Kamalpreet Kaur crossed the stage at UBC Okanagan convocation Friday with her nursing degree and the Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation.
When Kamalpreet Kaur arrived in Canada as a student nine years ago, nursing wasn't an option. Without permanent residency, she couldn't apply. So, she waited six years, earned her citizenship and then earned her degree.
On Friday, Kaur crossed the stage at UBC Okanagan's spring convocation to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing , and the Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation, awarded to the graduating student with the strongest academic record who also contributes to the community in those areas.
"I didn't feel it was possible for me, for a first-generation immigrant to receive such an honour," said Kaur, who came to UBCO from Punjab, India. "But it was magical."
The award reflects more than academic achievement. Kaur has served as an alternate representative for the British Columbia Nurses Union's young nurses' network, advocating for racialized and underrepresented nurses in clinical environments.
She is also developing a peer support platform for new nurses. A space for recent graduates to ask questions, share experiences and find guidance as they navigate their first years in practice.
Kaur plans to pursue a nurse practitioner designation starting next year. Politics, she says, is a longer-term goal.
Until then, she's celebrating with her parents, who travelled from India to watch her cross the stage, and her husband, Balkarn Singh.
"They're my biggest support system. Without them, I would not have been able to complete my studies," Kaur says. "There have been so many things I've faced here, being the first girl in my family to come to Canada. Without them, it wouldn't have been possible."
Kaur was among more than 2,600 students who received their degrees at UBC's Okanagan campus this week, wrapping up one of the university's strongest academic years yet.
With the Class of 2026, the campus has officially surpassed 30,000 alumni since opening its doors 21 years ago.
Governor General's Gold Medal
Jon Corbett received the Governor General's Gold Medal-the most prestigious academic honour for a graduating student-following the successful defence of his doctoral dissertation, Ancestral Code: Grounding Indigenous Computing in nehiyaw Epistemology.
Corbett is a doctoral student in the digital arts and humanities in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. His dissertation develops a nehiyaw (Plains Cree) epistemological framework for Indigenous computing. His work includes a syllabic programming typeface, a nehiyaw-based programming language, an integrated development environment, and keyboard designs rooted in the nehiyaw syllabic star chart.
A year of national research momentum
The 2025/26 academic year brought significant milestones for UBCO researchers.
In January, Dr. Mary Jung, a professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences , began a four-year term as Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. The institute was relocated from SickKids in Toronto to UBCO and marks the first time the campus has hosted a national institute.
In February, UBCO and the Weston Family Foundation launched the $8-million Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program. Led by Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, it will build national capacity for prescribed fire through five regional hubs.
Dr. Heather Gainforth was also named the SSHRC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Research Coproduction and Implementation Science, bringing UBCO's total Canada Research Chairs to 10.
Teaching excellence
Six faculty members were recognized for teaching in 2026. Sheila Epp (School of Nursing) and Dr. Julien Picault (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) received Killam Teaching Prizes. The Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation went to Dr. Abdallah Mohamed (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science), Mayu Takasaki (Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies) and Dr. Ying Zhu (Faculty of Management).
Award winners
Keira Dail, a Bachelor of Science graduate, received the Pushor Mitchell LLP Prize, a $10,000 award given each year to a graduating student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science or Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences who combines academic achievement with leadership in community service, cross-cultural relations, diversity, intellectual pursuits, or artistic and athletic endeavours.
Inaugural cohort graduates with Bachelor of Sustainability
UBCO's first graduating class in the Bachelor of Sustainability left a mark on the region before leaving campus.
The group of 16 students completed more than 1,100 hours of community service by working with local partners, including the City of Kelowna, the Central Okanagan Land Trust, Be the Change Earth Alliance and the Kelowna and District SHARE Society.
Their projects included supporting the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy, planting western red cedars, leading climate resiliency workshops in K-12 schools and creating upcycling and re-use programs.
The graduates are heading into careers in environmental consulting, planning, field biology, wildfire management, GIS, agriculture and resource stewardship, with others pursuing graduate studies in planning and education.
