GUELPH, Ontario, 26 November, 2025 – Soils At Guelph is pleased to announce that Dr. Angela Straathof will be joining the Soils at Guelph team as Research Impact Manager in January 2026. She joins co-executive directors and Professors Kari Dunfield, Laura Van Eerd and Claudia Wagner-Riddle as well as Knowledge Mobilization and Communications Coordinator Heather White.
Dr. Straathof brings solid expertise in soil health, agricultural sustainability, and applied research coordination to the Soils at Guelph initiative. Raised on a dairy farm in Eastern Ontario, and a career connecting farmers, researchers, industry, and government, she is known for translating complex scientific objectives into programs that deliver meaningful, measurable impact on the ground.
Soils At Guelph is a collective effort to increase awareness of research initiatives, facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers, farmers, industry, government, and the public.
“I’m thrilled to contribute to the next chapter of soil health innovation at U of G and to work with such an inspiring, dedicated and collaborative team,” says Angie Straathof.
Angie’s expertise will immediately be applied to two critical initiatives within Soils At Guelph, including Dr. Laura van Eerd’s research through the Charlotte Products Ltd Chair in Net Zero Soil Management, and the work supported by the Weston Family Soil Health Initiative to advance soil health research and sector engagement with research outcomes across Ontario.
“Angie’s expertise complements and strengthens the Soils At Guelph team as she brings both technical depth and an international perspective to synthesizing research into strategic insights that guide decision-making,” says Prof. Van Eerd.
Angie has a PhD in Soil Biology and Chemistry from Wageningen University and Research Centre (The Netherlands), and post-doctoral experience from the University of Manchester’s Soil Ecosystem and Ecology lab (England). Angie previously led major provincial initiatives, including the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring Program (ONFARM), Ontario’s largest soil health monitoring program, and the multi-stakeholder Living Lab – Ontario collaboration, where she oversaw multidisciplinary teams, designed farm-scale research networks, and championed farmer-oriented innovation.
Angie has served as a long-term member of the Soils at Guelph Strategic Advisory Board. She is a respected convener and mentor, contributing to advisory groups shaping Canadian agriculture and supporting early-career professionals across networks, including through Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle’s NSERC CREATE Climate Smart Soils program.
This new role harkens a bit of a home-coming for Angie, as she completed an MSc degree in the School of Environmental Science with Drs Wagner-Riddle and Dunfield at the onset of her career. With her unique blend of scientific rigor, complex project management experience, collaborative leadership, and a practical understanding of production agriculture, Angie strengthens Soils at Guelph’s capacity to accelerate soil research impact across Ontario and beyond.
If you would like more information about this announcement or the Soils at Guelph Initiative, please contact: soils@uoguelph.ca, or visit www.soilsatguelph.ca
