New U of G Researcher Highlights the Importance of Conducting Collaborative Research in Indigenous Communities

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
Susan Chiblow standing in a valley with a backpack on and a mountain in the distance.

 

By Abbey Drew

Implementing Indigenous knowledge systems in environmental research is one goal of a new University of Guelph faculty member.   

Dr. Susan Chiblow, a professor in the Ontario Agricultural College and an instructor in U of G’s new bachelor of Indigenous environmental science and practice program, works with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders to explore their research goals.  

“There’s been a lot of unethical research done in Indigenous communities, which has greatly impacted the...

Read more: New U of G Researcher Highlights the Importance of Conducting Collaborative Research in Indigenous Communities

Looking at Community Health Through a More Holistic Lens

Thursday, June 30th, 2022
Head shot of Diana Lewis

 

By Mya Kidson

A unique research project, recently launched at U of G, seeks to integrate Indigenous relational worldviews with government environmental monitoring and health risk assessment approaches.

Dr. Diana Lewis, a professor in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, is leading the project, which commenced in early June 2022 and extends her master’s and PhD research. She and a team of transdisciplinary researchers will work directly with Indigenous communities to evaluate environmental, wildlife and human health issues using...

Read more: Looking at Community Health Through a More Holistic Lens

U of G Project Shifts Art Gallery Displays to Virtual Walkthroughs

Thursday, June 16th, 2022
A woman wearing a mask and standing in an art gallery. She is touching a camera on a tripod with her left hand.

Photo Credit: Emil White

By Caitlin Ford

In response to COVID-19 art gallery closures, a University of Guelph project has used 360-degree photography technology to enable virtual visits to U of G galleries.

The project, called Creating Virtual Spaces for Artists and Performers, was led in 2020 by Dr. Christian Giroux, a professor in the School of Fine Art and Music; Dr. John Phillips, manager of the Interdisciplinary Design Lab in the College of Arts; and digital design technician Thoreau Bakker.

“The visual art world is always interested in how virtualization can be...

Read more: U of G Project Shifts Art Gallery Displays to Virtual Walkthroughs

U of G Wastewater Surveillance Provides Valuable COVID-19 Data during Times of Limited Testing

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022
A woman putting a device in a sewer.

By Caitlin Ford

A University of Guelph wastewater project for early detection of food-borne illness has proven to be an invaluable tool for understanding the viral transmission of COVID-19 on campus and in the surrounding community.  

In summer 2020, Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, a professor in the Department of Food Science, and his lab team repurposed their research on food-borne illness surveillance to begin surveying U of G’s wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19.  

Used to monitor COVID-19...

Read more: U of G Wastewater Surveillance Provides Valuable COVID-19 Data during Times of Limited Testing

Consumer Perspectives on Virtual Grocery Shopping amid a Pandemic

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022
A woman in a grocery store holding a lemon

Photo Credit: Pexels

By Vanessa Virgo

Despite online grocery shopping options during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers still prefer to shop in person, according to a new University of Guelph study. Among shoppers opting for online service, the study found, more women prefer to pick up their groceries in person, while men prefer direct home delivery.  

Dr. Kimberly Thomas-Francois, Post-Doctoral Fellow, and Drs. WooMi Jo and Simon Somogyi, professors in the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management in U of G’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, aimed...

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OVC Researchers Study Manure Treatment Strategies To Reduce Resistant Bacteria

Monday, May 16th, 2022
A woman with blond hair sitting in a front of a computer screen.

By Otaiba Ahsan 

An ongoing study co-led by a research team in the Ontario Veterinary College found that anaerobic digestion can significantly reduce instances of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in manure used on farm fields. In a recent article, former SPARK writer, Otaiba Ahsan, discusses how reducing antibiotic-resistant bacteria on farm fields can reduce infectious and resistant bacteria spread into the human population...

Read more: OVC Researchers Study Manure Treatment Strategies To Reduce Resistant Bacteria

Investigating The Effects Of Climate Change In Fur Seal Immune Systems

Monday, May 16th, 2022
Two seals sitting on rocks.

By Mya Kidson

Research by Ontario Veterinary College professor Dr. Mauricio Seguel investigates wildlife immune systems and their vulnerability to climate change. A recent article by SPARK Writer, Mya Kidson, explores Seguel’s project -- based in Peru and Patagonia -- looking at the impact of environmental changes in the ocean on milk quality in maternal fur seals and how these changes further impact the immune systems of their young...

Read more: Investigating The Effects Of Climate Change In Fur Seal Immune Systems

COVID-19 Forces Restaurants to Adapt and Plan for Future Crises

Wednesday, May 4th, 2022
A photo of an empty restaurant with a row of tables and chairs and an empty bar.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

 

By Cate Willis

A new University of Guelph study shows that many pandemic-hit restaurants have adapted their services and created plans to respond to future crises.

Dr. Simon Somogyi, a professor in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, said the study of the pandemic’s impact on food service businesses found that many companies have moved from thinking about short-term survival to considering the long-term picture.  

At the beginning of the pandemic, many businesses focused on surviving day-to-day and keeping as many people...

Read more: COVID-19 Forces Restaurants to Adapt and Plan for Future Crises

University of Guelph Reaffirms Its Longstanding Commitment to Research Commercialization

Thursday, April 28th, 2022
A woman in a white lab coat pouring a liquid into a test tube.

Photo Credit: Junelle Fisher

From OAC 21 barley that transformed the brewing industry a century ago, to Yukon Gold potatoes developed 50 years ago that remain a staple on dinner plates, to novel biopolymers that are fuelling the green economy today, University of Guelph has been a leader in using research to create new products and processes to improve life.

Today, with the introduction of the ...

Read more: University of Guelph Reaffirms Its Longstanding Commitment to Research Commercialization

A Lack Of Effective Canadian COVID-19 Communications Can Impact Public Trust, Study Finds

Thursday, March 24th, 2022
A person wearing a black sweatshirt and holding an iPhone.

 Photo Credit: Unsplash

By Caitlin Ford

A recent University of Guelph study led by Dr. Andrew Papadopoulos examined the public's response to various COVID-19 communications. This research was conducted using Facebook posts from key government accounts and found that Canadians have low trust in the messages being shared. Find out more in the recent article written by SPARK writer Caitlin Ford...

Read more: A Lack Of Effective Canadian COVID-19 Communications Can Impact Public Trust, Study Finds