Digvir S. Jayas

Distinguished Professor Dr. Digvir Jayas was educated at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India; the University of Manitoba, and the University of Saskatchewan. Before assuming the position of Vice-President (Research and International), he held the position of Vice-President (Research) for two years and Associate Vice-President (Research) for eight years. Prior to his appointment as Associate Vice-President (Research), he was Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department Head of Biosystems Engineering, and Interim Director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist.

Dr. Jayas held a Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems, and he conducts research related to drying, handling and storing grains and oilseeds and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry. He has authored or co-authored over 800 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books dealing with issues of storing, drying, handling and quality monitoring of grains. He has collaborated with researchers in several countries but has had significant impact on development of efficient grain storage, handling and drying systems in Canada, China, India, Ukraine and USA.

Dr. Jayas has received awards from several organizations in recognition of his research and professional contributions.  He is the recipient of the 2008 Dr. John M. Bowman Memorial Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation Award, as well as the 2008 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)  Brockhouse Canada Prize.  In 2009, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.  He has received professional awards from Agriculture Institute of Canada, Applied Zoologists Research Association (India), American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Canadian Academy of Engineering, Canadian Society for Bioengineering, Engineers Canada, Engineering Institute of Canada, Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, Manitoba Institute of Agrologists, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), National Academy of Sciences (India) and Sigma Xi.

Dr. Jayas serves on the boards of many organizations including: NSERC, ArcticNet, Composite Innovation Centre, Engineers Canada, ISIS Resource Centre, Genome Prairie, International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID), MabNet, Manitoba Institute of Agrologists (MIA), Research Manitoba, Cancer Care Manitoba Projects Grants and Awards Committee, TRIUMF, and TRTech.  He is also chair of the board of directors of RESOLVE, a prairie research network on family violence, and of the advisory board of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, a research centre dedicated to the discussion, discovery, and development of functional foods.  He has served as President of Agriculture Institute of Canada, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Canadian Society for Bioengineering, and Manitoba Institute of Agrologists.