Valencia Gaspard, PhD candidate in Rural Studies in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, was elected President of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation [1] at the recent Health and Shared Prosperity Conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation is a national charitable organization devoted to empowering rural communities, leaders, and researchers. The Foundation was established in 1989 to contribute to the revitalization and sustainability of rural Canada through collaborative research for rural leaders in the community, private sector, and in all levels of government. CRRF works to create credible insights and to improve our understanding of issues and opportunities that are of common interest to rural residents across Canada. Knowledge and better understanding are the fundamental pillars for the welfare of rural communities and environments.

Valencia is currently competing her doctoral studies focusing on precarious employment in rural Ontario communities. Further information about Valencia’s research can be found on the Precarious Employment in Rural Ontario website [2].