MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn
Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and a Professor of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn is the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and a Professor of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). She was born and raised on a mixed farm in the central parkland region of Saskatchewan, received her BSc and MSc from USask, and completed her PhD at University of California at Davis. Over the course of her academic career, she served as a Professor, Graduate Chair, Department Head and Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies), before becoming Dean in 2020.
Syama Chatterton
Research Scientist, Pulse Crop Pathology, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
Syama joined Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada-Lethbridge in July 2011 as the pulse and special crops pathologist. Her research focuses on management of root and foliar diseases of pulse crops, and molecular diagnostics and identification of soilborne pathogens. She currently leads numerous research projects on pea root rot, white mold of dry bean, and chocolate spot of faba bean. Besides her passion for pulse diseases, she also has a passion for cooking with pulses, and particularly trying all sorts of different tricks to get her kids to eat pulses.
William Gruell
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan
Bill Greuel was raised on a mixed grain and livestock farm near Bruno, Saskatchewan. After attending the College of Agriculture at the U of S, Bill began his career with Zeneca / Advanta Seeds. He first joined the Ministry of Agriculture as the Oilseed Specialist and also worked in the Agriculture Research Branch before joining BASF’s agricultural marketing group. After six years at BASF, Bill returned to the Ministry as the Executive Director of the Crops and Irrigation Branch and later as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Regulatory and Innovation. In 2018, Bill became the first CEO of Protein Industries Canada, where he remained until his appointment as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Province of Saskatchewan in August 2024. Bill is the Chair of the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation board and Agricultural Credit Corporation of Saskatchewan board and is on the boards of the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership and the Global Institute for Food Security.
Clifford Hall
Professor, South Dakota State University
Clifford Hall III professional academic career extends 30 years. Dr. Hall is currently a professor in the Dairy and Food Science Department at South Dakota State University. His primary research areas include the utilization of non-traditional crops in food products. Examples include omega-3 fortification from flaxseed in extruded bean snacks, use of pulse proteins as egg replacers, effects of extrusion on pulse components and sensory and stability characteristics of pulses, pulse flours and pulse fortified products. In addition, methods for deflavoring of pulse flours and impact of storage on pulse composition have most recently been areas of research. His efforts in pulse research were recognized by the pulse growers with the receipt of the 2024 Northern Pulse Growers Excellence Award in Research. As a service component, he oversees the annual U.S. Pulse Quality Survey for the U.S.A. pulse growers.
Lars Kamphuis
Associate Professor, Curtin University, Australia
Lars Kamphuis is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) at Curtin University. With more than two decades of research into plant disease resistance and legume genomics, he works at the forefront of improving resilience in key crops such as chickpea, lentil, lupin and canola by identifying genetic sources of resistance and advancing tools for plant breeders. His career spans post-doctoral research at CSIRO and leadership in projects addressing major plant diseases that impact agricultural productivity. Kamphuis’ work bridges genomics, pathogen biology and plant breeding to support global food security and sustainable crop production.
VP & CTO, Louis Dreyfus Company Plant Proteins Business
Dr. Manoj Kumar
Manoj is Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Louis Dreyfus Company’s Plant Proteins business for 5 years. Prior to joining the LDC group, he was Chief Technology Officer at Ripple Foods, leading the R&D, technical and product development teams working on alternative plant proteins and dairy-free food products. He worked for thirteen years at DSM, in various science and technology innovation roles of increasing responsibility, and covering multiple food ingredients sectors, including food biotechnology, food and crop protection, natural sweeteners, food enzymes, and biofuels. In parallel, Manoj has led several large research projects, some of these at universities in the US and Germany. Dr. Kumar has authored and contributed to more than fifty publications in prestigious journals and has more than twenty-five patents to his credit including new US patents at LDC . He currently serves on the board of Canadian pulse and specialty crops trade association.
Research Agronomist, University of Manitoba
Kristen MacMillan
Kristen MacMillan, M.Sc., P.Ag., CCA, brings over 10 years experience in research, extension and production of soybean and pulse crops. She is a research agronomist at the University of Manitoba where she focuses on soybean, dry bean and pea production practices and cropping systems. She also teaches courses in crop production and stays connected to farmers and agronomists through extension. Outside of research and education, Kristen keeps her boots on the ground producing crops and raising cattle with her husband and young children on their family farm in the south Interlake of Manitoba.
Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Research Chair in Protein Quality & Utilization, Professor, Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, University of Saskatchewan
Michael Nickerson
Dr. Nickerson’s research area focuses on improving the use of plant protein ingredients within the food industry, and targets five main areas: 1) protein/feedstock quality; 2) protein fractionation; 3) protein functionality; 4) ingredient modification; and 5) value-added plant-based protein innovations. Research efforts primarily focusing on proteins derived from pulses, oilseeds and grains, as well as some other alternative protein sources.
Director of Research and Development, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
Sherrilyn Phelps
Sherrilyn Phelps, M.Sc., P.Ag., C.C.A. is the Director of Research and Development for Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. She brings 30+ years of experience and passion for agriculture research and extension for Western Canadian growers and the agriculture industry.
Professor, University of Saskatchewan
Steve Shirtliffe
Steve Shirtliffe is the director of the Nutrien Centre for Sustainable and Digital Agriculture (NCSDA) in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan. Shirtliffe is also a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan where he leads the Agronomic Crop Imaging Lab. Past and current research projects have focused on phenotypic and agronomic applications of crop imaging using UAV and satellite imagery. He collaborates widely with computer scientists, plant breeders, geographers, economists soil scientists and engineers to form dynamic research groups to tackle inter-disciplinary problems related to crop production. His team uses large AI‑driven geospatial models to understand variability in crop production and builds tools that help farmers manage crops more efficiently.
President, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre
Mehmet Tulbek
Dr. Mehmet Tulbek is President of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, where he leads organizational strategy, planning, and operations under the direction of the Board of Directors. With over 30 years of global experience in agri-food research, technology, and innovation, he is recognized for advancing value-added processing across pulses, cereals, oilseeds, and plant-based foods. He holds degrees from Ankara University, Istanbul Technical University, and a Ph.D. in Cereal Science from North Dakota State University. Previously, he held senior R&D roles at AGT Food and Ingredients and the Northern Crops Institute. He serves as Board Chair of the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan, a Board Member of the Canadian Food Innovation Network, and an Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.