Dean's office

Martin Scanlon is the Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Scanlon’s research explores the mechanisms of change in the physical and chemical properties of food materials during processing and culinary operations. He is keenly interested in how food processing changes the mechanical properties of food materials, and seeks to design better tasting foods with improved nutrient profiles. For example, his innovative work examining bubbles in bread and noodle dough using ultrasound and the Canadian Light Source synchrotron has opened up new avenues of research that connect to food quality and Canadian wheat production.

He has disseminated his work in three books, 315 publications (190 peer-reviewed), and 45 reports to external funding agencies. He holds two patents and with his collaborators has brought in over $21.3 million in research funding. He has been active in professional activities, sitting on the editorial boards of two scientific journals and participating in governance roles for scientific societies. He was the first Canadian recipient of the AACC International George W. Scott Blair Lecture Award for exceptional ability in research areas involving rheology and texture as related to cereal-based products. In 2023, he received the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Gold Harvest Award with his AAFC colleague Dr. John Shi.

Dr. Scanlon is currently the President of Canada’s Deans Council for the Faculties of Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Medicine. He has participated on several national and provincial advisory panels, including the Scientific Advisory and Innovation Committee of Bioenterprise Canada, Protein Industries Canada Roadmap Advisory Committee and the Food Development Centre advisory panel, as well as service to NSERC’s Discovery and Strategic grants panels.

In addition to his research and service, Dr. Scanlon is an inspirational teacher, and has advised or co-advised over 100 postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate student researchers. His commitment to teaching excellence has inspired students to think creatively and critically, and he has been recognized with University of Manitoba student-nominated awards at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Scanlon earned his doctorate in Food Science from the University of Leeds and joined the University of Manitoba faculty in 1991. Prior to his appointment as Dean, he served as acting head of the Department of Food Science, as the Faculty’s associate dean (research), and as the chair of U of M’s National Centre for Livestock and the Environment. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Canadian Grain Commission Grain Research Laboratory in Winnipeg and the Flour Milling & Baking Research Association in Chorleywood, England.

Dean's Message

I am pleased to present the Annual Report for the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences for the 2023-2024 academic year. This report will provide a glimpse of the activities and accomplishments of our students, staff and faculty members as we educate and innovate to strengthen and grow Manitoba's agrifood systems. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our students, staff, faculty, and partners for their dedication and contributions to our shared mission. Together, we are shaping a vibrant future for Manitoba's agrifood systems and beyond, ensuring that resilience, innovation and excellence remain at the core of everything we do.

Download the 2023-2024 Annual Report