News

We are about a month into the Fall 2018 semester and academic year and SEDRD celebrates more changes with several new faces on the administrative and faculty fronts.

Hilary Sadowsky is a graduate student in the Master’s of Rural Planning and Development at the University of Guelph.  She is working on a research project that aims to explore the roles of environmental researchers in enhancing scientific literacy for Inuit youth in Nunavut.  Hilary is working under the supervision of Dr. Nicolas Brunet, who obtained a SSHRC grant making this research project possible, and with guidance from Dr. Sheri Longboat (University of Guelph) and Dr. Dominique Henri (Environment and Climate Change Canada).

Tracey Harvey, PhD candidate in Rural Studies, recently spoke with the Arrow Lakes News regarding the upcoming cannabis legalization and what it might mean for rural regions. Tracey is conducting her doctoral research on how rural regions transition into the new cannabis economy, particularly focused in the Kootenays region of British Columbia.

Sara Epp, SEDRD PhD Rural Studies candidate, is primary author of the chapter Farmland Preservation and Rural Development in Canada in the newly published Agrourbanism, Tools for Governance and Planning of Agrarian Landscape.

The Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture is the highest honour bestowed on a landscape architect by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. The medal is intended to honour exceptional landscape architects whose lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession have had a unique and lasting impact on Canadian society.

Nadia Amoroso is an assistant professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in the Landscape Architecture program.  Nadia researches new ways of visualizing urban data to uncover new site conditions and utilize these visualizations as datascapes.  Watch a short video clip about Nadia here, produced by the Ontario Agricultural College.

Since leaving campus in April, upon completion of my first year of PhD coursework, I have continued doing work influenced by my cohort, amazing staff (Sara and Patricia) and professors at SEDRD ( Drs. Lauzon, Devlin, Gibson and Longboat- Chi Migwetch). Applying the wisdom and empathy that has become part of my DNA towards all the events that I have had the good fortune to be a part of. 

Prof. Al Lauzon, Program Coordinator for SEDRD's Capacity Development and Extension program is delighted to announce that Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury joined SEDRD as of July 1 as a faculty member.  Ataharul's arrival is notable for CDE, SEDRD and OAC as his hiring marks the first hire in 15 years for the CDE program -- and marks the 7th faculty hire in two years for SEDRD programs.

Nicolas Brunet is an assistant professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in Rural Planning and Development whose research uses social ecological systems thinking to propose innovative approaches to community and regional planning and development.  Watch a short video clip about Nic here, produced by the Ontario Agricultural College.

Recent transformations in global economies have impacted for rural places throughout Canada. While some rural communities have flourished, others have struggled. This has lead to the question, “What is the future of rural communities throughout Canada?”. As part of CBC’s series called Transformations, Dr. Ryan Gibson participated in a series of 14 radio interviews to discuss the factors influencing the future of rural communities, the resilience of rural communities, and illustrations of successful rural communities.