
Instruction and Leadership Team
Instruction Team
The instructors for the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering are renowned experts who have built strong connections and research partnerships with leading industry players.
Jasmin Jelovica
Jasmin Jelovica is the Seaspan Shipyards Chair in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. His degrees in naval architecture were awarded at the University of Rijeka, Croatia and Aalto University, Finland. He went on to become a lecturer of ship design at Aalto, before joining UBC in 2017. Jasmin is a member of International Ships and Offshore Structures Congress.
Dr. Philip Koenig
Dr. Philip Koenig is a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Koenig was appointed Director, Industrial and Economic Analysis Division, Naval Sea Systems Command (Washington, D.C.) in 2010. Prior government service was in ship design and industrial analysis positions in the Office of Naval Research, International Field Office Asia (Tokyo, Japan) and at NSWC Carderock Division (Bethesda, Maryland).
Dr. Peter Ostafichuk
Peter Ostafichuk is a Professor of Teaching of Mechanical Engineering and the Chair of First Year Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He completed his doctorate (UBC 2004) in the area of control and hydrodynamics of near-surface autonomous underwater vehicles. His primary teaching area is in engineering design and product development, and he has authored a textbook and numerous papers on the subject.
Dr. Chris McKesson
Dr. Chris McKesson began his engineering career as a naval architect and quickly established a reputation as an innovator and problem-solver. Dr. McKesson studied formal innovation methods that could be used in other fields of engineering and taught to other engineers; these methods are brought together in his 2013 PhD dissertation “Innovation in Ship Design.” Dr. McKesson brings together a passion for ship design with a fascination with the study of systematic engineering innovation.
The UBC Sauder Robert H. Lee Graduate School business instructors for the MEL in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering are renowned experts who lead the way in Canada and internationally in business and management research and knowledge dissemination.
Perry Atawal
Perry Atwal is a lecturer at UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School who has also worked as an assistant dean and executive director of Executive Education and executive director for the Centre for Healthcare Management. Perry has led several successful projects with extremely diverse participants from around the world and spanning industries that include health care, transportation and education. He is one of the most highly rated and award-winning teachers at UBC.
Justin Bull
Justin is the academic director for the MEL and MHLP programs and a lecturer at the UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School and Chair of the Sustainability and Ethics Group. He teaches extensively on sustainability, innovation and strategy, with a focus on graduate and executive learners. He has worked with big companies – like IKEA, Lyft, and Rolling Stone – to implement climate innovations. Justin serves as an advisor and board member to several technology starts-ups and First Nations in Canada. He graduated with a BA in International Relations and a PhD in Wood Science from the University of British Columbia.
Donabel Santos
Donabel Santos is the Associate Director, Business Intelligence at UBC’s Development and Alumni Engagement portfolio where she leads a team of data experts that deliver on operational tasks and strategic data initiatives. A Tableau Accredited Trainer, she has over 18 years of technical and academic experience in the data space – from infrastructure development, data engineering, reporting, analytics and visualization to training and coaching professionals who work with data. She is also the principal of QueryWorks, a boutique consulting and training company specializing in databases and visualization. Donabel was a multi-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP who has authored four technical books and has spoken at numerous conferences.
Leadership Team
Get to know the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Directors who are leading the program.
Jon Mikkelsen
Jon Mikkelsen is a strong supporter of extra-curricular design activities and serves as faculty advisor for several student teams including UBC Sailbot, UBC Supermileage and UBC Human Powered Submarine Team. He has been awarded the Wighton Fellowship for innovation in undergraduate experiments and is a Killam Teaching Prize recipient. Mikkelsen is active in several professional organizations and currently serves as chairperson of the Pacific Northwest Section of the Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers.
Application Deadlines
2022 Application Deadlines
Applications for 2023 are open!
1st Round: March 30, 2022
2nd Round: June 30, 2022
CAN and USA only: September 30, 2022
2023 Application Deadlines
The online application portal for 2024 admission opens on January 1, 2023.
1st Round: March 30, 2023
2nd Round: June 30, 2023
CAN and USA only: August 30, 2023
See how to apply section for full details.
How to Apply