黑料导航

黑料导航-Vancouver Celebrates Its 23rd Commencement

Bessie Nestoras Knoblauch| October 19, 2023

On October 14, family, friends, faculty, and staff gathered at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at The University of British Columbia to celebrate 鈥檚 Class of 2023. 

Approximately 320 students attended the ceremony, including graduates from the university鈥檚 ; ; ; instructional technology, M.S.; ; and programs.

Executive Director and Campus Dean聽Irene Young, Ed.D., welcomed the graduates and guests.

鈥淭oday is a momentous day. It is a day of celebration, reflection, and anticipation,鈥 said Young. 鈥淭his day marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Graduating from a prestigious institution like 黑料导航 is a significant accomplishment. It is a testament to your hard work, commitment, and determination.鈥

笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听Hank Foley, Ph.D., offered his remarks via a video presentation.聽

鈥淭his is the culmination of all your hard work, your studies, and your effort over the years. Now you鈥檙e ready to go,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e ready to start your professional careers, whether it鈥檚 in business management, energy management or cyber systems, I can assure you, you are well prepared.鈥

In attendance from the Long Island campus were Associate Provost for Student Engagement and Development聽Tiffani Hinds, M.Ed.; Director of Student Engagement and Development, Administration and Operations聽Joanne West, M.S.; and Director of Alumni Relations聽Sabrina Polidoro.

Student speaker聽Anushka Sakargayen (M.B.A. 鈥23)聽began her speech by acknowledging the support the newest alumni received from parents, family, and friends as well as from 黑料导航 faculty and staff.聽

STUDENT SPEAKER ANUSHKA SAKARGAYEN (M.B.A. 鈥23) ADDRESSES THE CLASS OF 2023.

鈥淟et鈥檚 face the world with a smile, armed with our funny stories and heartwarming memories,鈥 Sakargayen went on to say. 鈥淲e have worked hard. We deserve to be proud of this achievement and take this opportunity to celebrate. After all, the tassel鈥檚 worth the hassle!鈥

Alumni Honored

Two days ahead of the commencement ceremony, alumni gathered for the second annual Vancouver Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at the Italian Culture Centre, where Nilkanth Savaliya (M.S. 鈥21) and Jasdeep Gulati (M.S. 鈥22)were honored with achievement awards.

The Alumni Awards Dinner was established to recognize the professional achievements and community service of the alumni of the Vancouver campus.

Savaliya was the recipient of this year鈥檚 the Alumni Achievement Award. One of two student speakers at the聽, Savaliya has delivered guest lectures at Langara College in Vancouver on topics such as energy efficiency, climate change, and sustainability. Savaliya, whose degree is in energy management, is a registered energy advisor by the Natural Resources Canada, a certified energy manager in training by Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in the United States, and a certified RETScreen Expert by Canadian Institute for Energy Training. He was also named Young Energy Professional of the Year in 2022. Savailiya works as a building application engineer at CopperTree Analytics, where he decarbonizes the built environment and helps shape the future of smart building and the digital twin by leveraging the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence.聽

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS SHANNON SVINGEN-JONES PRESENTS JASDEEP GULATI WITH THE ALUMNI SERVICES AWARD.
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS SHANNON SVINGEN-JONES PRESENTS JASDEEP GULATI WITH THE ALUMNI SERVICES AWARD.

The Alumni Services Award was presented to Gulati, who graduated with a Master of Energy Management. Gulati is a seasoned energy specialist, focusing on developing decarbonization strategies to achieve net-zero objectives. His expertise includes energy-saving consulting, management, techno-commercial project evaluation, funding proposal creation, ASHRAE-compliant energy auditing (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers), and energy-saving systems. He also holds a Certified Energy Manager designation from the AEE. Gulati manages the BC Care Providers Association Energy Saving Program, overseeing 120 buildings. Gulati is a sought-after speaker, sharing insights on energy efficiency initiatives with students at institutions like Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and the University Canada West in British Columbia. Additionally, he serves as the single point of contact for the Energy Management Alumni group, providing guidance and support to 黑料导航 alumni.

Alexandria Smith, 黑料导航-Vancouver alumni coordinator, contributed to this story.

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