News

In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Guelph will host virtual events and on-campus initiatives and share stories throughout February.

Many of the events have been organized by the University’s Cultural Diversity Office within the Department of Student Experience and the Guelph Black Students Association (GBSA).

“Black History Month is a time of reflection, celebration and inspiration,” said Abigail Barrett, program coordinator with the Cultural Diversity Office.

Ibrahim Mohammed is an international graduate student in environmental sciences. He is passionate about soil science and finding a sustainable solution for food production. Ibrahim volunteers with the Corteva Agricultural Sciences Symposium and works as a teaching assistant (TA). He plans to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship after graduation.

It was during her studies at the University of Guelph that Dr. Roberta Bondar had to shelve one career plan and pursue another – a choice that ultimately secured her a spot aboard the NASA space shuttle Discovery in 1992 as Canada’s first woman astronaut.

As she prepares for this Saturday’s 30th anniversary of the shuttle’s lift-off, she says her U of G roots also laid the groundwork for her subsequent career back on Earth as an award-winning nature photographer and champion of environmental activism.

As Canada’s new vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers goes into effect, a University of Guelph food economist wonders whether there might be better ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while keeping Canada’s food supply strong.

Dr. Mike von Massow is a professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics in the Ontario Agricultural College. He researches supply chain management and food value chain structure and performance.

Nicole became interested in plant science while volunteering in a biology lab during her undergraduate degree. She was naturally interested in research and was drawn to the University of Guelph to pursue a PhD in Plant Agriculture. She spends her free time practicing yoga, reading, and baking and is the PhD representative on the Plant Agriculture Graduate Student Liaison Committee (GSLC). Nicole is considering a post-doctoral fellowship or career in industry after graduation.

The Student Federation of the Ontario Agriculture College (SFOAC), is the official student government of OAC. They organize student activities and events while promoting OAC and class spirit. The executive for the 2021-2022 academic year is:

Food science wasn’t initially the plan for Giulia Kobylnik, now a third year student at the University of Guelph. However, after touring the Guelph campus and learning about the food science program, her plans immediately changed. Outside of the classroom, Guilia enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, and meditating.

With many provinces imposing restrictions on who can get testing for COVID-19 amid soaring case counts, a University of Guelph researcher says monitoring wastewater for the virus is proving a critically important tool.

Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, a professor in the Ontario Agricultural College, leads wastewater testing projects on the U of G campus as well as in communities across Ontario. He says his team’s work has become one of the few ways to get an accurate picture of the scope of this latest wave of the pandemic.

Meshing Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and amplifying often unheard voices are the goals for two University of Guelph researchers who will receive a total of $1.9 million in new federal funding under the prestigious Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program.

The funding is part of a $151-million investment announced Jan. 12 by François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of innovation, science and industry, for 188 new and renewed CRCs at 43 research institutions across Canada.

Free farm business management skills ranging from farm business planning to maintaining mental health will be offered through a new self-paced, virtual course being launched this month by the University of Guelph and partner organizations.

Believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, U of G’s new “Foundations in Agricultural Management” online certificate course will enable farmers, and especially younger producers, to brush up on their farm business management skills.