Dhillon Centre Distinguished Fellow Dr. Carol Liao wins 2025 President’s Award for Public Education through Media

Dr. Carol Liao, the UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow at the Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, has been awarded the 2025 UBC President’s Award for Public Education through Media.

The award is given to a full-time tenure-stream UBC faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding service to the university and the community by actively and creatively sharing research expertise via the news media. The award recognizes and encourages such contributions, including print, broadcast, and online media interviews and expert commentary, as valuable means to foster greater public dialogue and understanding.

Dr. Carol Liao is an associate professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, Chair and Principal Co-Investigator of the Canada Climate Law Initiative, Co-Director Academic of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice, and the UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow at the Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics. An expert in corporate law, climate governance, business ethics and social justice, Dr. Liao has become a trusted source for journalists covering a wide range of local and national issues. She has given more than 100 television, radio and print news media interviews and published ten op-eds in outlets including The Globe and Mail, CBC News and the National Post. She has also delivered over 200 invited lectures and presentations at institutions and events around the world.

Dr. Liao regularly shares her expertise on complex business ethics and corporate governance matters locally and nationally, including the recent BC Housing-Atira scandal, the Rogers Communications governance battle, the Hockey Canada sexual assault case, and the SNC-Lavalin affair. She’s also one of Canada’s most sought-after commentators on corporate climate governance, where she has been featured in outlets including, among others, Fortune, BNN Bloomberg, Financial Post, The Star, Canada’s National Observer, BCBusiness, Vancouver Sun, The Province, The Narwhal, Canadian Lawyer, and dozens of publications through the nationally syndicated Canadian Press. Her most recent op-ed with Professor Naomi Klein calls on the City of Vancouver to meet its climate commitments.

"I research at the intersection of corporate law, climate governance, business ethics and social justice – areas that can, frankly, be easily misunderstood,” says Dr. Liao. “I appreciate that UBC recognizes the work in translating complex research into accessible civic knowledge, and that this work matters."

For more on Dr. Liao’s work in the media and this award, see the Peter A. Allard School of Law’s announcement.