UBC Psychology faculty retreat in the xʷθəθiqətəm (Place of Many Trees) Room at the Liu Institute for Global Issues.
On May 7, 2026, faculty members and graduate students in UBC’s department of psychology came together for their first-ever faculty retreat. The retreat was an opportunity to build community and have important discussions about the department’s future.
UBC Psychology Department Head and Professor Dr. Toni Schmader says key priorities were discussed, including exploring undergraduate and graduate student opportunities, strengthening expertise across the department’s research areas areas, and responding to emerging challenges and opportunities related to AI.
“We brought people together for our first ever faculty retreat as a means to build community and engage in deep discussion about strategic directions for the department. We explored topics related to securing research funding, expanding undergraduate student opportunities, enriching our graduate student community and training, maintaining and deepening faculty strengths within and across areas, and anticipating challenges and opportunity posed by AI.”
The ideas and insights from the retreat will help shape the department’s strategic plan. Below is a snapshot of psychology faculty at the retreat.
