September 8, 2004 for immediate release


With a new local campus under construction together with plans toexpand local offerings, the University of Northern British Columbia hasappointed a new person to provide direction to the University'sactivities in the region.

DrBlanca Schorcht is UNBC's new Regional Chair for the South-Centralregion, which includes the Cariboo, parts of the Chilcotin, the RobsonValley, and the Nechako Valley west of Prince George. She will be basedat the University's regional campus in Quesnel.

"This is my dream job," says Dr Schorcht, who completed high school inPrince Rupert and lived in northern BC before originally moving toVancouver to pursue her university education. "I had been living inVancouver for about 25 years when I accepted this new position, and I'mreally excited to be in a smaller community where I can still pursue myresearch interests."

Dr Schorcht has studied at UBC and SFU and specializes in First NationsLiterature and contemporary Canadian and BC literature. As regionalchair, she will teach some courses for UNBC in the region, but herprimary job will be to act as the University's eyes and ears.

"My top priority is to generate more awareness of local opportunitiesto pursue a university education," she says. "The new UNBC-CNC campuswill really help to increase our profile when it opens next year, andthe University's goal is to double the number of students pursuingcourses locally. That will come in part by being responsive to localneeds for programs and research."