UFV Research Office

Congratulations, Dr. Brcic! 👏

Many of us experience various types of group dynamics while working in teams: some positive and some negative. But at the end of the day, we can go home to our families or blow off steam through fitness, hobbies, or relaxation.

What if you were living and working alongside your workmates 24/7 for days or even months at a time in a remote and isolated and even dangerous environment?

That has been the focus of Dr. Jelena Brcic’s research for more than 15 years. In recognition of her impactful research on teams in extreme unusual environments, Jelena has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Research Excellence Award at UFV.

In 2025 Jelena, an associate professor at UFV’s School of Business focusing on organizational behaviour, received $1,145,460 research grant from the Canadian Space Agency to for a six-year investigation into how astronauts experience long-term missions on the International Space Station (ISS). Jelena and her national research team will work with astronauts to understand how they manage stress and find meaning in their work. Her team will work closely with astronauts who typically spend six months on the station.

Congratulations Jelena!

Find out more:
https://ow.ly/tmMr50ZbiXs

Dr. Jelena Brcic, Associate Professor in the School of Business, and recipient of this year's Research Excellence Award, will be discussing her research project in a nation webinar aimed at better understanding how women in search and rescue can be supported.

📆 Monday, June, 22 - 5:30-6:30 PDT
👉Registration: a14d64a4-cd13-4696-aae3-5886e465f0b9@a3d10b1d-c226-48f9-a6db-976df918187e" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a14d64a4-cd13-4696-aae3-5886e465f0b9@a3d10b1d-c226-48f9-a6db-976df918187e

Learn more here:
👉 https://blogs.ufv.ca/blog/2026/06/what-helps-women-thrive-in-search-and-rescue-join-a-webinar-with-ufv-researcher-jelena-brcic/

UFV businfo James Mandigo, UFV President

Huge congratulations to Kiyah on this outstanding accolade. It comes hot on the heels of last month's Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards, where Kiyah received the School of Culture, Media, and Society award. Well done, Kiyah, and all the very best for your next chapter. 👏💚👩‍🎓

UFV College of Arts UFV SCMS

Kiyah Price has a strong interest in building inclusive, accessible, and meaningful community spaces, and she found the perfect fit for her passion in UFV’s College of Arts, where she recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in sociology along with a Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning.

For her dedication and efforts, UFV has awarded her with the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for 2026, given annually to a student who has made exceptional contributions in support of inclusion, democracy, or reconciliation. For Kiyah, combining sociology and community planning in her studies proved to be complementary.

“They’re really connected when you think about it,” Kiyah says. “Sociology gives you that base level understanding of people and relationships. It gives you an understanding of how environment affects one’s upbringing and their social interactions, their social sphere as a whole, and how they’re going to operate in different situations. And when you look at community planning, it’s kind of the exact same thing. Your environment is going to determine your circumstances and your environment can also determine how you act. When you really think about it, you’ll see how it can actually change the fabric of somebody’s life and the people around them.”

Find out more: https://ow.ly/nt7j50Zbyoq

We're still buzzing from last week's convocation ceremonies where we got to celebrate so many of our awesome graduating researchers. Huge congratulations to Owen Swan and Sophia Yamamoto, both pilots from the UFV CERA Trishaw Program. Thank you, both, for helping to make this program the success that it has become, and all the best for your next chapter at physiotherapy school! 💚👨‍🎓👏

🎓 Today we got to celebrate the graduation of a few trishaw pilots. Owen, our program coordinator, Sophia, and Nic are all on their way to physiotherapy school in September. Best of luck to you all!

Over the past month, has explored the six pillars of the South Asian Canadian Legacy Project (SACLP) and today, we finally conclude with the exhibit, "Haq and History: Journeys Across BC."

Since 2022, this bilingual travelling exhibit has visited communities across the province, inviting local residents, museums, archives, and community organizations to contribute stories, perspectives, and experiences; tracing the many ways South Asian communities have shaped, and been shaped by, the places they call home.

Now, for the first time, these community stories are being brought together in one exhibition at the Sikh Heritage Museum. The exhibit reflects more than a century of migration, labour, resilience, belonging, and community building across British Columbia. It reminds us that history is not only found in archives and textbooks, but also in the memories, relationships, and lived experiences that connect generations.

Join us on June 21 as we celebrate the opening of "Haq and History: Journeys Across BC"

📍 Sikh Heritage Museum (National Historic Site), 33089 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC
📅 June 21, 2026
🕑 2:00 – 4:00 pm
RSVP appreciated: https://forms.gle/7iGZVQAmECi5gen38

After travelling across British Columbia, what new stories will emerge when these journeys are brought together in one place?

Heritage BC Abbotsford Community Foundation UFV Research Office University of the Fraser Valley - UFV Royal BC Museum Khalsa Diwan Society Abbotsford Museum of Surrey Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre BC Forest Discovery Centre Golden Museum and Archives POMO Museum Chilliwack Museum and Archives

Huge congratulations to all of our graduating researchers who crossed the stage this week. We're so very proud of the work you've done and the new chapters that await you. 💚

Stay tuned for shout-outs in the coming week. 🎓

Congratulations to Dr. Jelena Brcic, winner of this year's Research Excellence Award. 👏👩‍🚀💫

https://blogs.ufv.ca/blog/2026/06/ufv-research-excellence-2026-jelena-brcic-looks-to-astronauts-for-insight-on-team-dynamics/

UFV businfo UFV College of Arts James Mandigo, UFV President

✨ | Last week, we celebrated the students making waves in the world of research at our annual Undergraduate Student Research Awards event. 28 students were recognized for their outstanding work. Today, we give a shoutout to our College of Arts recipients. 👏

✨Stay tuned for more highlights, and catch the full list of award recipients here: ufv.ca/research/students/awards-and-funding/ure-awards/ure-recipients-2026/

James Mandigo, UFV President UFV College of Arts UFV School of Creative Arts UFV History Dept. University of the Fraser Valley English Department UFV SCMS UFV School of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of the Fraser Valley - Economics Department

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED - CERA Faculty Associate, Dr Kristina Gicas and the Cognition and Complex Conditions Lab at UFV, is looking for adults aged 50 and older to participate in a research study examining thinking abilities and risk for dementia.

Please see attached flyer and contact our lab for more details.

Chilliwack ElderCollege UFV Research Office UFV Alumni Association

Sliding in just under the wire, the May edition of the Research Office Newsletter is hitting your mailboxes now. Didn't get it? Check your junk folder, or sign up & view previous editions here.

👉 bit.ly/ResearchNewsSignUp