Hanan Anis

Hanan Anis is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation at the University of Ottawa. She holds an NSERC Chair in Entrepreneurial Engineering Design and oversees innovation initiatives within the Faculty of Engineering. Previously, she co-founded and served as CTO of Ceyba, an optical networking company, and held research roles at Nortel Networks in photonics and optical networking.

Education: B.Sc. (Ain-Shams University, 1987), M.A.Sc. (University of Toronto, 1991), Ph.D. (University of Toronto, 1996), all in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Research focuses on Biophotonics—including SERS-based biosensors for cancer diagnosis—and engineering education innovation, such as multidisciplinary design programs and entrepreneurship education. She emphasizes fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in students through experiential learning and maker culture. Recent work explores immersive technologies for diversity awareness and client-centered design projects addressing disability inclusion.

Publications span medical diagnostics, photonics, and pedagogical strategies. Her NSERC Chair highlights contributions to entrepreneurial engineering education. She leads initiatives like the University of Ottawa Maker Mobile for outreach and integrates makerspaces into engineering curricula to enhance inclusivity.

Awards: NSERC Chair in Entrepreneurial Engineering Design (2024). Grants and collaborations include projects on optical networks, biosensors, and educational program development. She mentors students in entrepreneurship and innovation through peer mentoring programs targeting women in STEM.