Dr. Mary Wells, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering, has been appointed to the Order of Ontario, which is the highest civilian honour in the province, for her leadership that has improved engineering education, research, and outreach throughout Ontario.
Wells has been at the helm of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering since 2020. She was one of 30 appointees for 2025 announced by the Honourable Edith Dumont, lieutenant-governor of Ontario and chancellor of the Order of Ontario. Claudette Mc Gowan (LLD ’24), who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Waterloo, was also acknowledged for her contributions to cybersecurity, innovation, and inclusion. The appointees will be honored at a ceremony in Toronto in 2026.
A career built on collaboration
The Order of Ontario honors individuals whose service and achievements have strengthened both Ontario and Canada. Dumont remarked that the 2025 appointees “represent the very best of our province” and highlighted their work as having “touched lives across Ontario and beyond.”
For Wells, this recognition signifies a career centered on collaboration among academia, industry, and community.
“The work I’m proudest of has always been shared work – building programs and communities that make engineering more accessible, more supportive and more reflective of the province we serve,” Wells said.
A materials engineer by trade, Wells began her professional journey in the steel industry both in Canada and abroad before transitioning into academia. She held positions at the University of British Columbia as well as at Waterloo before serving as dean at Guelph’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. In 2020 she returned to lead Canada’s largest engineering school.
In addition to her leadership role, Wells established a research program focused on metallurgical processing that influenced practices within aerospace, automotive sectors, and advanced manufacturing. She is also an elected fellow within both the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Expanding pathways into engineering
<p Throughout Ontario, Wells created opportunities for young people to explore engineering by developing outreach initiatives that encouraged them to envision themselves in this field. From 2013 to 2018 she chaired the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering while helping expand Go ENG Girl and Go CODE Girl into programs that introduced over 40,000 young women along with their families to engineering and computing through hands-on activities along with mentorship.
She also championed efforts aimed at fostering belonging for equity-deserving groups including mentorship initiatives alongside community-building efforts such as student chapters for both the National Society of Black Engineers as well as American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Additionally she implemented an Elder-in-Residence program offering Indigenous students academic guidance along with cultural support.
Beyond these contributions Wells engaged in national conversations regarding engineering education alongside emerging technologies through sector leadership roles plus participation on federal research initiatives like Engineering Deans Canada alongside contributing to Government Canada’s artificial intelligence strategy task force plus involvement with TRu ST Network.
Nominations for appointments to The Order Of Ontario are made based on recommendations from an independent advisory council formed from public submissions. Since its inception back in 1986 there have been a total number reaching up towards 933 appointments made so far.
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