Hot Lunch for UBC Staff

Cross-campus Staff Networking Initiative

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UBC Hot Lunch celebrated 10 years of great food, speakers and connections in 2023/24 and we are looking forward to the next decade ahead!

UBC Hot Lunch Lunch - Celebrating 10 years!

Established January 2014

We invited UBC staff to join us in celebrating our 10 year milestone in the 2023-24 academic year. It was in January of 2014 that we launched our inaugural session with our first speaker, Vice-President of Human Resources, Lisa Castle. It was apparent from the first session that something unique and special was happening at these sessions and it was gratifying to see this initiative being embraced by staff from across campus and from different bargaining groups. By the end of that term, Hot Lunch had doubled in size.

Over the years we have had representation from every staff employee group and have grown greater representation from employee groups at session; work we wish to continue. We have had speakers who have informed us, touched us and made us laugh and often showed us a glimpse of the person behind portfolio leadership.

Sincerely,

Hot Lunch Steering Committee

10th Anniversary Hot Lunch Survey Snapshot

2025/226
Upcoming Sessions

Hot Lunch February 2026
February 26, 2026 from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Mark MacLachlan
Hot Lunch March 2026
March 25, 2026 from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Chef David Speight & Colin Moore, Director of UBC Food Services
Hot Lunch April 2026
April 29, 2026 from 11:30am to 1:00pm

Kavie Toor & Jesse Symons

Past Hot Lunch Sessions

All Hot Lunch Archived Speakers

Hot Lunch on YouTube

About Hot Lunch

Cross-campus UBC Staff Networking Initiative

We know that many of us here at UBC recognize the challenge in creating meaningful conversations and connections between staff from different units, and that our own personal networks play a key role in sustaining and supporting us in our UBC roles. What if we could share those networks with each other in a way that could foster better linkages and community among colleagues from across the institution, and across bargaining units and staff associations as well? If we could create innovative ways to build relationships, and nurture those networks, could we foster a more inclusive and productive working environment at UBC?

Our thoughts were absolutely yes and so “Hot Lunch” was born. Let’s meet over lunch with a group of our colleagues from across the University, and share thoughts and conversations about how we might work toward the goal of establishing richer and more meaningful networks across the institution.

Hot Lunch is a cross-campus staff networking initiative hosted by St. John’s College and co-sponsored by the office of each of the Vice-Presidents with the special support of Human Resources.

Hot Lunch in the News

https://global.ubc.ca/news-events/stories/mar-10-2022-breaking-bread-and-nurturing-connections-ubc-st-john%E2%80%99s-college-hot/<

https://www.ubyssey.ca/news/st-johns-college-hot-lunch/

http://www.hr.ubc.ca/blog/2019/01/ubc-recognized-as-one-of-canadas-top-employers-for-young-people-in-2019/

https://ubctoday.ubc.ca/stories/september-5-2016/hot-lunch-showcases-power-food-unite

Hot Lunch Committee

Stacy Barber Operations Manager, St. John's College

Eilis Courtney Liaison, Musqueam-UBC Special Projects, Campus and Community Planning

Cheryl Dumaresq Managing Director, Office of the Vice Provost International

Jennifer Lu Assistant Operations and Academic Manager, St. John's College

Shirley Nakata Ombudsperson for Students

Andrew Parr Associate Vice-President, Student Housing & Community Services

Joanna Yang Program Development, Finance and Academic Manager, St. John's College

Henry Yu Principal, St. John’s College and Associate Professor, Department of History

Past Hot Lunch Committee Members:

Diana Jung

Sandra Shepard

Grace Wong