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About Steve Alisharan

Over his more than 30 years at UBC Sauder, Steve taught thousands of students, many of whom say that his values and work ethic had a profound influence on their lives. He was a remarkably accomplished educator, an inspiring colleague and a generous friend. He will be sorely missed.

Throughout his career, Steve was passionate about the transformational power of education. Steve won many awards for the quality and impact of his teaching, including the Life Long Teaching Achievement Award, the Arne Olsen Award for Career Teaching Excellence, the Talking Stick, the MBA Teaching Excellence Award, and the CGA Graduate Master Teaching Award. He also led the school’s successful nomination for the 2001 Alan Blizzard Award, a national prize for “Collaborative Projects that Improve Student Learning” for the UBC MBA program.

Starting at UBC Sauder in 1981, then the Faculty of Commerce, Steve taught courses in accounting, financial reporting, entrepreneurship, and small business development, among others. He also delivered customized programs for individual consulting clients, and was a key contributor to the success of the Executive Education program. During his tenure, he also held director roles in the MBA, undergraduate programs and Executive Education.

One of his key contributions to the school was his leadership in the UBC MBA Core, an innovative program that integrated key academic disciplines in business. He championed the importance of combining academic study with experience of the nature and complexity of real world business problems. During this period, Steve also designed and implemented the Capstone Program for the MBA and MM programs.

Steve’s dedication to program excellence and student experience was unsurpassed. He always went far above and beyond in his service to students, inspiring faculty to match his levels of dedication. Despite his heavy workload, Steve always found time to hold extra review sessions for students, and offered career advice and assistance long after graduation.

His family asks that we honour Steve by carrying his legacy forward and following his advice: “Always go the extra mile and lift someone up by giving them a picture of themselves that they didn’t think possible. Be quietly generous and kind when no one is looking.”

“Steve was a remarkably accomplished educator, an inspiring colleague and a generous friend. His dedication to program excellence and student experience was unsurpassed and contributed invaluably into making our MBA program the world leader that it is today.”
Robert Helsley
Dean of UBC Sauder and Grosvenor Professor of Cities,
Business Economics and Public Policy

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The impact of your support

The Steve Alisharan Memorial Fund will honour Steve’s legacy and dedication to student excellence by supporting a student award in his name.

Steve had an incredible impact on UBC Sauder students and alumni. Your gift will pay tribute to Steve’s life and career and ensure his legacy lives on by helping future generations of students at the UBC Sauder School of Business.

Messages of Remembrance

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  • Thanks the IMBA program that enable us to knowing you and being your students. It was precious memory that we can learn from you. We always honor you as one of the best instructors of our program. Rest In Peace!

    Jocelyn Wei Wei Dai, Cohort 11 IMBA Student
  • Steve was phoney tough and crazy brave. Kind of a big teddy bear drill sergeant who would stare into one's (my) mind/soul/muju with Prince of Darkness eyes, the melt into the warming rays of Buddha's Smile. Yes, he was just a guy. But, what a guy....

    Bill Pocock, My Spiritual Master in MBA '99-'00 and Beyond
  • I remember Steve for so many things - which says a lot. I remember the colourful sweaters, the great sense of humor (albeit mostly dad jokes), and the memorable truisms like: "Playing Devil's advocate is just an excuse to s**t on someone else's ideas". Most of all, I'll remember Steve as the guy who cared deeply, taught with passion, and stuck to the rules for the right reasons. I remember I missed a case submission cut-off by a few minutes and he knew the importance of sticking to his guns. Everyone learned a good lesson that day - myself included. And cases were henceforth always on time! Farewell Steve. You were a leader and a mentor. We're all better for having met you.

    Rian Gauvreau, Student
  • Steve was the best accounting and one of the best teachers I ever had; in a nutshell, his lectures and classes were very interesting and fun, a really difficult combiantion for accounting topics!. I´m sure that UBC community and all the people that met Syeve will miss him very much. Roberto

    Roberto Gonzalez Maiz Jumenez, MBA core student 2006
  • Steve was tough on his students because he genuinely cared about our education and won't accept nothing less than our best. We all both feared and respected him at the same time-- his cold calling and dry wit also kept us on our toes all the time. Like a parent, he had a surprisingly nurturing attitude which makes it all the more difficult for us to say goodbye. So long Professor & Friend, until we meet again. PS - Here's a photo of Steve and the late Dr. Peter Frost anointing him with the Chief Toxin Handler cape during the 2003 MBA Core. Great memories.

    James Chang, MBA Class of 2005
  • Here's a picture of Prof. Alisharan playing TT with a few of my colleagues on the eve of 'Core No More' , in fact hours after the Project 1 report submission - do you notice the burning desire in the eyes of my colleague to play well? I am sure you do, that's what Steve got out of his students: showing up, working hard and doing well, every single day( and night).

    Harsh, MBA 2008-2010
  • "You have to EARN IT" - Steve's one of the most used phrases... I live by this everyday. He made us write an essay for accounting exam! Talk about out-of-the-box approach. He's an inspiration that touched many lives and is surely engraved in mine.

    Arun Adhikary, Class of 2009
List of Donors
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  • ARIC CHU

  • Jack Chang

  • Sally Maitlis

  • Glen Coulthard

  • Jonathan Choy

  • Anonymous Donation

  • Don Redwood Xiang

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  • Kathy Xu

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