News

Writing poetry or short stories might seem an unlikely way to tackle climate change or biodiversity loss. But addressing the world’s environmental problems starts with changing lives and minds, says one University of Guelph professor, whose new creative writing course for budding environmental scientists aims to do just that.

The new offering, called “Creative Writing for Environmental Science,” will encourage students to read and write short stories, poetry and essays on environmental science themes or topics.

The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) Dean’s Office is pleased to announce Nick Le as the new Academic Assistant to the Associate Dean, Academic (ADA). He begins in the role on Monday, November 22, 2021.

In this position, Le will work closely with the ADA to provide administrative support and assist with matters related to undergraduate and diploma programming delivered by the college. He will provide support for curriculum changes, academic misconduct, program data collection, and quality assurance reporting. 

Presenting findings in a consumable way is an important aspect of any research. Renée Garant, a graduate student in the Department of Animal Biosciences, prides herself on her research extension efforts.

University of Guelph food science students are returning fire with two new homemade CannonFire hot sauces that went on sale online this week.

CannonFire is a spicy hot sauce grown, brewed and bottled by students in the Department of Food Science. The sauce has been such a hit since its launch three years ago, students decided to develop a sweeter sister sauce dubbed Hot Tropic.

A University of Guelph entry in the Deep Space Food Challenge has advanced to Phase 2 of the international contest, which aims to find new ways to grow food in space.

The U of G entry, called GOOSE, or Growth Options for Outer Space Environments (GOOSE), consists of a plant-growth chamber with environment control technology that can produce high yields of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.

Dr. Hugh Earl has been reappointed as chair of the Department of Plant Agriculture for a five-year term beginning September 1, 2022. 

Rebecca Lawson, a graduate student in the Department of Animal Biosciences, is studying animal nutrition by investigating the effects of diet and nutrition on the gut microbiome of lake whitefish. 

Her passion for studying aquatic environments started at a young age and she decided to pursue a B.Sc. in marine biology at Dalhousie University.

It is with sympathy that we share the passing of Stuart Saunders, OAC '56, on September 30, 2021.

Stuart's obituary can be found here.

Prof. Sean Kelly has been reappointed as director of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2022.  

Like setting off alarms in a beehive, Asian honeybees use complex signals to alert nest mates about giant hornet attacks, according to a new study co-led by University of Guelph researchers.

The study shows that honeybees recognize and respond to different types of hornets using several signals, a kind of alert system that is better known among social mammals and birds, said Dr. Gard Otis, professor emeritus in the School of Environmental Sciences within U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College.