With drink spiking an ever-pervasive concern, how can we make nightlife safer for everyone? Thanks to UBC researchers, there’s now a stir stick that anyone can use to detect drugs like GHB and ketamine in their drinks. In this episode, Carol and Jeevan hear all about this innovative new tool — Spikeless — from Dr. Johan Foster, UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering Associate Professor, and Sasha Santos, an educator with UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office. Listen to this comprehensive discussion to learn more about bridging the gap between scientific solutions and everyday practicalities, the need to avoid placing responsibilities on the vulnerable, and their hopes that all beverage-serving venues will join the effort.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward
• Dr. Johan Foster 
• Learn more about Spikeless

What do a Star Wars “making of” documentary, a UBC Film Society membership, and late nights at the Norm Theatre have in common? For UBC alum Greg Ng (BA’05), they sparked a passion for film editing that’s turned into a fascinating career — one that’s enabled him to work on some of the biggest Hollywood horror films of recent years. In this episode, Carol and Jeevan sit down with the award-winning film editor to trace his journey into the industry. From his work on chilling features like Longlegs and The Monkey to his shaping of compelling documentaries (The Grizzlie Truth, Saints and Warriors) and acclaimed TV series (Allegiance, Bones of Crows), Greg shares insights on storytelling through editing — and why the editor’s role is one of the most powerful, yet invisible, in any production.

LINKS

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward

GUEST & WORK

• Greg Ng
• The Monkey
• Longlegs
• UBC Film Production Program

• (00:00) - Introduction

More than 15,000 satellites are currently in orbit around our planet, with this number growing every year. For UBC’s Dr. Aaron Boley, this raises some red flags about the problem of space junk. An expert in the field of space sustainability, Boley chats with Carol and Jeevan about the practical risks we face from space junk as well as the politics of space. He also dispels the myths justifying the practice of abandoning rocket components and other objects in space — and considers all that we might lose if we continue down our current path.

LINKS

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward
• ACBoley | UBC Physics & Astronomy
• Aaron Boley
• Aaron Boley - Co-Director | LinkedIn
• Outer Space Institute

• (00:00) - Introduction

There’s been a lot of talk in the media about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, but what does DEI actually mean? Why do so many people seem to misunderstand its intent? In recent years, many companies moved quickly to implement DEI programs that addressed inequities in recruitment and hiring practices, mentorship, and other opportunities. But just as quickly, backlash arose to these policies. In this episode, Carol and Jeevan speak to Dr. Camellia Bryan, an assistant professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business, about the importance of DEI and how backlash can actually be a sign that real progress is being made.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward
• Beyond Backlash: Advancing Dominant-Group Employees’ Learning, Allyship, and Growth Through Social Identity Threat
• About Dr. Camellia Bryan
• Contact Dr. Bryan

• (00:00) - Introduction

For people living in remote locations and requiring urgent ultrasounds, the best option at the moment is to travel to a major city for the diagnostic test. But a UBC researcher is looking to change that. In this episode, Carol and Jeevan speak to David Black (BASc’21), a PhD candidate in electrical and computer engineering at UBC about his groundbreaking work on remote ultrasound imaging. Learn how he’s tapping into the power of mixed reality — which enables interactions between physical and digital worlds — to bring ultrasound diagnostics directly to patients.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward
• Learn more about David’s Mitacs Innovation Award
• Contact David

• (00:00) - - Introduction

What’s the relationship between love and happiness? The answer is not as simple as you might think. In this episode, Carol and Jeevan talk to UBC alum Carrie Jenkins, a writer and professor of philosophy at UBC, about her research to understand love in all its forms. They discuss the limitations of romantic love, the stigma of singlehood, the realities of non-monogamy, and the social constructs that connect them all.

LINKS

• Contact Carol
• Contact Jeevan
• From Here Forward
• Carrie Jenkins' website 
• Carrie’s Writing
  • What Love Is and What It Could Be 
  • Sad Love: Romance and the Search for Meaning
  • Non-Monogamy and Happiness
  • Uninvited : Talking Back To Plato
  • Victoria Sees It

• (00:00) - Introduction

To kick off an exciting new year of From Here Forward, Carol and Jeevan get to know Bill Nikolai (BA’80, MEd’86, MLIS’08), a UBC alum who doesn’t back down from much… including the idea of gliding off mountain peaks. Hear about what drives his paragliding passion, and find out what it takes to conquer fears and embrace the opportunities that arise in your life.

LINKS

●        Contact Carol on Bluesky
●        Contact Jeevan on X
●        From Here Forward

●        Watch Bill’s documentary
●        Bill's IMDb
●        Bill’s Instagram
●        Bill’s YouTube
●        Bill’s Vimeo
●        Strava
●        Wedgemount Lake Hike Guide - Vancouver Trails

In this special year-in-review episode, Carol and Jeevan are joined by their producer Kylé to share some of their favourite From Here Forward moments from 2024. Find out which conversations inspired them, changed their perspectives, and even drove them to change their decision-making. Enjoy this fun throwback to the year that was.

FEATURED EPISODES

●     Episode 16: Finding Hope in Climate Activism with Abul Bashar

●     Episode 12: Risky Genes: Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Breast and Ovarian Cancers with Dr. Steven Narod

●     Episode 11: Wildfires, climate change, and the future of forest management with Dr.Lori Daniels

●     Episode 17: Bringing a start-up mentality to environmental conservation with Dax Dasilva

●     Episode 15: Reimagining the dating experience for Gen Z with Connor Rose

●     Episode 19: The Bard goes digital: Emerging technologies and Shakespeare’s First Folio with Dr. Pennefather

●     Episode 23: What’s at Stake in the 2024 US Elections with Paul Quirk

●     Episode 13: Sipping, Savouring, and Safeguarding BC Wine

LINKS

●     Stories of Change Film (Bashar's Documentary)

●     Join the alumni UBC Wine club

Did you know that UBC has a glassblower on staff? In this episode, get to know Brian Ditchburn, the scientific glassblower for UBC’s Chemistry Department. Find out what his days in the glass shop look like and why he feels that his job is the best one on campus. Brian shares some of his philosophy about the impermanence of glass and how he sometimes helps students relieve stress with a little destructive therapy.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Glassblowing Services at UBC

The 2020 US presidential election and the unprecedented events that followed have set the stage for a tumultuous contest in 2024. In this episode, hosts Carol and Jeevan talk to Dr. Paul J. Quirk, professor and Phil Lind Chair in US Politics and Representation in UBC's Department of Political Science, about the upcoming election and what its outcome could mean for democracy in the US. They delve into the back story of the Electoral College, discuss possible scenarios for election night and the weeks that follow, and look at the impact this election could have on Canadian democracy too.

Want some post-election analysis? On November 7, Dr. Quirk will be on the panel for the alumni UBC webinar “US Elections 2024: Analyzing the Trump-Harris showdown”.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

• UBC profile: Professor Paul J. Quirk
• alumni UBC webinar: US Elections 2024: Analyzing the Trump-Harris showdown — register here
• Continued reading:
  • Richard Hasen's book on protecting American democracy
  • Paul Quirk's book on democracy in the US and Canada