Black History Month 2025

Canadians and Black History: Navigating Our Multiculturalism to Strengthen Our True North

Tuesday, February 4, 2025 
2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building, 66 Dafoe Road

RSVP by January 31 to help us plan

Join us for presentations and a panel discussion by guest speakers. 

Enjoy a light lunch with foods like plantains, drumsticks, moi moi (bean cakes) and puff puffs (fried dough).

2:30 pm Dean's welcome – Dr. Martin Scanlon
2:40 pm Speaker – Dr. Afua Mante
3:10 pm Panel session – "There's more to our stories"
3:50 pm Panel discussion
4:10 pm Questions from the public/wrap up

Panellists

Dr. Rotimi Aluko, professor at the department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Rotimi Aluko

Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada where he also serves as Director of the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research. He has 26 years of research experience as an independent investigator with a focus on the structure-function properties of food proteins, peptides, and polyphenolic compounds. In addition to 327 peer-review journal article publications, he holds two patents on bioactive peptides, one of which was licensed to a Canadian nutraceutical company for the purpose of commercialization. He has produced over 100 trainees in all categories, including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers. He has received the University of Manitoba Merit Award in six different years for outstanding achievements in Research & Service. Dr Aluko has been recognized in multiple years (6 of the past 8 years) by Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher (Top 0.1% of world scientists) with published scientific journal article citation record in the top 1% globally. In 2022, he received the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding research work in proteins and co-products. He is a Fellow of several professional organization, including the CIFST, Institute of Food Technologists, AOCS, International Society of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, International Academy of Food Science and Technology, and Royal Society of Canada. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Functional Foods.

Stanley Chukwuejim

Stanley Chukwuejim

PhD candidate in Food Science at the University of Manitoba, where his research focuses on the physical and enzymatic modification of lupin proteins for improved functionality.  His academic journey bridges two continents, beginning in Nigeria where he served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti. In this role, he gained valuable experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. Stanley brings a unique international perspective to his academic work in Canada. As a recipient of the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship, he has demonstrated academic excellence through multiple scientific conference presentations and published research papers. Beyond his academic pursuits, Stanley actively contributes to the Canadian food science community as the Membership Coordinator for the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. He further demonstrates his commitment to education through his volunteer work with Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba. Stanley enjoys chess and reading in his spare time.

Tracy Karuhogo

Tracy Karuhogo

Policy analyst, community advocate, and founder of the Black Girl Talk Collective, a non-profit organization that empowers Black women by fostering skill-sharing, community building, and self-advocacy in all industries and at all levels of government. Originally from Uganda, Tracy moved to Canada in 2019 and holds a degree in Psychology. Her work is deeply rooted in addressing systemic inequities through an intersectional lens, focusing on the experiences of marginalized groups, particularly women and Black communities.

Tracy has actively contributed to anti-racism and equity efforts in Winnipeg through initiatives such as the Black Advisory Committee for Kids Help Phone , Black History Manitoba, as well as mental health advocacy. She is also the host of The Black Girl's Perspective, a youtube show that centers conversations around Black women's experiences in politics, social issues, and culture, creating a platform to amplify voices and share solutions. Additionally, Tracy is a vocal advocate for youth engagement and women's rights, speaking regularly at events on topics ranging from inclusion to systemic barriers impacting Black communities.

In recognition of her impactful work, Tracy has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch (2023) and is the recipient of the Women Empowerment Award (2024).

Dr. Afua Adobea Mante

Dr. Afua Mante

Assistant Professor of Soil Physical Processes in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Master’s degree in Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. In 2011, Dr. Mante moved to Canada as a graduate student at the University of Manitoba where she obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Fluid Mechanics, and a PhD in Biosystems Engineering with a focus on Soil and Water Management. She further broadened her experience through her Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Centre for Engineering Education and Engineering Professional Practice at the Price Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba, with a focus on Engineering Education, Indigenization, and sustainable resource development, and with the Land Remediation Group in the Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, with a focus on restoration of soil health on prime agricultural lands disturbed by oil and gas development in northeastern British Columbia. Her multi-disciplinary background and experiences inform her research program and teaching, which emphasize interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to developing and managing the soil resource for a healthy society. She teaches the senior undergraduate courses Physical Properties of Soils and Soils and Landscapes in Our Environment. At the graduate level she teaches the “equity, diversity, inclusion, and bias” sections of the course Principles of Scientific Research and Communication and co-teaches the new course offering, Water in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum. Dr. Mante has been contributing to the efforts by the Engineering and the Agricultural communities towards advancing Indigenization and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Mante serves on the Canadian Journal of Soil Science Editorial Board as an Associate Editor. She currently serves on the Board of the Canadian Food Grains Bank as the Vice Chair (2022 – present) and has previously served as the interim Chair (2024) as she continues to offer her perspectives and leadership to the organization’s mission to end global hunger and shape Canada’s contribution to international aid and development.

Dr. Francis Zvomuya

Dr. Francis Zvomuya

Professor and a former head of the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba. He holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Minnesota, USA, an M.Sc. from the University of Reading, UK, and a B.Sc. from the University of Zimbabwe. Before joining the University of Manitoba in 2008, Francis worked as a research associate at the University of Minnesota, USA, as a visiting fellow and term scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, AB, and as a research scientist at the Kutsaga Research Centre in Zimbabwe. His research interests are centered around land degradation and remediation and include remediation of contaminated sites, land reclamation, and beneficial utilization of agricultural and industrial by-products. Francis has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and has supervised more than 30 graduate and undergraduate students and several postdoctoral fellows and research associates. He teaches courses that include land remediation and statistics. Francis serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Environmental Quality and has previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Soil Science.