Guelph Chapter
Description
The Guelph SYP Chapter was formed in the of fall 2006. The goals of the chapter,
which is based at the University of Guelph, are:
- To increase communication among students and young professionals involved in water
management issues on campus and elsewhere;
- To provide networking opportunities among students, young professionals, and professionals
involved in water management issues; and,
- To participate and support the Mentorship Program the CWRA is currently launching.
The main focus of our chapter is to provide students and young professionals with
a forum for information exchange and learning, and a forum for networking. We will
typically meet about once a month to discuss water related issues and plan upcoming
activities.
The organizing committee has two team leaders, one facilitator, and three communicators.
We are currently working on activities that will create awareness of the Guelph
Chapter and provide opportunities for learning and networking. Some of the proposed
activities include:
- informal discussion seminars on water issues
- “meet & greet” events (creating links with the Chapter and professionals)
- establishing the mentorship program in Guelph, and
- creating a chapter Web page to be linked to the SYP site
Many students and young professionals have expressed their interest to be active
members of the Guelph SYP Chapter. Current membership ranges from about 27-35, including
grad students from the departments of Geography, Rural Planning and Development,
Capacity Development and Extension, Land Resource Science, Consumer Studies, Food,
Agricultural & Resource Economics, Integrative Biology and the School of Engineering,
among others.
Events
- SYP Social and Professional Mixer
-
Event Date: Thursday, March 29, 2007
Event Location: University of Guelph
The purpose of the event, which was held in the Landscape Architecture Building of the University of Guelph, was to bring together students and water resources professionals for an informal evening of social interaction. Approximately 30 people attended the event, with a good cross-section of students, young professionals and professionals from academia, government, industry and NGOs. These included the Universities of Guelph, Waterloo, and Western Ontario, Conservation Ontario, GRCA, Canadian Water Network, Trout Unlimited Canada, CF Crozier & Associates, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, and OMAFRA.
The strongest points of the event were: - Keynote speaker: Dr. Isobel Heathcote provided a very inspiring talk on her long career in water management. We provided her with a list of questions to guide her discussion beforehand. This questions related to the types of things we were interested in, such as the importance of mentors in her career, her experiences in academia and outside academia, and lessons learned. - Food: We provided nice refreshments that were appreciated by professionals that drove from other places to attend the event in Guelph after a long day of work. - Student posters: We showcased several posters from students in the chapter, and they contributed to the professional yet relaxed atmosphere of our event.
More information on the event