SCOTTISH STUDIES OFFICE
Melissa Turner
Melissa Turner joined the Centre for Scottish Studies in 2021 as the Administrative Coordinator. Melissa has worked in post-secondary education for nearly thirty years and has spent the last sixteen at the University of Guelph in various student services and administrative positions. Melissa works closely with the Scottish Studies Foundation Chair, faculty, students, and partners to support the smooth operation of the Centre. In her administrative role, Melissa coordinates the Centre's communications, events and special initiatives, including collaborations with the Scottish Government Office in Canada.
The Interdepartmental Group in Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph was established in 1967 by Professor Stanford Reid to co-ordinate graduate studies in the history, literature and culture of Scotland and Scottish settlements in Canada. From these beginnings it has expanded to offer several dedicated undergraduate courses and a Master of Arts and a PhD program in history. The degrees are offered through Guelph's involvement in the Tri-University History Graduate Program, which operates in concert with the history departments of the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.
At present, special emphasis is on Scottish history from the 14th to the 20th centuries, and Scottish mobility, migrations and settlement. Faculty's research areas and areas of interest include medieval and early modern history; the political, cultural and social history of the 18th to early 20th centuries; women and families in medieval and modern Scotland; and modern Scottish tourism and travel histories.
In addition to the resources represented by faculty members in Scottish Studies, the archives at the University of Guelph (McLaughlin Library) are home to one of the largest collections of Scottish and Scots-Canadian material outside of Scotland. Consisting of both manuscript and printed sources, this collection covers a broad range of documents from the fourteenth century through to the twentieth century. You can learn more about the Scottish Studies Collection, browse digital exhibits and contact Archival & Special Collections staff by visiting the Library's website.
For more information on Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph, including faculty and student contacts and research interests, graduate programs and upcoming events, visit the Centre's website or contact the Scottish Studies Office:
Scottish Studies Office
MacKinnon Building, Room MCKN 1008
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1
Email: scottish@uoguelph.ca
