Dan Colcuc

Dan Colcuc is a MSc Candidate in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. His MSc thesis is looking at managing novel forage cover crops to enhance nitrogen credits and subsequent corn yield. By completing this research, he hopes to incentive to farmers to plant more cover crops in Ontario, hence increasing the sustainability of Ontario agriculture.  

Growing up on a fruit and cash crop farm in Woodstock On, Dan has been involved in the agriculture industry since early childhood. This natural interest led him to the University of Guelph, where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 2021. Throughout these years, he worked within a variety of agricultural sectors including primary agriculture, retail as well as research. It was during his last two summers of his undergraduate degree where he developed a passion for research, which led him to pursue a MSc degree. As sustainability is one of the primary focuses on his family farm, it is no surprise he chose this area of research.  

Outside of school, Dan enjoys staying involved within the school community through various organizations including the Plant Agriculture Graduate Student Liaison Committee as well as the Graduate Students Association serving as a general director. When he has some downtime, Dan enjoys working on his family farm, working out, golfing and watching sports.  

In the future, Dan would like to continue to pursue his research interests in soil health and sustainability. At the same time, he would like to stay involved in his family farm and continue to implement the knowledge gained through his research on his own farm. 

Paige Kennedy

Paige is a Master’s student at the University of Saskatchewan studying under the supervision of Dr. Melissa Arcand. Paige is also a scholar in the CREATE – Climate Smart Soils program: a collaborative graduate training program that works to address climate change through a soil science lens. Paige’s current research evaluates the potential impacts that cover crops have on soil health in the Canadian Prairies, primarily through analyzing the presence, abundance, and shifts in soil microbial communities.

 Originally from rural Ontario, Paige’s passion for agriculture started as a young child. Working on a family farm one summer, Paige’s interest in soil microbiology was piqued through on-farm soybean inoculant trials where the microbial interactions were obvious by way of nodulation.

 In 2020, Paige obtained her BSc. in Agriculture from the University of Guelph, with a Major in Crop and Horticultural Sciences and a Minor in International Development. During her undergraduate degree, Paige pursued numerous volunteer and research positions including as an entomology student researcher, agronomy volunteer overseas with a Christian organization called Guatemala HOPE, agriculture writer for the student newspaper, and chairperson of the student organization Universities Fighting World Hunger. Paige also worked on the SAK book project, which aims to provide resources to subsistence farmers in Latin America, South and East Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.

 Paige moved to Saskatchewan in 2020 to pursue her MSc. in soil science and decided to supplement her studies with agronomy training specific to Western Canada. Paige completed a certificate in agronomy from Olds College in 2021 and is currently a student affiliate member of the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists.

 Paige plans to stay in Western Canada when she finishes her degree and hopes to pursue an industry career in agronomic research or agricultural extension work, while farming with her partner. Outside of her studies, Paige volunteers as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters Saskatoon, and enjoys travelling and all things outdoors, including fishing, camping, and snowboarding.