WINNIPEG – May 24, 2017 – North Forge Technology Exchange is pleased to welcome Paul Vogt and Dr. Digvir Jayas to its Board of Directors.

Both bring a wealth of experience to the board, said Chairman Stuart Henrickson. Vogt is the President and CEO of Red River College, while Dr. Jayas is Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba.

“Uniting academia with the private system is critical,” said Henrickson. “We’re pulling together for the long term benefits of the innovation ecosystem in Manitoba.”

“At Red River College, our vision is focused on innovation and finding solutions to build a better future. This vision aligns perfectly with North Forge and all we can accomplish by working together,” said Vogt.

“We all share a common goal,” said Dr. Jayas. “Now we share a place at the table where we can get to work ensuring entrepreneurs have the resources they need to excel,” said Dr. Jayas. “Collaboration is the key to our success.”

Paul Vogt is the President and CEO of Red River College. Paul holds a B.A. (Honours) in Political Studies at the University of Manitoba, where he earned a Rhodes Scholarship and pursued graduate studies at Oxford University (where he earned an MPhil Politics degree) and at Princeton University.

Over the past 25 years, Paul taught at the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg and Canadian Mennonite University. He has lectured on a wide range of subjects, including public administration and governance, Canadian politics, political theory, feminist theory and economics. He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Manitoba in 2013/14 and taught in the University of Manitoba’s and University of Winnipeg’s Masters in Public Administration program.

Paul was head of the public service in Manitoba for eight years. He served as an Executive in Residence at the University of Manitoba and advised on the development of a multi-year post-secondary education strategy for Manitoba.

He was the 2013 recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Public Service, the 2014 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration and the 2015 recipient of the University of Manitoba’s Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Digvir Jayas is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist. He was educated at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India; the University of Manitoba, and the University of Saskatchewan. Before assuming the position of Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba, he held the position of Vice-President (Research) for two years and Associate Vice-President (Research) for eight years. Prior to his appointment as Associate Vice-President (Research), he was Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department Head of Biosystems Engineering, and Interim Director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.

Digvir held a Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems, and he conducts research related to drying, handling and storing grains and oilseeds and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry. He has authored or co-authored over 900 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books dealing with issues of storing, drying, handling and quality monitoring of grains.

He is the recipient of the 2008 Dr. John M. Bowman Memorial Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation Award, as well as the 2008 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Brockhouse Canada Prize. In 2009, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.