I am pleased to announce that Dr. Shannon Hagerman has been appointed Dean and Vice-Provost pro tem of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS), effective June 16, 2025. She will step into the pro tem role as Dr. Michael Hunt starts his planned administrative leave. A search for a new Dean and Vice-Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will be launched shortly.
Dr. Hagerman is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Forestry, where she is also serving as Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. An environmental social scientist, she is internationally recognized for her work in the interdisciplinary field of social-ecological systems. Her research explores how policy and governance can support innovative, climate-responsive approaches to conservation and resource management—questions that are complex, urgent, and deeply interconnected, and that lie at the heart of her academic leadership.
In 2024, Dr. Hagerman received the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Scientific Achievement Award, recognizing her pioneering work on the human dimensions of forestry. She was also named a Killam Research Fellow, underscoring her scholarly excellence and impact.
Dr. Hagerman brings a collaborative and forward-looking perspective to this leadership role, grounded in a deep understanding of graduate education and postdoctoral scholarship. Her ability to connect big-picture systems thinking with the lived experiences of faculty, students, and researchers makes her an ideal steward for this portfolio. She embodies UBC’s mission of cultivating academic excellence and impact in a global context and will strengthen our ability to support the next generation of scholars and changemakers.
During the previous academic term, we carried out a high-level assessment of G+PS, and we are taking time to reflect carefully on its recommendations and engage the academic community in shaping G+PS’s next chapter with care and integrity—ensuring any future decisions are informed, inclusive, and aligned with UBC’s broader academic mission. I am deeply appreciative of the work of G+PS and of the services they deliver to our students and our Faculties, and I am confident that Dr. Hagerman will bring continuity of stewardship on this important portfolio along with and a deep respect for our graduate and postdoctoral community.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Dean pro tem Dr. Michael Hunt, who has provided steady leadership to G+PS for the last year and a half. During this time, he initiated campus-wide working groups on graduate student supervision, funding, health and well-being, housing and professional development. He strengthened key G+PS partnerships with other VP portfolios and the disciplinary Deans, proposed an increase to minimum stipends for doctoral students, released a Postdoctoral Fellow Funding report with recommendation for a minimum stipend, enhanced data sharing and transparency for graduate programs, established a university-wide working group on the roles of GenAI in graduate education, and initiated the 2025 graduate outcome tracking study among other things. He has also been a strong contributor to the Committee of Deans.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Hagerman on her appointment and in thanking Dr. Hunt for his service. I look forward to working with Dr. Hagerman as we continue to advance academic excellence and global impact through graduate and postdoctoral education and research.
Gage Averill
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver