Past Events

Postings for the Fall 2025 SEDRD Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) positions are now available on the Academic Staff Work Assignments website. Select School of Env. Design and Rural Dev. for SEDRD courses. Applications are due by July 8, 2025.  To apply, be sure to:

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development - Landscape Architecture MLA Master's Thesis Examination Carol Pietka, a master of landscape architecture candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend her thesis on "Landscape Architecture in Support of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Considerations for Design of Outdoor Spaces."

The spring convocation ceremonies for the Class of 2025 graduates in the Ontario Agricultural College will be held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 4:30 pm, at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.   We hope the School's graduates look forward to returning to Guelph for your ceremony.   SEDRD graduates and their guests are welcome to stop by the Landscape Architecture building prior to the ceremony.  This is a good opportunity to pick up school items, take photos, and chat with classmates and available faculty and staff.   

Sultana Yeasmin, a master of Capacity Development and Extension candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend their MSc thesis on " The Influence of Misinformation on the Participation of Rural Young People with Disabilities in Agriculture in Bangladesh."

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development - Landscape Architecture MLA Master's Thesis Examination Saina Amin, a master of landscape architecture candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend their thesis on "The Nourishing Square:  Reimagining St. George's Square in Guelph, Ontario, through Biophilic Design and Agricultural Urbanism."

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development - Landscape Architecture MLA Master's Thesis Examination Olivia Hobbs, a master of landscape architecture candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend her thesis on "Leveraging Remote Sensing and NDVI Analysis on Constructed Peatlands:  Applications for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning."

Ali Ebadi, a master of landscape architecture candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend his thesis on "Communicating with Hand-Sketching: Exploring the Role of Hand-Sketching in Communicating Landscape Design Ideas in the Digital Age."

Calum Jacques, a master of Rural Planning and Development candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend their thesis on "Agriculture as an Amenity:  A Case Study of Peri-urban Farmland in Tokyo, Japan." Examination Committee: Ryan Gibson, Advisor - SEDRD Sara Epp, Committee Member - SEDRD Silvia Sarapura, Examination Member – SEDRD Nicolas Brunet, Chair of Examination - SEDRD

Sarah-Anne Thompson, a master of Rural Planning and Development candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend their thesis on "Community-Based Research Amid Nunavut's Infrastructure Gap: Space and the Nature of Knowledge Creating."

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development - Landscape Architecture MLA Master's Thesis Examination Niloufar Mohsenivafa, a master of landscape architecture candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, will defend their thesis on "Designing Temporary Installations Beneath Toronto's Gardiner Expressway to Enhance Thermal Comfort During Shoulder Seasons."