On February 10, 2026, Scott Duff, Director of Rural Policy and Economic Development, led a workshop in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph. Intended to engage with graduate students, alumni and industry professionals, Duff shared insights on the realities of working in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) and pathways to establishing a career.
Are you interested in sharing your research with government, rural community leaders, and researchers? Consider making an oral presentation or poster presentation at the upcoming 2026 Rural Symposium.
Understanding how geography shaped economic opportunity in 19th century Canada offers valuable insights into the roots of regional inequality and mobility across generations. The summary, titled “The Geography of Economic Mobility in 19th Century Canada,” highlights intergenerational economic mobility across regions in Canada between 1871 and 1901.
What is the potential for new localism to support economic development in rural Canada? Joshua Barrett (RST PhD graduate) and Ryan Gibson explore this topic in a recent peer-reviewed article titled “Revisiting rural economic development: New Localism’s potential in Canadian local government” published in Frontiers in Political Science. As local governments are increasingly asked to take on roles beyond basic services, many rural municipalities are struggling to keep up.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Canadians packed up city life and moved to rural communities. But what did that sudden shift really mean on the ground? A new article in Plan Canada, “Reflecting on the Urban Exodus: Rural Planning for City Expats,” explores how rural municipalities across Ontario experienced — and responded to — this change.
Dr. Ryan Gibson has been named the new Director of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD), effective January 1, 2026.
Dr. Mahatab Uddin, a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. Dr. Uddin served as a Lead Author for Working Group III of the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7).
Formal agricultural research is often conducted by professional researchers, however, recently there has been an increase in farmer-led initiatives such as the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario’s (EFAO) Farmer-Led Research Program (FLRP). The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited to share a research summary about the impacts of the FLRP – Farmer Knowledge as Formal Knowledge: A Case Study of Farmer-Led Research in Ontario, Canada. The summary highlights the value of the EFAO’s FLRP and how it has been beneficial for ecological farmers in Ontario.
Kamshajini Raveenthiran, a current doctoral student and a graduate from the Capacity Development and Extension program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, shared a thoughtful and inspiring reflection on her participation in the first international conference of the Canadian Agri-food, & Rural Extension, Advisory and Education (CAREE) conference held at the University of Guelph during October 29- 31, 2025.