Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan

Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan, MSW

Born in Malaysia and raised in India, Sobhana has an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a postgraduate degree in Social Work. Sobhana completed her doctoral coursework in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria (UVic) and also taught the undergraduate Child Welfare Specialization Course at UVic. Sobhana worked with the Government of British Columbia serving in various front line and senior management positions for two decades. Sobhana worked with federal and provincial governments to address complex social issues, including poverty, child abuse and domestic violence. In 2015, Sobhana was appointed as the first Executive Director of the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence. In 2017, Sobhana joined Simon Fraser University (SFU) as Associate Vice President, External Relations. Sobhana engages with all levels of government and diverse organizations and communities to strengthen relationships and partnerships. At SFU, Sobhana was the institutional lead for Women Deliver 2019, represents SFU on the United Way cabinet and helps advance reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion. In 2019, Sobhana was recognized by the global Women Economic Forum (WEF) with a Woman of the Decade Award. Sobhana is passionate about the pursuit of peace in all spheres of life.