The Dean’s Student Advisory Council is a body of undergraduate students from across year levels and options. This diverse group of students work with members of the School’s leadership to offer insights, feedback and recommendation on enhancing the student experience.
Current members
Evelyn Ashworth
Class of 2022
I wholeheartedly believe in student advocacy and the impact that young voices can make in our local and global community. The Dean’s Student Advisory Council provides me with the opportunity to advocate for my peers at UBC Sauder and make a lasting change to improve the experience for current and future BCom students. I am eager to bring my perspective to the council and culture of UBC Sauder. During my years at UBC Sauder, I hope to see increased inter-faculty relationships and increased student involvement, leading to more well-rounded graduates.
Joshua Dang
Class of 2022
I joined this diverse group of outstanding business leaders to be able to create a greater environment within UBC Sauder. With the opinions and perspectives of a large group of individuals that all come together from different backgrounds, I believe that all of our ideas can spark change. The school itself offers a vast amount of opportunities and in the future, I want to be able to connect more students to those opportunities so that they may capitalize upon them. I also want to promote mental health awareness for students and bring greater awareness to UBC Sauder subsidized programs that support students in pursuit of personal, professional and academic development.
Kaitlyn Ho
Class of 2020
In a large and successful school like the UBC Sauder School of Business, it is essential to ensure that all students’ voices are heard. This panel allows the school to truly understand its students coming from all different backgrounds, and offers a unique opportunity for students and administrators to work together to create a better academic experience for everyone. I believe that it is important for everybody to have a quality education and to gain a positive, well-rounded learning experience in university, which is why I am so passionate about being a part of this panel. In the future, I see UBC Sauder growing into an even more comprehensive business school with a vibrant and welcoming student body, increasing its world leadership and prestige.
Deepishwar Mangat
Class of 2020
Being part of a strong and dynamic community where ideas flow openly and one can make themselves heard is key in our development towards the future. As a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, my goal is to broadcast the issues that affect students every day; inspire change into new directions and create a positive lasting impact for incoming students. In my vision for the future, I see more students getting involved, leading discussions with our core values in mind and acting on continuous self-development both within and outside the classroom.
Eric Travassos
Class of 2020
Being an international student, I know that adapting to the culture and academic rigour at UBC Sauder can be challenging. I am humbled by the opportunity to bring a fresh and diverse perspective into discussions on enhancing the student experience. I am excited to help make UBC Sauder a place that supports student in academic success and personal growth.
Past members
Ashley Belzil
Class of 2016
I want to hear from the voices that may not be heard at UBC Sauder. It is also important to me that I give back to the UBC Sauder community before graduation, and being part of this panel is a way of doing so. While we work to strengthen the UBC Sauder community, I would love to see more interaction across faculties in the future, both academically and socially.
David Brown
Class of 2015
Throughout my first year I felt very detached from the culture of UBC Sauder. Being part of the Dean’s Student Advisory committee provided a platform to get involved and work with a group of extremely passionate peers. The UBC Bachelor of Commerce program has always been a balance of academic practices and industry applicable tools. Moving forward I would love to see more classes seeking to integrate realistic methodologies with fundamental theories.
Yifan Chai
Class of 2019
Different perspectives can make a better community. As an international and transfer student, I have unique opinions about how to improve the UBC Sauder community. Being a member, I want to make contributions to assist our community to be more inclusive. Therefore, it can provide a more supportive environment to help transfer or international students make transitions more easily and smoothly. In the future, I would love to work closely with other creative members and communicate with current students to obtain constructive suggestions to improve student experience at UBC Sauder.
Andrew Darcovich
Class of 2017
My hope is for UBC Sauder to revolutionize education even more so than it has so far. The constant feedback cycle in the curriculum can be so powerful if it is used to its full potential. Seeing the interaction between students and faculty/staff increasing through this committee, for example, has already started the discussion around course changes, new teaching tools and techniques, and developed meaningful relationships. I want to see this continue and for more students getting involved to make UBC Sauder the leader in higher business education
Adrian Dizon
Class of 2018
I believe that in order to create the best experience at UBC Sauder, feedback from students is crucial. The opportunity to act as a voice for students and contribute my opinion is why I was so drawn to the panel. In the future, I would like for UBC Sauder to become an even more inclusive and welcoming community that provides students with ample opportunities to succeed both in and outside of the classroom.
Emilie Gibeau
Class of 2017
Having come to UBC Sauder with a background in documentary film and employment in the nonprofit sector, my background and experiences bring a unique voice to the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, I am passionate about using business as a force for good and fostering change makers within our community here at UBC Sauder. The opportunity to be a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council has brought me closer to my faculty and as I enter my final years at UBC Sauder, I hope to contribute back to this community and provide a student perspective as we look towards the future.
Brontë Goldberger
Class of 2017
UBC Sauder has a responsibility to all students to respect them and push them to their very best self, and I think that we are remiss in getting students involved who do not fit the Type A model of the Business Student. While it is easy to take one’s foot off the gas and think, “it’s good enough”, I am invested in challenging that philosophy as part of the Dean’s Council. It is time we see where the atypical UBC Sauder student sees themselves among their peers and work to increase the rigor of education by making all students crave holistic participation in our faculty, which includes so much more than just academics. I hope to leave UBC Sauder prouder and more inclusive with the legacy left behind on this council. I want UBC Sauder to become even more so the name success-stories are associated with. So before you say that this is impossible, remember how you felt when you got the news you got in, remember that excitement and that pride. Impossible literally says, “I’m possible”. It is ours for the taking, and this council is eager to propel all Sauderites forward.
Nick Haggerty
Class of 2017
UBC Sauder has a unique and evolving culture that can be intimidating and hard to understand. The goal of my membership in the Dean's Student Advisory Council is to understand and refine that culture throughout all levels of the organization so that it is inclusive and supportive to the entire student body. Through collective discussions with diverse representatives from the student body and administration, we are effectively working towards that goal.
Christopher Heathcote-Rey
Class of 2017
I strongly believe that negative and positive feedback, and communication with upper management is the key to making any community or company stronger! Fortunate enough to have an incredibly diverse background and being highly involved in the UBC Sauder community, my ideal goal is to leverage these experiences within UBC Sauder, to create an even more beneficial and fruitful experience for our students.
Reza Houshamand
Class of 2017
This panel has proved to produce measurable improvements in our community. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey. I hope we continue building a culture that values thoughtfulness.
Nolan Killeen
Class of 2015
UBC Sauder is on the leading edge of innovation. The Dean's Student Council is a great opportunity to be a part of that vision. My hope is that UBC Sauder will continue to foster a great sense of community, and build more diversity in external partnerships. With strong internal and external partnerships, we can further develop a phenomenal environment for our students to succeed.
Brendan Lancaster
Class of 2018
I believe that it is very important for administration to have a strong connection with the students at the UBC Sauder School of Business. The Dean’s Student Advisory Council provides me with the ability to express my views and ideas about the culture of the school with passionate peers and faculty. I was interested in joining the Council to act on behalf of other students and discuss the direction of the School moving forward. I would love to see UBC Sauder’s culture become more inclusive for first year students and provide them with a better opportunity to feel as members of the community.
Yi Liu
Class of 2019
UBC Sauder has a global perspective and involves a diverse student and faculty body. Being an international student, I am privileged to be a part of this dynamic, welcoming and strongly bonded community. In the future, I see UBC Sauder evolving into an even more inclusive and diverse community and building a stronger reputation around the globe. To achieve this goal, I will contribute by acting as a voice for the student body as a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council.
Sona Sharma
Class of 2019
I believe the UBC community has given a lot to me and I've always tried to find ways in which I could contribute to it as well. Being a part of the Dean's Student Advisory Council, I am able to give genuine feedback and share my experiences at UBC Sauder. In the future, I want to see UBC Sauder have more opportunities for students to blend increasingly with other faculties of UBC so they can gain knowledge from all the different perspectives.
Grant Sorensen
Class of 2017
Being a transfer student, I’ve found myself in a unique position since arriving at UBC Sauder. I’m a new student to the Faculty, but I’m halfway through my degree and well underway in my studies. In the coming years I would like to see our Faculty move forward in new directions that supplement and build on our academics. This is an excellent council to be involved with moving forward.
Christine Wei
Class of 2015
I am incredibly grateful for all the support and opportunities that UBC Sauder has given me, and I wanted to give back by helping to improve the Faculty for future generations. Looking to the future, I hope UBC Sauder becomes globally recognized as an institution where anyone who is willing to work hard and learn can make their dreams come true.
Genia Zhang
Class of 2018
I saw being part of the Dean’s Student Council as a unique opportunity to create an impact in my school's community. It is also a place where I'm able to meet inspiring leaders and listen to their meaningful ideas. My future vision for UBC Sauder is to build a strong community that both recognizes and celebrates the diversity of the different passions that make up the student body.
Anna Zynyuk
Class of 2019
Having a strong passion for business, I am committed to giving back to the UBC Sauder community as my appreciation for the great gift of education many of us take for granted day to day. As thrilled as I am to be on a team of talented individuals, I believe our combined efforts to enhance the student experience could serve UBC Sauder community well, in addition, I see it as an excellent environment for mutual growth. Promoting the values of rigour, respect and responsibility, I strongly believe that every student of UBC Sauder have an ability to succeed in the business world, exemplifying the values and knowledge absorbed throughout years of education. I am committed to foster this belief and ensure that the business school provides them with the essential toolkit.