TALG's lectures are held at Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Avenue in Guelph, and simultaneously streamed online. You may choose to attend in person or by watching from home. All registrants will receive a weekly email with the link to Wednesday's lecture. If you opt to watch online, please note the lecture is available only at the regularly scheduled time; lectures do not remain online for viewing at later times or dates.
We resume in September with two lecture series: Fall 2026 AM - The Future of Health, and PM - The Global Shift. Please see the series descriptions and all lecture details below, on this page. Registration will run from Monday, August 10th (9 a.m.) until Wednesday, September 9th (6 p.m.).
AM Series: Wednesdays September 16 to November 4, 2026, 10am - noon
The World Health Organization defines “good health” as a dynamic balance involving physical, mental, and social well-being. This series explores the intersection of technological innovation and health care, examining how research breakthroughs can improve our daily lives, whether it’s related to monitoring our physical health, or developing techniques to improve memory and hence mental and emotional well-being. Advances in nanomedicine are enabling a more targeted treatment for certain conditions, and a global pandemic reignited interest in vaccines for zoonotic diseases such as Lyme, while researchers continue to grapple with the challenge of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
Developing a variety of tools for building and maintaining physical, mental, and emotional well-being is a good strategy for healthy aging. We begin this series by looking at the dynamic balance between Indigenous ways of knowing and Western medicine which is fundamental to the Two-Eyed Seeing approach to promoting Indigenous health equity. We conclude with a big-picture look at human potential from a physician who contributed a great deal to medical research and then literally reached for the stars.
Katrina Graham
As Indigenous Helpers, we draw deep inspiration and guidance from the wisdom of our Elders and our Ancestors. My work is firmly guided by the belief that culture is a powerful medicine, promoting healing and wellness for individuals and communities. The method is “Heart Work,” which thoughtfully reflects the intentional practice of merging intellect and compassion to provide authentic, wholistic care, strategies and meaningful guidance. The guiding framework is deeply rooted in the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and Two-Eyed Seeing Approach, which symbolizes the essential balance across the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of well-being. The Two-Eyed Seeing approach was originally developed by Albert Marshall, a respected Mi’kmaq Elder, and means seeing from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and using both of these eyes together. This approach ensures that care is both holistic and trauma-informed, with a particular focus on the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and communities.
Katrina Graham
Katrina Graham (she/her) is a proud member of the Moose Cree First Nation, Treaty 9 Territory, and a member of the Wolf Clan (Myeengun Dodem). She also honours her Scottish and Irish heritage.
As a mid-career Registered Nurse and Osh-ka-be-wis Kwe, Katrina brings extensive and diverse experience serving Indigenous peoples across urban, remote community, and healthcare settings. Her career began in Moose Factory in 2012, providing nursing care to Elders in her Cree community. Since then, she has held diverse roles, including as a hospice nurse and community palliative care nurse, Indigenous seniors case manager, resource nurse at hospice, Indigenous patient navigator and traditional healing liaison, and director of care at a hospice.
Katrina acknowledges and respects the fact that her work and play occurs on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples, including Treaty 3 Territory, the Haldimand Tract, and the Dish with One Spoon covenant lands.
She is a mom of three and auntie to many. She and her partner are community helpers, striving to show our kids that true love and healing can occur when we care for ourselves AND others. Katrina loves the night sky, singing with the hand drum, crafting, connecting with people, reading, and the crunch of snow beneath her feet!
She looks forward to connecting with you and seeing where the wind takes us!
You may contact Katrina Graham for questions after the lecture at: Katrina@heartworkconsulting.ca
Dr. Melanie Wills
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infection in the northern hemisphere, where it poses an escalating threat to the health of Canadians. Despite over four decades of investigation into the disease and the causative pathogen, fundamental knowledge gaps remain that impact diagnostic testing, treatment, and outcome, and render Lyme one of the most polarized and politicized diseases of the 21st century. This seminar will explore the history of the disease, preventive measures to protect against Lyme, as well as clinical, scientific, and patient perspectives, including the challenges and opportunities in the research and development space. The mandate of the G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab at the University of Guelph will be discussed, with a particular emphasis on recent progress and future outlooks.
Dr. Melanie Wills
Dr. Melanie Wills completed her doctoral degree in molecular and cellular biology at the University of Guelph, investigating biochemical “wiring” in cells that cause them to misbehave and give rise to diseases like cancer. In 2017 she was appointed as the inaugural Director of the G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab at the University of Guelph, which she developed from the ground up with a mandate to improve diagnostic testing and treatment. As a chronic disease sufferer herself, Melanie is passionate about innovation that will provide better outcomes for patients.
You may contact Dr. Wills after the lecture for questions at: mwills@uoguelph.ca
Dr. Marianna Foldvari
Over the past 15 years, nanomedicine has transformed healthcare, reshaping what is possible in diagnosis and treatment. By harnessing materials at the nanoscale, scientists have unlocked entirely new ways to design medicines and approaches once considered out of reach and now entering clinical practice. At the heart of this revolution is a simple but powerful idea: when materials are engineered at extremely small sizes, their properties change dramatically. This enables breakthroughs in targeted drug delivery, allowing therapies to reach precise sites in the body, reduce side effects, and potentially eliminate disease rather than merely control it. Innovative nanoparticles made from novel biomaterials are driving advances toward smarter, more effective therapies. This lecture will highlight exciting progress in gene therapy, neuroscience, and ophthalmology, while exploring how increasingly sophisticated nanoparticle systems are designed for greater precision, functionality, and biocompatibility, paving the way for the next generation of medicines.
Dr. Marianna Foldvari
Dr. Marianna Foldvari is a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the U of Waterloo and former Canada Research Chair in Bionanotechnology and Nanomedicine. An internationally recognized expert in pharmaceutics and nanomedicine, her work focuses on non-invasive drug and gene delivery systems. She has made significant contributions to both basic and applied research, reflected in an extensive record of publications, patents, invited lectures, and research funding. She has also been active in translating research into practice, including founding pharmaceutical companies. She serves on several scientific journal editorial boards and has received multiple honours recognizing her contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and nanotechnology.
You may contact Dr. Foldvari after the lecture for questions at:foldvari@uwaterloo.ca
Dr. Bryan Hong
Our memories for past events shape how we interact with the world, understand ourselves and connect with others. This talk will introduce work with HippoCamera, a smartphone-based tool inspired by how the brain supports memory, designed to enhance real-world episodic recollection by guiding users to create and review personalized reminiscence cues. We will cover evidence showcasing robust and long-lasting benefits to memory, mood, and well-being following HippoCamera use. This work highlights how our current scientific understand of learning and memory can be used to produce effective, accessible, and easy-to-use tools for those looking to maintain memory.
Dr. Bryan Hong
Bryan Hong is currently an Assistant Professor researching memory and aging at the University of Guelph in the Department of Psychology. Broadly, his research investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying our ability to encode, organize, retain, and retrieve information. In addition, he is the co-founder and Chief Science/Product Officer of Dynamic Memory Solutions Inc., where he has been working on the development and validation of HippoCamera, a smartphone app that leverages principles from cognitive psychology and neuroscience to help mitigate memory loss for events from our day-to-day lives.
You may contact Dr. Hong after the lecture for questions at: bryan.hong@uoguelph.ca
Michele Vernet
This lecture examines how anxiety and depression affect individuals as they age, and how emotional well-being can be strengthened through practical, evidence-informed tools and strategies. Drawing on current research, the session explores how life transitions, shifting social roles, and health changes can influence emotional patterns in later life. Participants will be introduced to approaches that foster resilience, support meaningful connections, and enhance day-to-day coping. The session highlights tools that help individuals recognize their emotional responses, build supportive routines, and navigate challenges with greater confidence, clarity, and a renewed sense of agency and well-being.
Michele Vernet
Michele Vernet is a social worker with more than 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families navigating mental health challenges. Her work is grounded in compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of caregiving, shaped in part by her personal experience supporting both of her parents through neurodegenerative disease as they aged. Michele is passionate about helping others feel heard, supported, and empowered during difficult times. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, and spending quality time with her son. She values connection, lifelong learning, and creating balance through simple everyday moments and meaningful relationships.
You may contact Michele Vernet for questions after the lecture at: michele@michelevernetcounselling.ca
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Dr. Plinio Morita
As populations age and chronic disease burdens grow, health systems must shift care from hospitals into communities. Drawing on research from the Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab (UbiLab) at the University of Waterloo, this presentation explores how wearables, smart home sensors, and AI-driven analytics can enable continuous, minimally intrusive chronic disease management for older adults. Key work includes smart thermostat-based remote patient monitoring, multimodal activity recognition for aging-in-place, and mHealth tools for conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. The talk highlights how human-centred design and data quality innovations can bridge the gap between consumer IoT data and clinical-grade insights. (IoT is shorthand for “Internet of Things”, and refers to any device or object embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity).
Dr. Plinio Morita
Dr. Plinio Morita is an Associate Professor at the School of Public Health Sciences and the Director of the Network for Aging Research at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Morita is a leading researcher in the use of AI and IoT for public health, climate change, global health, and technology for supporting healthy aging. His research team (UbiLab) developed large-scale data collection ecosystems for supporting initiatives in Canada and in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in their efforts to better understand the impact of extreme air pollution on child and maternal health in those countries (with UNICEF Mongolia), the impact of heatwaves on seniors, and IoT-based systems for identifying and classifying health and climate-related misinformation.
You may contact Dr. Morita after the lecture for questions at: plinio.morita@uwaterloo.ca
Dr. Dave Williams
From the edge of the universe to the edge of human potential — Dr. Dave Williams takes audiences on an extraordinary journey through the lessons that shaped his life as an astronaut, physician, and leader. Drawing on his bestselling memoir “Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe”, Dave shares raw, riveting stories from two spaceflights, Canadian-record spacewalks, and life aboard the ocean floor — moments where split-second decisions meant the difference between life and death. But this talk isn’t just about space. It’s about what happens when we’re pushed past what we think we’re capable of, and how resilience, teamwork, and calculated risk-taking can transform how we lead, adapt, and overcome adversity. Whether facing a crisis in the operating room, the boardroom, or 400 km above Earth, Dave’s insights offer a powerful blueprint for defying limits — personal, professional, and human — and thriving when the stakes are highest.
Dr. Dave Williams
Dr. Dave Williams is an astronaut, aquanaut, physician, and CEO who has flown to space twice, logged over 17 hours of spacewalks, and became the first Canadian to live and work both in space and aboard the undersea habitat Aquarius. A former NASA Johnson Space Center director, he later led McMaster’s Centre for Surgical Robotics and served as CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre. Author of eight books, including bestseller Defying Limits, he’s a sought-after speaker on leadership and resilience. Now CEO of Leap Biosystems, he holds the Order of Canada, seven honorary degrees, and is a Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame member.
You may contact Dr. Williams after the lecture for questions at: www.astrodavemd.ca
PM Series: Wednesdays, September 16 to November 4, 2026, 1:30 – 3:30pm
The Global Shift, Challenges and Opportunities will look at some of the areas in our world that are changing, and how we are dealing with, embracing, and coping with these changes. One of the most notable aspects of this theme will be the speed at which these changes are taking place. We are experiencing change at a faster pace than ever before in our history. Some of these changes bring fabulous outcomes, such as improved communication, but with that comes the challenge to adapt to the twenty-four hour news cycle. Sources of energy are changing. What is the cost? We can travel to many places, but what about the disruptions of war and disease? The series will explore these areas of change and highlight the accompanying challenges.
Dr. Craig A. Johnson
Electrification has become an indispensable part of decarbonizing the Earth system, but the technologies that are used to reduce global emissions (including energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and – less commonly – mass transit solutions) are themselves highly dependent on destructive forms of mining and resource extraction that have significant social, economic, and ecological consequences. This is the paradox of renewable energy: as the green energy transition gathers pace, so too does its material and ecological footprint. Drawing on five years of empirical research, Dr. Johnson explores the conflicts and trade-offs that are currently reshaping the global political economy of lithium extraction in five of the world’s largest lithium-bearing frontiers: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, and Chile. With funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), he seeks to foster a broader public understanding of energy security, resource nationalism, and the politics of mining for a green and sustainable energy transition.
Dr. Craig A. Johnson
Dr. Craig Johnson is Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph in Canada. He holds a PhD in International Development from the London School of Economics, and has taught at the London School of Economics, SOAS, University College London, the Copenhagen Business School, and the University of Oxford. Dr. Johnson is the author of five books and more than 100 articles, chapters, and research reports, having conducted extensive field research in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. He is currently leading an international team of researchers that is investigating the political economy of lithium extraction for a just and sustainable energy transition – www.lithiumfrontiers.com.
After the lecture you may contact Dr. Johnson for questions at: cjohns06@uoguelph.ca
Jim Poling
The tension between “truth” and news reporting explores the precarious shifts in sourcing, mainstream media newspapers (and websites) and the disruptive arrival of Artificial Intelligence.
Jim Poling, Editor-in-Chief, The Waterloo Region Record
Jim Poling is Editor-in-Chief at The Waterloo Region Record where he directs Newsroom strategy and champions local storytelling across print and digital formats. After completing journalism studies at Ryerson in 1986, Poling built a distinguished career spanning four decades in Canadian media, which included reporting on national politics in Ottawa and serving as managing editor for The Hamilton Spectator. His commitment to free expression and anti-censorship earned him the prestigious Vox Libera Award from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. Under his current leadership at The Record, the publication also secured several National Newspaper Awards and a World Press Freedom Canada Award for its investigative reporting.
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George Takach
Most Canadians don’t know very much about Taiwan. It is a first-rate democracy with a vibrant civil society that adheres to the rule of law. Taiwan is indispensable to other countries. It produces over 90 % of the world’s most advanced semiconductor chips, including the critical chips that run the most powerful artificial intelligence software in civilian and military applications. Professor Takach's lecture will describe the importance of TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), the maker of chips for tech giants Apple and Nvidia. He will also discuss Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer and explain why Taiwan’s position is precarious, including the lessons for Canada.
Professor Takach has undergrad and law degrees from the University of Toronto, and an MA from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He practiced technology law for 35 + years as a partner at McCarthy Tétrault. During his legal career he was also an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School for 22 years. Currently he is a Senior Fellow of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. George now writes books on technology and geopolitics for a general audience, including Cold War 2.0: Artificial Intelligence in the New Battle Between China, Russia and America, published in 2024 (the Chinese-language version of the book came out in 2025). His latest book is Inspired by Taiwan, published by Sutherland House Press in January, 2026.
George will bring copies of Inspired by Taiwan for purchase and signing. All of the proceeds from the book’s sales go to Camp Scugog, a charitable camp dedicated to serving kids in difficult circumstances - campscugog.org (George was a camper at Camp Scugog in the early 1960’s).
After the lecture you may contact George Takach for questions at: georgetakach@gmail.com
Dr. Brandon Schaufele
Canada is pursuing both an energy and a climate agenda. These pull in different directions. On the energy side, the federal government has reoriented toward growth and speed, establishing a Major Projects Office to fast-track “nation-building” projects, including potential oil pipelines. On the climate side, Canada still has Net Zero legislation requiring a wholesale transformation of the energy sector by 2050. Can Canada’s energy and climate ambitions be reconciled?
The energy-climate tension revolves around a set of difficult trade-offs rather than simple choices. Citizens must wrestle with difficult issues including economic growth, affordability, energy security, environmental protection, and long-term climate goals, plus how costs and benefits are distributed across generations, regions, industries, and communities. Adding further complexity, geopolitical events can disrupt even the best-laid plans. Wars, trade disputes, and technological breakthroughs can quickly reshape energy markets and climate policies, requiring governments and businesses to adapt to an uncertain future. This talk will review how economists think about these myriad trade-offs.
Brandon Schaufele is Director of the Ivey Energy Policy and Management Centre and Associate Professor of Business, Economics and Public Policy at the Ivey Business School, Western University.
His research examines how economic incentives, regulation, and public policy shape energy and infrastructure. His work spans energy economics, regulatory economics, environmental economics, and competition policy, with a particular focus on electricity, oil and gas, climate policy, and major project development.
Brandon's research has been published in leading journals including the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Energy Economics, the Canadian Journal of Economics, and the Journal of Regulatory Economics. He has advised governments, regulators, utilities, law firms, and private-sector organizations on a wide range of policy and regulatory issues.
At Ivey, Brandon leads research and outreach activities focused on Canada's evolving energy system. Through research, student programs, and public engagement, his work seeks to improve understanding of the economic and policy trade-offs involved in energy, infrastructure, and environmental decision-making.
He is Treasurer and an Officer of the Canadian Economics Association and a past Chair of the Canadian Resource and Environmental Economics Association. He also writes on Canadian energy policy on the Ergs and Equilibrium Substack.
After the lecture you may contact Dr. Schaufele for questions at: chaufele@ivey.ca
Dr. Marion Joppe
Recent crises have forced a fundamental redefinition of global travel. The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and a tightening global economy have shifted consumer priorities from unbridled international "revenge travel" toward intentional, budget-conscious, and risk-averse behaviour. The talk will address the pandemic’s legacy, the geopolitical spillover resulting in airspace closures and regional shifts in destinations as well as the economic pressures faced by travellers coupled with surging travel inflation. It will then take a closer look at the Canadian travellers, their demographic influence on where and how they travel, and what trends can be discerned.
Dr. Marion Joppe
Dr. Joppe is a Distinguished Professor Emerita, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management, University of Guelph.
She specializes in destination policy, planning, development, and marketing, and taught responsible tourism on three continents. Prior to joining academia, she gained broad tourism industry experience in both the public and private sectors, holding senior
positions in tourism with the Ontario Government, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, financial institutions and tour operators. She has also been a member of local, provincial and federal task groups, committees, and boards, ranging from the Green Tourism Association to the Tourism Industry of Canada working on a national responsible tourism approach, and Destination Canada, where she helped create the concept of Signature Experiences.
After the lecture you may contact Dr. Joppe for questions at: mjoppe@uoguelph.ca
Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury
This lecture examines misinformation and information disorder in agri-food, climate change, and rural development through the lens of trusted advice, knowledge mobilization, and rural advisory services. Drawing on Dr. Chowdhury’s research on agricultural advisory services, climate change communication, digital development, innovation, technology adoption, and misinformation, the lecture will situate these challenges within today’s rapidly changing information ecosystem shaped by social media, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and fragmented trust in institutions. It will share insights from collaborative studies conducted across multiple regional contexts, highlighting how farmers, advisors, rural communities, and organizations assess information and respond to uncertainty. The lecture will conclude by considering how advisory systems, responsible digital innovation, and trusted knowledge networks can strengthen resilience in agri-food and rural communities.
Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury
Dr. Chowdhury is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph who studies how knowledge moves into action. His work focuses on innovation, trusted advice, and knowledge systems in agri-food and rural communities, especially in the face of climate change, digital transformation, technology adoption, and misinformation. He has led collaborative research with partners in Canada and internationally, including FAO, IFAD, SSHRC, NSERC, OMAF, and LRIC. He is the past President of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education and editor of the Journal of Education and Extension. His contributions have been recognized through several research, leadership, and knowledge-mobilization awards.
After the lecture you may contact Dr. Chowdry for questions at: chowdhua@uoguelph.ca
Dr. Catherine Connelly
AI has recently been touted as a revolutionary workplace technology that will lead to unprecedented productivity as well as mass layoffs. Are these claims credible or just hype? Prof. Connelly will explain how AI is actually being used in Canadian companies, and the implications for workplaces and workers. Her presentation will specifically consider the experiences of marginalized groups, in particular workers with disabilities.
Dr. Catherine Connelly
Dr. Catherine Connelly is a Professor and Business Research Chair in organizational behaviour, in the Human Resources and Management department of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. She is the director of the McMaster Centre for Research on Employment and Work (MCREW). Her research focuses on changing work, workers, and workplaces. She is the author of Enduring Work, a book about the Canadian TFW program. She has published 55 articles and made presentations about her research to industry and academic groups across Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Her research has been featured in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, the New York Times, and on CTV and CBC radio and TV.
After the lecture you may contact Dr. Connelly for questions at: connell@mcmaster.ca
TALG welcomes your enquiries, input and feedback! We’d love to hear from you, whether you have a question, a great topic or speaker to suggest, or are interested in volunteering.
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