Mission and Vision
Mission – To develop resources and share knowledge mobilizing faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Asian Studies to act on climate change and related issues. The Sustainability Initiative Committee develops and supports action plans in our department to address climate change via operations, research, and teaching.
Vision – Working to improve our relationship with nature and acting in alignment with Indigenous caretakers of the land, at UBC and beyond.
Committee Members
Vicky Baker
I am a Research Project Manager and also a Sustainability Coordinator, connecting with other staff across campus to help departmental operations be more sustainable. There are many things I do to reduce my own impact and work toward positive changes, and as a lover of plants and an avid gardener, I have a particular passion for good food and local sustainable food systems.
Pamela Francis
I am the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Asian Studies. I have a Masters Degree in Art History and have worked at UBC for 10 years. I am very keen to become more environmentally conscious and learn tips and tricks for how to reduce waste and my carbon footprint and assist the department in doing the same.
Christina Laffin
I am an associate professor who researches and teaches about premodern Japanese literature and culture. I am learning how to better integrate climate action and justice into my pedagogy and working with colleagues to reduce travel-related carbon emissions through practices in our department, university, and professional organizations.
Xueshun Liu
I am a Chinese lecturer with the Department of Asian Studies. I teach later-classical Chinese poetry after the Tang Dynasty. Many poems express people’s happiness about beautiful scenery. It is so desirable to make our world as good as possible. I like to do my part to protect the environment.
Sondra Holleran
I am the Sustainability Assistant for the Asian Studies Department. Over the past years, I’ve been actively involved in sustainability and climate initiatives across the UBC campus while completing my degree in Applied Animal Biology in which I focus on wildlife conservation and environmental management. I’m excited to create sustainability resources and events for the Asian Studies Department to continue engaging our UBC community in climate awareness and action.
Pasang Sherpa
I am a Sharwa/Sherpa anthropologist from Nepal. I am jointly appointed in the Department of Asian Studies and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies as an assistant professor of lifeways in Indigenous Asia. I invite critical compassionate consciousness as a way forward to reflect on, act upon, and build a just, livable future for all in the context of climate and nature emergency.
Camila Minutti
I work for the RHNHFF Buddhism in Contemporary Society Program and, as a good nature explorer and lover on my free time, I am interested in learning and applying measures in everyday life that minimizes our impact on the environment and that can be shared with others. I believe each of us can be part of the solution to create a greener future.
Janet Um
I am a Lecturer in the Department of Asian Studies, who teaches classical Sanskrit and courses on the literary traditions and cultures of premodern South Asia. My personal commitment to reducing the carbon footprint inspires me to collaborate with others in raising awareness around sustainability.