What is your position? 

Director - The Arboretum

How long have you been part of the team?

Justine started her role as Director of The Arboretum in February 2020.

Contact: justine.richardson@uoguelph.ca

Justine Richardson began as Director of The Arboretum in February 2020. As leader of a small team with a big impact across our communities, Justine brings her passion for people and the environment and people to our campus and stories. An experienced leader in university research institutes, Justine is a nature enthusiast and a champion of interdisciplinary research and learning. Justine served over 20 years running interdisciplinary university research environments, including as project manager for the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of Guelph from 2015 to 2019. In this role she supported a large team of researchers, community partners, staff, students, and volunteers to produce innovative research, communications and partnerships.

She holds a BA in History of Art from Yale University and an MA in Cultural Studies from Michigan State University. She is also an award-winning video director. Justine grew up in the Carolinian forest of the Appalachian Mountains of Whitesburg, Kentucky. She has lived in Guelph, Ontario, with her family since 2004, and is a passionate supporter of our “third spaces” – including as a volunteer at the Guelph Public Library and the Guelph Film Festival.