News

Congratulations to our recent Landscape Architecture graduates who were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the Ontario Agricultural College Convocation Awards Ceremony on June 11th, 2026, at the University of Guelph.

The OAC Chanasyk Medal for Professionalism was awarded to Bachelor of Landscape Architecture graduate Faustine Liu and Master of Landscape Architecture graduate Linna Chang in recognition of their professionalism and contributions to the field.

Congratulations to Jessica Kilpatrick on receiving the 2026 Wayne J. Caldwell Prize for Excellence in Rural Planning.  This prize is awarded annually to the Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student who achieves the highest cumulative academic average. Jessica’s accomplishment is a testament to her outstanding academic achievement, dedication, and commitment to the field of rural planning.  Named in honour of Wayne J. Caldwell, the award recognizes Dr.

Daniel Layden has been named the 2026 recipient of the CIP-PSTF Outstanding Graduating Student Award, a national honour recognizing exceptional students in accredited Canadian planning programs. Presented by the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund (CIP-PSTF), the award celebrates graduating students who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the planning profession through academic achievement and broader engagement within their field.

Students, alumni, and faculty from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at the University of Guelph made important contributions to the 2026 Relational Wellness Conference, co-hosted by the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, the North Atlantic Forum, and Grenfell Campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

SEDRD Professor Dr Chowdhury in Capacity Development and Extension is a co-author of the paper, “Trustworthy AI: AI developers’ lens to implementation challenges and opportunities,” published by ScienceDirect - Data and Information Management (DIM), which is an int

This summer, fascinating and important employment opportunities are being taken up by students in, or soon graduating from, the MSc Capacity Development and Extension program at the University of Guelph.

SEDRD research on misinformation and disinformation in agri-food systems was recently featured in an article in Farmtario.  The article highlights findings from a University of Guelph study showing that many farmers, advisors, and value-chain professionals are stepping back from social media due to rising misinformation, toxic online interactions, lack of meaningful engagement, and declining trust in digital platforms. Dr.

At a recent learning and sharing webinar entitled "Climate Change at the Intersection of Food Systems, Urban Informality and Fisherfolk Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa", organized by Universities Canada for International Doctoral Research Awards (IDRA) recipient, Uduak Edet had the opportunity to share her research. Uduak is a third-year PhD candidate in Rural Studies and a 2024 recipient of the International Doctoral Research Awards.

Thanks to a $430,200 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Professor Nicolas Brunet will be co-leading a new study with Aqqiumavvik Society (Arviat, NU) and ECCC exploring where plastic pollution is found and how it affects the community’s well-being, food systems, and ecosystems. This will help develop an Inuit-led plan to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution that other Arctic communities can benefit from.

New research published in the Journal of Rural and Community Development explores how rural communities can strengthen connection, innovation, and local development in challenging geographic regions. In “The Peaks and Valleys of Connection: Lessons from the Scottish Highlands and Islands,” authors Blake Glassford and Ryan Gibson examine how the Smart Village approach has been used in the Scottish Highlands and Islands to improve connectivity and support rural communities.