News

From March 13th to 15th, Heather Graham (MSc Rural Planning and Development student) and Dr. Ryan Gibson attended the 26th Annual Metropolis Canada Conference in Montréal, Québec.

It is with great pleasure that SEDRD and the MSc program in Capacity Development and Extension announces and welcomes a new faculty member, Dr. Derya Tarhan, Assistant Professor (tenure track). Dr. Tarhan will join the School as of June 1, 2024.

The Rural Symposium is an annual opportunity for University of Guelph graduate students to showcase their rural research to policymakers, policy analysts, and program staff from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The event facilitates knowledge mobilization and network building between graduate students at the University of Guelph, researchers, and OMAFRA. The 2024 Rural Symposium will take place on March 5 from 9.00 am - 3.00 pm. 

SEDRD has three Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) positions available this summer for undergraduate students:

SEDRD will be well represented on the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) after three graduate students were elected to the board of directors at the November annual general meeting. Josh Barrett (PhD Candidate in Rural Studies) was elected President, and Danika Hammond (MSc in Rural Planning and Development) and Jeff Reichheld (PhD Candidate in Rural Studies) were elected as a board members for a two-year term.

Congratulations to Regan Zink, who is the recipient of the 2023-2024 Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) - Canadian Home Economics Association Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to a candidate studying in one or more aspects in the field of Human Ecology/Home Economics/Family and Consumer Sciences, at the master’s or doctoral level.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a visible migration of urban populations into rural communities. A new research initiative is examining the migration trends taking place in Ontario and their impact on rural communities, economies, and environments. 

On October 5, 2023, Vincent Fracchioni accepted an Award of Merit from the City of Brampton 2023 Urban Design Awards on behalf of his student group for their fourth-year studio project, "The Grove." Brampton has a vision to completely redevelop Steeles Avenue and Hurontario Street by 2040, turning it into a transit and community hub. 

Congratulations to Margot Kopache, a third-year master of landscape architecture student who was awarded the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) 2023 Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship.

Congratulations to Kristina Zalite, a master of landscape architecture alumnus who was awarded the inaugural Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) 2023 Robert N.