Biography

Digvir S. Jayas
Vice-President (Research and International)

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 Associate Vice-President (Research and International) for eight years. Prior to his appointment as Associate Vice-President (Research and International), 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 has held a Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems, and he conducts research in the areas of physical properties of agricultural products; modified atmosphere storage of grains, oilseeds, potatoes, and meats; mathematical modeling of biological systems; and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry. He has authored or co-authored over 650 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books.

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 NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize.  In 2009, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.  He has also received professional awards from the Agriculture Institute of Canada,  Applied Zoologists Research Association, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientist of Manitoba, Engineers Canada, Engineering Institute of Canada, Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Canadian Society for Bioengineering, and the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists.

Dr. Jayas serves on the boards of many organizations including: Agriculture Institute of Canada (AIC), ArcticNet, Composite Innovation Centre, Engineers Canada, ISIS Resource Centre, Genome Prairie, Green Crop Network, International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID), MabNet, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, Manitoba Institute of Agrologists (MIA), Manitoba Health Research Council, St. Boniface General Hospital Research Enterprise Committee, TRIUMF, and TRLabs.  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.