Congratulations to CMS affiliates Dr. Benjamin Bryce, Dr Henry Yu, and Dr. Alice Te Punga Somerville on their recently funded 2025/2026 research clusters!
Latin American and Caribbean Landscapes
Description: This cluster connects scholars from across Arts and Forestry whose research engages with landscapes in Latin America and the Caribbean. Workshops, speaker series, and “multiplier” grants will centre the question of extractivism and its impact on Latin American societies, Indigenous Peoples, and the environment. As a returning cluster, efforts will focus on solidifying research relationships, creating a Centre for Latin American Studies at UBC, establishing Mitacs fellowships, and recruiting postdoctoral researchers. Building on past success (2023-25), PhD students will be actively involved as researchers and workshop coordinators.
Cluster Lead: Benjamin Bryce (History)
Creating Better Asian Canadian Community Engaged Research
The Centre for Asian Canadian Research Engagement (ACRE) cluster will respond to ongoing issues facing diverse Asian Canadian communities, particularly the pervasiveness of anti-Asian racism which became very public during the pandemic. As a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, staff, and community knowledge bearers, this cluster seeks to better understand and engage with the changing demographics of Asian Canadian communities, while highlighting the differential impacts of anti-Asian racism. Exploration of how Asian Canadian communities can be represented and represent themselves will occur through new approaches to archival collection, collaboration, digital preservation, and impactful distribution of public education.
Cluster lead: Henry Yu (History)
Pacific Islands Research Network
This cluster seeks to trace, affirm, nourish and expand connections between UBC and the Pacific Islands. Three key purposes guide this network: identifying and bringing together researchers at UBC whose heritage and/or work is connected to the Pacific region; gaining a better understanding of Pacific presence in UBC/Vancouver/BC (including Pacific presence in museum collections); and actively participating in broader conversations about the Pacific, especially in Vancouver, BC, and the longer west coast. Underpinning all activities is an awareness of the specific place (Musqueam) from which the vast Pacific Islands region is viewed.
Cluster lead: Alice Te Punga Somerville (English Language and Literatures) & Mitiana Arbon
