IEEE ComSoc remembers Professor Hussein Mouftah, with condolences to his family, and colleagues. His loss is a large loss to IEEE, especially ComSoc, where he has been active for many years.
Professor Mouftah's contributions to IEEE were extraordinary. He has been recognized by IEEE Canada where he was also active, by ComSoc technical committees and by his colleagues. He held senior leadership roles within the IEEE Communications Society, including serving as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Communications Magazine, Chair of ComSoc Awards Committee, Director of Education, Distinguished Speaker, and as a member of its Board of Governors. He founded the Optical Networking Technical Committee (ONTC) in 2001, Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks TC in 2005 and was vital for the maintenance of the CSIM TC. His vision, leadership, and generosity as the inaugural ONTC Chair shaped our community in ways that continue to resonate today. A few of his ongoing activities in ComSoc include:
- Delivering seminars / talks under IEEE ComSoc chapters, e.g. a talk “Advances in Wireless Sensor Networks” for the IEEE Ottawa ComSoc Chapter.
- Participating and organizing technical committees at major IEEE ComSoc conferences (ICC, Globecom) in roles such as Technical Program Chair, Symposium Chair etc.
His exceptional volunteerism and leadership were recognized by Communications Society presenting him with two awards:
IEEE Communications Society Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award in 2004 IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award in 2017.
He is also the recipient of IEEE Canada's highest honours, including the McNaughton Gold Medal, the W.S. Read Outstanding Service Award, and the C.C. Gotlieb Medal.
As an academic, he served as Distinguished University Professor at the University of Ottawa and held the Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Wireless Sensor Networks, following more than two decades at Queen's University. His pioneering research in telecommunications, optical and high-speed networks, wireless and mobile systems, smart grids, the Internet of Things, and autonomous vehicles advanced knowledge and positioned Canada at the forefront of global innovation.
Professor Mouftah's influence extended well beyond his publications and technical achievements. He was a dedicated mentor who guided generations of students, many of whom now serve with distinction in academia, industry, and government across Canada and around the world. His legacy will continue to live on through the communities he built, the careers he shaped, and the countless engineers and researchers he inspired.
His impact will be felt for decades to come, through IEEE organizations and throughout the worldwide engineering community.
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Comments
Steve Weinstein | 31 October 2025
Hussein was an exceptionally kind and community-oriented individual as well as a leading technical contributor. I am very sad to lose this good friend.
Celia Desmond | 31 October 2025
Hussein was always available and ready to spend time to assist in making IEEE a better organization. He will definitely be missed.
Byrav Ramamurthy | 31 October 2025
I have fond memories of Prof. Mouftah's leadership, guidance and kindness during the early days of the formation of ONTC!
Suresh Subramaniam | 31 October 2025
I'm truly saddened by the passing of one of our community's pioneering researchers and one of my early mentors. Many have commented on his kindness and I couldn't agree more. He listened with patience and always found time to share his words of advice to junior colleagues like me. I echo Admela's thoughts in honoring his legacy to our community, and will be happy to help in any way I can.
Admela Jukan | 31 October 2025
It is with great sadness that I received this news about passing of Professor Mouftah.
I have deep respect for Professor Mouftah's work and legacy. He is what one can truly call a pioneer in our community, always leading and working on cutting edge subjects in optical networking. He was always very kind and supportive beyond expectations, especially of junior researchers, and students. He was a very pleasant opponent in technical discussions, with deep and visionary insights, that not only were grounded in good science, but also in his significant professional experience, which he shared with wisdom and heart. He was truly a proud Canadian, though we often joked about Canadian winters in Ottawa. He was born Egyptian, and was proud of his heritage. I will always remember his calm spirits and soft voice in conversations about engineering, and life, always with warmth and humanity. I will greatly miss him in our community.
I recall that Hussein was very inclusive and especially cared about less privileged parts of the world, and their inclusion in optical networking community. He also was a great supporter of female researchers in optical networking, which in early 2000s was indeed significant; back then, he and I talked about it.
One way to honor his legacy maybe to find a venue in JOCN, or CommMagz feature topic; I'd be honored to serve or help creating a Feature Topic, if we decided to do that, it could also be an annual event with a best paper award. I'd be honored to contributing to other tributes to Professor Mouftah in ONTC, as they are being thankfully considered by this forum.
Luca Valcarenghi | 31 October 2025
It is a very sad news indeed to hear about such an important loss.
Soumaya Cherkaoui | 31 October 2025
It is with great sorrow that I inform you that Dr. Hussein Mouftah passed away earlier this morning in Ottawa. We have lost not only a brilliant mind but also a valued colleague, mentor, and friend. We pray for Hussein’s family, friends, and all who had the privilege to work with him.