Reconnect • Discover • Celebrate
Join us for Coming Home to Psychology—a special evening to connect with the UBC Psychology community, hear from an inspiring alumnus, explore leading research, mingle at a mixer, and enjoy great food and live music. Plus, we’ll be fundraising for the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund!
This year, get ready to turn it up! Pennington Hall, a rock band of clinical psychologists, will be performing live!
Event schedule
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm: Psychology Research Area Showcase & Department Booths | Location: Kenny 2nd Floor
Explore the latest research from our postdocs and labs. Meet our student groups and EDI Committee—and purchase some psychology apparel! - 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Talk with a psychology alumnus | Location: Kenny Room 4001 & Zoom
Featuring Dr. Jelena Brcic, Associate Professor at the University of Fraser Valley’s School of Business. See talk title and abstract below.
- 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Mixer with food, refreshments, & live music | Location: Kenny Building
Enjoy some great food, live music, and mingle with psychology faculty, peers, and fellow alumni.
We’re partnering with our Graduate Student Council for the Mixer! Tayybeh will be onsite to serve their signature Syrian dishes. Halal, vegan and gluten-free options available.
You Can Do Hard Things Too: What Life and Science Show Us
My research explores how humans thrive under pressure—on the International Space Station, in the Arctic and Antarctic, and in Earth-bound teams like Search and Rescue. These extreme and unusual environments serve as natural laboratories for understanding human resilience, stress management, and psychological growth. While our goal is to support these teams, the broader aim is to prepare the next generation of explorers—those headed to the Moon and Mars. To do so, we must learn from those already pushing the boundaries of human capability on and off this planet.
What we’ve discovered is inspiring: humans are far more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. In fact, even when we leave the familiar behind and venture into discomfort—even outer space—we don’t just cope; we often grow, care more, and thrive.
This isn’t just something I study—it’s something I’ve lived. Whether navigating the demands of graduate school, the challenges of an academic career, or the adventure of convincing my eight-year-old that sailing isn’t terrifying, the evidence holds true: we can do hard things—and often better than we expect.
Dr. Jelena Brcic (PhD'2013) is an Associate Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley’s School of Business and a TEDx Speaker. She is an expert in the study of teams in extreme “workplaces,” among which are the International Space Station, the Canadian Artic, and the BC wilderness. Dr. Brcic is trying to understand how these extreme teams deal with adversity, maintain resilience, build their own culture, and solve problems. Informed by her research, she also teaches classes on how to build great teams in typical organizations and how to lead happy, satisfied employees. When she isn’t working, she is exploring the local beaches while engaging in land-based whale watching, with her husband, two boys, and a lazy Labrador Retriever named Buzz.
Let’s come together to reconnect and reminisce with psychology alumni, faculty, and peers during UBC Homecoming.
