2024 John Turnbull Award

Sébastien Fournel obtained his BEng (2010) and MSc (2011) degrees in Agri-Environment and Agri-Food Engineering from Laval University, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Sherbrooke University (2015). Since 2018, he is a professor in agricultural engineering focusing on farm infrastructures at Université Laval, where he is the Chairholder of the Chair in Educational Leadership on Sustainable Agricultural Buildings, funded by more than 20 agricultural organizations to promote teaching innovation, research and knowledge transfer in the farm building sector. This chair has allowed the supervision of 21 undergraduate students, 3 interns, 8 MSc students, 5 PhD, 3 postdoctoral fellows and 11 research assistants. Dr Fournel currently leads +10 research projects (value of $2 M) and collaborate to +20 others with the Chair’s partners. To this date, he has submitted or published more than 25 papers and 2 book chapters, and participate to more than 80 conferences, including 39 as an invited speaker. Dr. Fournel has been an active member of CSBE/SCGAB and ASABE since 2006 and has served the society in different roles through the years: 2010 CIGR Conference volunteer, 2020-2021 CIGR Conference Local Arrangement Committee member, 2021-2022 Quebec Regional Director, and Society Manager since 2022. Between 2012 and 2017, he also served as Vice-President and President of the Quebec’s Agri-Food Engineers Association (AIAQ). Sébastien is a creative, dynamic and organized engineer. He practices his profession by emphasizing the development of knowledge, autonomy and critical thinking skills. He ensures the development of the next generation by offering them opportunities to stimulate their interests by solving problems rooted in the reality of the major challenges facing the society. For him, the future of our planet depends on the social and professional commitment open-minded and competent young engineers. Through his engineering efforts, his work in R&D and his involvement with CSBE/SCGAB, Dr. Fournel contributes significantly to a more sustainable agriculture in Canada.

Sébastien Fournel a obtenu un baccalauréat en génie agroenvironnemental (2010) et une maîtrise en génie agroalimentaire (2011) de l’Université Laval, et un doctorat en génie chimique de l’Université de Sherbrooke (2015). Depuis 2018, il est professeur en ingénierie des infrastructures et des équipements agricoles et agroalimentaires à l’Université Laval, où il a mis sur pied la Chaire de leadership en enseignement des bâtiments agricoles durables, soutenue par une vingtaine d’organisations du milieu agricole afin d’appuyer l’innovation pédagogique, la recherche et le transfert dans le domaine des constructions rurales. Cette chaire a permis l’encadrement de 21 étudiant.e.s de 1er cycle, de 3 stagiaires, de 8 étudiant.e.s à la maîtrise, de 5 étudiant.e.s au doctorat, de 3 stagiaires postdoctoraux et de 11 auxiliaires d’enseignement et de recherche. Le Dr Fournel dirige actuellement +10 projets de recherche d’une valeur de plus de 2 M$, en plus de collaborer à +20 autres avec les partenaires de la Chaire. Il a à ce jour soumis ou publié une vingtaine d’articles scientifiques et deux chapitres de livre, en plus de participer à plus de 80 conférences, dont 39 comme conférencier invité. Sébastien est un membre actif de la CSBE/SCGAB et de l’ASABE depuis 2006 et a servi la CSBE/SCGAB dans différents rôles : bénévole lors de la Conférence CIGR de 2010, membre du comité local de la Conférence CIGR de 2020-2021, directeur régional pour le Québec en 2021-2022 et directeur-général depuis 2022. Entre 2012 et 2017, il a également servi comme vice-président et président de l’Association des ingénieurs en agroalimentaire du Québec (AIAQ). Sébastien est un ingénieur créatif, dynamique et organisé. Il exerce la profession en mettant l’emphase sur le développement des connaissances, de l’autonomie et du sens critique. Il veille à l’épanouissement de la prochaine génération en lui offrant des opportunités de stimuler ses intérêts par la résolution de problèmes ancrés dans la réalité des grands défis de société. Pour lui, l’avenir de notre planète passe par l’engagement social et professionnel de jeunes ingénieur.e.s ouverts et compétents. Par ses efforts en ingénierie, son travail en R&D et son implication à la CSBE/SCGAB, le Dr Fournel contribue significativement à une agriculture plus durable au Canada.

2020 John Turnbull Award

Dr. Huiqing Guo, P.Eng., is awarded the Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE/SCGAB) John Turnbull award for her outstanding contribution to teaching, research and professional service in agricultural building systems engineering. Huiqing has been a Professor at of the University of Saskatchewan since 2002, before 2013 in the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering, after 2013 in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Saskatchewan since 2002. She is a twenty-twoyear member of CSBE/SCGAB. She has served on the CSBE/SCGAB Awards Committee since 2004 as member, Vice Chair, Past Chair; she has served as moderators/chair for numerous technical sessions at CSBE/SCGAB annual conferences, coordinated the CSBE/SCGAB President visit to the U of S, and chaired the 2006 CSBE/ASABE Regional Conference Committee. Huiqing is the recipient of one ASABE Superior Paper Award. Huiqing teaches various courses in the area of animal and plant structures and environment and remains very active in research in this area and she has expanded her research area to air quality in environmental engineering. Her research results contribute to the knowledge in the areas of animal production environment, greenhouse environment, and air emission impact assessment for agricultural sources, especially air dispersion modeling and setback determination.

2018 John Turnbull Award

Kris Dick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Director of the Alternative Village at the University of Manitoba, maintains a consulting practice, is Executive Director of the Western Wood Truss Association – SK, MB, N.W. Ont. and a registered professional engineer in five provinces. Coming out of a trade background as a Journeyman Boilermaker he brings a hands-on approach to his research and teaching. He has been the recipient of numerous teaching and outreach awards. Kris is particularly proud of the service-learning course he developed and ran in rural Honduras which provided design and construction experience for engineering students. The majority of his research has been with industry partners. His work has supported product development and evaluation and also had an impact on Canadian truss design specifications. Kris currently teaches courses in wood design, light frame structures, alternative building systems and instructs the Biosystems capstone course. His recent research involves the evaluation and development of alternative building materials such as earth, straw and hemp combined with recycled material for structural and thermal performance.

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2017 John Turnbull Award

Dr. Joy Agnew, P.Eng., has made and continues to make exceptional contributions to engineering for agricultural, food and biological systems through service to CSBE|SCGAB and ASABE and through extension, teaching, research, and professional engineering activities. In her capacity as the Director of the Applied Bioenergy Centre and as a Project Manager of Agricultural Research Services of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), she is conducting and managing leading edge research and development and engineering work in a number of fields directly related to agricultural and biological engineering. These fields include use of biomass for energy production (including solid-state anaerobic digestion, large-scale biomass processing, biomass combustion for heat and electricity generation, and optimization of biomass logistics and supply chains), assessment and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural industry, and grain storage & drying research and extension. Dr. Agnew’s work directly benefits producers as well as many other stakeholders in the agri-food industry. She is also a dedicated and talented engineering educator who teaches at the undergraduate level and also supervises and co-supervises graduate students. For all these reasons, Dr. Joy Agnew, P.Eng., is a worthy recipient for the 2017 CSBE|SCGAB John Turnbull Award.

De par son engagement dans les activités de la CSBE/SCGAB et l’ASABE, et ses activités professionnelles d'extension, d'enseignement et de recherche, la Dr. Joy Agnew, ing, a fait et continu de faire d’exceptionnelles contributions en génie pour les systèmes agricoles, alimentaires et biologiques. En sa qualité de Directrice du Applied Bioenergy Centre et en tant que chef de projet des services de recherche agronomique du Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), elle mène et gère des projets de recherches de pointe et des travaux de développement et d'ingénierie dans plusieurs domaines liés au génie agricole et biologique. Elle s’intéresse tout particulièrement aux projets portant sur l'utilisation de la biomasse pour la production d'énergie (digestion anaérobie en milieu solide, les procédés de transformation à grande échelle, la combustion de biomasse pour la production de chaleur et d'électricité, et l'optimisation de la logistique et des chaînes d'approvisionnement), l'évaluation et la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre dans l'industrie agricole, et la recherche le stockage et le séchage des grains. Les résultats des travaux du Dr Agnew sont utilisés par les producteurs agricoles et par de nombreux acteurs de l'industrie agroalimentaire. Elle est également une éducatrice en ingénierie dévouée et talentueuse qui enseigne au niveau de premier cycle et elle supervise ou co-supervise les étudiants diplômés. Pour toutes ces raisons, le Dr Joy Agnew, ing, est une candidate digne du prix John Turnbull de la CSBE/SCGAB pour l’année 2017.