Adel Sedra, former engineering dean at UW, has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada in an announcement made on June 30 listing all 83 appointments to the Order of Canada. Sedra was one of four people recognized on the list of appointments to have connections to UW.

All the appointments were made on April 17 by the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, and is one of Canada’s highest honours. The Order of Canada recognizes Canadians and non-Canadians across all parts of the country who have “made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation,” states the Governor General of Canada’s website. 

Sedra served as the seventh dean of engineering at UW from 2003 to 2012 and had his contributions recognized on campus through the naming of the Sedra Student Design Center. His educational background comes from both Cairo University and the University of Toronto and he was originally born in Egypt. Sedra went on to hold multiple positions at the University of Toronto starting in 1969 as an associate professor and ending in 2002 as vice-president, provost and chief academic officer. After his nine years as dean at UW, Sedra continued to teach an undergraduate course in electrical engineering up until 2020. 

A statement on UW’s website explained that Sedra specialized in microelectronics and his research focused on applications in communication and instrumentation systems, including the theory and design of circuits. Sedra also co-authored multiple textbooks, such as microelectronic circuits, which is considered a definitive textbook and reference in the education of more than a million students worldwide.

Sedra’s legacy at UW is best represented by his creation of two academic strategic plans: Vision 2010 and Vision 2015. Through these plans, more senior positions were added to the faculty, the number of professors increased, external research funding doubled and three new engineering programs were launched. Additionally this highlighted the need for more space to support academic success in the engineering faculty which resulted in the creation of E5, which houses the Sedra Student Design Center, and E6.

Investiture ceremonies for the Order of Canada are held multiple times a year at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.