Dr. Steve Hranilovic is a research pioneer in optical wireless communications, an academic innovator and a technology leader developing Canadian-made solutions to bring equitable internet access to Canada’s northern, remote, and rural communities. He ranks in the top 2% of researchers worldwide, his research has been applied widely in academia and industry and he is a Fellow of the IEEE and Optica. He led the transformation of engineering education for 6,000 undergraduates, championing experiential project-based curricula. As Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, he is responsible for fostering innovation and maintaining a rich learning environment for graduate students across campus.