Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics

06/03/2026

Valedictorian Dinuka Wijekoon built a foundation of leadership and connection at TRU. 🌎

Alongside her academic excellence in the Human Resource Management Post-Baccalaureate Diploma, she led the TRUSU HRM Club as president and engaged with the professional HR community through CPHR BC & Yukon.

She co-hosted a professional roundtable in January 2025 on the topic: Global Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Reconciliation: How to Bring It Into Local Organizations.

“Graduating from TRU feels like the closing of one important chapter & the confident beginning of another.”

Share your best wishes in the comments. ⬇️

06/03/2026

Okay, this is pretty exciting 👀
has been nominated for the Best of Kamloops awards in the Overall Instagram Account category. 🥳

For us, Instagram is more than a place to share updates. It is where we celebrate our students, alumni, faculty, events, research and the many ways business and economics education connects with the community around us.

If you enjoy seeing the stories behind TRU Gaglardi, we invite you to vote for the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics on the Best of Kamloops website under Media → Overall Instagram Account: linktr.ee/TRUGaglardi

Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/trugaglardi/

05/28/2026

We are proud to celebrate Bob Gaglardi as he receives an honorary Doctor of Laws during TRU’s 2026 convocation. 👏

The TRU Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics was named in recognition of the Gaglardi family’s historic $10-million donation to support the construction of a new business school building.

A visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, Gaglardi founded Northland Properties in 1963. Today, the company is behind well-known names including Sandman Hotel Group, Denny's Canada, Moxies, Kamloops Blazers and more. His honorary Doctor of Laws recognizes his achievements in business and philanthropy, along with his long-standing support for business education at TRU.

🔗Learn more about the Gaglardi family's historic donation here: https://www.tru.ca/gaglardi/about/gaglardi-donor-announcement.html

05/26/2026

Congratulations to Sarah Grey Fosseneuve, winner of TRU Map the System 2026 👏

Sarah’s project, The Poverty Trap of BC Disability Assistance, was selected as this year’s winning entry, and she will represent TRU at the global Map the System competition in Oxford this summer.

Also, congratulations to Radhika M. Tabrez, who was named audience favourite for her project, Toxic Drug Crisis in Interior BC: Systems, Structures, and Solutions.

Map the System Canada challenges students to look closely at a social or environmental issue, understand the systems behind it and show why meaningful change is often more complicated than one simple solution.

Thank you to Cheryl Gladu for organizing this year’s competition, and to our judges and participants for the time, thought and care they brought to it.

05/25/2026

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Soodeh Saberian as Canada Research Chair in Economics of Climate Change, Disasters and Inequality at Thompson Rivers University.

“Dr. Saberian is an exceptional scholar whose work bridges economics, public policy and some of the most urgent environmental challenges facing communities today,” said Ehsan Latif, interim dean of the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics. “Her research excellence, interdisciplinary approach and commitment to understanding the human impacts of climate change make her an outstanding addition to TRU.”

Her research will examine how climate change, wildfires and environmental inequality shape health and economic outcomes, with a focus on communities most affected.

Read more here: https://ow.ly/aZHo50Z3RVx

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

Congratulations to Poornima Gunasekera.

We’re proud to recognize her work in sustainability and her contributions to the Gaglardi community. 🌱

Valedictorian Poornima Gunasekera turned her passion for sustainability into action throughout her Master of Science in Environmental Economics and Management. 🌱

Her research on cell phone recycling in Kamloops sparked conversations around sustainable waste management and was featured on CBC Radio.

Along the way, she earned the 2025 TRU Environmental Sustainability Achievement Award and won first place in the TRU 3MT® Competition.

We can’t wait to see her build a career in research! Cheer her on in the comments. ⬇️

TRU Sustainability Office

05/19/2026

The TRU Symposium on AI & ESG in a Changing World brought together academic research and industry perspectives for a focused discussion on how artificial intelligence and environmental, social and governance practices are shaping the future of business.

Throughout the day, presentations explored topics including AI in business, finance and policy, alongside conversations on climate risk, ESG reporting, sustainability and ethical leadership. With both academic insights and industry perspectives, the sessions offered a well-rounded look at how these ideas are being applied in practice across sectors such as energy, strategy and city planning.

We appreciate everyone who participated and contributed to a meaningful day of discussion at .

Thompson Rivers University Thompson Rivers University - Research & Graduate Studies

05/14/2026

A look back at a day of research, insight and connection 🌱

The Environment & Sustainability Research Spring Workshop brought together students, faculty and guest speakers to explore applied research across sustainability, environmental research and economics.

Research presentation topics included portion-size perception and restaurant food waste reduction, income convergence in Indigenous reserve communities, bike-sharing systems adoption and lessons from BIXI Montréal's success, mineral exploration under regulatory uncertainty, carbon pricing, revenue recycling and firm innovation, the economic valuation of Cultus Lake, cost-benefit analysis of wildfire fuel mitigation, and policy impact evaluation without prior knowledge of success.

The day also featured a keynote address by Dr. Felix Pretis and a graduate student poster session showcasing research on climate policy, energy demand in Canada and the hidden water footprint of artificial intelligence.

Congratulations to this year’s poster winners: first place Olurotimi Abiodun and Jeremy Nyarunda, second place Tessa Angelis and Holly Siebenmorgen, and third place Rachelle Hendrickson, Sudip Pudasaini and Mercy Mofesola.

Thank you to all presenters, students, faculty and attendees for contributing to a thoughtful day of learning, discussion and collaboration at .

Thompson Rivers University - Research & Graduate Studies Thompson Rivers University

05/12/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Bruce Martin on receiving the TRU 2026 Graduate Research Mentor Award. 👏

This award recognizes faculty who create meaningful opportunities for graduate students to pursue independent research and contribute to new knowledge, ideas and practices.

For Dr. Martin, mentorship is rooted in the support he has received throughout his own academic and professional journey, and in his commitment to helping graduate students grow into confident scholars.

“I love to mentor graduate students because I’ve benefited so much from good mentors in both my professional and academic careers. Mentoring graduate thesis students is especially rewarding because, if I do it well, I’m supporting the formation of a scholarly identity, not just teaching a skill or a theory. I view it as a great privilege to be able to do this, and a responsibility I take very seriously,” said Dr. Martin.

Congratulations, Dr. Martin! We are proud to celebrate your well-deserved recognition.



Thompson Rivers University - Research & Graduate Studies