We are pleased to announce that Charlotte Potter, a Rural Studies PhD student, is the first recipient of the Janice and Earle O’Born Family Foundation Graduate Scholarship. This scholarship is intended to help increase research capacity on rural development and build expertise in the field creating a “next generation” of rural leaders. Selection for the scholarship is based on research potential, academic excellence, and intended benefits and outcomes of the planned research on Canadian rural community development.

Charlotte was able to meet with the O’Born family, specifically with Earle and Janice O’Born and their son Andrew, to discuss her PhD research, entitled: A study of key drivers for behaviour change in the uptake of sustainable Best Management Practices in agri-food systems. Under the supervision of Dr. Silvia Sarapura (SEDRD), the research will engage with University of Guelph; the International Potato Centre; the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; the Ontario Potato Board; and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. This research will also engage with Dr. Sarapura’s connections in Peru, including stakeholders participating in the Andean Initiative, such as the International Potato Center and Bioversity International (CGIAR), and local and national NGOs. Recognizing how place-based worldviews influence agricultural knowledge, this research will identify how farmer-led research may offer development alternatives, leading to sustainable agro-ecosystems and resilient rural communities.