Alumni NewsletterF a c u l t y o f A g r i c u l t u r a l a n d F o o d S c i e n c e s

S P R I N G 2 0 0 6 www.umanitoba.ca/afs

Celebrating 100 Years with Huge Reunion

Mark July 21-23, 2006 on your calendar and plan to be in Winnipeg! That’s when the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences will be celebrating AgCentennial 2006. We have invited all Aggies and all Home Ec grads who graduated before 1970 (the year Home Economics became its own faculty), but everyone is welcome to attend! We have an exciting program planned so bring your family and reconnect with old friends at the festivities.

To learn more, check the Faculty’s website at www.umanitoba.ca/afs/ agcentennial or contact Crystal Jorgenson at 474-9435.

How to RegisterRegistration is as easy as 1…2…3!1. Register online at www.

umanitoba.ca/afs/agcen-tennial (pay by credit card) OR

2. Fax your completed registra-tion form to (204) 474-7525 (pay by credit card) OR

3. Mail your completed regis-tration form, along with a cheque made payable to the University of Manitoba, or Visa/MasterCard information to:

AgCentennial 2006256 Agriculture BuildingUniversity of ManitobaWinnipeg MB R3T 2N2

AgCentennial Program Friday, July 21 • Class get-togethers - call

(204) 474-9946 to find out what is planned for your class

Saturday, July 22 • Welcome ceremony at the

Fort Garry Campus with key-note speakers Don and Elaine Triggs

• Lunch followed by tours on and off campus in the after-noon

• Manitoba Memories Social at the Victoria Inn Winnipeg

Sunday, July 23• Centennial Family BBQ at

Kelburn Farm, featuring live music and a children’s pro-gram

ReunionsAgCentennial Scholarship PlannedIn order to leave a legacy from this 100th year celebra-tion for our future agrologists and industry members, we have decided to create the AgCentennial 2006 Scholar-ship Fund. Any surplus funds from the registration monies will go to this fund, along with sponsorship dollars that are being raised from the agrifood industry. In addition, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives has pledged that they will match all sponsor-ship dollars, to a maximum of $150,000. If you or your com-pany is interested in participat-ing, please contact Al Raine, Fundraising Chair at (204) 934-5991 or email al.raine@jri.ca.

I invite you to take a few moments to review this year’s Alumni News-letter and learn about the ambitious projects the Faculty is undertaking. As well, you will read about the staff and students of the Faculty who have been recognized for their academic, research and community accomplishments. We are proud of them and want to share their suc-cesses with you.

Of course, we are most excited about the fact that 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. In 1906, the doors opened on the Manitoba Agricultural College, its primary purpose to educate young men in practical farming methods and young women in the area of household science.

To mark the great accomplishments of the Faculty and its many alumni, we are holding a celebration called AgCentennial on July 22 and 23 in Winnipeg which will include speak-ers, tours, social events and an opportunity to reconnect with your former classmates and teachers. I truly hope you and your family are planning to attend this festive occasion (for more information, see details of the event in this newslet-ter). To commemorate further this milestone in the Faculty’s history, we are also planning a formal ban-quet on November 6, one hundred years to the day the former College officially opened. And finally, the Diploma Class of 2007 will mark the 100th graduating class in the School of Agriculture and so we will be marking that special occasion in spring 2007.

In other developments this past year, we are happy to report the near-completion of the facilities of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment located at the Glenlea Research Station south of Winnipeg. Fundraising is ongoing

Greetings!for the second phase which includes the Glenlea Farm Education Centre. Construction has been completed of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, located in Smartpark on the Fort Garry Campus. Scientists are now busy at work in the laboratories and we anticipate the offi-cial opening of this innovative research centre later this spring.

On the education front - in September 2005 our enrolment rose by nine per-cent in the undergraduate degree pro-gram and four percent in the graduate program. Diploma is holding steady at just over 100 students in the program. We continue to market enthusiastically the Faculty to young people around Manitoba and I thank you for your own efforts in spreading the good word about the education and career oppor-tunities we offer.

In an effort to attract into the Faculty more students taking the University’s first year program, University 1, the Faculty has added two introductory level courses, “World Food Issues and Policies” and “Food Safety Today and Tomorrow”. Both were offered for the first time in this academic year and have proven very popular. I’m thrilled, first because it demonstrates that there is a broad interest amongst stu-dents to study issues of food and food production, and secondly because I am co-teaching the latter course!

I have now been with the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences for nearly two years, and I continue to be impressed by the immense pride which is expressed by our alumni, a pride that is well-deserved and well-placed. I thank you for your continued support of your alma mater, and look forward to meeting you all at AgCen-tennial 2006 this summer!

Michael TrevanDean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Construction of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment is nearing completion at the Glenlea Research Station just south of Winnipeg. The $8.8 million Centre is a University of Manitoba initiative that will address the issues facing intensive livestock agriculture at a whole farm or farm ecosystem level. The Centre has a strong research mandate with the involve-ment of 30 scientists from a range of disciplines who will study issues such as environmental health, food safety, animal well-being, production efficiency and economy. Core funding is from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund with strong support from Manitoba’s pork industry.

The site will also include the Glenlea Farm Education Centre, an interac-tive showplace where visitors will learn about every aspect of livestock and crop production from farming practices to retail sales. With 30,000 visitors anticipated annually, the Education Centre will be a valuable food production experience for students of all ages.

Biofuels Research Gets a BoostIn March 2005, Husky Energy Inc. announced a $1-million research endowment to the University of Manitoba for studies in alternative energy. Along with additional funds from Husky over the next five years, the endowment lays the foundation for the creation of three research chairs in biofuels with a focus on ethanol.

With the new research funding, researchers in the Department of Plant Science will seek to develop high-yielding Fusarium-resistant winter wheat cultivars that will meet the current and future needs of the ethanol industry. An additional focus on the bioengineering of biofuels will bring together researchers from Biosystems Engineering and other departments to improve the effi-ciency of biofuel production.

From left to right, President Szathmáry, Heather Lau, and Husky Energy Inc. president and CEO John Lau chat with plant science technician Eppie Austria

Certificates of Merit AwardedGrads Association, presented Certifi-cates of Merit to Bob Durston and Guy Johnson at the Faculty’s degree and diploma graduation ceremonies last spring. Bob and Guy are alumni of the Faculty who received the cer-tificates in recognition of their out-standing contributions to Manitoba’s agricultural community.

Bob Durston graduated with a Bach-elor of Science in Agriculture in 1967 and is a retired provincial ag represent-ative. Guy Johnson graduated with a Diploma in Agriculture in 1972 and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1978, and is a recognized livestock breeder and producer.

From left to right, President Szathmáry, certificate of merit recipient Guy Johnson and MAFSGA president Lyle DePauw

Livestock Research Centre Takes Shape at Glenlea

Conference Focuses on Positive ChangeThe Agricultural Renewal Alliance (ARA) hosted its sixth conference in October 2005 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg, which drew approxi-mately 100 participants. Themed “AgriCulture - Finding Ways For-ward”, the conference featured keynote speaker Preston Manning, founder of the Reform Party and retired Canadian Alliance MP, who spoke on channeling frustration into a positive force for change. The one-day conference also included a panel presentation on ways forward for Canadian farmers, an interactive workshop for conference partici-pants to discuss positive change for rural communities, and several guest speakers, including Michael Trevan, dean of the Faculty, and the late Ian Morrison, professor and former dean of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics.

The ARA is a coalition of repre-sentatives from agricultural organi-zations, business and government, whose mandate is to serve as a facilitation group for individuals and groups concerned about the future of agriculture and rural prairie com-munities and to provide a forum to discuss these issues.

Manitoba Farmer’s Gift Supports Wheat Research

From left to right, award recipient Golam Rasul, David Wiebe (brother of the late Willy Wiebe), President Szathmáry and Dean Trevan gather around plaque commemorating the new research fellowship

Thanks to a generous gift from the estate of the late Willy Wiebe, a farmer from the R.M. of Rhineland, an endowment fund has been set up at the University of Manitoba to support a graduate fellowship in wheat breeding and research. The recipient of the first Willy Wiebe Graduate Fellowship, announced in November 2005, is Golam Rasul, a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Agri-cultural and Food Sciences.

Born in 1929, Willy Wiebe grew up on the family grain farm near Rosen-feld, MB. He carried on the opera-tion from his parents, expanding and diversifying the operation with livestock, but his main interest was in grain production. Wiebe passed away in 2001 and although he never attended the University of Manitoba,

his estate provided a $450,000 gift to be used for breeding and research in Canadian Western Red Spring Wheat.

Through the Willy Wiebe Graduate Fellowship program, Golam Rasul will be receiving a $17,000 award for his Ph.D. studies in the 2005-06 academic year. Originally from Bang-ladesh, Golam came to the Univer-sity of Manitoba in 2003 to begin his doctorate program. He is studying pre-harvest sprouting resistance in red spring wheat under the supervi-sion of Dr. Gavin Humphreys of Agri-culture and Agri-Food Canda and Dr. Anita Brûlé-Babel of the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba.

Preston Manning meets conference participants following his keynote address

Warm WelcomesDr. Peter Jones has been ap-pointed Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Functional Foods at the University of Manitoba. Peter was previously professor of nutrition and director of the Mary Emily Clinical Nutrition Research Center in the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at McGill University. He joined the fac-ulty at the University of Manitoba as Director of the Richardson Centre of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals on November 1, 2005. Peter is also cross-posted to the Departments of Food Science and Human Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Brian Oleson, was appointed department head of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics in July 2005. Brian had previously served as the Agribusiness Chair in Cooperatives and Group Marketing. Other department heads re-appointed for five-year terms last summer were Dr. Karin Wittenberg, Animal Science, Dr. Qiang Zhang, Biosystems Engineering, and Dr. Neil Holliday, Entomology.

Dr. Brian Oleson

Dr. Ian Morrison

It was with deep sadness that we learned about the acciden-tal passing of Dr. Ian Morrison on January 8, 2006. Ian was a professor and former dean with the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Econom-ics at the University of Alberta. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences here at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Plant Science, serving as department head from 1989-95. Ian is remem-bered as an outstanding weed scientist and respected teach-er. The Ian Morrison Under-graduate Leadership Award has been established at the Univer-sity of Alberta in his memory.

In MemoriamThe Faculty, in association with the Manitoba Agricultural and Food Science Dr. Ryan Cardwell was appointed Assistant Profes-sor in the Depart- ment of Agribusiness and Agricultur-al Economics as of August 1, 2005. Ryan received his Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan and his research encompasses international trade, economic development, and applied demand and market analysis. He is teaching courses in agricultural policy and applications in agroecol-ogy.

Dr. Jason Morrison joined the Department of Biosystems Engineering as an Assistant Profes-sor on January 2, 2006. Jason holds

a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University and PhD in Computer Science from Carleton University. His research interests are in applications of computational geometry to biological imaging and biological/medical computing in gen-eral.

Dr. Peter Jones

Dr. Jason Morrison

Dr. Ryan Cardwell

Special Thanks to Our Alumni and FriendsWe would like to acknowledge the people who alone or as part of a corporation have pledged to put their money to work for the Faculty. They’ve told us to use it for scholarship and bursary funds or to put it in the Faculty Endowment Fund and use it when we need to. All of their gifts are generous and most appreciated. This money has made a big difference to the Faculty – it has, for instance, helped students struggling to pay their education bills, paid for new research equipment, refurbished classrooms, purchased projectors and sent students on field trips. Think about joining this very special club. Check Private Funding’s website at www.umanitoba.ca/admin/private_gifts/, call 204-474-9195 or 1-800-330-8066 or email private_funding@umanitoba.ca.

Garth F. ButcherHelen E. ButcherDarren L. CaddooMurray C. CalderDr. A. Barrie Campbell, O.C. and

Mavis E. CampbellColin J. CampbellDarcy P. CanersLawrence G. CardyDaniel L. CaronFerg E. ChallbornJohn M. ChangDarren M. ChapmanDr. Stan T. K. CheungEdward ChiversKevin R. ChorneyArden B. ChristiansonSusan M. ChurchGeorge A. ComrieLouise A. Cooke-TownsendKevin S. CoubroughMuriel CowanTrevor L. Cowieson and

Sandra B. A. Williams-Cowieson Patricia A. Cowper and

Kelly D. ZeringJ. L. CurrieKyle D. CurrieAllen A. CuthbertMary A. De Pauw and

Raymond R. LeBlancMurray N. DepapeDr. Ronald M. DePauw C.M.Robert J. J. DerocheDr. James E. and Dianne DexterA. Everett DixonDaryl R. DomitrukHon. James E. and

Linda R. DowneyJennifer W. DronzekDavid J. DrozdBrian G. DrummondProf. Mary E. DryburghMilton C. J. DueckJack E. and Betty EdigerKenneth R. EinarsonAdeline A. EliasBrian G. ElliotJames T. ElliottCaroline and Armin T. EnsWilliam B. EverittDr. Adam I. FenglerCraig FinniePetra G. FioreJohn L. FitzmauriceDr. Donald N. Flaten and

Tanis MinishShawn M. FosterH. J. FoxLyall R. FranckDonald A. FraserGrant FraserT. G. FraserBrian H. and Heather J.

FridfinnsonEdward A. and Cherie FriesenGerald E. FriesenCharles J. FroebeCraig V. FultonDouglas M. and Beverly A. FyfeErin M. GalbraithArchimedes G. Gamvrelis and

Erica SchultzDr. Francis G. and

Dr. Margaret L. GiesbrechtJean GilsonFabian E. J. GingrasJacqueline M. GordonYves G. GordonRobert P. GrahamRobin A. M. GrahamChad D. F. and Shelley L. GrayWilliam A. GrayLorraine L. GriffithsRalph G. and Rhonda G. Groening

Bernd P. GrumpeltAnne GuentherPerry Gustafson and

Chris S. McKinstryDonald A. and

Rhonda J. HamblinChristine M. and

Lorne T. HamblinMorley G. and

Carole-Yvonne HandfordCarl J. HavixbeckMr. and Mrs. Stew HedinMr. and Ms John HedinGlenda HedinErnest HiebertKevin B. HildebrandAlbertus HinrichsLarry R. and Shelagh K. HirchNeale R. HockleyFranklin HodgertProf. Neil J. HollidayFrederick A. and

Merianne L. HolmFelix J. and Eveline HoltmannMeredith S. HustonMarc G. HutletPamela M. IsaakWilliam G. H. IvesDr. Alexander F. Janzen and

Frieda Janzen (estate)Bruce P. and Sylvia JensenDr. Kenneth C. and

Elaine F. JohnsonDonald J. and

Daphne J. JohnsonGuy L. and Susan David

JohnsonRalph J. A. JohnsonColin Joyal and Rhian ChristieMarilyn J. M. and

Gerald J. KapitanyJodee A. KarlowskyMark D. KeatingHarry KehlerDavid J. KelnerRaymond M. KempFerdinand A. KiehnMr. and Mrs. Ronald C. KirbysonRichard H. and Rhonda KlassenJames W. KohutDr. Juanita C. KoppRobert D. KowallJanice J. KoziukHelen KraftAnastasia M. KubinecHubert J. KuypersGuy J. Lafreniere and Marion E.

Lafreniere (estate)Gregory R. LarsonJames S. LawrenceDavid J. LearDr. Thomas C. LeBoldusDouglas H. and Trudy R. LeeLarry T. LentonMark E. Lepp and Brenda A.

Tjaden LeppJohn F. and Suzanne D. LinesAndrew G. LivingstonKeith J. LloydNorm and Neta LoewenAlex R. F. MackCurtis J. C. MackinnonWilliam R. MacklemJames D. MacNairDr. Douglas J. MadderAlan A. MalcolmsonRandall W. and Anne E. ManikelClayton S. MannessCraig S. MannessStuart R. and Jane MannessSteven D. T. ManningGeorge MartensTheodore R. MautheHolly L. MayerKimberley K. McConnell

J. C. G. McDonaldMark A. McDonaldGary R. McEachernJames A. McFaddenJ. Gordon James McKenzieJason D. McLarenRobert H. and Marina McLeanMarnie L. and Eric T. McLeanDavid G. H. MclellanMr. and Mrs. John McLeodSteven G. and

Coral A. MeggisonDr. William O. S. MeredithDr. David R. Metcalfe (estate)

and Dorothy I. MetcalfeBrent M. MetcalfeJohn C. MillerProf. Gordon F. MillsGarry R. MooreGerald W. and Carol MooreDavid L. MorantzToby E. MorantzDr. Ian N. Morrison (estate)Dr. William E. and Hilda K. MuirJared C. MunroJohn R. MurrayJack B. MurtaDr. Donald L. and

Barbara F. NelsonH. Rea NesbittGailyn A. NeurenbergDr. Xianzhou NieJames G. and Viola M. NielsenJames H. NixonPamela D. OminskiGlen G. OrsakTheodore J. OstermannThomas PageRobert B. Parent and

Lynne E. Bremault ParentDr. William B. Parrish C.M. and

Donna M. ParrishG. Keith PattersonTed T. PelukP. Otto PennerRonald A. PetchDavid H. PetersDavid R. PetkauDouglas J. PetkauJames D. and Sharon J. PhilpRichard B. PiersonCalvin C. Pitura and

Barbara J. Strath-PituraJames M. PooleLawrence J. and

Carolyn J. PorhownikJames G. PotterDonald R. PoustieEdward A. and Alice M. PoyserRichard J. M. PrejetSabine PreschN. Perry PressmanDr. Mervyn K. PritchardDr. Geza J. RaczMurray D. RankinA. Brian and Beverley A.

RansomDr. William E. and

Leola I. RempelKenneth J. RempelRichard B. RempelDarrell I. ReschkeStephen W. ReykdalTami-Lee ReynoldsMr. and Mrs. J. Alden RobertsonSheila J. RobertsonRobert G. and Judith G. RoehleClaude J. A. RoelandRobert RomainAlex A. RomanykLeonard C. and

Alena L. RossnagelDr. Robert E. RoughleyDavid R. S. RourkeDr. Gabriel L. Roy

THANK YOU to: Agrivest ClubAgrotain International, L.L.CAspenheim Colony FarmsBetter Air SystemsBon Homme ColonyCanada Iceland Foundation Inc.Canadian Association of

Agri-RetailersCanadian Wheat BoardCredit Union Central of MBDairy Farmers of ManitobaDecker Colony Farms Ltd.East-Man FeedsElite Swine Inc.Faculty of Agriculture and

Food Sciences Students OrgFarm Credit CanadaGreen Acres Colony Farms Ltd.Hi-Qual Manufacturing Ltd.Homewood Colony Farms LtdHusky Energy Inc.HytekJames Farms LimitedLakefield Farm Inc.Landmark Feeds Inc.Manitoba Canola Growers

AssociationManitoba Egg ProducersManitoba Hog and Poultry DaysManitoba Horticultural AssociationManitoba Pork CouncilNew Rosedale Colony Farms Ltd.Niverville Credit Union LimitedNutri-Health GroupNvent Inc.Oak Bluff Colony Farms Ltd.Oakdale Farms Ltd.Sommerfeld Colony Farms LtdSouris River ColonySpring Valley ColonySteinbach Credit Union LimitedToronto Community FoundationWestroc Colony Farm LtdMichael J. AgarArtur S. AlexGary P. C. AmmeterStewart C. AndersonHenry A. and Marlene AndrewSamuel G. and

Catherine M. AndrewMark J. and Anita AnseeuwDr. James D. and

Sharon M. AstwoodHerbert E. Bagnall and

Mrs. H.E. Bagnall (estate)Edward M. and Phyllis M. BaileyJ. David BakerDr. Vernon S. BaronRandy N. BaronNorman BartelGrant A. BartlettFlorent G. BeaudetteCharles R. BednarDr. Claude C. BernierJeffrey D. BlixhavnPatrick A. BobinskiLesley A. BondMr. and Mrs. Kenneth G. BoothGrant E. BoryskavichDr. Luc and Anita L. BourgeoisGerald R. BourrierBernard and Audrey BrandtCarsten D. BredinDerek BrewinDr. William A. N. BrownJ. Cameron and Maxine BrownWilliam J. BrownRonald S. BrowningHoward E. and Barbara BrownleeRobert P. BrunelHarold A. BrustRonald B. BurnettDr. Walter Bushuk C.M.

Dr. James I. RudeDr. Donald F. SalmonErnest S. SambrookLloyd O. A. SandmoenShane R. SaundersRene SchaibleDennis T. SchindlerMr. and Mrs. Bradley K. SchnellBradley G. SedorRobert D. SewardDr. Carl F. ShaykewichKaren J. ShibleyDr. Steven J. ShirtliffeBrian P. and Shirley ShirtliffeDr. Leonard B. SiemensR. W. SiemensSteven G. SiemensBarrie R. and Ardith SigurdsonMaurice and Sylvia M. SigurdsonErnest J. SirskiDr. James N. SmartRobert F. SmithDr. Norman E. and Patricia StangerArthur F. StewartColin J. and Heather J. StewartGary D. StinsonWilliam W. StoeszWelland StonehouseDr. Elwood W. Stringam and

Gabrielle M. Stringam (estate)Ronald S. and Carolyn L. StruttDonald E. TarrantArthur N. TennenhouseDennis L. ThiessenEdward L. Thompson and

Dr. Elaine A. ThompsonRobert and Barbara TisdaleGarry A. and Ethyl L. ToltonDr. Robert J. TosterudDr. James S. TownsendJames N. TownsendMargaret R. TrimbleJonathan P. TrimbleLaxman TripathyVernon B. TurchynAllen J. TyrchniewiczHenry Van de VeldeHenry D. VerhoevenStephan von Cramon-TaubadelJohn B. WakelinBonnie E. WarkentineM. J. WarwickIan W. and Barbara D. WatsonDavid A. WhetterJonathan P. Whetter and

Tracey M. SalamondraDr. Noel D. G. and Sandi WhiteRaymond W. WhiteDelmont R. WhitesideWilly Wiebe (estate)Ernie A. WiensLloyd R. WilliamsDr. Arthur G. and Helen J. WilsonDr. William R. WilsonDr. James W. WiltonChristine WolfWai C. WongR. Garry WorkmanKenneth D. WrightKing-Wan WuNorval C. and Ivy YoungThomas M. YuillDr. Bryan F. and Ann Zilkey

List includes donors of $100+ to Fac-ulty of Agricultural and Food Sciences affiliated funds. Information provided by the Department of Private Funding for the period of January 1, 2005 through to December 31, 2005.

Several noteworthy awards were bestowed upon Faculty members in the past year…

Harold Bjarnason, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics and former Dean of the Faculty, was awarded an Honourary Life Mem-bership by the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. The award is in recognition of his membership and contributions to the Institute, to the practice of agrology and to the community.

Stefan Cenkowski, Biosystems Engineering, was awarded the 2005 John Clark Award by the Canadian Society for Bioengineering/La So-ciété Canadienne de Génie Agroali-mentaire et de Bioingénierie for his outstanding contributions to Biologi-cal Systems Engineering through his teaching and research in drying theory and bio-processing activities.

Don Flaten, Soil Science, received the University of Manitoba Out-reach Award for his outstanding outreach efforts. Don has served on numerous committees and associations relating to agriculture and the environment, including the Government of Manitoba Phospho-rus Expert Committee and the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board, and has shared his scientific expertise through many seminars, articles and interviews.

Bill Guenter, Animal Science, was chosen as one of the 50 leaders in the Canadian poultry industry over the past 50 years in the annual publication “Who’s Who of the Poultry Industry”, August 2004. Bill was also honoured by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the University of Manitoba as one of the NSERC 25-year grant holders at a reception on the 25th anniversary of the Council.

Rick Holley, Food Science, was announced as the winner of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology 2005 William J. Eva

Award for outstanding contributions to food science through research and science. Rick also received a Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology Outstanding Service Award from the Manitoba Section of the Institute.

Digvir Jayas, Biosystems Engineer-ing, was named Fellow by both the Canadian Society for Bioengineering and the American Society of Agricul-tural Engineers.

Martin Nyachoti, Animal Science, has been awarded the Pfizer Young Scientist Award by the Canadian Society of Animal Science for his research accomplishments, particu-larly his multidisciplinary collabora-tions. Nominees must have obtained their Ph.D. in the last 7 years. This is the third time an animal scientist from the U of M has won the award since 2000.

Jim Philp, Biosystems Engineering, was presented with the 2005 Teach-ing Award of Merit from the National Association of Colleges and Teach-ers of Agriculture.

Kees Plaizier, Animal Science, received one of six Rh Awards from the University in 2005, given to re-searchers in the early stages of their research careers and who display exceptional innovation, leadership and promise in their fields.

Ernie Steeves, Lorrie Koroscil, Scott Corbett and Gabi Sponagel-Ridder, the farm instructors in the School of Agriculture, were named the recipients of the prestigious Wilson Loree Award for 2005. The award is given annually by the Canadian Farm Business Manage-ment Council for extraordinary contribution to developing and promoting new and positive change in agricultural business management practices and expertise in Canada.

Our students:

A team of Biosystems Engineer-ing students competing in the 15th Annual Environmental Design Contest in 2005 at New Mexico State University won the Bechtel Award for Best Overall Design, tying with University of Ohio. This award is given for innovation, ease of application and cost effective-ness and consists of $2,500 and traveling trophy. The team chose to tackle the task “Arsenic Re-moval from Drinking Water”, using phytofiltration in an attempt to be environmentally sustainable and chemical free. This year’s competi-tion drew 33 teams from around the world.

Rob Duncan, a former Masters student in Plant Science and presently working for his Doc-toral Degree at the University of California in Davis is the first ever recipient of the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. Fellowship in Plant Pathology Award in the USA. Rob will receive a cash award of $20,000 per year for 4 years.

Eve Froehlich, M.Sc. student in Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, received the Douglas McRorie Memorial Scholarship, valued at $1,500. She was one of six graduate students across Canada who were awarded this scholarship by the Agricultural Institute of Canada Foundation.

Accolades

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences 256 Agriculture Building, The University of Manitoba,

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2 (204) 474-9295

Email: agfoodsci@umanitoba.ca Website: www.umanitoba.ca/afs/

MAFSGA News Endowment Fund Provides Teaching ResourcesThe Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Endowment Fund receives contributions from alumni, students, staff and friends of the Faculty, and stands at over $1.3 million to date. Each year, the interest generated by the Fund is used to provide teaching and other resources for the Faculty. In 2005, the Endowment Fund committee approved 25 projects with a total value of $93,000 in the form of computer equipment and software, classroom enhancements, teaching materials, and assistance for field trips and visiting lecturers. As well, funds were allocated for bursaries to assist diploma, undergraduate and graduate students.

The Endowment Fund committee welcomes proposals from students, staff and alumni for projects consistent with the Faculty’s academic goals. For more information on the Fund, please contact the committee chair, Dr. Bernie Dronzek at (204) 474-8229, or visit umanitoba.ca/afs/staff/ endowment.html.

The Manitoba Agricultural and Food Science Graduates Asso-ciation (MAFSGA) is a non-profit organization representing both alumni and students of the fac-ulty. MAFSGA evolved in 1997 from the Diploma Ag Grads Association (DAGA) formed in 1959. Currently, MAFSGA has about 300 members, and more are always welcome. If you’re a grad of the U of M’s Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, you should think about joining.

Some of the objectives of MAF-SGA include providing bursaries for both Diploma and Degree students and acknowledging alumni who have made signifi-cant contributions to the indus-try with a Certificate of Merit. MAFSGA is able to produce bursaries through its annual and lifetime memberships. The money from annual member-ships is used for general operat-ing expenses, while the lifetime memberships are invested in GICs. The interest raised from the GICs is awarded to selected students in the form of scholar-ships.

The Association’s website umanitoba.ca/afs/mafsga/ has a unique feature – a guest-book that allows grads to leave a message about themselves to update classmates about where they are and what they’re doing.

To join MAFSGA, visit the website and click on “Join” to access an application form, or, make out a cheque payable to “MAFSGA” ($20.00 for an annual membership, $100.00 for a lifetime membership) and mail it along with your name and contact information to: Mary Phillips, 1329 Rosser Ave. East, Brandon, MB R7A 7J2.

Grain Storage Facility OpensThe Canadian Wheat Board Centre for Grain Storage Research officially opened last March on the Fort Garry Campus. The $4.8 million project houses six research labs and a pilot-scale grain cleaning and handling structure. Above, Michael Trevan welcomes guests to the new facility at the opening ceremony.