Digvir S. Jayas

Dr. Digvir S. Jayas (Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan; M.Sc. University of Manitoba; B.Tech. G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India) is Vice-President (Research and International) and a Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. Prior to this, he held the positions of Vice-President (Research), Associate Vice-President (Research), 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.

As Vice-President of Council, Dr. Jayas chairs the Council and Executive Committee meetings, and is an ex-officio member of all standing committees. Dr. Jayas served as the Interim President of NSERC, on a part-time basis (November 8, 2018 to September 30, 2019), and has been a member of its Council since 2014. He is also a past member of the Committee on Research Partnerships and the Special Committee of Council on the NSERC 2020 Strategic Plan. He has chaired several Research Network site visits, a Strategic Projects Selection Panel and the Research Networks Selection Committee.

Dr. Jayas has received many awards in recognition of his research and professional contributions. In 2019, he was awarded an earned doctorate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, and the 2019 Sir John William Dawson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. In 2018, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Prior to that, he received a Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems, the 2017 Sukup Global Food Security Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, as well as the NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize in 2008. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009.

Dr. Jayas serves on the boards of many organizations including: TRIUMF, ArcticNet, Research Manitoba, Glyconet, Oceans Research in Canada Alliance and has served as President of Agriculture Institute of Canada, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Canadian Society for Bioengineering, Engineers Canada, and Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. He is currently serving as Chair of the TRIUMF Board.

Dr. Jayas has authored or co-authored over 950 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books dealing with issues of storing, drying, handling and quality monitoring of grains. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist.