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.
I am so grateful to have Dr.Mohamed Bedaiwy as my supervisor. He is like a candle who has lit up my career path, so I can achieve my goals. He is my role model. He appreciates me on my every little progress/achievement. He does the best he can to make learning easier for me from his own experiences as a clinician. This is my last year but I really wish if I could get this wonderful opportunity to thank him every year for all the hard work he does not only for his students but also for his patients. My success is your blessing, Dr.Bedaiwy. I would always be thankful to you.
I am very grateful for all the support that you have extended to me during my time here at UBC. I deeply appreciate how you have been continuously encouraging and guiding me in the last two years, and also how you have always been so friendly and supportive of all of my efforts and struggles. Working under your supervision has been very enjoyable and I have learned and grown a lot.
Thanks Ben!
One of the smartest people I've had the privilege to work with, Konrad is also a gem of a person who is always ready to provide whatever support a student seeks/needs. All this embedded in an ever-smiling personality!
Thank you so much, Mohsen Sadatsafavi, for your supervision and dedication in the last years!
Thank you so much, Adam, for your friendly supervision during the last years!!
Mohsen is a fantastic supervisor. He pushes you to succeed and is supportive at those inevitable times when you don't. He has been instrumental in my development as a scientist and has created a wonderful lab environment for developing as a person. I truly have #GreatSupervisor!
Thank you so much, Dr. FitzGerald, for your dedication and friendly supervision during the last years!
My sincere and heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to a wonderful supervisor for providing me with the guidance and counsel I need to succeed in the PhD program. She has been a great mentor in mapping my PhD journey, advising on a research topic, connecting me with the resources I need, being available and responding to my emails and questions. My supervisor is a doyen in my area of research interest and her wealth of experience has been the main driver of my program.
Mary de Vera has been a great supervisor! She has the talent to motivate her students while providing them with the scientific tools to achieve their goals. Thank you so much, Mary de Vera, for your supervision and dedication!
Thank you, Dr. Lester, for your friendly supervision and your dedication during the last years!
My supervisors are extremely supportive. Natalia is a wonderful supervisor as she has a level of emotional intelligence that I have not seen in most people. Both her and Harry have always put my goals at the forefront and helped me achieve them. Their doors have always been open to me and they have been extremely generous with their time and their advice. I have learned so much from working with them throughout my time in my master's program. It has been an immense pleasure and I look forward to having an opportunity to collaborate with them in the future.
Very knowledgeable in his field of autonomic function and spinal cord injury. Busy in dedicating his time to research and clinical work. In between his time spent presenting at conferences and maintaining his various responsibilities, including as president of the American Spinal Injury Association, he makes time for his students, post-docs, and staff providing various levels of guidance in their pre-clinical and clinical work.
Sinikka is a #GreatSupervisor because she really cares about her students' ideas about their scholarly work. She generously leads the way and also gives a great space for self-discovery and development. Sinikka is a #GreatSupervisor because she has always been available whenever I needed her feedback and support. I am sincerely grateful!
Everyone who has gone through the difficult journey of completing doctoral studies knows how important good supervision and support are. Dr. Susan Cox is not my primary supervisor. She is a member of my supervisory committee but she has inspired and encouraged my research. She has guided me into the fascinating world of qualitative research illuminating my pathway to dissertation and helping me in every stage of it. I will be thankful to Dr. Cox forever!
I am very grateful for all the support that you have extended to me during my time here at UBC. I deeply appreciate how you have been continuously encouraging and guiding me in the last two years, and also how you have always been so friendly and supportive of all of my efforts and struggles. Working under your supervision has been very enjoyable and I have learned and grown a lot. Thanks, Ben!
He has been very supportive through the master's process, as well as helping guide the process of writing the capstone paper. His patience to listen to all my rambling ideas and willingness to give suggestions in developing this paper have been very important through this process. Finally, his encouragement has helped keep me going, even when it has felt like a long and slow endeavor.
Kosta is such a selfless person! He puts so much effort into making sure his students grow and thrive not just as researchers but as individuals. Kudos to you @Kosta! It has been an incredible experience working with you! #GreatSupervisor
Thank you for your expert guidance, encouragement, and support. Thank you for challenging me to think further, work harder and opportunities for growth.
Dr. Rysanek is an exceptional supervisor and a wonderful human being. He is not only my supervisor but also my mentor, friend and role model!
He is brilliant, highly knowledgeable, very enthusiastic about his research field and always has creative and cool research ideas. He is supportive and caring and he is always there for his students and willing to help.
He is kind, respectful and patient with his students. He has such a positive attitude and his critiques are always constructive and helpful. He is approachable, friendly and fun to be with. He cares about the wellbeing of his students and always makes his students feel confident.
He absolutely has an amazing inspiring personality! I am grateful and lucky to have Dr. Rysanek as my supervisor and love working with him! He is definitely a #GreatSupervisor!
Jiaying is a dedicated, caring, and open-minded supervisor who sets a high standard for my PhD and guides me to think critically about human psychology, sustainability, and research design. She is generous with her time to discuss and brainstorm ideas with students and actively supports interdisciplinary collaboration. Her enthusiasm about and commitment with her students' research (not to mention her novel and interesting work) make her an exceptional supervisor and continue to inspire me in my PhD journey. I am glad to have such a great supervisor.
It's #GreatSupervisor Week at UBC! Dr. Jean-Paul Collet- a brilliant academic, mentor and above all wonderful human being! Thank you JP for being an encouraging, enthusiastic, supportive, open-minded, thoughtful and insightful supervisor. You are the BEST SUPERVISOR and MENTOR #Grateful #GreatSupervisor
Richard is kind, caring and always available for students. He also provides numerous opportunities for us to develop as scholars. Moreover, he constantly challenges us to think more deeply and to explore different perspectives. I have grown so much under your supervision. Thanks for being a great supervisor, Richard!
She is always listening carefully to what I say, in order to work from what I am creating, and furthering me with her experience and knowledge.
She is always so joyful and understanding.
My supervisors are extremely supportive. Natalia is a wonderful supervisor as she has a level of emotional intelligence that I have not seen in most people. Both her and Harry have always put my goals at the forefront and helped me achieve them. Their doors have always been open to me and they have been extremely generous with their time and their advice. I have learned so much from working with them throughout my time in my master's program. It has been an immense pleasure and I look forward to having an opportunity to collaborate with them in the future.
Since coming to UBC this year to pursue my PhD in Educational Studies, Prof. Gleason has become a true mentor, teacher, and role model. She has taken a real interest in my work and expressed genuine concern for my well-being. Her advice has proven incredibly important and she pushes me daily to excel and challenge myself. At the same time, she allows me to have the necessary space to do my work, make mistakes, and learn from them in a safe, supportive atmosphere. I am truly grateful for her constant support.
Michael is a truly inspirational, supportive, and understanding mentor. Thank you for everything you do!
I would like to express my special gratitude to Dr. Leanne Currie for her encouragement, patience, and support. As a supervisor, she is very motivating and helpful which inspired me to give my best efforts. She is my inspiration, motivation, and source of critique. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for her immense support, proper guidance, encouragement, and opportunities she had provided me during my first year of the PhD program.
Sabine Ivison is smart, hilarious, insightful, caring, patient, detailed, thoughtful, and super interesting. She's full of stories, mind-blowing ideas, and out-of-this-world analogies. Sabine shows me different ways of looking at problems and how to think multiple steps ahead. She creates a nurturing, supportive, and stimulating environment which helps me believe in myself and focus on learning and improving my skills.
I am privileged to work with Professor Lee Gunderson, an amazing person, researcher, and academic! He has been extremely generous and helpful as supervisor throughout the program. He fully respected as well as supported my scholarly pursuits, which led to SSHRC Fellowship and two Faculty of Education awards. He always promptly responded to and met with me whenever I requested, even on a weekly-basis during his sabbatical. Many thanks, Lee, for being an outstanding advisor!
Dr. Bulkan has gone and above beyond to support me in my research. She's also been supportive in releasing funds for my professional development and providing references for my scholarship/internship applications as well as opportunities to develop essential research skills.
Thank you for your expert guidance, encouragement, and support. Thank you for challenging me to think further, work harder and opportunities for growth.
To a great supervisor, Dr. Michelle Stack, a huge "THANK YOU" for being such an amazing prof and such a wonderful person!! Your confidence in me and your kind words of encouragement have been a great source of strength for me. To Dr. Michelle Stack and to my committee members, Dr. Andre Mazawi and Dr. Wendy Carr, many thanks for always steering me in the right direction! I'm extremely fortunate to be learning from three exceptionally brilliant profs! Thank you for your gifts of knowledge and your unwavering support.
My supervisor is brilliant. His patience and humour buoy even the most floundering of minds (fact of which I am empirical proof). A good thing: there are great supervisors aplenty. A magical thing: my supervisor understands me and helps me to understand myself.
I'm grateful for my #GreatSupervisor Andre Mazawi for his persevering commitment and unwavering support during my PhD journey.
Although, not directly as a supervisor, but as the program director, you've been a wonderful mentor to me! #GreatMentor Thank you Dr. Duronio for being encouraging, supportive, open-minded and thoughtful. As I approach the end of my doctoral journey, I am grateful for your support #Grateful
Theresa Rogers is not only a great mentor, she's an unfailingly generous colleague. Over my first two years of doctoral scholarship she has connected me with multiple collaborative and dynamic scholarly communities. I never feel like a lone scholar knowing she's in my corner; she supports and encourages my engagement with others in the field. What a gift!
Jen goes out of her way to introduce me to other faculty members (at UBC and other universities) and has provided many opportunities for me to network and present my work around Canada and the US...this has introduced me to a network of support that I really appreciate and value. She has high expectations that push me to my best work, is supportive and encouraging, and is always in my corner. Thanks Jen!
Even before being my supervisor he was an exceptional role model in work ethics and research methods. Most importantly, he was very supportive and enthusiastic about my progress academically and professionally. He made sure that I'm being supported through each step of the way and to regain my self worth and confidence. He is truly a remarkable supervisor.
Kai is a great supervisor who helps me think outside the box and expand my understanding of complex social ecological systems. He has guided me to think critically about my research questions and inspired me via his novel work with IPBES and many interdisciplinary scholars who are also committed to making transformational changes in global ecosystem management. I feel extremely fortunate to be part of his lab and contribute to sharing ideas and creating knowledge and environmental solutions under his guidance.
Dr. MacPhee is a #GreatSupervisor because she is my cheerleader. Dr. MacPhee is a #GreatSupervisor because she motivates me, inspires me, and creates an encouraging environment for me to grow. Dr. MacPhee is a #GreatSupervisor because she is very passionate about empowering the nursing profession through education and leadership to make a difference. #GreatSupervisor #cheerleader #rolemodel #UBCMSNjourney #UBCNursing
Prof. Dreisinger is always kind and supportive to students and the students' future career developments. For Prof. Dreisinger, the graduate students are not the employees to finish the tasks but more like the "life children". He is knowledgeable with abundant engineering experience. However, he is always nice and behaves equally to students without showing the absolute authority. When students have trouble, no matter if it is related to their studies or life, once he knows, he is always there to provide help and support as much as he can in the first time. He always supports, helps and guides the students to be good for the world and to keep innovating in scientific research. From him, it can be clearly seen that the perfect combination of teacher, researcher, supervisor, and wise, kind and humorous elder! It is great luck for me to be one of his students!
Corey Nislow has been a very great supervisor and mentor. From my first day in UBC till now, he has always supported me. He provided an enabling and supportive environment for me to succeed in my PhD study and research. Importantly, he believes in me and answers whenever I needed his attention and/or support. In fact, I never regretted having him as my supervisor. He's the best!
Meghan is great because she is supportive, patient, helpful and understanding. She is available to answer my questions and offer guidance whenever I seek out her mentorship. She has a good sense of humour, is grounded and realistic, and makes me feel like the work I'm doing matters. I appreciate our conversations about academia as a system and what our roles within it are as researchers and educators. She has made me feel like I am on the right path with my choice to pursue a Master's degree. I am very grateful for the insights and critical lens she offers as well as the time she takes to make me feel fully supported. I'm learning a lot from my interactions with her and feel that I am becoming a better academic as a result of working with her. I'm lucky!
I am privileged to be coming to know such an amazing person like Dr. Bonny Norton. She is not only a #GreatSupervisor, but she is also a great human being who is always dedicated to supporting her students in every possible way. I will forever be grateful to her for her incredible support when I lost my most beloved person, my mom. Bonny's belief in me greatly inspired me to move forward and to continue pursuing my dream. She challenges me to reach new heights and supports me whenever I need any guidance. Her scholarly knowledge, inspirational leadership, invaluable experience, and innovative ideas never cease to amaze me. I am truly fortunate to have such a #GreatSupervisor.
I am so grateful to have Dr.Mohamed Bedaiwy as my supervisor. He is like a candle who has lit up my career path so I can achieve my goals. He is my role model. He appreciates me on my every little progress/achievement. He does the best he can to make learning easier for me from his own experiences as a clinician. This is my last year but I really wish if I could get this wonderful opportunity to thank him every year for all the hard work he does not only for his students but also for his patients. My success is your blessing, Dr.Bedaiwy. I would always be thankful to you.
Sara is a great supervisor for so many reasons! She is equally as supportive of my academic and non-academic opportunities, her feedback is actionable and aimed to help me improve, and she gives me advice on teaching, research, and giving presentations. She is present in my journey as a grad student and always takes the time to introduce me to her colleagues. I am very grateful for her positive, kind, and thoughtful presence, and I'm so lucky to have her as my supervisor!
Cesi is such a supportive supervisor. She is very encouraging of me sharing my thesis work in small conferences and other academic spaces, and has helped me so much in developing my work and pushing me to consider further avenues for research. I am grateful for her as my supervisor, and love working with her!
Sandrine always makes herself available to all students.
She is sharp, strong and tough, but supportive, positive and kind.
She knows students' weaknesses and strengths.
She is a super hard worker!!
Professor Pauly is an extraordinary supervisor and person. He has believed in me, guided me and mentored me since I first joined the graduate program. He is there for all his students, ready and willing to help them with any obstacles they encounter. He is exceptionally kind and understands the challenges that graduate students face daily. He has been especially supportive of international graduate students like me, who must deal with the difficulty of being far from their families and homelands. He is respectful and he is encouraging. I continue to learn from him every day, and he never ceases to surprise us (my peers and I) with his immense knowledge of most things. I could not have dreamt of a better supervisor. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Pauly for his mentorship and for his support.
Bernard is a great supervisor because he always has time for his students. He pushes us to do things on our own but is there when we need him. He understands that we have lives outside of school and is very supportive. He provides opportunities to grow and develop as researchers.
Also, I am lucky enough that I get to work with him in the field for my research. Few students get their supervisors in the field. I get mine to hike a mountain and carry my gear every two weeks :)
Siyun is 100% dedicated to the success of her students. She always encourages us to follow our own path and is happy to provide whatever support is needed to accomplish our goals. She is also committed to fostering a cooperative team atmosphere, which makes working in her research group a real pleasure. She is a major driving force behind many of my successes.
Jennifer has been an amazing supervisor and mentor. She truly exemplifies what it means to be a woman in academia and reach a work-life/family balance. I feel honored to have been her first PhD student and hope I can serve as an example like her in the future.
I would not have had the chance to become a scholar like me today without the support from my #GreatSupervisor, Dr. Eskelson. She always encourages me to thrive for what I am passionate about, what I need to learn to equip myself with strong technical as well as interpersonal skills. 'Thank you' is not enough to express my appreciation for all of her great support during my program at UBC.
Nina is a #GreatSupervisor because of how dedicated she is both to her students and to research. She is one of the most supportive and caring mentors I have worked with and makes sure her students have all the support they need in order to succeed and do well in their studies and in life. Nina is also a leader in her field of research and does a wonderful job guiding and instructing her students in how best to do their own research. It is inspiring to work with Nina and I feel very grateful to have her as my supervisor.
Crystal has always been extremely supportive and encouraging as a supervisor. She is very easy to talk to and I always feel comfortable to go to her with questions. I know she has my best interest in mind and genuinely cares about my success as a grad student. She is definitely a great supervisor!!!
Cynthia embraces kindness, patience, and positivity in her supervision style, and has a great understanding of the complexities that come into play in a grad student's career. In addition to her expertise and experience, she is immensely supportive. Such a great supervisor!
Dr. Mawani has been a steadfast supporter and a source of great inspiration. It has been her encouragement that has kept me pressing on. Thank you Dr. Mawani!
Dr. Karla Williams, a great supervisor and a super great human being, is one of the most inspiring personalities I ever came across. When I started my PhD. in September 2017, the first few months were very challenging for me. Dr. Williams worked on me and helped me regain my momentum. Working under her supervision is a true blessing I cherish every day.
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!
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.
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
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.
Because he truly is a teacher.
Dr. Ahenakew is a great supervisor because he cares first and foremost about his students as people.
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.