News

The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation and Yukon University recently co-hosted the Northern Dialogues: Remoteness and Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural and Northern Canada Conference in Whitehorse, Yukon. The conference addressed the intersection of remoteness and sustainable livelihoods framed across three interrelated themes: (i) innovation and community development, (ii) education, health, and social systems, and (iii) culture, heritage, and wellbeing.

Congratulations to Josh Barrett (PhD candidate in Rural Studies, University of Guelph), who received the Best Student Paper Award at the 2024 American Association of Geographers in April 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The manuscript, co-authored by Kelly Vodden, focuses on how rural local governments in Newfoundland and Labrador are using entrepreneurial approaches and partnerships to achieve local development.

We are thrilled to announce that the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental Design and Rural Development will partner with Forest Foundation Philippines for their project on nature-based solutions to climate change. The Canadian government recently granted Forest Foundation Philippines eight million dollars to implement the project between 2024 and 2028 to support climate change mitigation and biodiversity loss through capacity building and gender-sensitive resource management. 

Congratulations to the third-year Master of Landscape Architecture students, who organized a very successful Landscape Architecture Research Symposium, held on April 8, from 3-7 pm at The Arboretum Centre. MLA students prepared posters to share their thesis research with visitors, which included family, friends, faculty, other graduate students, and College and University administrators. It was a busy afternoon with a steady stream of guests.

Congratulations to SEDRD's Director and Associate Professor Sean Kelly on being named a 2024 Fellow of the Canadian Association of Landscape Architects. Sean is one of ten new members to be welcomed into the CSLA College of Fellows during the 2024 CSLA-MALA Congress in Winnipeg, May 30 - June 1, 2024.

Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury, an Associate Professor in Capacity Development and Extension, was installed as the 40th president of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) during their annual conference at the University of Florida on April 24, 2024. This is a wonderful recognition as it is the most prestigious international scholarly association for faculties of agricultural extension, leadership and communication.

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), hosted a one-day symposium to showcase rural research being conducted at the University of Guelph.

Rural research from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development was on display at the recent Liminal Spaces: Two Days of Rural Canada conference. The interdisciplinary conference examined the world between the cities and the wilderness. The following students and alumni presented rural research at the conference:

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development is very proud to have accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in Landscape Architecture, now recognized as a STEM discipline. More than an honorary title; it reflects the comprehensive blend of expertise landscape architects contribute.