Four named professors emeriti in recognition of service to UM

Four retired faculty members were named professors emeriti in 2021 for their distinguished service to the University of Manitoba: Dr. Brian Amiro, Dr. Stefan Cenkowski, Dr. Don Flaten and Dr. Bogdan Slominski.

The title is one of the University’s highest honours. Individuals are selected on their distinguished service to teaching, research, creative and scholarly works and service.

Each of the awardees contributed to the Faculty and UM throughout their accomplished research and academic careers. Their nominations read:

Brian Amiro, Soil Science

Dr. Brian Amiro joined the Department of Soil Science as professor and head in 2004 and retired in 2020. During this period, he accomplished more through his teaching, research, and scholarly activities than most professors would have accomplished over a much longer academic career, in spite of his substantial administrative load during 13 of those 16 years.

Brian has been an excellent and versatile teacher, instructing a variety of courses in agroecology, agricultural meteorology, and soil and water management. He supervised seven undergraduate Agroecology student thesis projects, eight M.Sc., and two Ph.D. students. Brian was also a highly effective leader in our Faculty’s teaching programs in his roles as Head of the Department of Soil Science; Program Chair and Student Advisor, B.Sc. Agroecology Program; Associate Dean (Academic); Departmental Graduate Committee Chair, and leader for the recent review and renewal of our Faculty’s B.Sc. programs. These contributions earned Brian the Faculty’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019.

After arriving at UM, Brian acquired over $4.7 million in research grants as principal or coprincipal investigator and published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, Stanford University ranks Brian’s citation record in the world’s top 2% of scientists. As a result of his outstanding productivity, Brian has been recognized as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.

Bogdan Slominski, Animal Science

Dr. Bogdan Slominski has been a member of the UM community since 1984. He is world-renowned for his research on the development of new generation enzyme supplements with enzyme-hydrolysis products, yeast-derived products, and nucleotides serving as prebiotics and natural alternatives to antibiotics in poultry and swine nutrition.

He is an expert in new feed ingredients evaluation and a leader in the measurements of chemical composition of feedstuffs, including dietary fibre components and their relevance to feedstuffs quality and exogenous enzyme application. He has contributed to the development of low-fibre, yellow-seeded canola, and is well versed in identifying the components influencing the nutritive value of canola meal. Bogdan’s publication record for the last six years includes 34 refereed articles, 11 conference proceedings (invited presentations), 48 scientific abstracts, one book chapter, and five popular industry articles.

Bogdan has taught 5 different graduate courses and supervised 20 post-graduate theses and 19 post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists. He has received the NSERC Synergy Award, NRC/Alberta Science and Technology Award for Innovation, and has shared the American Egg Board Research Award. At his current retirement, Bogdan holds five major research grants for the total amount of over $2,200,000 and supervises graduate students and a research technician.

Don Flaten, Soil Science

Dr. Don Flaten recently retired from his position as Professor in the Department of Soil Science after 30 years of service to UM. During his long service, he served in several positions, including as Director, School of Agriculture (1987-1999); Associate Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (1990-1994); Acting Head (2002-2003) and Acting Associate Head (January-June 2013), Department of Soil Science; and Chair, National Centre for Livestock and the Environment (2008-2012).

Don has taught dozens of courses at diploma, undergraduate, and graduate levels, and served on 68 Graduate Student Committees. He has also supervised or co-supervised 22 graduate students and seven postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars. Don has published 84 articles in reputable journals as a primary or co-author, with 1990 citations and an h-index of 25 (per Scopus) indicating the high impact of his research.

His excellence has been rewarded by the 13 awards that he has received, including the Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Campbell Outreach Award, which is UM’s highest award for outreach. He also received the American Society of Agronomy Fellow Award, which is a preeminent peer recognition of his professional achievements and meritorious service (NB: a mere 0.3% or less of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow). Don has received 12 University of Manitoba and national awards related to teaching excellence at diploma and undergraduate levels. He has also received seven outreach awards from the UM, industry, and scientific societies. The two UM Merit Awards that Don has received for (1) Teaching, Service, Research, Scholarly Work and Other Creative Activities and for (2) Service are a fitting tribute to his excellence.

Stefan Cenkowski, Biosystems Engineering

Dr. Stefan Cenkowski has had a distinguished career at the University of Manitoba over his 32 years in the Department of Biosystems Engineering. His contributions to his research area of bioprocess and food engineering have been widely recognized by his peers.

He received the Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE) John Clark Award in 2005 for outstanding contribution to teaching and research, and earned CSBE Fellow status in 2012 for his exceptional contributions in bioprocess engineering. In 2015, Stefan received the CSBE Maple Leaf Award, the highest given by the society to honour members who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the profession.

Stefan is the author of two books, nine book chapters, two patents, 141 publications in refereed journals, and 152 conference papers and technical reports. He worked as editor-in-chief and as associate editor for the peer-reviewed journal Canadian Biosystems Engineering and served on many conference organizing committees. Stefan has taught a number undergraduate and graduate courses, wrote a textbook that is currently being used in a core course, and has mentored many faculty members. His contributions to student training have been exemplary, through his supervision of 51 graduate students, nine postdocs, and 48 undergraduate thesis students.