Future students

Dr. Leah Jones-Crank reflects on the spring 2025 field trip course which explored the complexity of urban sustainability through a case study of Singapore. As the 10-day field course progressed, the 20 students and two instructors engaged their critical thinking skills to reflect on the environmental, social, and economic connections within Singapore.

In an article published in The Conservation, Trevor Swerdfager and Derek Armitage argue that Canada urgently needs ambitious new biodiversity law if we are to make meaningful progress in addressing the biodiversity crisis facing Canada today. 

Natasha Serrao, a SERS PhD candidate, was selected as a finalist in the 2025 SSHRC’s Storytellers Challenge. The SSHRC challenges postsecondary students nationwide to demonstrate, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how their research is positively impacting our lives, our world, and our future. Congratulations Natasha!

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Fossil fuels and our food systems

Fossil fuels are widely used all across the economy, including in food systems. Dr. Jennifer Clapp has been working with colleagues on a new project that seeks to uncover where we rely on fossil fuels in our food system to assess where and how we can shift away from them. In one podcast episode, she walks through fossil energy use associated with a typical bag of corn chips.

For International Women’s Day, Dr. Kelsey Leonard reflects on the solidarity and support she receives from the women in her Shinnecock community, why it’s important to uplift women in academia and what advancements she would like to see in the future.

The Torngat Mountains, located in northern Labrador, are home to the Torngat Mountain Caribou herd. Alex Johnson, a recent Master of Environmental Studies graduate from SERS supervised by Dr. Andrew Trant, studied the past, present, and future state of this herd.

How did a small handful of giant transnational corporations come to dominate the farm inputs sector? Dr. Jennifer Clapp’s new book, Titans of Industrial Agriculture: How a Few Giant Corporations Came to Dominate the Farm Sector and Why It Matters, details the assent of these corporations, why it matters and what can be done about it.

Dr. Jennifer Clapp's article in The Conversation argues that hunger persists across the world because we allow injustice and inequality to endure. If we are serious about ending it, we need bold political action, not just scientific breakthroughs.