The Faculty of Arts at UBC brings together the best of quantitative research, humanistic inquiry, and artistic expression to advance a better world. Graduate students in the Faculty of Arts create and disseminate knowledge in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Creative and Performing Arts through teaching, research, professional practice, artistic production, and performance.

Arts has more than 25 academic departments, institutes, and schools as well as professional programs, more than 15 interdisciplinary programs, a gallery, a museum, theatres, concert venues, and a performing arts centre. Truly unique in its scope, the Faculty of Arts is a dynamic and thriving community of outstanding scholars – both faculty and students. 

Here, our students explore cutting-edge ideas that deepen our understanding of humanity in an age of scientific and technological discovery. Whether Arts scholars work with local communities, or tackle issues such as climate change, world music, or international development, their research has a deep impact on the local and international stage.

The disciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches in our classrooms, labs, and cultural venues inspire students to apply their knowledge both to and beyond their specialization. Using innovation and collaborative learning, our graduate students create rich pathways to knowledge and real connections to global thought leaders.

 

Research Facilities

UBC Library has extensive collections, especially in Arts, and houses Canada’s greatest Asian language library. Arts graduate programs enjoy the use of state-of-the-art laboratories, the world-renowned Museum of Anthropology and the Belkin Contemporary Art Gallery (admission is free for our graduate students). World-class performance spaces include theatres, concert venues and a performing arts centre. 

Since 2001, the Belkin Art Gallery has trained young curators at the graduate level in the Critical and Curatorial Studies program in the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory. The Master of Arts program addresses the growing need for curators and critics who have theoretical knowledge and practical experience in analyzing institutions, preparing displays and communicating about contemporary art.

The MOA Centre for Cultural Research (CCR) undertakes research on world arts and cultures, and supports research activities and collaborative partnerships through a number of spaces, including research rooms for collections-based research, an Ethnology Lab, a Conservation Lab, an Oral History and Language Lab supporting audio recording and digitization, a library, an archive, and a Community Lounge for groups engaged in research activities. The CCR includes virtual services supporting collections-based research through the MOA CAT Collections Online site that provides access to the Museum’s collection of approximately 40,000 objects and 80,000 object images, and the Reciprocal Research Network (RRN) that brings together 430,000 object records and associated images from 19 institutions.
 

Research Highlights

The Faculty of Arts at UBC is internationally renowned for research in the social sciences, humanities, professional schools, and creative and performing arts.

As a research-intensive faculty, Arts is a leader in the creation and advancement of knowledge and understanding. Scholars in the Faculty of Arts form cross-disciplinary partnerships, engage in knowledge exchange, and apply their research locally and globally.

Arts faculty members have won Guggenheim Fellowships, Humboldt Fellowships, and major disciplinary awards. We have had 81 faculty members elected to the Royal Society of Canada, and several others win Killam Prizes, Killam Research Fellowships, Emmy Awards, and Order of Canada awards. In addition, Arts faculty members have won countless book prizes, national disciplinary awards, and international disciplinary awards. 

External funding also signifies the research success of our faculty. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the Faculty of Arts received $34.6 million through over 900 research projects. Of seven UBC SSHRC Partnership Grants awarded to-date, six are located in Arts, with a combined investment of $15 million over the term of the grants.

Since the 2011 introduction of the SSHRC Insight Grants and SSHRC Insight Development Grants programs, our faculty’s success rate has remained highly stable, and is consistently higher than the national success rate.

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Byrne, Jeffrey Department of History International history; Empires, decolonisation, & postcolonial history; Africa; Middle East; Revolution
Callison, Candis School of Journalism, Writing, and Media, Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies changes to media practices and platforms, journalism ethics, the role of social movements in public discourse, and understanding how issues related to science and technology become meaningful for diverse publics.
Cameron, Maxwell Department of Political Science, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Monarchy, Federalism, Parliamentarism, etc.); Social Organization and Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom
Caragata, Lea School of Social Work Social oppression and marginalization; Counselling, welfare and community services; Social policy; welfare systems; Poverty; labour markets; lone mothers; social policy; youth provisioning
Carrabre, T. Patrick School of Music Music; construction of identity; creation of shared musical spaces with indigenous and non-western musicians; decolonization; use of interactive electronics
Casas Aguilar, Anna Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies Contemporary literatures; Spanish Cultural Studies; Catalan Literature and Culture; Gender Studies; Masculinities; Feminisms; Self-writing; Hispanic Cinemas
Castonguay-Belanger, Joel Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies French language; History of the book and print culture; Québec literature and culture; Science and literature; The Enlightenment and the French Revolution
Catungal, John Paul Institute for Gender, Race, Sex and Social Justice queer of colour geographies, critical race and ethnic studies, diaspora and transnationalism, critical pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the lived geographies of sexual and racial minorities in educational spaces
Cavell, Richard Anthony Department of English Language and Literatures English language; Media and Society; Media Influence on Behavior; Media Types (Radio, Television, Written Press, etc.); media studies; media theory
Chang, Dorothy School of Music Composition
Chapman, Mary Ann Department of English Language and Literatures Arts and Cultural Traditions; Arts and Literary Policies; Arts and Technologies; Arts, Literature and Subjectivity; Social Determinants of Arts and Letters; Artistic and Literary Marginality; Artistic and Cultural Heritage; Artist or Author Social Identity; Artistic and Literary Movements, Schools and Styles; Artistic and Literary Theories; Literary or Artistic Work Analysis; Literary or Artistic Work Dissemination or Reception Contexts; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Writing and Literary Experimentation; Poetry; Novel and Short Story; Essays; Gender Relationship; Audiences and Mass Media; Media and Democratization; Media and Society; Media Influence on Behavior; Civil and Social Responsibilities of Media; Stereotypes; Electoral System; Printing Art; Persuasion Strategies; Social Movements; Publics; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Social Networks; American Literature; Asian American Literature; Asian Canadian Literature; Suffrage; Public Pedagogy of the Arts; Public Humanities
Charles, Grant School of Social Work Psychosocial oncology, intellectual disabilities, family interventions and at risk youth
Chaudhry, Ayesha Institute for Gender, Race, Sex and Social Justice Islam, Muslims, religion, gender, human rights, family and children, discrimination, social justice
Cheek, Timothy School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Department of History 20th century Chinese history, the history of the Chinese communist party, the role of intellectuals in public life in China
Chen, Frances Department of Psychology Health psychology; social connection; social support; stress; coping; conflict and negotiation; hormones; Neuroendocrinology
Chen, Jinhua Department of Asian Studies East Asian state-church relationships, monastic (hagio/)biographical literature, Buddhist sacred sites, relic veneration, Buddhism and technological innovation in medieval China, and Buddhist translations
Cheong, Amanda Department of Sociology Sociology; migration; Citizenship and Legal Status; Statelessness
Childress, Clayton Department of Sociology Cultural Production, Reception, and Meaning Making, Taste, Decision Making, Inequality, Organizations, Markets
Chiu-Duke, Josephine Department of Asian Studies Asian history; History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses; Chinese and Taiwanese history; liberal democracy; political thought and institutions
Chowdhury, Arjun Department of Political Science Failed states, intervention, civil war, autocrats, revolution.
Christoff Hadjiilieva, Kalina Department of Psychology brain, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, prefronal cortex, fMRI, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, executive functions, problem solving, reasoning, thinking, mind-wandering, attention, consciousness, real-time fMRI, trauma and PTSD, Cognitive and neural basis of human thought, reasoning and problem solving
Christopoulos, John Department of History Historical studies; Early modern Europe; History of pre-modern medicine; Social and cultural history of early modern Italy
Clark, Luke Department of Psychology Gambling, Problem Gambling, Addiction, Decision-Making, Reward, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms involved in gambling behaviour and disordered gambling
Claxton, Dana Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory film, video, photography, single- and multi-channel video installation, and performance art
Coleman, Katharina Pichler Department of Political Science International organizations, international relations, international security/peace operations, interntional rules, noms and legitimacy, sun-Saharan Africa

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Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Arts.

 

Publication: In/Securities: Queer Life Narratives of Early Modern Times
UBC Author(s): Gaby Pailer (Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies / Faculty of Arts)
Page Range: 1-184
Publication Date: 7 June 2024

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Publication: In/Securities: Queer Life Narratives of Early Modern Times
UBC Author(s): Gaby Pailer (Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies / Faculty of Arts)
Page Range: 159-184
Publication Date: 7 June 2024

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Publication: In/Securities: Queer Life Narratives of Early Modern Times
UBC Author(s): Gaby Pailer (Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies / Faculty of Arts)
Page Range: 7-14
Publication Date: 7 June 2024

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Publication: Neuropsychologia
UBC Author(s): James Enns (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00283932
Volume: 198
Publication Date: 6 June 2024

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Publication: Behavioural Brain Research
UBC Author(s): Stanley Bogdan Floresco (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 01664328
Volume: 467
Publication Date: 5 June 2024

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Publication: Health research policy and systems
UBC Author(s): Veena Sriram (School of Public Policy / Faculty of Arts)
Volume: 22
Page Range: 66
Publication Date: 3 June 2024

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Publication: American Anthropologist
UBC Author(s): Dylan Robinson (Music, School of / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00027294
Volume: 126
Page Range: 233-247
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Journal of the American Philosophical Association
UBC Author(s): Jonathan Ichikawa (Philosophy / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 20534477
Volume: 10
Page Range: 261-280
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

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Publication: Journal of Early Adolescence
UBC Author(s): Joelle LeMoult (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 02724316
Volume: 44
Page Range: 762-789
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Sociological Forum
UBC Author(s): Seth Abrutyn (Sociology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 08848971
Volume: 39
Page Range: 173-188
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Sociological Forum
UBC Author(s): Andrew Jorgenson (Sociology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 08848971
Volume: 39
Page Range: 153-156
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Journal of International Migration and Integration
UBC Author(s): Karun Karki (Social Work / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 14883473
Volume: 25
Page Range: 973-996
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: PNAS Nexus
UBC Author(s): Azim Shariff (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
Volume: 3
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

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Publication: Nature Reviews Psychology
UBC Author(s): Daniela Palombo (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
Volume: 3
Page Range: 393-406
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Publication: The Lancet Global Health
UBC Author(s): Veena Sriram (School of Public Policy / Faculty of Arts)
Volume: 12
Page Range: e909-e910
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Research in Personality
UBC Author(s): Jessica Tracy (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00926566
Volume: 110
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Publication: Oregon Historical Quarterly
UBC Author(s): Coll Thrush (History / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00304727
Volume: 125
Page Range: 200-201
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Publication: Oregon Historical Quarterly
UBC Author(s): Coll Thrush (History / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00304727
Volume: 125
Page Range: 197-200
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Infant Behavior and Development
UBC Author(s): Janet Werker (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 01636383
Volume: 75
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Global Food Security
UBC Author(s): Navin Ramankutty (School of Public Policy / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 22119124
Volume: 41
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Musicae Scientiae
UBC Author(s): Janet Werker (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 10298649
Volume: 28
Page Range: 365-374
Publication Date: June 2024

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Publication: Psychological Medicine
UBC Author(s): Eric Kim (Psychology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00332917
Volume: 54
Page Range: 1519-1532
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

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Publication: Journal of Refugee Studies
UBC Author(s): Helena Zeweri (Anthropology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 09516328
Volume: 37
Page Range: 534-551
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

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Publication: Social Forces
UBC Author(s): Christopher Childress (Sociology / Faculty of Arts)
ISSN: 00377732
Volume: 102
Page Range: 1582-1607
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

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Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2024 Dr. Secco analyzed the long-run impact of historical events in Brazil. His research focused on how territorial divisions during colonial Brazil have persistent consequences on the size of government and the delivery of public services depending on whether a colonizer was a public or private agent. Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Adebara's research on Afrocentric Natural Language Processing enables artificial intelligence technologies for 517 African languages and language varieties. This ensures that millions of African people have access to technologies in their Indigenous languages. Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Beljaars studied the evolution of salsa in the Netherlands, exposing Antillean influences on Dutch culture. She also examined interactions in the Afro-Latin dance scene, illuminating the complexities of identity and belonging in Dutch postcolonial society and emphasizing the criticality of race in understanding Dutch cultural citizenship. Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (PhD)
2024 Dr. Weiner examined how rebel groups adapt to shifts in the strategic environment during long conflicts. Focusing on the Syrian civil war, he found that leader turnover reduced group battlefield performance but not overall violence, while revenue shocks led groups to tax people in their territory more rather than increase looting. Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Ewé studied sound art since the 1960s, with a focus on artists who use sonic technologies to examine the role of the listener. They investigated how artists used cybernetics research to challenge the notion of the ear as a passive receiver of sound. Their dissertation contributes to the ongoing research in the history and theory of sound art. Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD)
2024 Dr. Wee studied how social media and poetry could be understood as two complementary ways of mediating identity, particularly when it comes to race. Though social media is often thought of as a new radical technology, Dr. Wee's research showed that many of the problems and promises that originated in print culture continue on to the Internet. Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD)
2024 Dr. Gauvin studied photographs from the Great Depression held at the US Library of Congress. He examined how a subset of these photographs raise questions about the fragility of American ideals in the 1930s. This study presents these images as the missing link between early documentary photography in America and a competing Soviet documentary mode. Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD)
2024 Dr. Franz-Pattillo's research explores how inflation targets are set. It shows that these targets are influenced by various factors, including the level of commitment of policymakers. These insights help us understand the importance of institutions and their impact on our everyday lives. Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Johnson examined the political history of evolutionary biology in England, Europe, and Russia in the nineteenth century. While Social Darwinism has been analyzed as a political application of evolutionary thought, Dr. Johnson argues that this perspective arose in opposition to what he identifies as Socialist Darwinism. Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
2023 Dr. Nutini examined the association of self-compassion with emotional and biological markers of stress in youth. Evidence showed that greater self-compassion was associated with less negative emotions across a variety of stressors. Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

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