Cathy has over 20 years of experience in academia, the last 16 as a UBC staff member. Her work involves collaborations between the university and community to create transformative learning experiences for students.
As research coordinator for Patient & Community Partnership for Education in the VP Health office, Cathy manages research and development projects that engage patients and local communities in teaching and learning. She has helped to build a network of over 150 patient educators and 80 community organizations at UBC. She is most proud of her work with Xyolhemeylh (since 2006) and Justice for Girls (since 2017) to bring voices of Indigenous youth into training the next generation of health professionals.
Cathy’s background is in qualitative research, program planning and evaluation. She has a MA (Health Education) from Dalhousie University and a BA (Psychology) from SFU. As a parent of two children she has been connected to the campus through UBC’s Childcare Services and recreation programs. Previously, Cathy was a public servant with the BC Ministry for Children & Family Development for 9 years.
In an era of serious threats to our university and academic principles, Cathy is committed to growing an organizational culture that values people and builds community. She seeks out diverse perspectives and works to find ways to include voices that are missing to help bring people together. Cathy brings a perspective that is grounded by her work with a range of university stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, and communities beyond the university gates.