Newsroom
2006
CWB Announces Recipients of Graduate Fellowships
August 16, 2006
Winnipeg – The CWB today announced the names of five agriculture students who will receive CWB graduate fellowships for the 2006-07 academic year. All are enrolled at the universities of Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta.
“The research conducted by this year’s recipients is as diverse as it is practical,” said Ken Ritter, chair of the CWB’s farmer-controlled board of directors. “It ranges from micro-electronic sensors for monitoring grain quality to integrated crop management practices aimed at decreasing protein levels in barley.”
The value of the awards range between $16,500 and $18,000 and can be renewed in subsequent years of study. Since the CWB graduate fellowship program began in 1975, it has provided support to about 160 students.
The following students are fellowship winners for 2006:
Richard Cuthbert, Winnipeg, MB – PhD student at the University of Manitoba Cuthbert’s project entails fine mapping and cloning genes which confer resistance to Septoria tritici blotch in wheat. His work is ultimately intended to reduce the amount of time required for a plant breeder to incorporate durable resistance into commercial wheat cultivars.
Suresh Neethirajan, Winnipeg, MB – PhD student at the University of Manitoba Neethirajan intends to design, fabricate and evaluate carbon dioxide and odour sensors for grain quality monitoring. Currently, spoilage inside grain bins is detected by measuring the temperature of the grain. Micro-electronic grain sensors that measure carbon dioxide and odours could alert grain producers earlier to contamination by micro-organisms.
Frank Ge, Saskatoon, SK – PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan Ge will examine the question of whether genetically modified crops can exist alongside conventional crops in Western Canada and under what circumstances their co-existence might be sustainable.
Haiyan Zhang, Edmonton, AB – PhD student at the University of Alberta Zhang intends to study the performance of beta-glucan with other food components in complex food systems. Insights from her work could enhance the industrial application of barley, provide increased health benefits to Canadians and add value to the barley grown in the Prairie region.
Kristina Polziehn, Edmonton, AB – Masters student at the University of Alberta Polziehn will study integrated crop management practices to decrease the protein content of barley while maximizing profitability. Her work could have direct influence on the value of barley in Western Canada.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. As one of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less the costs of marketing, to Prairie farmers.
For more information, please contact:
Heather Frayne,
Communications Coordinator,
Tel: (204) 984-0190