Increased capacity for evidence-based planning and research communications

June 28, 2022

Feedback received throughout the planning and consultation process for Aspiration 2030 has led to the creation of two new service units within the Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) team. The newly formed SRI teams have hit the ground running and spent the past several weeks meeting with the Deans and members of the campus community to identify opportunities for collaboration and support.

New Research Intelligence Team

Dane Berry joined the Strategic Research Initiatives team in April as Associate Director, Research Intelligence. Coming from the Council of Canadian Academies where he helped orchestrate several national assessments of research and development, he will be responsible for designing and implementing an institutional framework to track, analyze and report the impact of UVic’s research activities. He is supported in this work by Karina Giesbrecht, Research Data Analyst, who honed her data science skills while earning her PhD from UVic and as an employee of the School for Earth and Ocean Sciences.

New Research Profile Team

Amber Hanson joined us in May as Associate Director, Research Profile from UBC’s Okanagan campus, where she developed strategic communications plans and content strategies that increased awareness and elevated the reputation of UBC’s research and innovation activities. Also on the team are Rachel Goldsworthy, who has been UVic’s Awards Facilitator for the past three and a half years as well as, more recently, working on strategy and research storytelling; and Tom Deas, a mainstay of IdeaFest and digital media. Together, this team has already begun generating and implementing ideas to share and celebrate UVic research and impact stories.

Together, these two teams will be a great new resource for UVic administration and faculty, bolstering capacity to make evidence-informed decisions, elevate our standing in global rankings, and enhance the university’s research profile and reputation nationally and internationally. If they haven’t had an opportunity to connect with you yet, we hope you’ll reach out and say hello.