Two New Rural Planning and Development Profs

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) is pleased to welcome Leith Deacon and Dave Guyadeen as new assistant professors in rural planning and development. They both began their roles on August 15th. 

Deacon and Guyadeen will teach the theory and practice of planning through the development of knowledge, skills and values in variety of contexts, and will provide leadership and guidance for graduate students.

“We are excited to have Dave and Leith join us,” says Sean Kelly, SEDRD director. “We are confident they will contribute greatly to the School, and aid in enhancing the profile of the rural planning and development program.”

Deacon’s research gathers information to inform and develop practical tools based on local knowledge and experience to support the development of sustainable communities. Within his research program, Sustainable Community Planning Development, the central goal is to examine the concept of resiliency within the context of rural and remote communities to address the often-problematic relationships between resource reliance, community well-being and adaptive capacity. 

“U of G offers an opportunity to create cross disciplinary linkages on a range of research areas related to sustainable communities,” says Deacon. “The opportunity to work within OAC, a global leader in education and research on rural community development-related concerns, will enable my research program to further expand, and develop further expertise that will enable rural communities from across Canada to develop their own path towards long-term resiliency.”

Deacon joins U of G from the University of Alberta, where he was an assistant professor. He received his PhD in geography from the University of Western Ontario, his Master’s of Science in rural planning from U of G and his Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from the University of Windsor.

Guyadeen’s research focuses on policy-making, plan implementation and evaluation. He is specifically interested in exploring ways of defining what it means to have a “good” quality plan, such as a climate change plan, and whether the quality of a plan has a bearing on outcomes on the ground.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with students from SEDRD to help advance the scholarship and practice of rural planning,” shares Guyadeen. “I am especially excited about actively engaging students in their learning about the planning discipline and how they can help shape the future of their communities.”

Guyadeen brings a vast amount of experience as a course instructor. Prior to joining U of G, he was an assistant professor in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University. He received his PhD in planning from the University of Waterloo, his Master’s of Public Administration from University of Western Ontario and his Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning from Ryerson University.