Maple Leaf Award
This award is given to honour members of the CSBE/SCGAB who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the profession. It is the highest award made by the Society in recognition of leadership in the profession. The award is given for outstanding personal qualities, society activities, and professional abilities. The award recipient is selected from nominations from five members of the CSBE/SCGAB and must receive the unanimous consent of the Awards Committee. The recipient must have been a member of the Society for at least ten years.
Ce prix est remis à un membre qui s'est distingué par ses qualités de chef au sein de la profession. C'est le prix le plus prestigieux de la SCGAB/CSBE et il est remis en reconnaissance de leadership pour l'avancement de la profession. Il souligne des qualités personnelles, des activités au sein de la SCGAB/CSBE, une contribution remarquable et des compétences professionnelles. Le récipiendaire est choisi parmi les candidats mis en nomination par cinq membres. Il doit recevoir l'appui unanime des membres du comité des distinctions. Le récipiendaire est membre de la SCGAB/CSBE depuis au moins dix ans.
Nomination Form
2021 Maple Leaf Award
Dr. CHANDRA MADRAMOOTOO is nominated for his contributions to engineering in agricultural, food and biological systems for service to CSBE/SCGAB and ASABE through Extension, Teaching, Research, and International activities. Dr. Chandra A. Madramootoo obtained his Ph.D degree in Agricultural Engineering from McGill University in 1985. He was elected to the CSBE/SCGAB grade of Fellow in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of soil and water resource engineering, teaching, and service to the Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE/SCGAB). He is also a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). In 2012, the University of Guelph awarded him a DSc (Honoris Causa) degree and Convocation Address, to recognize his contributions to soil and water quality research in Canada. McGill University rewarded his achievements by granting him the James McGill Chair (McGill’s equivalent of CRC Tier I). He was also awarded the prestigious Jim Beamish Award by the Canadian Society of Agricultural Engineering for making outstanding contributions in teaching, research, extension, and industry in soil and water engineering. For his major contribution to the field of agricultural drainage, he was inducted into the International Drainage Hall of Fame in 2012. He became a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of engineering. Finally, Dr. Madramootoo served from 2005 to 2015 as the Dean of Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Associate Vice-Principal, Macdonald Campus, McGill University.
2019 Maple Leaf Award
Dr. Ali Madani has made significant contributions in teaching, research and service to academia and profession over the past 30 years. Dr. Madani was a professor at the Agricultural Engineering Department, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, Nova Scotia from 1984 to 2011. He was appointed as an adjunct professor at McGill University in 2011. He has served the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE) in various roles such as Chair, ASAE Drainage Research Committee, Chair of Drainage Benefits of the ASAE, Chair of Advisory Committee on Soil & Water of Atlantic Committee on Agricultural Engineering, Editor for the CSBE Newsletter, and Chair, CSBE Awards Committee. He also served as the CSBE Manager/Secretary from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Madani supervised, co-supervised, and was involved in educating more than 50 postgraduate students, post-doctoral fellows, visiting professors/scientists, etc. Dr. Madani and his research team received significant research funding to support these students and their research. He has published more than 250 papers in refereed journals, refereed conference proceedings, and conference papers. He is very well recognized for his contributions nationally and internationally. Dr. Madani is a worthy recipient of the Maple Leaf Award.
2018 Maple Leaf Award
Ramesh Rudra P. Eng. receives the CSBE Maple Leaf Award for his outstanding contributions to soil and water engineering and non-point source pollution management in Canada, and active participation in CSBE activities at provincial national level.
Professor Ramesh Rudra joined the School of Engineering at University of Guelph in 1980 and he was promoted to the full Professor status in 1993. He was elected to the grade of Fellow by the CSBE in 2005. He was also made a Fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers in 2012. He has been Chair of CSBE Foundation and CSBE Fellow Committee since 2015. He has supervised over 80 Master’s and Ph.D. students, published more than 200 refereed publications, ten book chapters, one book and more than 550 presentations at national and international conferences, workshops and symposia.
The focus of Dr. Rudra’s research program has been on the development of agricultural nonpoint source pollution control practices for Ontario climatic conditions, including mechanics and modelling of processes at plot, field and watershed scale. His innovative contributions include the introduction of the concept of temporal variation in soil hydraulic and erosion characteristics, targeting approach for agricultural watershed management, mutli-tier approach to watershed management, and modelling and monitoring procedures to identify sources of runoff, erosion and pollution in agricultural watershedsUnder the leadership of Dr. Rudra, the Guelph group introduced the application of modelling approaches, GAMES and GAMESP, for watershed management in 1980’s and SWAT model in the Canadian Great Lakes basin in 2005. Now the modelling approach and the SWAT model is being used by many conservation authorities in the Province. His recent research work has focused on variable source hydrology, effect of climate change on precipitation and temperature regimes and nutrient management.
His recent research work has focused on variable source hydrology, effect of climate change on precipitation and temperature regimes and nutrient management.
2017 Maple Leaf Award
Qiang Zhang has been a member of CSBE and ASABE for 29 years. He has served for CSBE in various capacities as the President and the Director of the Manitoba Region. He also served as the Chair of the Local Arrangement Committee for the 2005 CSBE Annual Conference. His activities within the ASABE organization include serving as a chair or a member of many committees and boards, such as Standards Council, Nomination Committee, and Environment Air Quality. Qiang was the recipient of the CSBE Fellow in 2015 and the CSBE John Turnbull Award in 2004 as well as a recipient of several ASAE Paper Awards. Qiang is registered as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba. He has served as a member in many professional committees nationally and internationally, such as the Academic Review Committee of Manitoba Engineers and Geoscientists and the International Research Center for Animal Environment and Welfare. Qiang took many administrative duties in the past, including serving as the Department Head of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba for eight years while remaining very active in teaching and research. His publications include 88 refereed articles, two book chapters, and 130 conferences papers. In his 28 years as an educator and researcher, he has transferred his vast knowledge to many students who are now practising engineers. His research results contribute to the advancement in the areas of the grain storage structures and animal production environments. Qiang is an effective leader, an excellent teacher, a very productive researcher, and a friendly colleague to work with. He has the quality to receive the CSBE Maple Leaf Award.
Qiang Zhang est membre de la CSBE/SCGAB et l’ASABE depuis 29 ans. Il a siégé à la CSBE/SCGAB en tant que président et directeur de la région du Manitoba. Il a également été président du Comité d'arrangement local pour la Conférence annuelle de la CSBE/SCGAB en 2005. Il est aussi très actif au sein de l’ASABE où il a siégé sur différents comités et conseils, tels que le Conseil des normes, le Comité de mise en candidature et la qualité de l’air dans l’environnement. Qiang a été élu Fellow de la CSBE/SCGAB en 2015. Il a reçu le prix John Turnbull de la CSBE/SCGAB en 2004 ainsi que plusieurs prix de la ASABE pour ses articles scientifiques. Qiang est inscrit en tant qu'ingénieur professionnel auprès de ‘Engineers and Geoscientists Manitoba’. Il a été membre de nombreux comités professionnels à l'échelle nationale et internationale dont le Comité d'étude académique de ‘Engineers and Geoscientists Manitoba’, et du ‘International Research Center for Animal Environment and Welfare’, un centre international de recherche sur l'environnement et le bien-être des animaux. Qiang a été le directeur du département de génie des biosystèmes de l'Université du Manitoba pendant huit ans tout en restant très actif dans l'enseignement et la recherche. Il a publié plus de 88 articles scientifiques avec comité de lecture, deux chapitres de livres, et plus de 130 comptes rendus de conférences. Dans ses 28 ans de carrières en tant qu'éducateur et chercheur, il a transféré ses vastes connaissances à de nombreux étudiants qui pratiquent maintenant la profession d’ingénieur. Ses résultats de recherche ont grandement contribué à l'avancement des connaissances dans les domaines des structures de stockage du grain et sur l’environnement en production animale. Qiang est un leader efficace, un excellent enseignant, un chercheur très productif et un bon collègue de travail. Il possède toutes les qualités requises pour recevoir le prix ‘Maple Leaf’ de la CSBE/SCGAB.
2016 Maple Leaf Award
Professor Shiv Om Prasher joined the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University in 1983 and he was promoted to the full Professor status in 1996. He was named James McGill Professor in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Prasher received an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Dalhousie University. He was elected to the grade of Fellow by CSBE in 2007. He served CSBE as its President in 2010-11. The Society for Applied Biotechnology recognized Dr. Prasher in 2012 by awarding him with a Life Time Achievement Award. He was also made a Fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineering in 2012. Dr. Prasher has supervised over 70 MSc and PhD students and published more than 300 research articles in refereed journals and proceedings. Shiv has made significant contributions in the area of soil and water quality management. His research program has addressed the crucial challenges of sustaining agricultural production while protecting the environment. He has extensively worked on the development of on-farm pollution control practices, computer modeling of subsurface-drained watersheds, precision crop management systems, pesticide fate and transport, use of artificial intelligence in soil hydrology, and the design and operation of water table management systems. Presently, his research efforts are dealing not only with the determination of the fate and transport of emerging contaminants in agricultural soils, with particular attention to veterinary antibiotics and estrogen hormones, but also with the development of on-farm best management practices, such as constructed wetlands, soil biochar amendments, use of super absorbent polymers, to minimize this pollution.
Professeur Shiv Om Prasher a joint le Département de génie des bioressources de l'Université McGill en 1983 et il a été promu au statut de professeur titulaire en 1996. Il a été nommé professeur James McGill en 2003. En 2004, le Dr Prasher a reçu un doctorat honorifique en droit de l'Université Dalhousie. Il a été élu au grade de Fellow par la CSBE-SCGAB en 2007. Il a servi CSBE-SCGAB comme président en 2010-11. La Society of Applied Biotechnology lui a décerné le Prix prestigieux du 'Life Time Achievement Award' en 2012. 2012. Il a également été élu, en 2012, au grade de Fellow par la 'Indian Society of Agricultural Engineering'. Dr. Prasher a supervisé plus de 70 étudiants de maîtrise et de doctorat et publié plus de 300 articles de recherche dans des revues scientifiques à comité de lecture et dans des 'proceedings'. Shiv a fait des contributions importantes dans le domaine de la gestion des sols et de la qualité de l'eau. Son programme de recherche vise à résoudre les défis prépondérants visant à soutenir la production agricole tout en protégeant l'environnement. Il a beaucoup travaillé sur le développement des pratiques de contrôle de la pollution sur les fermes, la modélisation des bassins versants des sols drainés, les systèmes de gestion des cultures de précision, le comportement des pesticides dans le sol et l'eau, l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle en hydrologie, et le développement et la gestion des systèmes de contrôle de la nappe phréatique. Présentement, ses efforts de recherche sont axés non seulement sur la détermination et la mobilité des contaminants émergents (antibiotiques vétérinaires et œstrogènes) dans les sols agricoles, mais aussi avec le développement de meilleures pratiques de gestion, telles que l'aménagement de marais artificiels, les amendements de biochar au sol, l'utilisation de polymères super-absorbants, pour minimiser cette pollution.
