About Dr. Digvir Jayas

Dr. Digvir S. Jayas, P.Eng., P.Ag., FAZRA, FASABE, FCSBE, FAIC, FCIFST, FCAE, is Associate Vice-President (Research), Distinguished Professor, and Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems at the University of Manitoba. Prior to assuming this position, he was Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Department Head of Biosystems Engineering. Dr. Jayas has also served as the Interim Director for the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist. He has taught courses in the areas of food engineering, finite element method, and instrumentation and controls.

Dr. Jayas conducts research in the areas of physical properties of agricultural products; modified atmosphere storage of grains, oilseeds, potatoes, and meats; mathematical modelling of biological systems; and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry. His research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through Operating and Strategic Grants and by the Agri-food industry through Operating Grants and Contracts and covers a broad spectrum between basic and applied research. He has authored or co-authored over 650 technical articles in refereed scientific journals, conference proceedings, and books. He is co-editor of two books entitled "Stored-Grain Ecosystems" and "Insect Pests of Stored Products: A Global Scenario" and co-author of a book entitled "Grain Drying: Theory and Practice."

Dr. Jayas has received professional awards from the Canadian Society of Bioengineering (CSBE), the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM), the Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC), Manitoba Institute of Agrologists (MIA), Engineers Canada (formerly Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE)), and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). He has served as a member and chaired the Strategic Grant Selection Panel and Research Network Selection Committee of NSERC, has served on the Executive of the Genome Prairie and TRLabs, and has served as President of the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board of the CCPE, CIFST, CSBE and APEGM. Dr. Jayas is currently serving as a member of the Boards of the Directors of Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, the Composite Innovation Centre, TRLabs, Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative, Genome Prairie and Agricultural Institute of Canada and as a member of the University Advisory Group of Industry Canada. Dr. Jayas was educated at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India; University of Manitoba, Canada; and the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.