Research Centre Ambassador Program Creates Next Generation of Ag Communicators
World-class research deserves world-class communicators to help spread the word. And that’s exactly what the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance Student Ambassador Program has been creating: a new generation of confident and credible ag communicators, all honing their skills one research centre tour at a time.
Published: July 24, 2025
Lead photo: Alliance student ambassador Kristen Lutz shares current research with students from the Department of Animal Biosciences students at the Ontario Dairy Research Centre.
How the Ambassador program started
Back in 2016, Rebecca Dunn, knowledge mobilization manager in the University of Guelph’s Office of Research (Agri-Food Partnership), was tasked with creating an outreach program for the newly minted Ontario Dairy Research Centre, which is owned by the Government of Ontario through its agency Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) and managed by U of G through the Alliance.
“One of the biggest components of our outreach was in-person tours, and we were just inundated with requests to see the research centre,” recalls Dunn. “It just wasn’t possible to keep up with the demand.”
That’s where the idea of having student ambassadors came about.
“We would approach students who were already doing research at the facility, and who wanted to improve their plain language skills or practise networking with people coming through the facility,” Dunn explains.
The student ambassadors would bring the groundbreaking work taking place at the research centre to guided tours with a wide range of audiences, from visiting scholars and dairy industry members to farmer groups and curious high schoolers.
“What I’ve found since the program began is that anybody coming through the facility really likes to hear from students. They want the students’ perspective—what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and why it’s important to the industry,” says Dunn.
The program expanded to include the Ontario Beef Research Centre in Elora, which opened in 2019 and is also owned by the Government of Ontario through ARIO and managed by U of G through the Alliance.
“Most of all, I think our student ambassadors bring a great deal of credibility and relatability to the work the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is doing, because they’re the ones in the barn doing the research.”
Since the program's inception, there have been:
- 15 student ambassadors touring 3,000 participants
- 112 tours of the Ontario Dairy Research Centre
- 48 tours of the Ontario Beef Research Centre
Knowledge Mobilization Manager Rebecca Dunn led the creation of the Student Ambassador Program.
High-impact tour groups
The dairy and beef research centres have hosted what Dunn describes as a “pretty even mix” of audiences ranging from dairy and beef industry groups and academics to 4-H clubs and government extension staff.
Among the highlights:
- Taste Canada: A group of 28 young chefs competing in Toronto toured the Ontario Beef Research Centre to understand more about how beef cattle are raised.
- Lactanet: The leadership team of this leading provider of herd management solutions has toured the Ontario Dairy Research Centre to learn about U of G dairy research.
- OMAFA food safety and economic division managers: This branch of OMAFA heard first-hand about current research, advancements and technologies at both dairy and beef research centres.
- Commodity and breed-specific commodity tour groups: Many tour requests came from commodity groups such as the Canadian Shorthorn Association and Canadian Angus Association. The groups included dairy and beef producers interested in learning more about current research and best practices being implemented at the research centre.
"The tours are where you see firsthand the quality and depth of the research, as well as the tangible benefits to our industry, consumers and the environment. For us, the student ambassadors have truly been the positive, enthusiastic face of the research centres."
Neil Petreny, CEO, Lactanet
Impact on current—and future—students
For Savannah Lesperance (right), a master’s student in the Ontario Agricultural College’s Department of Animal Biosciences, becoming a student ambassador at the Ontario Beef Research Centre allowed her to build on her passion for ag and science communications.
“Having the chance to explain agriculture, especially the research side of things, to people who may not know what we do is exciting for me. I think that’s the biggest reason why an ambassador program like this is so valuable,” she says.
Dr. Anna Schwanke, the longest-serving student ambassador, has become a mentor to new student ambassadors while making inroads with the dairy industry.
“Getting people to see what we do and how it benefits the dairy industry as a whole has been really rewarding for me,” she says.
Schwanke (left) was recently named manager of the Saputo Dairy Care Program, where she will help deliver animal welfare education to field veterinarians across the country.
According to Rachel Chater, liaison officer in the Ontario Agricultural College, the ambassador program has also benefited rural high school students considering their post-secondary careers.
“Many of our tour attendees express that their students get an invaluable opportunity to explore other facets of the agricultural industry through research–showing students that there are other career avenues beyond being a farmer or a veterinarian.”
The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is a collaboration among the University of Guelph, the Government of Ontario and its agency Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario.
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