“In winter, vegetables in grocery stores in most parts of Canda are transported by truck from southern US and Mexico,” says Cha. “In addition to saving money, locally grown vegetables from vertical farms are more nutritious and taste better.”

As the fifth-largest importer of fresh vegetables worldwide, Canada spends around $4 billion importing fresh vegetables. Cha and other researchers now envision a better way to supply Canada’s vegetables, an automated vertical farming system to lower prices and address dietary-related health issues.

Smart Vertical Farms

Inside the Smart Vertical Farm.

Today there are no vertical farms with AI control systems anywhere in the world. Cha expects to bring the Smart Vertical Farming System to market within the next two years to optimize value and nutrition for local markets.

“We anticipate that smart vertical farming will play a significant future role in our winter food supply using big warehouses for cities like Winnipeg and shipping containers for smaller Northern communities,” says Cha.

With AI assisted vertical farms, producers can automatically adjust conditions including temperature, lighting, ventilation and nutrient supply to provide the best environment and yield at the lowest cost. The lighting period for plants at night to take advantage of lower electricity rates outside of peak hours.

“For example, if the market price of lettuce goes up, our AI system will adjust production conditions to boost the yield,” says Cha. “Optimization is the key here. We are currently focused on AI optimization of crop yield and quality, and resource usage to maximize value.”

Lower price and improved nutrition

Aside from saving money, freshly grown produce is also much more nutritious. Vegetables grown in a vertical farm can be sold at the grocery store the same day they are picked, by contrast imported foods often sit in containers for days or weeks before we buy them at the store.

In the next phase of the Smart Vertical Farming project Cha is working with Dr. Miyoung Suh, who has already made progress growing nutrient-enriched vegetables in AI monitored vertical farms. Suh co-leads the community-driven SMART-VF vertical farm in Opaskwayak Cree Nation which is showing potential to supplement the diets of more than 98,000 people annually.

“Providing a sustainable source of fresh produce to northern and isolated communities is a key component in the UM strategic research priority for Water and Food Security,” says Dr. Mario Pinto (Vice-President Research & International).

“I congratulate Dr. Cha and the Smart-VF team on this important partnership with Efficiency Manitoba following decades of dedicated research. While Manitobans stand to benefit greatly from this breakthrough, the smart vertical farming system is sure to positively impact food security across Canada, and indeed, around the world.”

This year’s celebration honoured 10 exemplary individuals, including a Chancellor Emeritus and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Congratulations to all the 2025 honourees.

Chancellor Emeritus

Chancellor Dave Angus and President Michael Benarroch present Anne Mahon with certificate for Chancellor Emeritus.

Ms. Anne Mahon served with distinction as the University’s 14th Chancellor from 2019 to 2025, where she brought compassion, wisdom, and a deep commitment to community to her role. A bridge-builder and philanthropist, Ms. Mahon is known for connecting people and inspiring positive change. Her work at the intersection of storytelling, community-building, and education has amplified the voices of those marginalized and often unheard.

Ms. Mahon has dedicated herself to volunteerism and advocacy, including working closely with United Way Winnipeg, founding and facilitating the Bookmates Book Club at the Women’s Correctional Centre, and volunteering with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, Humankind International, and Palliative Manitoba. Her leadership and compassion have left an enduring mark on the University of Manitoba, thereby earning the title of Chancellor Emeritus.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Chancellor Dave Angus and President Michael Benarroch present Leslie Roos with certificate for Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

The University of Manitoba was honoured to confer upon Dr. Leslie Roos the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. An influential scholar and innovative leader in population health and health policy research, Dr. Roos joined the University of Manitoba in 1973. Over the course of his distinguished career in the Faculties of Administrative Studies (now the Asper School of Business) and Medicine, he helped establish the university as an international centre of excellence in health services research and data-informed policy.

As a founder of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Dr. Roos led the creation of its internationally respected population health database, enabling groundbreaking studies on the health and well-being of Manitobans. He has played a central role in training and inspiring a generation of researchers whose work continues to shape Canadian health systems and stands among the most influential contributors to health policy research globally.

Professor Emeriti:

• Dr. Harold Aukema
• Dr. Ying Chen
• Dr. Kevin Coombs
• Prof. Herbert Enns
• Dr. Elissavet Kardami
• Dr. Eberhard Renner
• Dr. Wayne Simpson
• Dr. Qiang Zhang

To learn more about the 2025 honourees, please visit the Emeritus/Emerita Titles webpage to read their individual citations.

Emeriti titles are one of several awards given annually by the university in celebrating and recognizing the success of colleagues and other distinguished individuals. Learn about the university awards nomination process.

To listen to the full interview, please visit CBC.

Dr. Cicek is currently serving as Associate Dean (Research), a position he has held since 2021. A Professional Engineer and Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, he joined UM in 2001 after receiving his M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (1995) and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (1999) from the University of Cincinnati and gaining several years of experience working in industry. During his tenure at UM, Dr. Cicek has demonstrated excellent leadership through two five-year terms as Associate Department Head and multiple appointments as Acting Department Head.

“Dr. Cicek brings a strong commitment to collaborative and collegial leadership, student experience, Indigenous achievement, EDIA, and research excellence,” says Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic). “I am confident that he will well serve the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the University of Manitoba. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Cicek on his appointment.”

Dr. Cicek’s research and teaching interests span agricultural and industrial waste management, bioenergy and biopolymer production, and bioprocess engineering. He has authored or co-authored more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles, presented at international conferences, and supervised over 70 graduate and undergraduate students. His research has secured nearly $14.5 million in external research funding as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator.

In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Cicek received the 2018 Jim Beamish Award from the Canadian Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CSABE) and became a Fellow of CSABE in 2021. He also shared his vision for the future of food and sustainability as a guest on President Michael Benarroch’s “What’s the Big Idea” podcast. Listen to the Season 2 episode entitled Feeding the world without costing the Earth.

“I feel incredibly humbled and honored to serve as the next Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, a storied Faculty with a strong national and international profile and proud history of training the next generation of agri-food leaders,” says Dr. Cicek. “As Dean, I will be building on the Faculty’s globally recognized research programs, outstanding educational programming and instruction, high-quality faculty renewal, excellent support staff, and strong partnerships and stakeholder engagement. I will focus on creating an inspiring and dynamic work and learning environment that fosters belonging, positivity, and commitment.”

UM welcomes Dr. Cicek to his new appointment.

This dynamic competition challenges postdoctoral fellows to summerize their research into an engaging three-minute presentation using only one slide. Presenters will be evaluated by a panel of three judges on clarity, engagement, and impact. Audience members will also play a role by voting for their favourite presentation live at the event.

Eight postdoctoral fellows are set to take the stage this year, ready to share their groundbreaking work in a way that is both understandable and inspiring.

• Dr. Asim Joshi – Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dr. Mariela Rodriguez – Human Nutritional Sciences
• Dr. Masoomeh Gomroki – Food Science
• Dr. Michael Saley – Chemistry
• Dr. Monire Nobahar Ahari – Occupational Therapy
• Dr. Olabisi Akinlabi – Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Dr. Ruchira Nanasiri– Human Nutritional Sciences
• Dr. Taalia Khan – Art and Architectural History

“The 3MP competition showcases not only the depth of research happening at UM but also the creativity and communication skills of our postdoctoral fellows,” says Dr. Kelley Main, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. “The Faculty of Graduate Studies recent name change to The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies highlights the important role postdoctoral fellows play in the university community.”

The event is open to students, faculty, and the public, offering a glimpse into the research being done at UM across multiple disciplines.

Event Details:
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Location: Senate Chambers, E3-262 EITC
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Register to attend in person: https://forms.office.com/r/RUgFDMkg4V

For more information, visit the University of Manitoba’s Postdoctoral Achievements and Awards page. https://umanitoba.ca/graduate-studies/postdoctoral-achievements-and-awards

The Just Waters project is a research initiative, funded by UM’s Ignite program and supported by the Centre for Human Rights Research (CHRR). It brings together researchers from seven faculties and 10 departments, spanning the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities.

Jaimie Isaac, an accomplished artist, curator and scholar, is a member of Sagkeeng First Nation on Treaty 1 Territory with mixed Anishinaabe and British heritage. Currently serving as an artist-in-residence with the “Just Waters” project, Isaac pursues her creative work while offering workshops and research participation.

Led by Dr. Adele Perry, Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Arts, the project focuses on three key areas:

• Climate change and water
• Indigenous peoples and water (in)justice
• Histories and futures of water

In collaboration with various research centers and organizations, “Just Waters” is advancing water research through advocacy, knowledge mobilization, policy recommendations and nurturing related interdisciplinary projects.

Jaimie Isaac, Artist-in-residence, Just Waters project

Art as a tool for understanding water justice

As artist-in-residence, Isaac’s goal is to explore the question “What if the river was a person?” through her creative project “Nibi”. By using existing film, audio and projection, her work proposes the concept of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg gaining personhood, amplifying the efforts of those who have long advocated for these waterways. At its core, the project reflects a collective belief that water is sacred.

Her interdisciplinary approach also includes screen printing film stills onto nautical cloth, capturing various forms of water and waterways—bringing a unique artistic approach that invites reflection on our relationship with water.

Curatorial expertise and global impact

Isaac’s extensive curatorial experience includes leadership roles at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. She holds a degree in Art History from the University of Winnipeg and a Master of Arts from the University of British Columbia, where her studies focused on decolonizing gallery and museum practices.

Isaac’s expertise as a curator and lecturer has taken her around the world, including Norway, Finland, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Chicago and New York. Through mediums including film and public art to installations and mixed media, her work focuses on areas of Reconciliation, decolonization, Indigenous feminism, environmental justice and cultural resurgence.

Creative ways to engage with water research

On March 26, Isaac is hosting an Action through Artwork workshop on the Fort Garry campus, where participants will learn about the Lake Winnipeg watershed and screen print images onto silk canvases. The canvases will be sewn together to create a larger art piece. You can secure your spot in the workshop and learn more on the workshop registration page.

The dialogue continues March 27—Join CHRR’s Critical Conversations Speaker Series for a free evening event at WAG-Qaumajuq. Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and citizen of Fisher River Cree Nation, will join Media Indigena’s Rick Harp to discuss the mental health implications for communities whose connections to water are disrupted.

To learn more about Isaac’s work and how to get involved with the Just Waters project, visit the CHRR website and follow them on Instagram for updates on upcoming events and workshops.