News

The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Jon Warland as the Associate Dean (Academic). His five-year term beings on January 1, 2021.

"Jon will be a great addition to our Dean's office leadership team bringing a deep interest in pedagogy and human resources expertise," says Van Acker. “He is the right person to lead OAC's academic commitments and aspirations and will be able to build on the tremendous momentum built over the last decade in the academic portfolio.”

The University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus has received $6.5 million from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs toward construction of a new field crop services building.

Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, made the announcement today at Ridgetown Campus.

Brett Shepherd has been named director of the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. The two-time U of G graduate begins on Nov. 16. The announcement was made today by Rene Van Acker, dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC).

Madison Pawsey attends the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus and is working toward getting an associate diploma in veterinary technology. The pace of life in Ridgetown is perfect for Madison, who transitioned there from a larger city. She enjoys learning about livestock animals in her program and hopes to work in a mixed or large animal practice in the future.

The annual OAC Faculty Awards were presented at the virtual "OAC Welcome Back Event" held on September 25, 2020. Each year, the OAC Alumni Foundation presents the G.P. McRostie Faculty Award to a faculty member who plays a significant role in education and the OAC Alumni Association chooses three faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in teaching, research or extension. Congratulations to all recipients!

The annual OAC Outstanding Staff Recognition Awards were presented at the virtual "OAC Welcome Back Event" held on September 25, 2020. These staff awards recognize excellent work performance, willingness to help others, contributions toward the betterment of workplace operations, and efforts in making OAC a better place to work overall. The recipients of these awards are nominated by their colleagues. This year multiple staff were recipients for each award category. Congratulations to all recipients!

This summer, a team of undergraduate research assistants created the Equine Information Source (EIS) to support equine communities across Canada as they adapt to COVID-19.

“Living through this pandemic has been hard for a lot of people, and the media has done its part in documenting the hardships of those in our community, but our team wants to share the positive stories and changes that have emerged from this,” shares Amanda St-Onge, one of the students working on the project.

When it comes to selecting a university there is a lot to consider. Studying in a program that matches your interests is most important, but there are lots of other things to consider! To help, we have highlighted some of the best reasons to say “yes” to the University of Guelph. Check them out below.

Funding for the creation of this article was provided by the W.S. (Stan) Young Memorial Communications Grant through the OAC Alumni Foundation.

Introduction

Like many other industries, the agri-food industry has potential to become stronger and more sustainable when information flows freely. A local food supply chain includes and relies on many players – primary producers, government agencies, food safety departments, transport and distribution links, consumers and much more.

Finding a healthy balance when it comes to work, school and life can be difficult. This is something I have personally struggled with in the past, and honestly, I still find myself a little unsure of how to plan out my days and sift through all my to-do’s without completely overwhelming myself.