Future Students

Clad in hip waders, the weight of the cool river flow buffeting the protective layer keeping him dry while immersed in the science of salmon enhancement is exactly where Tristen Dieleman wants to be. 

Tristen is a second-year diploma student in the VIU Fisheries and Aquaculture program. He came to the university as a mature student, knowing that a career in fisheries was where he wanted to be. 

Joe Clark is working with the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust (NALT) to monitor urban streams in Nanaimo for the presence of cutthroat trout.

Students are reshaping how they learn one handful of sand at a time through an augmented reality sandbox.

Students now have access to an innovative tool – a 3D printed robotic arm – that’s bringing new meaning to hands-on learning.

Dr. Xueling (Julie) Luo, an Engineering Professor, says the robotic arm will make learning more accessible because it will help bridge the gap between concepts they learn in the classroom and practical applications.

The connections with fellow students that Alex Bhargava made in the VIU Theatre diploma program have deeply impacted him.

“I’ve gained so much confidence in my abilities and my ability to problem solve and it’s all because of the students that were around me and their willingness to keep pushing me and encouraging me, but also to help me if I needed it.”

Jindar Sboto found his educational path at VIU during his first-year courses.

Jindar attended VIU because it was close to home. He didn’t choose his area of study right away but was always interested in the sciences – biology, chemistry and physics.

Ashutosh Mishra says attending VIU was pivotal in his journey to experiencing “true freedom” as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Are you working as an early childhood educator assistant and looking to grow your career? VIU offers a unique ECEC Work-Integrated Learning (ECEC-WIL) program so you can become a qualified early childhood educator while still working.

Are you an analytical thinker looking for a new challenge in your career? Power engineers support critical industries like health care and education. And with BC forecasting more than 2,500 job openings in the industry over the next decade, now’s the time to get the training needed to fulfill these positions

A small flower with yellow and cream petals is on the edge of extinction in Canada and a VIU research team is fighting to save it.

Bryan Lamprecht, a VIU Biology student, is working with Dr. Jasmine Janes, a VIU Biology Professor, studying Hosackia pinnata, also known as Bog bird’s-foot-trefoil. The rare species is red-listed in BC and Canada. There are only five sites where this rare flower grows in Canada, all near Nanaimo. The plant also grows along portions of the western coast of the United States.