Dr. Burak Kantarci is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa and holds the University Research Chair in AI-Enabled Secure Networking for Smart Critical Infrastructures. He is the Founding Director of both the Smart Connected Vehicles Innovation Centre (SCVIC) and the Next Generation Communications and Computing Networks (NEXTCON) Research Laboratory. Dr. Kantarci is a co-author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications and 15 book chapters. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Senior Member of the ACM. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, 2026 IEEE Canada J. M. Ham Outstanding Engineering Educator Silver Medal Award, 2026 Professional engineers Ontario (PEO)-Ottawa engineering Excellence Award, 2025 IEEE Ottawa Section Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, the 2023 IEEE ComSoc Communications Software Technical Committee Technical Achievement Award, and the 2024–2025 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research at the University of Ottawa. In 2021, he was honored with the Minister’s Award of Excellence from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. Dr. Kantarci currently serves as a Distinguished Lecturer for both the IEEE Communications Society and the IEEE Systems Council.