Dean’s Message
Welcome to the latest issue of ReachOut magazine!
From the stories in this issue, one thing that stands out to me is how we are moving towards transdisciplinary research more than ever. Today, finding solutions that help balance the needs in our food system with planetary health means we have to take a wide approach, considering the natural, social, and health sciences, and involving people who may be impacted by future changes.
I invite you to read one example of an alumna working at Microsoft Research. As a member of their Urban Innovation team, Madeleine Daepp aims to make communities more liveable by promoting health equity and fostering climate adaptation using new technology to develop insights for the general public and others. She’s addressing large challenges by drawing upon diverse experts, from political scientists to epidemiologists to computer scientists, as she works towards improving communities.
Another example are the two new faculty members in our Food and Resource Economics program who have seen the benefits of combining economics with other disciplines, such as ecology, engineering and computational sciences, to better inform planners and policy makers. One of them has interviewed farmers in Southern Ontario to understand their important considerations when it comes to making land-use decisions on their sites.
I hope enjoy reading about the dynamic people featured in this issue of ReachOut magazine.
Have a safe and healthy lead up to the holiday season!
Sincerely,
Rickey Yada
Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
