Lectures
What lectures can I attend at Explore UVic?
Explore UVic gives you the chance to sit in on real university lectures taught by UVic professors from across all faculties. You’ll experience what it’s like to learn, ask questions and think critically in a university classroom. See the full list of lectures below.
Why should I attend a UVic lecture during Explore UVic?
Attending a lecture helps you picture your future as a UVic student. You’ll discover how professors teach, what classroom discussions feel like and how ideas come to life through engaging, interactive learning.
Who teaches the lectures at Explore UVic?
All lectures are led by UVic professors and instructors who bring their research, stories and real-world experience into the classroom. You’ll get a firsthand look at UVic’s teaching style and academic atmosphere.
Do I need to choose lectures from only one faculty?
No. You can explore lectures from any faculty that interests you to see how different programs connect to your interests and goals.
Saturday, November 29, 2025
All sample lectures take place in Sngequ House and are scheduled in Pacific Time.
Who Is Taylor Swift's Showgirl?
Taylor Swift’s latest album The Life of a Showgirl is a cultural event. And yet, it has had mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. In this lecture we’ll dive into the question of whether the album is simply a self-portrait, or if something more interesting is happening. We’ll explore how the album constructs the character of its showgirl, and how it achieves its effects. As we’ll see, methods of literary criticism can help us make sense of the album and recognize Swift’s achievement here. Love it, hate it, or still unsure what to think, you’ll find something in this lecture to make you think!
- Lecturer: Stephen Ross, Faculty of Humanities
- Location: Sngequ House, Classroom 133
- Time: 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
Pacific Salmon in Peril
Exploring the biological and social challenges threatening BC’s iconic fish
Pacific salmon are a symbol of BC—but their numbers are dropping fast. Over 70% of salmon populations are below their usual levels, and some have disappeared from areas where they used to live.
This decline comes from many factors in nature, combined with human activities. In this lecture, you’ll learn why salmon are struggling and how UVic is helping to protect them for the future.
- Lecturer: Ben Neal, Faculty of Science
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 131
- Time: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
The Story of Imagination
For thousands of years, people have used imagination to make art. Artists often reflect the spirit of their times. But creativity is not always about big changes—or even something brand new.
So how do we find imagination in art made long before today? In this talk, you’ll see how artists created fresh ideas, spoke up about society, and even pushed boundaries—sometimes in the toughest situations.
- Lecturer: Evanthia Baboula | Faculty of Fine Arts
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 131
- Time: 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
The Pale Blue Data Point
How studying our planet helps scientists imagine alien worlds
Is there life beyond Earth? Astrobiologists can’t always leave our planet, so they study life here to help answer the question.
Join astronomer and author Jon Willis as he shows how scientists explore Earth to imagine alien worlds. Dive into the Pacific Ocean on the E/V Nautilus, search the Australian desert for some of the oldest fossils, visit mountaintop observatories in Chile and even listen to dolphins in the Bahamas—all to learn what life might look like on other planets and moons.
With investigations ranging from meteorite hunting to searching for planets around other stars, Willis imagines alien worlds and new kinds of life. He shows how scientists guess what life might look like elsewhere by looking at what we know on Earth—our single “pale blue dot,” as Carl Sagan called it—or, in Willis’s words, their “pale blue data point.”
- Lecturer: Jon Willis | Faculty of Science
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 133
- Time: 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Health + Wellness = Potential
Starting university is exciting—and a big change. Join Dr. Lara Lauzon and a former student to discover how the popular first-year course "Personal Health, Wellness, and Potential" helps you find balance, build healthy habits and feel your best at UVic. You’ll explore the seven dimensions of wellness and take part in a fun, interactive activity with other students and parents.
- Lecturer: Lara Lauzon | Faculty of Health
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 131
- Time: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Trans Childhood and the Politics of Protection
Though there’s nothing new about trans childhood, the increase in trans visibility has provoked a rising social panic. We will look at how people connect childhood with protection. When parents and politicians say they want to "protect children," who are they thinking about? Which kids are left out? How did we come to believe in childhood as a phase of life that requires adult protection? We’ll consider what we can learn about childhood, gender and sexuality by thinking about how these cultural fears have changed over time.
- Lecturer: LJ Slovin | Faculty of Education
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 131
- Time: 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Meet the Next Generation of Creators: Humans Coding with AI
Artificial intelligence is changing how software gets written, but not by replacing programmers! Instead, AI is becoming a creative partner, helping humans dream up, debug, collaborate with other humans, and design faster than ever before. From coding copilots to generative design, discover how AI is reshaping the craft of building technology and why the next generation of developers will be more important (and imaginative) than ever.
- Lecturer: Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey | Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
- Location: Sngequ House, lecture theatre 133
- Time: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM