Engineering excellence: Alumni making an impact

Three alumni from the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba have been recognized with the 2025 Alumni of Influence Awards for their outstanding contributions to the profession and society. This year’s honourees are Dennis Hodgkinson, Michael Gregoire, and Jitendra Paliwal.

Established in 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Manitoba, the Alumni of Influence Awards celebrate graduates who have made significant impacts in their fields.

“Our alumni have been influencers and change-makers in the various spheres within which they work and live,” says Dr. Danny Mann, Head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering. “These awards give us the opportunity to honour their achievements and inspire future generations of engineers.”

Recipients are selected by the Department’s Alumni Awards Committee, with separate categories for graduates prior to 1995 from the former Department of Agricultural Engineering and those after 1995 from the current Department of Biosystems Engineering.

Recipients for 2025

Undergraduate (pre-1995): Dennis Hodgkinson

Dennis graduated from the Agricultural Engineering program in 1976. Following a 12-year career in Manitoba’s public service as a waste management specialist and livestock building design specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Dennis successfully combined his engineering and entrepreneurial skills to found and operate DGH Engineering in 1989. The business grew from a one-man practice to an engineering firm with more than 70 employees. DGH Engineering provides engineering, design, and construction management to agricultural, industrial, institutional and commercial building projects. Specific to the agricultural engineering sector, DGH Engineering specializes in livestock barns, animal research facilities, meat harvesting & processing facilities, grain & feed milling, and crop handling, processing & storage facilities. Overall, Dennis worked for over 45 years in the agricultural and industrial building design sector until his retirement in January 2024.

Apart from his responsibilities with DGH Engineering, Dennis was active in the Canadian Society for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CSABE). He served various roles on Council including President (2009) and Vice-President (Industry). He was a recipient of the Young Engineer of the Year Award in 1984, the John Turnbull Award in 1997 in recognition of outstanding contributions to the structural field of agricultural engineering and the Fellow Award in 2018. Dennis was awarded the title of “Fellow of Engineers Canada” in recognition of outstanding support to the Engineering Profession in 2011.

Undergraduate (1995-present): Michael Gregoire

Michael graduated from the Biosystems Co-op Program in 2002, having previously completed an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Architecture. After graduating from Biosystems Engineering, he worked in consulting engineering for FWS Construction and then with Crosier Kilgour and Partners. His area of practice during his consulting years was in structural and building envelope remediation for existing buildings.

In 2008, Michael moved into regulatory work at Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba. By 2014, he moved into a leadership role as the Director of Professional Standards. In that role, Michael was responsible for managing: legislation changes; standards (guidelines and practice notes); reporting of professional development activities by engineers; investigations of complaints made against engineers; and enforcement actions against persons illegally practicing engineering. In his time at Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, Michael has overseen the following initiatives: i) Implementation of the ProDev Program, ii) Changes to The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Act (2015 & 2022), iii) A project to re-write the entirety of the Association’s By-laws (2017-2019), iv) Re-structuring of the policies and resources for the disciplinary process; and v) Implementation of e-learning modules to proactively address standards issues.

In 2023, Michael was chosen by the Council of Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba to take on the role of Interim CEO, Registrar and Secretary of the Association, eventually moving from the interim to a permanent position after a national search. Michael values his education in Biosystems Engineering and talks about his very positive experiences in the Department at public platforms. He is a great ambassador for Biosystems.

Graduate (1995-present): Jitendra Paliwal

Jitendra graduated from the MSc program in Biosystems Engineering in 1997 and again from the PhD program in Biosystems Engineering in 2002. He joined the Department of Biosystems Engineering as an Assistant Professor in 2002 where he founded the Imaging and Spectroscopy Laboratory to focus on non-invasive grain quality monitoring, leading the development of cutting-edge technologies for post-harvest processing of grains, pulses, and oilseeds. His work has led to the creation of cost-effective near-infrared (NIR) analyzers, advanced bin monitoring systems, and imaging techniques that detect spoilage precursors, significantly improving food safety and storage efficiency. His innovative adaptation of a cancer imaging modality to grain storage monitoring has achieved notable commercial success, underscoring his impact on industry and technology transfer in Manitoba.

Dr. Paliwal’s prolific research record includes over 175 peer-reviewed publications, three patents, six book chapters, and more than $12 million in competitive and contract research funding. He has mentored an impressive cadre of students and research staff, guiding 105 student theses and supervising 21 post-doctoral fellows and 7 research associates. Internationally, Dr. Paliwal holds honorary professorships at top institutions such as South China University of Technology and Amity University, and leads collaborations spanning North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. As a founding member of the International Society for Biological Shape Analysis, he bridges engineering with medicine and biological sciences.

Dr. Paliwal’s professional service includes extensive involvement with Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM), where he served as President during its centennial year, and Engineers Canada, where he currently represents Manitoba. He is a Fellow of Engineers Canada and has received multiple accolades for technical excellence, service, and mentorship, including the CSBE John Clark Award and the University of Manitoba’s Merit Award for teaching, research, and service, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Outstanding Administrator Award.

Dr. Jitendra Paliwal is a globally recognized leader in engineering research and academic administration. With over two decades of distinguished service at the University of Manitoba and now at the University of Winnipeg, Dr. Paliwal has demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing research and innovation in the fields of agricultural and biosystems engineering.