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• Fiona Fang recognized with Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research

Fiona Fang recognized with Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research

Western Engineering professor Fang (Fiona) Fang has been awarded the 2024 Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, recognizing her outstanding contributions to next-generation wireless communications and intelligent network systems.

An assistant professor jointly appointed in the department of electrical and computer engineering and the department of computer science, Fang has rapidly emerged as a global leader in areas such as intelligent wireless communications, edge artificial intelligence (AI), semantic communications, mobile edge computing and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS).

 “Fear often comes from the unknown. I'm honored to receive this award and deeply grateful to my incredible team for fearlessly exploring the unknown with me and consistently pushing the boundaries of knowledge,” says Fang. 

As an early-career researcher, Fang has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and amassed over 6,500 citations—an exceptional achievement.

“Dr. Fang exemplifies the values of innovation, impact and excellence that this award seeks to honour,” said Abdallah Shami, professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering, who nominated her for the award.

“Her research is not only advancing the academic landscape, but also paving the way for real-world transformation in future network infrastructures.”

Fang’s work addresses critical challenges in 6G wireless systems, including energy-efficient communication, privacy-preserving federated learning and intelligent network design.

Her research has been recognized with the 2023 IEEE Communications Society Signal Processing and Communications Early Achievement Award and consistent inclusion in the Stanford–Elsevier list of the world’s top two per cent of scientists from 2021 to 2024.

Her recent projects include a high-value NSERC Discovery Grant for designing secure and intelligent edge AI networks, as well as collaborative initiatives with industry partners such as Bell Canada.

She is also leading major proposals for the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the NSERC–NSF Quantum Science and AI Grant, with combined funding exceeding $1.4 million.

Beyond her research, Fang is a dedicated educator and mentor. She has developed and taught several interdisciplinary courses at Western, including convex optimization and networking for IoT systems. Her students describe her as an inspiring and supportive instructor who encourages critical thinking and confidence.

Fang also plays a leading role in the global research community. She serves as an editor for multiple IEEE journals and has held key leadership positions at major international conferences, including IEEE ICC 2025 and IEEE GLOBECOM 2024.

With a bold vision for sustainable and intelligent communication systems, Fang continues to shape the future of wireless technology—one breakthrough at a time.