Dr. Digvir Jayas walks with Student Union President Maleeka Thomas and Graduate Students Association President Jaxon Reiter at the Welcome Walk on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (Photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

University of Lethbridge’s new President and Vice-Chancellor officially starts role

Jul 4, 2023 | 1:59 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The University of Lethbridge (U of L) introduced its new President and Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

Dr. Digvir Jayas officially took over the role as the seventh president and vice-chancellor of the U of L on July 1, and the school held a ceremony and welcome walk on July 4 for his first day on campus.

Jayas comes to the U of L from the University of Manitoba, where he held the position of vice-president (research and international) for 12 years.

Jayas said, “I certainly am excited to be at the University of Lethbridge. There are a lot of opportunities at the university to take the university forward and build our relationships with the community.”

Born in India, Jayas first obtained his Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India. He then moved to Canada for graduate school, getting his master of science, agricultural engineering at the University of Manitoba (U of M), and his doctorate in agricultural engineering at the University of Saskatchewan.

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Jayas then began working as an assistant professor at the U of M’s Agricultural Engineering Department in 1985.

During his career at U of M, he took part in many research projects focused on the drying, handling and storing of grains and oilseeds, and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the agri-food industry.

Jayas said his experience researching grains and agriculture will be valuable in moving the U of L forward.

He explained, “Coming from a small town and a farming background, I’m really interested in coming to southern Alberta and an agricultural community. I want to engage with the local community and continue to build the strong relationship the University has within southern Alberta.”

In addition to his appointment as the U of L’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Jayas was named the 2023 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in Manitoba.

The award is presented by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, and, according to a news release from the U of L, recognizes “distinctive leadership in public administration or significant contributions to the field of public administration in the province.”

READ MORE: New University of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor welcomed

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