December 14, 2006

This year has marked a number of major developments for UNBC, includinga new president, the start of construction for the Northern SportCentre, and a doubling of the campus grounds. Other highlights arelisted below:

January
UNBC opens a new campus in Quesnel, a building that it shares with theCollege of New Caledonia. The building more than doubles post-secondaryspace in the community and is a showpiece for wood construction.

February
UNBC establishes a research program in Aboriginal Environmental Health,funded by the Government of British Columbia, Dr. Donald Rix, the RixFamily Foundation, and Cantest Ltd….. Former UNBC President CharlesJago becomes only the second Prince George resident to receive theOrder of Canada….. UNBC signs an agreement with the Emily CarrInstitute of Art and Design to create Northern BC’s first Bachelor ofFine Arts degree.

March
UNBC reaches a four-year agreement with its Faculty Association…. UNBCEnvironmental Engineering students place second in a nationalengineering competition, the largest event of its kind in the world.

April
The Government of British Columbia provides $1 million to acquire a new campus in Terrace.

May
Construction begins for the $30 million Northern Sport Centre…. A galais held for outgoing UNBC President Charles Jago, raising more than$100,000 for the Sport Centre, which will be named after him…. Morethan 700 students graduate from UNBC, pushing the total number ofalumni to about 5500.

June
International Studies professor Heather Smith becomes the first UNBCprofessor to win a prestigious 3M Teaching Award, one of only 10 to beawarded nationwide…. UNBC ends mandatory retirement for academicemployees.

July
Don Cozzetto replaces Charles Jago as UNBC President…. UNBC hostssecond western Canadian conference on advanced genetic research….Premier Campbell doubles the size of the UNBC campus, allocating 248hectares of Crown land on Cranbrook Hill to UNBC.

August
UNBC hosts a research symposium on the mountain pine beetle, presentedby Natural Resources Canada…  Burns Lake becomes only the secondnorthern BC community (after Tumbler Ridge) to fulfill its pledge tothe Northern Medical Programs Trust, raising more than $65,000 tosupport health education…. New President Don Cozzetto visitscommunities throughout the northwestern part of BC.

September
More than 3600 students begin classes in UNBC’s 15th academic year. Newprograms are offered in Health Sciences, English, and First Nationslanguages… Offerings in Continuing Studies also expand, with more than250 courses available.

October
President Cozzetto is officially installed as UNBC’s fourth president….The Government of BC and the Canada Foundation for Innovation supportthe establishment of a world-class forestry research centre that linksresearchers in Prince George, Vancouver and Victoria. Called EvaluTree,it includes state-of-the-art equipment for assessing wood quality…..Husky Energy contributes $100,000 to allow UNBC to purchase healthresearch equipment…. Research led by UNBC professor David Connelldetermines that BC Farmers’ Markets contribute $118 million to theprovincial economy.

November
Maclean’s magazine names UNBC the best small university in western Canada for the second year in a row.

December
UNBC students Megan Tandy and Jessica Sedlock place first and second ata North American Biathlon race….  UNBC conducts an election forChancellor involving current Chancellor Peter Bentley and nominee AlexMichalos….. Five-time Olympian Charmaine Crooks is added to the UNBCBoard of Governors.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622