Irrigation Council
Willemijn Appels
Dr. Appels is the Mueller Applied Research Chair in Irrigation Science at Lethbridge College. She and her team investigate how new developments in precision agriculture and irrigation can be implemented in southern Alberta. This research is shaped in close collaboration with local producers, the provincial government, and the irrigation districts. Hailing from the Netherlands, Willemijn trained as a hydrologist at Wageningen University.
Rufa Doria
Dr. Doria is an expert in irrigation water management and has been involved in interdisciplinary research and developmental projects nationally and internationally. After completing her PhD in Bioresources Engineering in 2011, Rufa focused on the development of an irrigation model to assess the impacts of climate change on crop water requirements. Rufa undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research Centre working on crop and ecological modelling. Rufa has been a sessional instructor for agricultural courses both at the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College. Rufa currently owns and manages Doria and Doria Canada Immigration Consulting Inc., and is licensed as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant.
Mark Miyanaga
A third-generation farmer, Mr. Miyanaga currently operates a farm along with his two cousins in southern Alberta, having learned much about farming from his grandfathers, father and uncle. Mark holds an Irrigation Technology Diploma from the Lethbridge College. With the large role irrigation plays on his farm, Mark has considerable first-hand experience in a variety of irrigation methods. Mark has been responsible for maintenance and scheduling of irrigation systems for over 25 years and manages 30 employees during the harvest season. Mark has also been an active member on many non-profit boards including Potato Growers of Alberta and the Alberta Vegetable Growers (Processing). In addition, Mark enjoys outreach activities that allow him to discuss his love of agriculture and how food is grown in Alberta.