The University community is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of one of our founding faculty members, Dr. Joselito (Lito) Arocena.

Dr. Joselito (Lito) Arocena was one of the original members of the former Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) at UNBC, and was a driving force behind the establishment and success of a research institute that carries the same name. He was exceptionally passionate about fostering an environment that supported interdisciplinary research based on a strong disciplinary foundation and an ethos of inclusiveness. Lito held the first Canada Research Chair appointment at UNBC, a title that he used not to further his own impressive research record, but rather to establish research foundations and supports that benefitted many other researchers from undergraduate students to established faculty researchers. Lito published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, but what he was most proud of, was the fact that many of these resulted from collaborations with other members of the NRES Institute.

Lito’s collaborations extended beyond UNBC, with individual and institutional linkages with universities in Spain, France and China. He was invited to give many talks at various universities in China, and was appointed an Adjunct Professor, with “high-end expert status” at Wenzhou University in recognition of his substantial research collaborations. His enthusiasm for research and his completely unselfish approach to supporting and inspiring young researchers crossed many boundaries – both disciplinary and geographical.

Lito’s passion for interdisciplinary approaches to research problems lives on today, not only in the NRES Institute, but also in the structure of the NRES graduate programs. He led the development of a very successful model for delivery of NRES PhD courses, that ensured students understood the broader context and implications of their often highly disciplinary research project.

Lito was always upbeat, enthusiastic, fun to be around – whether it was in the lab, dancing at “sock hops”, or Karaoke nights. In so many ways, Lito has left us with a long lasting and positive foundation upon which UNBC can continue to build as a research-intensive university, and a place of caring.

A service will be held on Tuesday, December 22 at 1:30 pm  in Sacred Heart Cathedral located at 887 Patricia Boulevard.