Congratulations to the following graduates students who participated in a convocation ceremony this week to celebrate the completion of your program of study:
Aubree Erickson, Master of Science (Planning)
Brianna Miller, Master of Science (Planning)
Camilo Jimenez, Master of Planning
David Lara, Master of Science (Planning)
Jayden Cote, Master of Science (Planning)
Jeremy Parsons, Master of Planning
Louis Helps, PhD in Rural Studies
Natasha D’Souza, PhD ...
The June 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
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What happens to local governance when a dominant industry actor becomes the primary driver of talent attraction and economic development in a rural region?
PhD research by Natasha D'Souza from the University of Guelph examines exactly this question through the lens of Bruce County, Ontario, a community transitioning from an agricultural economy to a specialised nuclear energy hub. The research explores how Bruce Power's influence shapes not only employmen
Jayden Cote's recently successfully defended MSc (Planning) thesis titled "Rural Economic Development in the Iron Cage? Measuring Constraints on Municipal Development Strategies in Rural Ontario" is now available online -https://hdl.handle.net/10214/29650.
The University of Guelph is home to a wide diversity of research on rural people, places, and environments. As a leader in rural research, this video series facilitates knowledge sharing across rural Ontario and beyond.
This video highlights recent research by Uduak Edet published in 2023 titled The Influence of Information Disorder on Climate Change Adaptation Practices of Farmers in Lagos State, Nigeria. This research explores how misinformation sprea...
Congratulations to Jayden Cote for successfully defending his MSc (Planning) thesis titled "Rural Economic Development in the Iron Cage: Exploring Pressures on Economic Identity and Political Autonomy in Ontario's Municipalities".
An electronic copy of the MSc thesis will be available shortly.
The May 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
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The University of Guelph is home to a wide diversity of research on rural people, places, and environments. As a leader in rural research, this video series facilitates knowledge sharing across rural Ontario and beyond.
This video highlights recent research by Lucas Berek completed in 2025 titled The Living Room of a Rural Community. This thesis examines the actors, processes, and COVID-19 influences shaping economic development in the Town of New Tecum...
The April 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
The recent Rural Symposium brought together 160 participants, both in person and online, for a dynamic exchange of ideas focused on rural research and policy. The event featured 17 presentations and 11 posters, highlighting the depth and diversity of work being done by graduate students at the University of Guelph. These projects explored a wide range of rural issues and offered practical insights for policymakers and practitioners.
The Rural Symposium is
