Michelle has diverse experience and passion for connecting with audiences, facilitating research, and educating others. She brings enthusiasm and clarity in her delivery, ensuring that complex ideas are accessible and engaging for everyone.
SPEAKER
Engaging Brands and Organization
Soil Health Institute / Invited guest / Dec 2025
A panel featuring McCain Foods’ Michelle D’Souza, Dairy Management Inc’s Karen Scanlon, Cargill’s Jennifer Stack, Nestle Purina Pet Care’s Dr. Shandréa Stallworth, and Field to Market’s Carrie Vollmer-Sanders discuss the role of brands and organizations in scaling soil health.
Potatoes New Brunswick Tradeshow & AGM
Woodstock, New Brunswick / Invited guest / Feb 2026
Presented to growers and suppliers on “Pathways to Success: Working Towards Global Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Partnership with McCain Foods.”
Regenerative Chef Symposium
The New Farm Centre / Invited guest / Sept 2025
Michelle was a guest speaker from McCain Foods speaking to the how and why McCain Foods is shifting their supply chain to regenerative practices as part of a transformative day at The New Farm Centre dedicated to chefs and culinary professionals who want to deepen their connection to the land and lead the future of food and wine.
Soil Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture
Future of Agriculture Podcast / Invited guest / Mar 2025
Michelle and host Tim Hammerich have a great conversation about McCain’s commitments, how the progress has been so far, and how their farms of the future are designed to serve as farm-scale laboratories for regenerative transition. We also discuss why biodiversity should be a goal we should strive for in agriculture, who is responsible paying for soil conservation, and a whole lot more.
Scotia Horticultural Congress 2025 “Adapting for Growth and Opportunity”
Horticulture Nova Scotia / Plenary speaker and invited panelist/ Jan 2025
Participated as a plenary speaker and distinguished panelist in the 2025 yearly congress themed ‘Adapting for Growth and Opportunity‘ on the potential of “Leveraging DNA metabarcoding in Agriculture: Building the tools for scalable soil health assessment”
Nova Scotia Climate Smart Farming Forum
Horticulture Nova Scotia / Invited speaker / Feb 2024
D’Souza ML (2024) The role of emerging technologies in supporting a global transition to more sustainable farm systems. Nova Scotia Climate Smart Farming Forum, Greenwich, Nova Scotia, Feb 29.
Future you: How to build a career in environmental sustainability
Canada Foundation for Innovation / Invited speaker / Nov 2023
Participated as a distinguished panelist in the session titled ‘Future you: How to build a career in environmental sustainability’ to discuss her career path, highlight the diversity of careers available in STEAM, and inspire young researchers to solve pressing environmental problems.
Climate Emergency, Smart solutions for a sustainable future
Genome BC Annual Genomics Forum / Invited speaker / May 2022
Participated as a distinguished panelist in the session titled ‘Agri-Smart: Feeding the World in a Changing Climate’ to emphasize the crucial role of genomics in mitigating the climate-related obstacles encountered in agriculture.
Partners in Research Canada (PIR)
PIR Live Event / Invited speaker / May 2019
Led an immersive webinar engaging high school students nationwide in Canada on an enlightening biodiversity assessment project that collaborated with rangers and scientists to gain insights into insect populations in South Africa, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Stellenbosch University
Invited speaker / Stellenbosch, South Africa / May 2019
Gave a seminar at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, titled: ” Interpreting beta diversity with time: an assessment of local- and broad- scale patterns in arthropod communities.”
FACILITATOR
7th Meeting of the iBOL Scientific committee
University of Guelph / Guelph, ON, Canada / Oct. 2018
Communicating effectively as we transition from BARCODE 500K to BIOSCAN: Led discussion with diverse stakeholders at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics on the design objectives for the International Barcode of Life website on the onset of the $180-million
BIOSCAN project.
Canada-Americas Trade Related Technical Assistance (CATRTA)
DNA barcoding workshop facilitator / Honduras / Aug. 2016 – Feb. 2017
Organized and delivered impactful workshops aimed at strengthening technical expertise and knowledge in DNA technologies. Actively facilitated dialogue among key stakeholders, including Honduran government regulatory agencies, biodiversity researchers, and other relevant parties, to explore the potential adoption of DNA-based identification methods for economically and ecologically significant organisms.
D’Souza ML, (2017) What DNA barcoding can do for conservation in Honduras: results from 4 years of summer sampling in the cloud forests of Cusuco National Park. First National Workshop on Advancing DNA Barcoding in Honduras, Zamorano University, Honduras, Jan.19-20 (Spanish ver.)
DNA barcoding research facilitator
Operation Wallacea / Honduras / Jun – Aug. 2016
Organized and executed impactful DNA barcoding projects in support of conservation objectives within Cusuco National Park. Led the training of junior staff in the collection, identification, preservation, and export preparation of invertebrate samples. Mentored and supervised volunteers and student researchers in the field, guiding their dissertation projects. Actively contributed to volunteer recruitment initiatives in Ontario, Canada.
TEACHER
Teaching Assistant University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
University of Guelph, Guelph, ON / Jan. – Apr. 2013 – 2017
Led comprehensive seminars enhancing student understanding of lecture concepts and assignments in various biology courses. Mentored over 100 students, providing guidance on biological identification, statistical analysis, and scientific writing. Courses included Methods in Evolutionary Biology, Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems, Conservation Biology, Biostatistics for Integrative Biology, and Discovering Biodiversity.
Michelle Lynn D'Souza 