Tracey Smith

Boyd's Bio

Dr. Boyd Mori is an Associate Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Agricultural Entomology in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. His research group focuses on developing integrated pest management strategies for insect pests of field and horticultural crops. Boyd combines foundational and applied research incorporating behavioural, chemical, and molecular ecology to understand and exploit the biology of insect pests, their host plants, and natural enemies.

Boyd has worked on insect pests across a wide variety of field crops including alfalfa, canola, quinoa, red clover, pulses, and wheat. He has garnered over $4.1 million in research funding since 2019. Recently, a major focus of his research group is investigating the impact of generalist predators and the potential threat of insecticide resistance across prairie cropping systems.

He currently leads a laboratory consisting of 10 graduate students (6 PhD, 4 MSc), 2 postdoctoral fellow, 2 full-time technicians, and numerous undergraduate research assistants.

Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science

Charles's Bio

Charles Russell is the owner of Plains Pantry Pemmican, where he leads interactive workshops that bring the art of pemmican-making to life. Blending traditional Blackfoot teachings with modern science, Charles helps participants explore how this traditional Indigenous food continues to offer value in today’s world. His sessions create a bridge between traditional knowledge and contemporary understanding through storytelling, hands-on learning, and food.

Michelle's Bio

Michelle DuBois is 21 years old and specializes in cow-calf beef farming, with her certificate in beef production from Olds College. Michelle comes from a non agricultural background and has paved her own path into the agriculture industry and is currently working on a local beef/grain operation. She is planning to go to school this winter for business to enhance her agricultural opportunities.

Young Agrarians

Jamie's Bio

Jamie Gervais Rietveld is a passionate advocate for food literacy and positive societal impact. With a degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Alberta, Jamie focused in nutraceuticals, complimenting earlier studies in dietetics at Southeast Missouri State University.

In response to a corporate takeover, Jamie founded FoodImpact, an initiative that delivered nutrition and food education to Alberta’s elementary schools for 11 years until the 2020 pandemic disrupted operations. During this period, Jamie pursued further education in Marketing at the University of Calgary, gaining experience in product development and social media marketing. This sparked an interest in psychology, leading to studies at Athabasca University in decision-making, behavioral science, and learning psychology.

Currently, Jamie is a graduate student in Transdisciplinary Research and a graduate research assistant at the University of Calgary, where her research bridges marketing, public health, and education to explore decision-making around food choices for youth. To address reduced funding for food education in low socioeconomic status communities, Jamie established the Food Discovery Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing food literacy education to children and disabled individuals in need.

Jamie’s enthusiasm for learning, exploration, and creating meaningful change continues to shape her impactful journey.

FOOD IMPACT