News

As last year drew to a close, University of Guelph economics researchers Sylvain Charlebois and Francis Tapon were predicting the 2012 overall price increase in food would be about two per cent.

However, Charlebois cautioned at the time, unpredictable heat, cold and rainfall continue to influence farming in ways never experienced in modern-era agriculture. He warned that could send their numbers askew.

“If the weather co-operates, our predictions will be fine,” he said. “But how can we know what Mother Nature will do?”

Alastair Summerlee, University of Guelph president and vice-chancellor, will deliver the keynote session at the Spring Perspectives on Teaching Conference on May 14. Presented by the Teaching Support Centre, the one-day conference runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in Social Science Centre, Room 2050.

CME grad Thomas Sobotka along with his father Jozef and brother Filip, decided to develop a robot to automate building inspections after witnessing another inspector duct tape a digital camera to a broom so he could see around a corner. The Sobotkas started FTD Highrise Inspection Inc. and hired engineers to build hired engineers to build a robot that can reach places people cannot and now enables inspection of an entire building.

Sylvain Charlebois, CME's Associate Dean (Academics) and Kerry Godfrey, Director of HTM, met with the Rector and other representatives from Lääne-Viru College in Estonia last week. The contingent from Estonia were interested in how curriculum is developed in a Canadian business school, as well as finding out more about the process for getting new programs accepted at our university.

Agricultural Communications Professor, Owen Roberts and Marketing Professor, Paulette Padanyi are members of a Guelph and Waterloo research group exploring the challenges and opportunities facing local food producers.  The Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs has provided support for the research group in their effort to find potential uses for local food in Ontario's health-care system. Read the full article in the Guelph Mercury

The accident that paralyzed CME student Drew Cumpson from the neck down last year didn’t affect his ability to smile, which he does often. He credits his positive attitude and the support of his friends and family for keeping him going.  Drew plans to return to school by taking one or two courses online in the fall.

Read the full At Guelph article

Economic volatility and high unemployment are increasingly prompting enterprising and profit-oriented Canadian business students to set their sights on the public sector, which they see as a beacon of security and opportunity for career development.

 Jian Zhou was recently awarded the William N. Kinnard Young Scholar Award by  ARES, the American Real Estate Society – a leading real estate research and education organization whose mission is to influence real estate through leadership and decision making.  Jian was nominated by Associate Professor and REH Advisor, Jane Londerville, and received the award in recognition of his high quality research contributions to the real estate discipline achieved in the first ten years of receiving his PhD.