Faculty

Jessica Kalra is a pharmaceutical scientist with over 20 years of experience in drug discovery and cellular and molecular research. Her expertise encompasses the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and of nanoparticle formulations to address challenges to drug delivery. Additionally, Kalra is interested in improving translational in vitro and in vivo experiments to reduce the need for animal and human research. She currently leads two federally funded projects investigating the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids.

Prashant Kumar is the coordinator of the Bioinformatics program at the College. His research involves the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds in nature. Kumar’s expertise ranges from isolation, purification, and identification of biomolecules to a variety of antimicrobial assays, polymers, and nanoparticles. Driven by his desire to help his community, Kumar now leads an important project connecting unhoused people in need with available shelter beds in real time via an innovative smart phone application.

Georgina Martin is Secwepemc from one of the 17 Secwepemc First Nations communities in the central interior of British Columbia. She is the first person from her community to obtain a doctoral degree. Her unique, original, and significant contribution to the social sciences and humanities is amplified by her experience as a survivor of St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School. Working directly with her community, Martin addresses intergenerational trauma through her research. Being Indigenous with lived experience, she brings a very high level of sensitivity to her projects. She is the author of “Drumming Our Way Home: Intergenerational Learning, Teaching, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing,” published by UBC Press.

Carolyn Wing is a faculty member in the Department of Early Childhood Education. She led her department’s journey to indigenize the curriculum by re-designing the Foundations of ECE course to focus on Musqueam history and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and to include some fundamental history of colonization in British Columbia and Canada. Currently, Wing is the principal investigator responsible for developing virtual reality applications that support college students’ understanding of aspects of child and family diversity, and that enable them to adopt anti-biased and anti-racist practices as they develop relationships with young children.

Albert Wong is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the co-founder of the Post-Degree Diploma program in Data Analytics, where he leads research and consulting activities, building connections between the program’s instructors, students, and various external organizations through practical and impactful projects. His academic expertise includes sampling, multivariate statistical analysis, and machine learning. Recently, he led a team that developed a natural language processing application that became an important product for the industry partner.

Ji Yong Yang is a faculty member in the biology department, specializing in botany. He has an extensive academic publication record and leads the feral hops project where he mentors many students. An avid hiker, he has collected and identified over a hundred unique populations of feral hops in British Columbia. Under Yang’s direction, several innovative biochemical and propagation techniques have led to the development of novel hop varietals with commercial value. In addition to continued work with hops, he is now investigating the applications of wild yeasts.