Permanent Staff
Speed River Project Coordinator
The Speed River Project Coordinator is responsible for managing OPIRG’s Speed River Project, which includes the Adopt-A-Riverside project. The Speed River Project Coordinator works with OPIRG staff, students and the broader community towards enhancing the ecological health of our rivers. Neighbourhood-based naturalization initiatives and educational programming form the heart of this project.
Email: speedriver@opirgguelph.org
Kiran Bhattarai (she/her) has a wealth of knowledge and experience about community development and environmental sciences. She also has international experiences on social and environmental activism.
Coordinator of Volunteer Programming and Community Engagement (Volunteer Coordinator)
The Coordinator of Volunteer Programming and Community Engagement manages the volunteer program and provides training and support for volunteers and Action Groups. The VPCE also works with other organizations to bring speakers and programming to the campus and wider community.
Omorowa Eguakun (she/they) is a passionate individual that is committed to Black and Indigenous liberation, and solidarity amongst other marginalized communities. She is excited about developing sustainable spaces for folks in her communities to learn about and directly challenge power and oppression on all levels. Omorowa is always learning and growing as the center of her praxis. This means learning from and centering the lived experiences of those in the margins, while also stepping back for people to be able to step forward and share their stories. Through learning from various movements, they aim to radically shift how we show up for one another and our methods of support. This curiosity shows up in transformative justice and abolitionist practices.
Email: vpce@opirgguelph.org
Coordinator of Organizational and Policy Development (Organizational Coordinator)
The Organizational Coordinator is responsible for organizational and policy development, Board support and development, and work associated with Ontario PIRG (the provincial network of PIRGs). This position is also responsible for managing OPIRGs’ physical space, administrative systems, bookkeeping and financial reporting, and equipment purchases and maintenance.
Email: organizational@opirgguelph.org
Mandy Hiscocks (she/her) is well known for her dedication and understanding of a range of issues. She has lived in Guelph for 30 years, many of which were spent studying and working at the U of G, so she has an in-depth knowledge of the campus and the community. Mandy is happiest when the OPIRG office is full of busy, enthusiastic people.
CONTRACT STAFF
Canada Summer Job Staff
People’s History Project Researcher
The People’s History Project Researcher is a temporary staff person who is responsible the overall operations of the annual OPIRG People’s History Project.
This position is only active in the summer, and is sometimes funded by a Canada Summer Jobs grant.
Emails: php@opirgguelph.org and/or phpr@opirgguelph.org
Ecological and Heritage Walking Tour Coordinator
The Walking Tour Coordinator is a temporary staff person responsible for running the Ecological and Heritage Walking Tour during summer.
This position is only active in the summer, and is made possible through a Canada Summer Jobs grant.
Email: srpevents@opirgguelph.org
Chief Returning Officer
Email: cro@opirgguelph.org
WORK STUDY STAFF
The OPIRG Work Study Support Staff are temporary staff who are responsible for assisting full-time staff in aspects of their work, engaging in training and skill-building, and taking on project specific tasks related to the organization. The Work Study program is run by the university and provides part-time employment for eligible students.
Assistant Library and Archives Coordinator
The Assistant Library and Archives Coordinator aids in the overall operation, function and promotion of the Radical Resource Library and the OPIRG Local/Provincial Archive. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Email: library@opirgguelph.org
Researcher
The Researcher contributes to ongoing work as well as projects of interest to them. Some examples of past research are related to sustainable and ethical purchasing policies and practice at the University of Guelph, the people in the U of G community whose work relates to OPIRG’s mandate, the Board of Governors’ progress on their commitment to divesting from fossil fuels, and the environmental and human rights records of corporate donors to the university. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Email: research@opirgguelph.org
Social Media Assistant
The Social Media Assistant runs OPIRG Guelph’s social media accounts and puts out the weekly newsletter. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Email: socialmedia@opirgguelph.org
Events and Programming Support
The Events and Programming Support staff person assists in planning, running and promoting OPIRG events. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semestersEmail: programming@opirgguelph.org
Organization Representative
The Organization Representative sits in OPIRG Guelph’s seat on the Central Student Association Board of Directors and attends Student Leaders and Administration Meetings on our behalf. They also assist with promoting our work through information tables, classroom talks, and speaking in meetings of other clubs and organizations. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Email: rep@opirgguelph.org
Archives Assistant
The Archives Assistant works on maintaining, promoting, and adding to OPIRG Guelph’s physical and digital archives. This position is active in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Email: archives@opirgguelph.org
Speed River Projects Event Support
The Speed River Project Event Support staff person assists in planning, running and promoting tree plantings, park maintenance, invasive species control and river cleanup events. This position is active in the Fall and Spring/Summer semesters.
Email: speedriversupport@opirgguelph.org
Isabella Nardulli (she/her): Isabella is an Event Support Worker for the Speed River Project with OPIRG. She joined OPIRG because she’s passionate about understanding environmental impacts, and learning how local actions can create real change. She is currently in her fourth year studying Biological Science, and she’s excited to support events that bring people together, build community, and inspire others to join in this journey of making a difference. Apart from her studies, Isabella enjoys staying active and creative, whether through playing sports or exploring different art forms like crocheting, painting, and drawing. Additionally, she is passionate about volunteering with animals at clinics, and gaining a deeper understanding behind the scenes in the animal world.
Rebel Knowledge Symposium Coordinators
The Symposium Coordinators are temporary staff members who are responsible for the overall operations of Rebel Knowledge, OPIRG’s annual Social and Environmental Justice Symposium.
The start date and length of these contracts, the number of hours per week, and the number of people in the position varies from year to year.
Symposium Coordinator, Outreach and Promotion
Email: symposium_outreach@opirgguelph.org
Illyria Volcansek (she/her) is a queer writer, idea gardener, future-dreamer, and environmental educator. She is also a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Program at the University of Guelph, currently studying Ecology and Creative Writing. Her work centers on the overlooked, ranging from non-charismatic species conservation to the hidden world of rotting logs. She volunteers with the Guelph Tool Library, takes part in community theatre, and chairs the UoG Improv Club. She firmly believes that community care should incorporate all our relations.
Symposium Coordinator, Planning and Logistics
Email: symposium_logistics@opirgguelph.org
Isabella “Issy” De Tullio (she/they) is an emerging artist, and arts worker based in Guelph, Ontario. Working across multiple disciplines, Issy invites viewers to reconsider where we assign value and how we define worth. Their work critiques social systems that prescribe conformist identities and productivity-based purposes. Exploring the tensions between what is intrinsic, inherited, and imposed, Issy offers radical love within frameworks built to be demanding and repressive. Through humble materials and layered storytelling, their work honours lives made abundant through resourcefulness, resilience, and reverence for simple blessings. Issy is proudly queer, curious, and passionate about mutual learning. She is excited to apply her ongoing commitments to community, art, activism, and education as she works with OPIRG to coordinate the 2026 Rebel Knowledge Symposium.