Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, P.Eng., SMIEEE, EIC Fellow
Professor and BIT-OSS (PLT) Coordinator, R&D Coordinator
School of Advanced Technology
Faculty of Technology and Trades
Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, P.Eng., SMIEE, EIC Fellow is a professor and coordinator of the Algonquin College – Carleton University Joint Degree Program “Bachelor of Information Technology – Optical Systems and Sensors – BIT OSS (formerly Photonics and Laser Technology – PLT” in the School of Advanced Technology, at Algonquin College. Dr. Almuhtadi had taught several courses at different levels in the Photonics Engineering Programs (Bachelor in Applied Technology and Diploma Technology, 2002-2012), under the photonics engineering program. For many technology programs at the colleges, he has been a pioneer in design and development innovative and effective curricula based on and parallel with the industry market need. He was instrumental in developing the curriculum and key in developing the many courses for the photonics technology program and bachelor programs. He played an important role in negotiation with Carleton University for establishing the joint Algonquin Carleton Bachelor Photonics Program venture. Dr. Almuhtadi is also the R&D Coordinator at the Algonquin College Faculty of Technology and Trades. He served also as a Member of the 2017-2022 Algonquin College Strategic Plan Advisory Team.
Dr. Almuhtadi proves remarkable leadership with his strong background in high technology and engineering industry as an innovative educator and researcher, helping the College to become a Polytechnic institution.
His transformational and charismatic leadership in innovative education, experiential learning and research emphasizes compelling vision, conveying excellent performance expectations, demonstrating appropriate roles, projecting self-confidence and ability to achieve goals, and objectives. This resulted in a lasting impact and significant positive effects on student learning success and engagement with industry in conducting research projects.
Dr. Almuhtadi’s demonstrated extraordinary achievements have been an instrumental in transforming significantly Algonquin College’s education, research, and standing with its students, government, industry and other academic institutions. And thus, Algonquin’s contribution to these stakeholders has been enriching by: providing solutions and stimulating further research and student experiential learning for improving technology performance, capability and affordability within the academia and industry realm for the benefit of the society in many ways.
With the great interest generated by Dr. Almuhtadi’s unique endeavour, he is the founder of the applied research pillar at Algonquin College that led to the creation of the Applied Research and Innovations Office to handle many industry requests for collaborative research, and to increase the desire for continued research and the student’s enthusiasm for more experiential learning that produced real results. As the R&D Coordinator at the Algonquin College, Faculty of Technology and Trades, Dr. Almuhtadi continues to strengthen education leadership to enhance student experiential learning, improve student achievement, plus establish and expand student and faculty participation in numerous applied research projects. He provided academic leadership in applied research and managed 36 active and 54 proposed projects with a totaling $10.5M funded by various agencies such as: NSERC, OCE, IC, CIDA, NCIT, ORDCF, PRECARN. These research projects were distributed among faculty and students of various departments within the Faculty of Technology and Trades. He has and continues to establish very good relations with the industry, provincial and federal funding agencies, academia and engineering and technology organizations.
As a senior researcher at the College, his research projects include, for example: QoS Optimization using Adaptive Intelligence Techniques in Satellite Systems ($2.8 M); User-centric Networks: Building New User Experiences on Software Defined Networks ($0.375M); Bridging Broadband Gap: Novel Solutions for Expanding Cellular Coverage to Remote Communities ($0.375M); Remote Objective Monitoring of Bio-Signals (ROMOBS) ($0.4 M); Remote/Rural WiFi Networks ($100k); Traffic Engineering in WiMAX Mobile Networks ($300k); Traffic Engineering in WiMAX Fixed Networks ($311k); Mesh Network Multipathing/Communications Handset-Relaying Prototype ($300k); CT Wireless for Commercial Building Electrical Panels ($100k); IEEE Humanitarian Wireless WiFi Project for Latin America ($25K) and among others. Dr. Almuhtadi is an author of several technical papers and co-author of books. He supervises final year students helping them carry out their research projects with the involvement of local industry. The successful completion of the WiFi project, as an example, for rural and remote communities project and resulting further interest by Canada North, NGO’s and adapted by Asia Pacific Economic Corporation-APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group is definitely a success. However, it is the link to technology helping humanity that has pioneered transforming educational research towards a community purpose. He played an important role in the Faculty Development and Upgrading Project for Yemen supported by the Canadian College Partnership Program. Through it, Algonquin College and Confederation College have offered help to the Ministry of Vocational and Training and the Vocational, Industrial Institute in Taiz, Yemen.
Dr. Almuhtadi, upon joining Algonquin College after many years in Nortel’s R&D Optical Networks, identified the need for a state-of-the-art lab to link the academic and practical aspects of education. He is the founder and designer of a complete leading-edge Optophotonics Lab, with SONET/SDH (Nortel/Algonquin College $2.5M project) and recently with Optical Transport Network-OTN 10-100 Gb/s (Ciena 6500 Optical Packet Platform $1M project). This lab became fundamental to establishing his new photonics program and a coveted national center for high-tech small and medium enterprises-SMEs to test and validate optoelectronics/digital solutions. This lab not only supported his leading curriculum but also increased industry and government partnerships, graduated highly qualified professionals to support the latest ICT developments and to support user-to-user communications between unlimited numbers of emerging technologies and elevated Algonquin College to a polytechnic institution status. Since its conception in 2003, his lab and program continues to remain as the only state-of-the-art lab in any Canadian institution. With connectivity to the national CANARIE network, and trans-Atlantic Global Lambda Integrated Facility-GλIF network, the lab remains as a unique centre for research with global industry and academia. With multimedia streaming, the lab enables teaching and research on improving Quality of Service-QoS of optoelectronics-digital systems including Optical HDMI, VoIP, VoLTE, and IPTV.
Dr. Almuhtadi is one of the founders of the new “Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks-CENGN,” with $65M funding from Networks of Centres of Excellence Canada, Alcatel-Lucent, TELUS, Cisco, Juniper, EXFO, JDSU, Rogers, and Allstream. The connection of his lab to CENGN is to support education and conduct research in Internet-of-Things (IoT). A vast variety of smart devices and networks enabling emerging consumer electronics technologies such as autonomous transportation, e-health, smart appliances, smart grid and smart cities solutions can be developed and tested in the lab for IoT readiness, AI, Blockchain, and 5G. He also supported and help in getting Ontario Government funding for ENCQOR 5G (Evolution of Networked Services through a Corridor in Québec and Ontario for Research and Innovation).
Dr. Almuhtadi earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic in 1986 and 1990 respectively. He is a Certified Professional Electrical Engineer of Ontario, and a Fellow of The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). Dr. Almuhtadi has over 25 years of university and college teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also has over 31 years of experience in telecommunication and electrical engineering industries including R&D. Prior to Algonquin College, Dr. Almuhtadi worked with Nortel as a Team Leader and Senior Verification and System Engineer in Optical Networks Verification, R&D Metro Optical Solutions. Prior to that, he worked as Director of Operations and Quality Assurance Department with Canspect Corporation Canada. Also, he was a consultant with J.L. Richards & Associates Canada. With the Ministry of Electricity and Water in Yemen, Dr. Almuhtadi was the Advisor to the Minister on Technical Affairs and held several positions, such as: Director of Research and Development Department; Deputy Director of Planning, Statistics and Control Department.
Dr. Almuhtadi was also: an Adjunct Professor in the Electronics Department at Carleton University, Canada; part time professor with the University of Sana’a, Electrical Engineering Dept., in Sana’a, Yemen; Assistant Professor in the Czech Republic, in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Brno University of Technology. He also worked as a researcher with the Research Institute for Electric Power Engineering (EGU), Brno.
Dr. Almuhtadi is not just a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity, more than 426,000 members/160 countries), he is actively involved in IEEE and continues to hold many executive posts. Currently, he is the President of IEEE Consumer Technology Society (formerly IEEE Consumer Technology Society) and the Chair of its Board of Governors (2019-2222). He served as the Vice President of Education of IEEE Consumer Technology Society (2017-2018); Director of IEEE Communications Society North American Board (2019-220); Chair of the IEEE Canada Publications & Communications Group (2017-2019); Distinguished Lecture Chair and Member of the Board of Governors of IEEE Consumer Technology Society (2014-2018); He still serves as Director, IEEE Canadian Foundation (2011-present), Chair of Ottawa IEEE Communications Society/Consumer Technology Society/Broadcasting Technology Society Joint Chapter (2008-present); Vice-Chair of the Ottawa Section Senate (2009-present); Chair of the Ottawa Section Award Committee (2005-present); and Executive Advisor and Mentor of the IEEE Algonquin College Student Branch (2003-present). He served as: IEEE Canada Conference Advisory Committee Chair (2013-2016); IEEE Canada–Eastern Area Chair (NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC) (2010-2013); IEEE Ottawa Section Chair (2007-2008); Chair of Ottawa IEEE Power Engineering Society Chapter (1996-2018); IEEE Ottawa Engineers in Transition Committee Chair (2002); IEEE Ottawa Senior Membership Committee Chair (2009-2011); Member of IEEE MGA Center for Leadership Excellence Committee (2013-2014); and Member at Large of IEEE MGA Information Management Committee (2015). Dr. Almuhtadi has organized and chaired many national and international engineering conferences, symposia, and workshops (e.g. IEEE ICC 2012 Conference). He is the Executive Conference Chair of IEEE ICC 2021 Montreal.
He received several recognition awards from IEEE, academia and industry e.g. IEEE Leadership Award 2010, Algonquin College Laurent Isabelle Award 2009 for Teaching Excellence, and NISOD 2006 Award). Dr. Almuhtadi has been recognized by the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) as the recipients of the 2015 Canadian Pacific Railway Medal. This medal was established in 1987 to honour the achievements in engineering and in the development of Canada. The CPR Medal is awarded in recognition of many years of leadership and service at the regional, branch and section levels by members of the Societies within the Institute. This medal is one of the highest engineering awards in Canada.
Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi’s CV
Student Final Research Projects/Theses Supervision
To view the List of Student Final Research Projects/Theses (BAT, and PET Photonics Programs 2003-2012) supervised by Wahab Almuhtadi click on supervision-final-year-research-projects-and-theses-photonics-algonquincollege.
Curriculum Development
BIT-PLT curriculum: BIT-PLT-Photonics-and-Laser-Technology-2011
Research Interests
Photonics; Optical and Wireless Communications; Smart Grids (Electrical Power System); Smart Cities; Sensor Networks; Consumer and Wearable Technology
Contact Information
Email:
almuhtw@algonquincollege.com
Office Phone:
613-727-4723 ext. 3403