Natasha D’Souza is a PhD graduate in Rural Studies from the University of Guelph. She is also a senior professional planner with a focus on strategic and long term policy planning at a GTA municipality. Her research focuses on how cluster dynamics and governance systems interact to shape rural development trajectories. Using the energy sector in Bruce County, Ontario as a case study, her research considers how the developmental impacts of large employers mediate governance arrangements, institutional relationships and regional coordination.

The research findings link governance and institutional capacity, showing how collaboration and alignment across various actors produce innovation, labour market integration of specific skilled labour and regional resilience. By integrating economic and social perspectives, this research enhances the understanding of how place-based governance structures enable rural regions to sustain growth and adapt to economic change.