John and Jill Innes
Aboriginal Award in Forestry

Please join us in honouring Dr. John Innes, and help recognize and celebrate the exceptional leadership and many accomplishments he has presided over during the past 11 years as Dean of the Faculty of Forestry (July 2010 to September 2021). Through his steadfast dedication, tenacity and strategic vision, UBC is changing the face of forestry education to address global realities, and place the UBC Faculty of Forestry as a world leader in the field.

Dr. John Innes has dedicated his career to developing sustainable forest management practices in British Columbia and around the globe. While serving as Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, he has had a tremendous impact on the advancement of Aboriginal relations within British Columbia and the Yukon. As his final term as Dean comes to an end, continuing to learn about Indigenous perspectives on natural resources and fostering engagement within these communities will continue to remain a strategic priority embedded in the Faculty.

In 2014, Dr. Innes and his wife, Jill, established a fund to help make forestry education at UBC more accessible for Aboriginal students. The Innes family established an award to help remove some of the financial barriers for Aboriginal students to study in the Faculty. The John and Jill Innes Aboriginal Award in Forestry supports undergraduate students in the Faculty of Forestry and is renewable for up to three years to ensure continuity and stability in funding for students.

“What Jill and I both realized was that First Nations students face many challenges when moving to a large university such as UBC. Many come from small, close-knit communities, and the city, processes, and structures can all seem quite intimidating. We wanted to do what we could to help those students succeed.”

The UBC Faculty of Forestry is welcoming contributions to the John and Jill Innes Aboriginal Award in Forestry endowment fund to help build a bright future for Aboriginal students in the Faculty, and to celebrate Dr. Innes’ tenure as Dean.