alumNIGHTS at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Fred Lee is the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement at alumni UBC. His team leads efforts to increase engagement and build influence among UBC’s community of more than 60,000 students on two campuses, and 380,000 global alumni residing in more than 140 countries. The Development and Alumni Engagement portfolio launched FORWARD, the campaign for UBC, a historic fundraising and engagement effort that aspires to raise more than $3 billion in philanthropic support and engaged more than 150,000 alumni. An active volunteer, Fred serves on many committees, including UBC’s CampOUT, a leadership program for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. In 2020, he was recipient of the UBC President’s Staff Award for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Vancouver-based Pantea Haghighi is an independent curator and currently a Doctoral Student at Simon Fraser University. With a BA in Art History at UBC, she undertook graduate-level research at her alma mater, on modernism and architecture. Drawing upon her collaborations with individuals from diverse cultures, she brings communities together for discussion and exchanging ideas. Her curatorial projects include Gohar Dashti: Dissonance, West Vancouver Art Museum (2020); Looking at Persepolis: The Camera in Iran, 1850–1930, The Polygon Gallery, North Vancouver (2018); Modernism in Iran, Griffin Art Projects, North Vancouver (2018); ; and Unsent Dispatches from the Iranian Revolution, 1978–1979, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver; Kenderdine Art Gallery, Saskatoon; and Windsor Art Gallery, Ontario (2005).

Born and raised in Bangalore, India, Sirish Rao is an arts leader, writer, and cultural innovator. In 2023, Rao was appointed Director of Public Engagement and Learning at the Vancouver Art Gallery. After moving to Vancouver in 2010, and co-founded the Indian Summer Festival. He has received an Extraordinary Achievement Award (Darpan), been named “One of 20 Most Influential South Asians in Vancouver” (Urban Asian), and received a Lifetime Achievement Award (Hari Sharma Foundation). He serves on the boards and advisory councils of not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions, including the Vancouver Foundation, Simon Fraser University, UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and Vancouver International Film Festival.