2013 John Turnbull Award
Nazim Cicek, Ph.D., P.Eng. is the recipient of the 2013 CSBE/SCGAB John Turnbull Award for his contributions to engineering for agricultural, food and biological systems in the area of waste management. Nazim’s passion for environmental stewardship is evident to all who know him. Since joining the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba in 2001, Nazim has helped to strengthen the credibility of the Department’s environmental specialization through his teaching, research, and service activities. Nazim teaches key environmental engineering courses such as Pollution Prevention Practices and Environmental Impact Assessment to engineers who end up working in environmental engineering positions in Manitoba and across the country. Dr. Cicek has established a well-respected research program in the area of wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactors. His passion for environmental stewardship is evidenced by the fact that he has also developed successful research programs in the areas of phosphorus recovery from livestock wastewater and bio-hydrogen production from cellulosic waste biomass fermentation. Materials that many view as waste are viewed as resources to Nazim; his current research activities promote the mining of these waste materials to generate value-added products. To date, Nazim is a co-author on 59 refereed journal publications and 65 refereed conference proceedings. His research has been cited more than 1100 times by other researchers. He has an excellent reputation as evidenced by his invitation to appear as an invited expert witness for the Government of Canada Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources to speak on the topic of biomass energy in 2011.
2013 Glenn Downing Award
Mr. Luc D’Amours has made significant contributions to the profession by developing innovative agricultural machinery and taking a leadership role in the manufacturing industry. Luc developed a spin-off company, FLD Biomass, in 2008 with his colleague Frédéric Lavoie to commercialize the Biobaler. This technology harvests small diameter woody crops and fibrous material and was recognized by ASABE with an AE 50 Innovation Award in 2011. In 2009, FLD Biomass merged with the Anderson Group in Chesterville, QC. Luc’s organizational skills were soon recognized as he was named Director of Operations in 2009. He now supervises 60 workers in the plant. Luc developed his design skills as an active member of Université Laval’s tractor team ULtrac during his undergraduate and graduate student years from 2000 to 2007. During ASABE ¼ Scale Tractor Competiton, ULtrac won first place in 2002 and 2nd place in 2003 and 2006. During four and a half years as a graduate student and research assistant, Luc contributed to 6 peer-reviewed papers, 23 conference presentations and 9 other publications including two patents which lead to the development of the biobaler.
2013 Jim Beamish Award
Mr. Peter Enright is a dedicated University Lecturer and Director of the Farm Management and Technology Program since 2006. The Farm Management and Technology Program at McGill University is a threeyear agriculture program equivalent to a technology diploma offered by a CEGEP in the Province of Quebec. As Director, Peter takes great care of all his students and he has done a great job at managing the program and maintaining student recruitment. As Director of the program, Peter also liaises with the Ministries responsible for Agriculture and Education in Quebec concerning budgetary, academic, and reporting issues as well as program updates and revisions. For his research interest, he has long been at the forefront of research in watershed management in the Québec context and in particular small basin hydrology, water quality and water management in agriculture. Peter has developed skills in the design, construction, installation and monitoring of rainfall, runoff, stream flow and water quality measurement systems; measurement of soil and water quality parameters; and has worked in developing, testing, and modifying computer simulation models which describe the soil-water-plant environment. These models are used to identify non-point source pollution on small watersheds, and to evaluate the impacts of various best management practices. Although now, he assumes a more administrative responsibility, he is still very dedicated to the water and agricultural fields and as part of his teaching responsibilities he is ensuring the training of the next generations of agricultural specialists and farm managers are equipped to address soil and water quality issues in a sustainable manner. A long-time member of CSBE, he has attended many conferences at ASABE, NABEC and CSBE venues.
2013 John Clark Award
Dr. Meda started at the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource (now, Chemical and Biological Engineering) Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan in August 2002. Prior to this position, Dr. Meda worked as a Project Development Officer, Office of Vice-President (research and International), McGill University during 2000-2002. He was a graduate research associate at the faculty of Agriculture and Environment Sciences, Macdonald Campus of McGill University during 1994-2000. He has extensively participated in discussion(s) /seminars conducted by CIDA, World Bank, ADB on poverty reduction, food safety and security, rural development and International agriculture topics. Dr. Meda has a well established research program on utilising electrotechnologies (microwaves, radio frequency, infrared, UV energy spectrum) for treating and processing agricultural, food, feed and biological materials in Western Canada. His expertise in drying and extraction technologies has been instrumental in revitalisation of Saskatchewan’s fruit processing industry (key example include; Saskatoon berry drying for enhanced shelf-life, neutraceutical and health benefits for industrial applications) by his contributions related to the vacuum-microwave assisted drying technology for heat sensitive products.
2013 Industrial Award
Accomplished agricultural manufacturer, Buhler Versatile Inc. has served agricultural, food or biological engineering for more than 40 years. Versatile is the first North American manufacturer to mass-produce articulated four-wheel drive tractors. Established in 1932 as an agricultural equipment manufacturer, the company has experienced progress and steady growth. The plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba has built over 100,000 tractors. Today Versatile operates several other modern manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Their products have been extended to front-end loaders, grain augers, and several types of field equipment. Over the past 10 years, Versatile continuously launched new products, including self-propelled sprayers, tillage implements, rotary combines, front-wheel assist row crop tractors, and air drills. In 2013, Versatile received AE50 Awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for their innovative ML Series air drill. This award recognizes the world's best technology innovations introduced for the agricultural, food, and biological systems industries. Versatile has employed many engineering graduates across the country. Those graduates were trained in the company and later became professional engineers. For years, Versatile has supported students’ design activities and faculties’ research at the University of Manitoba. The company’s accomplishments deserve recognition. This is why Versatile is receiving the CSBE Industrial Award.
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