encouragement to work on a broad set of topics beyond my thesis work, and I am trully thankful for his helpful guidance.
Alison provides gentle guidance and support! My critical thinking & writing skills are better because of her!
Can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to co-supervise me in my PhD program. I am grateful for your commitment to providing a conducive academic environment to learn from your wealth of knowledge and experience. Thank you for being so extra supportive. You are amazing!
I feel so fortunate to have Sally and Fuchsia as my doctoral supervisors. As an international student, they are the kind of supervisors I need to be successful. Early on in my first year when I was struggling to balance between my son and study, they both showed their understanding and support. We are able to meet when necessary and they always provide detailed and constructive feedback which has provided me with the impetus I needed to develop the functional skills and knowledge for this evolving learning experience. I could not be more happy for their mentorship including other occasions for which I owe them gratitude. Many thanks to Sally and Fuchsia.
My supervisor is very considerate and always thinks for his students! He is very patient in listening to our ideas and struggles, and always provides the greatest supports to us! I'm very honored to be his student.
A big thank you to Dr. Anne Gadermann for letting me think outside the box, for supporting my dreams, and for being a fantastic role model for academic integrity!
Dr. Hackett is an all-round great supervisor and scientist. As my supervisor during my PhD and now for my post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Hackett has been an amazing mentor. She has been totally dedicated in helping me succeed with every project I have worked on and pays particular attention to every detail of my development as a young scientist. I have been very lucky to have her as my supervisor. #GreatSupervisor #DrTillieHackett
She believed in me before I believed in myself.
#GreatSupervisor #UBC and I want to sincerely thank my wonderful supervisor Dr. Tal Jarus for her unwavering support. I have learned so much under her mentorship and I am very privileged to have a very great doctoral supervisor. Thanks so much Tal!
There are not many mentors with whom you can relax and be honest while knowing you're going to get constructive and encouraging feedback. Dr. Theresa Rogers serves as a model for anyone seeking to become a more effective and thoughtful academic, teacher, or mentor of any kind. There's no comparison.
Amy is inspiring! Always provides critical yet gentle feedback. I want to be like her when I grow up.
Tillie is a fantastic and supportive supervisor. She is so dedicated to her students and the research we undertake, always responding to emails and working late into the night!! She will also go above and beyond what most people would do to help you out on a personal level. Exemplified by her continually writing detailed references for previous students who call her up out of the blue, 5 or more years after they have left the lab; or by helping you out with all of the immigration paperwork and nonsense that international students have to go through. She has been a fabulous mentor to me personally, allowing me the freedom to embrace my inner mad scientist and supporting me throughout the PhD. It has honestly been a great privilege to work along side such an exceptional and inspirational scientist and leader. #GreatSupervisor!
I want to thank my great supervisor, Dr. Jennifer Vadeboncoeur, because she has taught me the difference between being a student and being a learner. Her invaluable guidance has pushed me beyond my limits not only as a researcher but as a person.