Katie McCallum
Director, Community Engagement
katie.mccallum@ubc.ca
I joined the Community Engagement office as an Advisor in 2013, and have been managing the team since 2017. As Director, I set direction and support a team of engagement professionals who put equity and justice at the core of their work. In my role, I collaborate with on and off-campus partners to develop strategies and execute programming that makes reciprocal community-university engagement across UBC easier and better supported. I also coordinate administrative leads across the institution around a central engagement table.
Before joining UBC, I did proposal writing, community-based research, user-focused evaluation, and strategic planning with communities and non-profit organizations in Metro Vancouver, Central and Northern BC and national NGOs based in Toronto and Montreal. I feel honoured to have worked with many different communities on issues of pressing regional importance, including immigration and settlement, housing and homelessness, Indigenous community planning, food security, climate action and the opioid overdose crisis.
I hold a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Geography from UBC, with supervision from Dr. Daniel Hiebert, Dr. David Ley and Dr. Elvin Wyly.
Kat Cureton
Advisor
kat.cureton@ubc.ca
I joined the CE team in 2016. I am an advisor on community-university partnerships. My role is to help community partners navigate UBC and find helpful people, programs, and resources. I also co-lead the Community Engagement Network. Before joining the CE office, I was a sessional instructor in the School of Kinesiology where I taught a community-engaged learning course for three years. I spent a number of years working in non-profit organizations in Vancouver, like AMSSA, Red Fox Healthy Living Society, and Collingwood Neighbourhood House, which is where I built my knowledge of community engagement. I have a M.A. from UBC and a B.A. from Western University, both in kinesiology.
Ask me about: If you are a community partner interested in exploring partnership opportunities with the university and don’t know where to start, let’s chat!
Ryan Brown
Advisor
ryan.brown@ubc.ca
I have been with the UBC Community Engagement team since 2017, supporting the advancement of innovative and progressive community-university engagement programming, practices, and policies at the university. I collaborate with colleagues and partners across UBC and in the community to co-create infrastructure, programs, tools and other resources with the goal of building an environment where mutually beneficial and reciprocal community-university collaborations are able to take shape and to thrive.
Prior to joining Community Engagement I was with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services in Ontario helping to co-develop an Indigenous Children and Youth Strategy by working closely with Indigenous communities and organizations. I hold an MA in Sociology and Anthropology and a Post-Baccalaureate in Social Policy Analysis, from Simon Fraser University, and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from Carleton University.
Ask me about: If you are interested to help improve how we support mutually beneficial and reciprocal community-university collaborations, please connect with me!
Shayla Walker
CUES Fund Program Manager
shayla.walker@ubc.ca
I joined the Community Engagement Office in August 2022. I am the Program Manager of the Community University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund and the Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund.
Before coming to UBC, I worked at Watershed Watch Salmon Society as their Operations Director, managing day-to-day operations as well fundraising and budgeting for the organization. Prior to that, I worked at MakeWay Foundation as a Senior Program Associate as part of their Strategic Programs team. In this role, I focused on grant-making that supported Indigenous, environmental and social equity issues.
I received my Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia.
Ask me about: CUES and PRE funding programs.
Holly Kim
Operations and Program Manager
holly.kim@ubc.ca
I joined the Community Engagement team in 2017, and my role is to manage the day-to-day functioning of the unit and the administration of the funding programs (CUES and PRF). I support other areas of the operations including finance and budgeting, project management and human resources. When I am not in the Community Engagement office, I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with my private practice. Before joining UBC, I worked for a large bank and managed branches.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from UBC and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University.
Ask me about: CUES and PRF funding programs, finance, budgeting and HR
Oliver Mann
Communications Strategist
oliver.mann@ubc.ca
I joined the Office of Community Engagement in February 2022, where I oversee the development and implementation of communications strategies to support our programs and events. I also produce stories that highlight the value of reciprocal community-university partnerships at UBC.
I have over a decade of experience working in communications at UBC and recently completed an MA in Professional Communication at Royal Roads University. My thesis focused on improving how Canadian universities communicate about Indigenous engagement, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous-led storytelling and decolonizing communication practices. It also provides actionable recommendations for university communicators.
As a settler with Costa Rican, West African, Spanish, Scottish, and English heritage, I am committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in my role, supporting and creating space for all voices to share their stories.
Ask me about: Developing communications strategies, creating content for community engagement initiatives, and storytelling for equity and inclusion.
Jadi Ng
Engagement and Communications Assistant
jadi.ng@ubc.ca
I joined the Community Engagement team in May 2024 and support Kat in managing the Community Partner Help Desk and the communications and planning for the Community Engagement Network. I have experience working with non-profit organizations and have served as the External VP of UBC’s YNOTFORTOTS for the past 2 years, where I focus on fundraising, organizing and promoting events that create a sense of community.
I am currently majoring in Speech Sciences with a minor in Health & Society at UBC, and will be entering my fourth year this fall.
Ask me about: The Community Partner Help Desk and the Community Engagement Network
Lucy Forderer
Communications and Engagement Assistant
lucy.forderer@ubc.ca
I joined the Community Engagement team in September 2024, where I support Oliver in CE communications operations, including copywriting, digital content creation, and website maintenance. I am empowered by bridging the gap between creativity and community-focused initiatives through my communications work. Before I joined the CE team I worked with non-profit organizations where I helped create and implement marketing strategies, brand guides, and social media management. I am also the Creative Director of Rawfiles Magazine, leading a team of editorial designers to produce an annual photography magazine.
Currently, I am in my third year of the Bachelor of Media Studies program at UBC, majoring in Media Studies with an interest in graphic design.
Ask me about: Communications, digital content creation and visual storytelling.