Dr. Alice Te Punga Somerville (Te Āti Awa)

Head, Department of English Language and Literatures UBC

Dr. Somerville’s research and archival work bring to the fore the multilingual rich legacy of Indigenous writing from New Zealand, Australia, Hawai’i and Fiji beyond the stories told about them in colonial texts. Her publications include Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised (2022), winner of the 2023 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry in New Zealand, and Two Hundred and Fifty Ways to Start an Essay about Captain Cook (2020). Her first book, Once Were Pacific: Māori Connections to Oceania (2012), won Best First Book from the Native American & Indigenous Studies Association. Before joining UBC, she taught Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato, and has held academic positions in Australia, Hawai‘i, and New Zealand.

Previous lecture

WICKED SOLUTIONS: UBC’S ROLE IN TACKLING THE WORLD’S MOST PRESSING ISSUES

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon has led the academic mission and operations of UBC since November 2023. He has a remarkable track record as a senior administrative leader at major research universities in Canada, including as President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s University, and Provost and Vice-President (Academic Affairs) at Concordia University, where he was recognized with an award as Sustainability Champion.

Next lecture

ALL IN! THE DEVELOPMENT AND RESOLUTION OF GAMBLING PROBLEMS

Dr. David Hodgins’ research and leadership in international initiatives have set directions in science and interventions for addictions, profoundly changing how scholars, practitioners, and policymakers understand this problem. He leads the Prairie Node of the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse, investigating various aspects of the psychology and physiology of addictive disorders, including substance use and gambling, as well as treatment approaches.