Public Scholars Initiative welcomes new researchers

Now entering its ninth year, UBC's Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) has announced 43 new doctoral students for the 2023/24 academic year.

How can a PhD student change the world for the better? The latest PSI cohort of doctoral students are doing research that extends beyond the traditional approach - doing work for the public good, in collaborative, interdisciplinary ways.

The Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) was launched in 2015 to support UBC doctoral students whose research extended beyond the academy, and beyond traditional disciplinary approaches, to have a tangible impact for the public good through collaborative, action-oriented, and/or creative forms of scholarship in their dissertation work. With more than 300 Public Scholars accepted into the program over the last eight years, the program has worked with more than 150 different partners in all societal sectors in more than 40 countries.

In 2022, the program was expanded to include doctoral students from the Okanagan campus, adding seven UBCO scholars. And for 2023, in partnership with UBC Health, the PSI program has created a health equity stream for doctoral students. This year's recipients include five doctoral students from the Okanagan campus, and nine students who are doing work in the health equity stream.

Congratulations to the new 2023/24 cohort! Learn more about their research areas and profiles below. Note: ** indicates researchers in the health equity stream.

UBC Vancouver

UBC Okanagan

Learn more about the Public Scholars Initiative on their website.