For nearly two decades, The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation has been contributing to a quiet transformation in the Okanagan—one grounded in student opportunity, healthcare innovation and the power of local partnerships.

Colin Pritchard, a retired lawyer and proud UBC alumnus, and his wife Lois, a former nurse, moved to Kelowna before UBC Okanagan opened its doors in 2005. As the new UBC Okanagan campus started its ambitious expansion, Pritchard still recalls sheets of plywood laid over the mud, zigzagging around the new academic buildings. Twenty years later, the Pritchard legacy is embedded across the campus and the region.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for UBC,” Pritchard says. “It opened many doors for me, and when we moved to the Okanagan, we saw the need for more doctors and nurses, and believed UBC Okanagan could play a central role in educating and training healthcare professionals who would stay and serve the community.”

Since establishing their foundation in 2007, the couple has worked intentionally to strengthen ties between UBC Okanagan and Interior Health, believing that lasting change in healthcare comes from collaboration between educators and practitioners.

Their philanthropy to UBC Okanagan began with a landmark gift to launch the Pritchard Simulation Centre at Kelowna General Hospital in 2012. A joint initiative between UBC’s Southern Medical Program and Interior Health, the centre delivers hands-on training for medical and nursing students, especially in high-risk and critical-care scenarios.

Building on that early support, the Pritchards later funded the acquisition of one of the world’s most advanced neonatal simulators—SuperTory—which further expanded the centre’s ability to train future healthcare professionals in complex, real-world scenarios.

However, the Pritchards’ vision has always been broader than buildings and equipment.

Over the years, the couple have created four endowed funds to support UBC Okanagan students pursuing healthcare careers, from first-year nursing and medical students to graduate researchers. Their support not only helps students manage today’s high cost of living, but also fosters meaningful collaboration between UBC Okanagan and Interior Health through initiatives like the Pritchard Graduate Student Grant Program. This specialized program supports students conducting health-related research in clinical settings alongside both faculty and healthcare practitioners.

“Students can only learn so much on campus,” Pritchard notes. “They need to be in the field, working with practitioners, seeing real-world problems. That’s where the breakthroughs happen.”

A meaningful moment for Pritchard came when he learned how one of the students funded by their foundation — a biology co-op student — developed and implemented a new lab protocol at Kelowna General Hospital using equipment also funded by their foundation. In just four months, the student created a streamlined process for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, a widely-used method for detecting infectious diseases, diagnosing genetic conditions and identifying mutations in cancer. Her work simplified complex lab procedures into a more efficient, easy-to-follow workflow for laboratory technologists.

“It was very rewarding to see a student play an instrumental role in developing a game-changing process for the lab,” Colin says. “It was win-win. For her as a student and for the health professionals who benefited from her work.”

To date, dozens of students have benefited from the awards and experiences made possible by The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation, a number that will only continue to grow in the years ahead

Dr. Sarah McCorquodale, Regional Associate Dean of the Southern Medical Program, credits the Pritchards’ generosity with helping to build a stronger learning environment for students and deepening relationships with healthcare partners across the Okanagan.

“Their support for education and research has been foundational,” says McCorquodale. “By championing collaboration between UBC Okanagan and Interior Health, the Pritchards have created opportunities for students and physicians to learn together in the Pritchard Simulation Centre, participate in research projects in real clinical settings, and make meaningful contributions to healthcare in the region long before they graduate.”

In addition to their long-time support of students in healthcare, the Pritchards have contributed to other student-focused initiatives that enrich the lives of students and community members. In celebration of UBC Okanagan’s 20th anniversary, they matched up to $50,000 in donations during the university’s Giving Day, a 24-hour campaign supporting student initiatives, wellness and athletics. They also supported Voices in Bloom, a special performance co-hosted by Opera Kelowna and UBC’s Opera Department that brought student and alumni performers to the stage in Kelowna.

Over the years, The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation has helped shape UBC Okanagan into a community cornerstone, where healthcare education doesn’t end at the classroom door, but reaches into hospitals, clinics and lives across the region.

Adrienne Skinner, Executive Director of Development and Alumni Engagement, sees the Pritchards as visionary partners.

“Colin and Lois joined us early in our journey and have helped to give us a strong start as a campus, but have always looked beyond the present,” says Skinner.

“They know that real change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes trust, time and a shared commitment to something bigger.  As we celebrate UBC Okanagan’s 20th anniversary, their generosity is a reminder that a university’s impact isn’t just in the buildings we see, but in the people it lifts up, the partnerships it creates and the communities it strengthens. We are so incredibly grateful for all they’ve made possible for our students and our community.”