New season, new beginnings

Spring is here—the season where we embrace rejuvenation, growth and new beginnings. As we transition into this transformative time of year, I find myself reflecting on how far SFU has come, and excited for how much more we have to look forward to.

Big changes are coming soon to SFU that will make a difference for B.C., and I am honoured to have a front-row seat in watching it all happen.

Here’s a sneak peek at what we have ahead:

• Later this year, SFU will be opening the doors to the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum on Burnaby Mountain, thanks to our remarkable donors whose passion and enthusiasm helped turn an inspiring vision into reality. As an architectural flagship, the museum will be open to everyone, providing people from across the Lower Mainland and B.C. with free access to world-class art, family programming, and community events. It will also be home to the growing SFU Art Collection of over 5,800 works, unique in its capacity to trace the complex social and cultural life connected to this region.
• Situated next door to the Gibson Art Museum, the First Peoples' Gathering House is also scheduled to be completed later this year. As a hub of activity and education for all visitors, this will be a place where Indigenous students, staff and faculty can come together to practice, learn and share in their cultural traditions. Made possible by the generosity of our partners, the gathering house is an important part of SFU’s journey to Uphold Truth and Reconciliation and, together with the museum, will form a vibrant new cultural precinct on SFU’s Burnaby campus.
• In Surrey, we are continuing to build western Canada’s first new medical school in more than 50 years. Currently, the SFU School of Medicine is working toward achieving preliminary accreditation by fall 2025. If granted, SFU will be able to begin recruiting its first class to start in summer 2026.
• Through spring and fall convocation, we will be welcoming our newest graduands to a robust community of more than 200,000 alumni around the world. We are grateful to our incredible donors for all they do to ensure students can cross the stage on their way to greater things. As an SFU alumnus, convocation always brings back fond memories for me—along with hope for the future.

The university has expanded and grown rapidly since its radical beginnings in 1965. Today, we are a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future with the leadership of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors and partners. I can’t wait to see as these initiatives continue to take shape and transform SFU—in this coming year and beyond.