U of G News

Soils at Guelph Launch
2019-09-19 14:00 - 18:00 (America/Toronto) | Science Complex, 488 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Join us for an open house celebrating the official launch of a new U of G initiative promoting sustainable soil management. The open house will be followed by a tour of the Soil Health Interpretive Centre at Elora, showcasing cutting-edge research and knowledge mobilization activities.

Hopper Lecture: Gandhi, Environmentalism, and the World Today
2019-09-20 14:00 - 16:00 | University Centre – Peter Clark Hall
Join us for the 2019 Hopper Lecture, presented by writer and historian Ramachandra Guha. Guha is the winner of the Fukuoka Prize for contributions to Asian studies. He is also the author of Times of London Book of the Decade, India After Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi is known for having led the Indian struggle for freedom, for promoting inter-faith harmony and for inventing the techniques of non-violent civil disobedience.
It is less well known that he was also a precocious environmentalist. This lecture will explore the contours of Gandhi’s environmental thought and its resonances in India and the world today.
This lecture is part of the World in 2030 event series.
Sponsored by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in honour of its first president, David Hopper.

Data Skills Workshop: Part 1 - Intro to R and RStudio
2019-09-23 10:00 - 12:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
R is an open-source software environment for data manipulation and statistical analysis. Used in a variety of disciplines, R has become a popular tool because of its power, flexibility and active community. Join us as we teach the R language fundamentals and basic syntax, major R data structures and generate basic statistical analysis.
No programming skills are required for this workshop, just an interest and desire to learn. Please bring a laptop for your own use during the workshop.
Before attending the workshop, please complete the following:

Download and Install R

Windows User: https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/
Mac User: https://cran.r-project.org/bin/macosx/

Install RStudio Desktop: https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/
What is R used for? Introduction to RStudio basics (5 min): https://youtu.be/SWxoJqTqo08?t=26s

Please note: All software installation must be done before the workshop. Please ensure you follow account creation or software installation instructions. Out of courtesy to the class, we will not be able to troubleshoot software set up during the class time. If you have any issues, please contact the IT Help Desk.
Register online.

FREE: Fall Equinox Day of Yoga Fun Event
2019-09-23 11:30 - 13:30 | Johnston Green
The U of G Classical Yoga for Total Health and Awareness group is celebrating the Fall Equinox by holding a FREE yoga class for the U of G campus! Opening remarks by Carrie Chassels, Vice-Provost (Student Affairs) at 12 noon.
Fall Equinox is a very special time in nature, as it is a transition, preparation, and balancing point as night and day become equal. It is a natural invitation to turn toward the light within, to allow for introspection in preparation for the slower, darker, and colder months to come.
Let’s take this time to rebalance, nourish ourselves, rest, restore and release anything not serving our purpose, so that we can enter the rest of the year re-energized and bring clarity and focus in the mind.
This event is open to all students, staff and faculty at U of G, and is a time to build community and practice together at this special time of year.
Please join us! Find out more.
This event is sponsored by the U of G Wellness@Work grant.
The Classical Yoga for Total Health and Awareness group also holds FREE Classical Yoga and Meditation classes on campus every Tuesday at lunchtime. For more information, please visit Classical Yoga and Meditation.

Managing Data Workshop - Research Data Management
2019-09-23 13:00 - 14:30 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Every researcher begins a research project by formulating a question and devising a methodology in which to undertake the project.
What if you began your project with a plan detailing the actual mechanics of what needs to be considered during every step of the project: from data collected during the initial stages through to data preservation when your project has been completed? What do you need to do to keep your project moving forward, on time, on track and without major incident?
Join us as we review the basic steps involved in Research Data Management Planning.
Register here.

United Way Kick-Off Barbecue
2019-09-24 11:30 - 13:00 | Branion Plaza, Branion Plaza, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
Join us for a barbecue in Branion Plaza to celebrate the start of U of G’s 2019 United Way campaign!

$5 combos for lunch: hotdog, corn on the cob, drink
$5 combo for dessert: apple crisp, U of G Food Sciences vanilla ice cream, drink

FREE popcorn and cotton candy! Live music from Kyle Mackie and The Flying Pants!
All proceeds go to support your local United Way.
Cash and student/staff cards accepted
Vegetarian and vegan items available

Dial Down University Stress and Anxiety Workshop
2019-09-24 17:30 - 18:30 | University Centre, 150 Research Ln, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
Learn about the most common anxiety escalators (including a couple of surprising ones), along with practical, proven tips and strategies that you can use to decrease stress and anxiety.
This free, one-hour workshop for university students meets from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. and is provided by the Stress Management Clinic.

P4E Career Fair
2019-09-25 10:00 - 15:30 | RIM Park, Waterloo
You don’t want to miss this Career Fair…it’s the largest of its kind in the country!!
Students from all disciplines and across all semester levels are welcome to meet with over 285 employers from diverse sectors!

Network with potential employers, investigate and research career options and obtain information on opportunities, salary expectations, corporate cultures, job requirements and industry trends.
Bring your U of G student or alumni ID card. Only students and alumni from a degree/diploma program at Conestoga College, University of Guelph, University of Waterloo or Wilfrid Laurier University will be admitted. There is no cost for admission.
Free shuttle buses to and from RIM Park, leaving from the front of the UC every 30 minutes
​Free professional headshot photos
Don’t forget to bring printed copies of your resume and dress to impress!

Professional Staff Association Annual Kick-Off Lunch
2019-09-25 11:45 - 13:15 | University Centre – Peter Clark Hall
All Professional and Managerial employees are welcome to attend the PSA kick-off lunch. Join us for P&M networking, buffet lunch and PSA updates for 2019-20.
Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available.
Please RSVP for catering numbers by Thursday, September 19 to psa@uoguelph.ca.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Developing your online scholarly identity workshop
2019-09-25 13:00 - 14:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Learn which sites for academics are worth your time (academia.edu, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, Twitter and more), how to keep track of your publications, what altmetrics are and how they work, and how to set up and use researcher identifiers such as ORCID iDs.
Register online.

Fall in Love with Books at the Library
2019-09-25 13:00 - 16:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Join us for Fall in Love with Books at the library on Sept. 25! Bring your cozy vibes, your pumpkin spiced lattes and your best-knit sweaters and browse some of our favorites from the library’s Gryph Reads collection.
This year, we are teaming up with the Guelph Public Library to educate people on library resources in the community. The Guelph Public Library is co-hosting this event and will be available to discuss their services, events and collections. What else? The Guelph Public Library is also going to be signing up students for their own public library cards! Bring proof of your Guelph address (anything that displays your name and address will work) and get signed up for your own public library card on the spot!
Registration is not needed and everyone is welcome!

Data Skills Workshop: Cleaning and Preparing Data - OpenRefine
2019-09-26 10:00 - 12:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Good data is like a good turkey dinner: you need to clean and prepare it before you can enjoy it properly. What? I have to clean and prepare my data?! This workshop will teach you how to use the free open-source tool, OpenRefine, to get that messy data in order.
You will learn how to:

Import data
Standardize data
Filter, split, replace, and extract data
Manipulate textual data
Understand the ethics of cleaning data

Please bring a laptop for your own use during the workshop with the latest version of Open Refine installed.
Please note: All software installation must be done before the workshop. Please ensure you follow account creation or software installation instructions. Out of courtesy to the class, we will not be able to troubleshoot software set up during the class time. If you have any issues, please contact the IT Help Desk.
Register online.

Arboretum: Shinrin-Yoku Walk
2019-09-26 11:00 - 14:00 | Arboretum, 250 Arboretum Road, Guelph, N1G 2W1
The newly launched Canadian Chapter of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides is proud to hold one of its first high-profile walks in Canada at the Arboretum. Forest Therapy originated from Japan’s Shinrin-Yoku, which literally translates into“forest bathing” (taking in the air of a forest). It is a gentle way of moving mindfully through nature.
Led by experienced guide Ben Porchuk, the walk will open your senses and connect you to different ways nature can help align and heal you.
Guest Instructor: Ben Porchuk
Registration:
Early Bird Fee: $60 by Sept. 18.
Regular Fee: $70
Note: If we don’t have enough registrations by the early bird deadline the course may be cancelled. Maximum 20 adults.

Anxiety Workshop: Skills and Strategies
2019-09-26 12:00 - 13:00 | University Centre, 150 Research Ln, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
Learn practical techniques, new tips and information on how to respond to the uncomfortable sensations of anxiety.
This skills program meets weekly on Thursdays at noon for three sessions.
The fee is $10 for U of G students, $30 for members of USW Local 4120 and $60 for all others.

Excel Workshop (Intermediate)
2019-09-26 13:00 - 15:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
In this intermediate-level MS-Excel workshop, learn how to use a variety of functions and nested formulas to manipulate data, summarize data using pivot tables, and merge data from different worksheets using the VLOOKUP function.
Need a basic refresher? This one-hour introduction to Excel from LinkedIn Learning.com will adequately prepare you for the session.
Please bring a laptop for your own use during the workshop with Microsoft Excel installed.
Please note: All software installation must be done before the workshop. Please ensure you follow account creation or software installation instructions. Out of courtesy to the class, we will not be able to troubleshoot software set up during the class time. If you have any issues, please contact the IT Help Desk.
Register online.

Brain Food Workshop: Getting Started on Your Thesis
2019-09-27 09:00 - 12:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
In this Brain Food workshop session, we provide foundational skills and strategies that will carry you through the thesis or dissertation process. Please bring your laptop, if possible.
Topics covered will include:

Managing the Thesis Process: We discuss goal setting and time management strategies to keep you motivated throughout your graduate degree
Formulating Your Research Question: Your research question forms the basis of your research project. In this session, we discuss how to formulate an effective research question and how to use it to guide and inform your thesis or dissertation from start to finish
Working with Data: With so many ways to obtain data it’s difficult to make sense of it sometimes. Come to this workshop to learn techniques on how to start working with your data and better answer your research question.

Register online.

Arboretum: The Amazing Life of Spiders Workshop
2019-09-27 09:00 - 16:00 | Arboretum, 250 Arboretum Road, Guelph, N1G 2W1
Learn fascinating life stories and identification tips about our most important invertebrate predators: spiders. We’ll venture outside for part of the day, learning how to discover and identify some of our amazing local arachno-fauna. Be prepared for the weather. We’ll find outdoor “web-sites,” but also many free-ranging spiders that hunt like cats, wolves or eight-legged anglers. Discover first-hand why most insects are arachnophobic, and how we can (and should) help our local spider population.
Guest Instructors: Dan Schneider and John Reaume
Registration
Early Bird Fee: $80 by Sept. 19
Regular Fee: $90
Note: If we don’t have enough registrations by the early bird deadline the course may be cancelled. Maximum 18 adults.

Brain Food Workshop: Time Management Essentials
2019-09-27 13:00 - 16:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
In this workshop session, we address the specific time management challenges that graduate students face. Please bring your laptop, if possible.
Topics covered will include:

Graduate When You Want To – Long-term Planning: Learn how to predict your time to completion and use project management tools to help you meet your goals as a graduate student
School-Life Balance: Learn practical strategies to help you achieve school-work-life balance
Time Management from the Inside Out: Procrastination and perfectionism are common challenges for many graduate students. In this session, we will identify strategies to modify or decrease unhelpful behaviours

Register online.

Opening Reception of "Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario"
2019-09-27 18:00 - 21:00 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk St, Guelph, N1H 4H8
All are welcome to attend the opening reception for “Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario”. The exhibition examines local histories and ongoing legacies of racial “betterment” thinking in Southern Ontario that de-humanized and disappeared those who did not fit the normative middle-class lives of white, able-bodied settlers. “Into the Light” is co-presented by Guelph Museums and Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology and Access to Life at Re•Vision: The Centre for Art and Social Justice, University of Guelph.
Read Exhibit Emphasizes Importance of Truth in Reconciliation: U of G
“Into the Light” is co-curated by Mona Stonefish, Peter Park, Dolleen Tisawii’ashii Manning, Evadne Kelly, Seika Boye and Sky Stonefish. This exhibition of artistic, sensory and material expressions of memory aims to bring one of Guelph’s dark secrets, as well as stories of survival, out of the shadows and into the light.
The reception will be ASL-interpreted.

Campus Mile: Healthy Workplace Month Launch Event
2019-10-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Johnston Green
Staff, faculty and students are invited to celebrate the launch of Healthy Workplace Month with the second annual U of G Campus Mile!
Join us at The Portico on Johnston Green at noon, Oct. 1. Participants will walk, run or roll a mile through a marked route on our beautiful campus. This event officially launches Healthy Workplace Month.
This is a chance for you to engage in physical activity, connect with colleagues and friends, take in the sights and sounds of our beautiful campus, and enhance your mood.
Register today!

I Can't Afford That! Dealing with Open Access article processing charges and contract negotiation workshop
2019-10-01 14:00 - 15:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Some Open Access journals expect researchers to pay Article Processing Charges that cost thousands of dollars! Learn about techniques you may be able to use to make your research open without breaking the bank.
Register online.

Relaxation and Stress Management Skills Workshop
2019-10-01 17:30 - 18:30 | University Centre, 150 Research Ln, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
Learn how to decrease anxiety, relax tight muscles, settle a busy brain, cope more effectively and have more energy.
This mind/body skills training program meets twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., for 12 sessions (six weeks).
The program fee is $40 for U of G students, $120 for members of USW Local 4120 and $240 for all others.

How Social Capital is Rewriting how we Think About Companion Animal Welfare
2019-10-02 12:30 - 13:30 | OVC Lifetime Learning Centre, 25 McGilvray Street
Join us for a seminar by Dr. Roger Haston, President of the Institute for Animals. With nearly 20 years’ experience in animal welfare, including his roles as Executive Director at the Animal Assistance Foundation and Chief Analytics Officer at PetSmart Charities, Dr. Haston has become an internationally recognized leader in data, trends, metrics and analytics conveyed through impactful and approachable storytelling.
Animal welfare is changing rapidly, as the types and complexity of problems we now face have less to do with sheltering and more to do with people, pets and the communities they live in. Many of the metrics and constructs that we have used in the past no longer reflect the work being done. Further, animal welfare has struggled to engage and incentivize governmental agencies to spend money on animal-related issues. This is in part due to a narrative that is narrow in perspective and lacking more holistic aspects of community development.
The concept of social capital was developed by Robert Putman in 1969 to understand how to improve and strengthen democracy in Italy. Since then, the field has been expanded into economics, community development and many social issues. In this talk we will re-examine animal welfare through a social capital perspective to understand how this framework might allow a more robust pathway and understanding for the future of animal welfare and how to create a broader community model around pets and people.

QUofG Research Celebration
2019-10-02 14:00 - 18:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Does your research involve LGBTQ+ populations? Does your work involve conceptual, theoretical, and/or methodological issues associated with LGBTQ+ research? Do you incorporate LGBTQ+ research in practice settings or in community advocacy? Are you an LGBTQ+ researcher? Are you interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ research at U of G and meeting the some of the researchers behind it? Students welcome!
Please join QUofG researchers from across the University for the first QUofG Research Celebration – a research showcase that makes our excellent work visible! There will be no formal program, but there will be plenty of time to interact, exchange ideas and talk about work.
Snacks and light refreshments will be provided.
This event is free, and all are welcome to attend.
Send all expressions of interest, questions, posters and requests to quofg@uoguelph.ca
This event is hosted by the QUofG Network (Queer University of Guelph Faculty and Staff Network).

Wrongful Conviction Day
2019-10-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Alexander Hall
Join us for a talk in support of exonerees and to bring attention to the injustices faced by the wrongfully convicted. This year’s speaker is exoneree O’Neil Blackett.
The presentation will be followed by a reception with light snacks and beverages.

Gryphons Read: In Conversation With Author Eden Robinson
2019-10-02 19:00 - 21:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
On Oct. 2, the Gryphons Read program hosts a conversation with Eden Robinson, author of Son of a Trickster, the 2019 Gryphons Read pick.
Faculty and staff can take part in an informal meet and greet with Eden Robinson Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. in the library’s Scholar’s Studio (Rm 289).
Son of a Trickster by Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations novelist Eden Robinson is described as a “striking and precise coming-of-age novel in which everyday teen existence meets Indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.” Robinson’s novel, the first in a forthcoming trilogy, was shortlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was a finalist for the 2018 BC Book Prize and Leacock Medal for Humour.
One Book. One Campus. One Community.
Gryphons Read is a campus-wide book club. It brings the University community together over a selected novel and encourages meaningful conversations about the book. In the fall, registered participants will have the opportunity to participate in facilitated conversations about Son of a Trickster and further explore the novel using a workbook developed at U of G. The workbook outlines ways readers can further connect with themes in the novel through related University initiatives.

Data Analysis - SPSS Part 1
2019-10-03 10:00 - 12:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
SPSS is a statistical software package, mainly used in the Social Sciences. It features a point-and-click interface which makes it easy for the user to learn. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce students to the software as well as its different functions and commands. Topics such as data entry, manipulation and description will be covered (Part 1) as well as the basics of statistical analysis and interpretation using SPSS (Part 2). This is a great opportunity for students to learn how to analyze their own data, which is becoming an extremely valuable skill in research, academia and the workplace. This workshop will be split into two parts.
This is an introductory workshop intended for students with minimal to no knowledge of SPSS. Basic knowledge and understanding of statistics would be a great asset
Please bring a laptop for your own use during the workshop with SPSS installed on it. The latest version of SPSS can be downloaded for free from the CCS Software Distribution website.
Please note: All software installation must be done before the workshop, please ensure you follow any account creation or software installation instructions. Out of courtesy to the class, we will not be able to troubleshoot software set up during the class time. If you have any issues, please contact the IT Help Desk.
Register online.

Skills for Research Impact Workshop: Planning for Research Impact
2019-10-03 12:00 - 14:00 | University Centre, 150 Research Ln, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
Skills for Research Impact is a monthly workshop series for faculty, research staff and graduate students interested in enhancing the impact of their research.
Planning for Research Impact Workshop: Knowledge Mobilization 101! Become familiar with knowledge mobilization plans and conceptualize strategies adapted to your goals and audiences.
Visit the event website for registration details.

Data Analysis Workshop - SPSS Part 2
2019-10-03 13:00 - 15:00 | McLaughlin Library, 480 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
SPSS is a statistical software package, mainly used in the Social Sciences. It features a point-and-click interface, which makes it easy for the user to learn. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce students to the software as well as its different functions and commands. Topics such as data entry, manipulation and description will be covered (Part 1) as well as the basics of statistical analysis and interpretation using SPSS (Part 2). This is a great opportunity for students to learn how to analyze their own data, which is becoming an extremely valuable skill in research, academia and the workplace. This workshop will be split into two parts.
This is an introductory workshop intended to students with minimal to no knowledge of SPSS. Basic knowledge and understanding of statistics would be a great asset.
Please bring a laptop for your own use during the workshop with SPSS installed on it. The latest version of SPSS can be downloaded for free from the CCS Software Distribution website.
Please note: All software installation must be done before the workshop, please ensure you follow any account creation or software installation instructions. Out of courtesy to the class, we will not be able to troubleshoot software set up during the class time. If you have any issues, please contact the IT Help Desk.
Register online.

Landscape Architecture Guest Lecture: Jerry Van Eyck
2019-10-03 19:00 - 21:30 | Arboretum Centre, 250 Arboretum Rd, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada
The Landscape Architecture program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development presents a guest lecture by Jerry Van Eyck, Founder and Principal of !melk, NYC. His talk is entitled “Sixth Sense.” All are welcome. Registration is required.
