Six members of the Concordia community were among 80 appointments to the Order of Canada, announced on December 31 by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.
Their achievements span law, philanthropy, art history, engineering and music, reflecting the breadth of Concordians’ contributions to society.
Congratulations to these accomplished members of our community who were named to the Order of Canada.
Photo: Philippe Landreville, photographer, Supreme Court of Canada Collection
Rosalie Silberman Abella, LLD 91
Born to Holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp in Germany, Rosalie Silberman Abella has become a towering figure in Canadian law. She was the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada and has shaped human rights, equality and constitutional law nationally and internationally. A beloved legal scholar and professor at Harvard Law School, she received an honorary doctorate from Concordia in 1991.
Photo: Smith Engineering, Queen’s University
Praveen K. Jain
Praveen K. Jain is a world-leading innovator in electrical energy processing and power electronics. He began his academic career at Concordia in 1994 as an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developing pioneering research and graduate training programs.
He is currently a professor and Canada Research Chair at Queen’s University, where he continues to advance efficient power generation, transmission and use while mentoring the next generation of engineers.
Photo: National Arts Centre
Reesa Greenberg
Art historian, philanthropist and former Concordia adjunct professor, Reesa Greenberg has made lasting contributions to Canadian museums, scholarship and the university. She served on Concordia’s Board of Governors in the 1980s and has supported the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery through her Clematis Foundation, most notably with a major gift that launched the Expanding Exhibitions Residency. This innovative program paired Art History and Design & Computation Arts students to create web-based projects from the gallery’s archives, fostering digital skills and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Greenberg’s scholarship, including the co-edited Thinking About Exhibitions, remains influential in the field.
James William Hewitt
A prominent business leader and philanthropist, James Hewitt is chair and CEO of the Hewitt Group and founder of the Hewitt Foundation. Through the Foundation, he has supported education, health care and community development initiatives across Canada, including Concordia summer camps and workshops, with contributions exceeding $1 million. Hewitt’s leadership in business and philanthropy has created opportunities and positive change for countless Canadians.
Martha A. Langford
Distinguished professor emerita in Concordia’s Department of Art History, Martha Langford has been a transformative figure in Canadian visual culture. As director of the Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art, curator and scholar of photography, she has helped establish photography as a recognized academic discipline. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, her research, publications and mentorship have profoundly shaped the study and appreciation of Canadian art.
Barry Truax
Professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University, Barry Truax is a world-renowned composer of electroacoustic music and a pioneer in granular synthesis. He has forged a strong connection with Concordia students through mentorship and the creation of the Glenfraser Concordia Endowment, which supports awards in electroacoustic composition. His work with the World Soundscape Project and innovative approaches to sound have influenced generations of composers and researchers in Canada and abroad.
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