The Civil Sphere in Canada – bringing Canadian scholars into a truly global conversation
Raise your glass and toast to future leaders. In the final semester of her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Alyssa Ahmed is truly leaving her mark. Alyssa represents the future of women in leadership and continues to make an impact at UofG. Most university students have enough on their plate balancing academics, but Alyssa pushes herself further, dedicating most of her free time to others in the Guelph community.
Dr. Aaron Berg, professor in Geography, Environment and Geomatics, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, and the Canada Research Chair in Hydrology and Remote Sensing, has received almost $40,000 in funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI)’s prestigious John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).
CFI finances research support and tools that leading researchers need to pursue their projects. The CFI’s JELF totals more than $30 million to 136 research infrastructure projects at 31 universities.

The University of Guelph has been privileged to benefit from its affiliation with Dr. Mary Anne Chambers. She sat as a member of the University’s Board of Governors from 2010-2016 and now sits on the external advisory board of the Guelph Institute of Development Studies (GIDS) and acts as the external advisory board member for the GIDS Anti-Racism Working Group.
We are proud of all the wonderful work that our Black graduate students are doing. Black History Month is a time to celebrate their work and accomplishments. The projects and investigations they undertake help to improve life for everyone around them.
Below is just a sampling of what some of our Black graduate students are working on:
This #BellLetsTalk day we are reminded to be a support for those around us and Keep Listening, Keep Being There.
How can parents be a good listeners for their child? The new Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology has provided these valuable tips.
1. Make time to really listen to what your child has to say every day.
International students have a lot to navigate. They need to adjust to a new place, a new school, a new culture, and perhaps even a language different from that of their home country. For Black and other racialized students, they may also have to deal with a lack of resources and supports in their new community. All in all, it can feel a little bit overwhelming. Gemma Victor, the newest hire at the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences knows a little something about those experiences and feelings.
Surveys suggest that, in recent years, more Canadians have been adopting veganism or vegetarianism. From Ben & Jerry’s delectable Cherry Garcia vegan ice cream, to the more acquired taste of McSween’s vegetarian haggis, grocery store aisles today abound with plant-based food creations.
2017 saw some of the worst flooding in Quebec in over 50 years. A large blizzard late in the season followed by heavy rains throughout April had the Ottawa River Basin spilling over its banks, breaking dykes and inundating streets and homes with floodwaters.
By May, Montreal and surrounding towns declared a state of emergency. More than 1,200 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were sent in to assist.