Simon Fraser University

10/07/2026

🎓 Convocation is Oct. 8-9! It's time to plan ahead!

If you’re coming to Convocation at SFU’s Burnaby campus, here are a few things to know before you arrive:

🚗 Parking
Parking demand will be higher than usual during Convocation. North Lot is reserved for graduands, guests and visitors. Permit holders, FlexPass users and daily parkers should use other campus parking lots. Consider taking transit or carpooling where possible.

🎟️ Tickets
All guests entering Convocation Mall need a ticket. Children aged 2 and under do not need a ticket if seated on an adult’s lap. Only tickets claimed through SFU Convocation’s Eventbrite are approved. Don’t buy tickets from unofficial sellers. A live stream will be available for people unable to attend the ceremony.

🎒 Guest Bag policy
Bags are strongly discouraged. Only a clutch purse or belt bag (max. 6.5” x 8.5”) or a clear plastic bag (max. 12” x 12” x 6”) will be permitted in the Convocation Mall seating area. Exceptions may apply for diaper bags and medically necessary items. A complimentary, first-come-first-served bag concierge will be available.

🌦️ Dress for the weather
Ceremonies take place outdoors in covered Convocation Mall. Check the forecast and dress accordingly. Layers and a blanket are recommended if it’s cool, and bring a water bottle if it’s warm. Graduands should also wear comfortable footwear, as they’ll be standing and walking for extended periods.

⏰ Plan ahead
Graduands should arrive early to pick up the regalia and get ready for the ceremony. Missed the deadline to confirm your attendance? Visit the SFU Convocation website for information on what to do next.

📍 Find parking information, the Burnaby campus parking map, ticket information and everything you need to know about Convocation at the link in the comments.

10/06/2026

From the front seat of a cruiser, SFU professor Rylan Simpson has spent thousands of hours researching the inner workings of police.

In recognition of his groundbreaking and collaborative research driving meaningful change in policing policy and practice, the criminologist has been awarded the 2026 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy.

The Sterling Prize honours and encourages work that provokes or contributes to our understanding of controversy.

“I got into this field because I wanted to make a difference,” says Simpson, an associate professor in SFU’s School of Criminology. “I wanted to try and impact policing and make it more effective, more efficient, more beneficial.”

09/29/2026

You’re fabulous. Thank you to everyone who showed up and supported the Terry Fox Run last week.🧡

09/29/2026

A reminder that all SFU campuses will be closed on Wednesday, September 30 for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Also known as Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time to reflect, come together in the spirit of Reconciliation, and honour the survivors, families, and communities impacted by Canada’s residential school system.

09/25/2026

Think female running shoes are designed for women’s feet? Think again.

SFU’s Chris Napier spoke to BBC World Service on how women’s sports equipment, such as running shoes and sports bras, are not meeting the needs of female athletes.

In a world not designed for women, everyday products ignore women’s real needs.

09/25/2026

Fall convocation is just around the corner! 🎓🎊

Whether you're a graduand or will be on campus on October 8 and 9, there are some things you'll want to know:
➡️ Graduands should check deadlines and schedules to confirm attendance, reserve regalia, claim tickets, and plan for the big day.
➡️ Convocation attendees are asked to review the bag policy, dress appropriately for the weather, and be aware of what is permitted and not permitted in the ceremony area.
➡️ Anyone commuting to Burnaby campus is encouraged to plan ahead and to expect a higher volume of traffic as well as limited parking. Please follow signage and traffic control staff.

🎉 Most importantly, we hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of this year's graduands and is inspired by the energy that will soon fill campus!

For more information and FAQs about October convocation ceremonies, visit https://www.sfu.ca/convocation.html

09/24/2026

What happens to the data generated by our online lives?

In her award-winning book, Communing Data Literacy: Tools and Concepts for Social Engagement, SFU communication professor Katherine Reilly examines how data collection shapes our daily lives and why people are more than the data they generate. Drawing on dialogue and shared experience, the book offers practical tools for building data literacy in classrooms and communities.

The book earned the 2026 Gertrude J. Robinson Book Prize from the Canadian Communication Association.

Full story in the comments.

09/23/2026

Right now, each bike in Vancouver’s bike share network makes 2.4 trips per day. SFU researchers want to know: how many bikes would it take to remove the tailpipe emissions from a single fossil-fuel car?

According to a new study, the magic number is 18.

“That’s pretty good, but if those bikes were used eight times a day, it would only take five bikes for every one fossil fuel car and reduce tailpipe emissions by more than three per cent—all without adding a single bike-share station or bike to the fleet,” says Vahid Hosseini, lead author of the study and a professor in the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering.

Wondering how the team figured out these numbers?

🚲 The team used datasets from Mobi by Rogers, the City of Vancouver and TransLink to build emissions models, traffic simulations, and life-cycle assessments.

🚲 They used bike trip data to distinguish between commute and leisure rides, and trip diary data to determine if a bike replaced a journey previously made by car, public transit, or another mode of transportation.

🚲 Then, they applied a modelling system called MOVES to calculate emissions reductions for bike trips that replaces car trips. MOVES estimates air pollution emissions and energy consumption based on vehicle type, geographical area, road type, and vehicle age.

And voila! A bike-to-car ratio to quantify emissions reductions. Now that’s gearing up.

Full story in the comments.

09/23/2026

📣SEE Dialogue is just one week away! Meet our panelists from academia and industry🧡

✨Kaylena Ryan — With over a decade of experience in higher education, Kaylena’s work focuses on strengthening relationships and embedding Indigenous perspectives into institutional structures, policies and spaces.

✨Kear Porttris — With his family background, Kear brings extensive experience developing partnerships between industry and Indigenous communities.

✨Danilo Caron — Danilo’s research explores how Indigenous knowledge and values can inform infrastructure design and delivery while advancing community priorities.

Join the conversation to learn from our panelists and explore how Indigenous Ways of Knowing can inform engineering education and professional practice.

📅September 24, 2026
⏰11:30 am - 2:00 pm
📍SRYE 4016, SFU Surrey

🔗RSVP now via https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/Z9JPZPK

09/23/2026

Have you visited Whistler, Horstman or Blackcomb glaciers?

According to an SFU study, these much-loved glaciers in British Columbia are set to disappear completely within a few decades.

Once famous across North America for summer skiing, Whistler and Horstman glaciers have decreased in size by 95 per cent and 75 per cent respectively in the last five decades, while Blackcomb Glacier has lost around 60 per cent of its area.

The decline of Whistler Glacier has been so pronounced that it is considered to be a relict glacier. Researchers expect it to disappear entirely within 10 years, although technically, it could already be extinct.

Horstman Glacier, located on Blackcomb Peak, will likely disappear within 10 to 30 years and Blackcomb Glacier within 20 to 70 years.

“Given how much temperatures have been increasing the findings are not surprising, but that does not make it any less sad,” says Chloé Monty, an SFU master's student in glaciology, who led the research.

“It was shocking to see how much the glaciers have shrunk when compared to images from the 1970s.

“They are shrinking almost in real time when glacier change should be nearly imperceptible on human timescales."

These glaciers carry a symbolic meaning for people, according to Gwenn Flowers, professor of Earth sciences, who oversaw the research.

“What we are seeing with these three glaciers is the inevitability of what was set in motion a couple of decades ago. Deciding when the glaciers no longer exist becomes a technicality," says Flowers.

“I think the significance of these disappearing glaciers is that they give us a preview of what's to unfold. These are the first to go, but there are others nearby that are on the same path to extinction.

“Glaciers are quietly powerful entities that animate the B.C. landscape, and the landscape is part of our identity. Losing these glaciers means losing a part of our history and identity.”

Full story in the comments.