Simon Haykin, a longtime professor in McMaster University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, one of the most cited engineering researchers globally in signal processing and a respected mentor to many, passed away on April 13 at the age of 94. Haykin was the brainchild of the Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) on campus, which served as the site of pioneering research in radar and telecommunications.
PhD student turned colleague, James (Jim) Reilly was part of the CRL team that was deeply influenced and inspired by the late professor.
“Simon was a consummate academic,” says Reilly, who was supervised by Haykin and is now Professor Emeritus.
“He was a remarkable mentor – demanding yet deeply invested in the development of his students’ full potential. Those supervised by him not only gained a vast knowledge base, but were also encouraged to achieve their highest levels of accomplishment.”
Pictured above: Simon Haykin (left, seated and right, centre) with colleagues in the Communications Research Laboratory on McMaster University’s campus
Throughout his career, Haykin authored three seminal textbooks, Communications Systems, Adaptive Filter Theory, and Neural Networks, which have served as definitive references for countless students and researchers. These works, existing in multiple editions and languages, have inspired and aided thousands in their academic and professional journeys. Beyond these highly respected texts, Haykin wrote a succession of books that were always definitive dissertations on emerging fields. His eloquence and passion in delivering his courses left an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to attend, recalls Reilly.
Tim Davidson, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a former colleague, notes that Haykin’s students often went on to be successful in interesting ways. This was perhaps due in part to his mentorship: characterized by a strong, almost paternal interest in his students’ success, pushing them to be adventurous and to tackle challenging, conceptual projects.
He was a remarkable mentor – demanding yet deeply invested in the development of his students’ full potential. Those supervised by him not only gained a vast knowledge base, but were also encouraged to achieve their highest levels of accomplishment.
Another professor colleague, Jamal Deen, recalls Haykin’s integrity. “Dr. Simon Haykin was far more than a scholar — he was a man whose unwavering principles and intellectual honesty shaped not just his own work, but helped define what true excellence in academia should be,” says Deen.
“As a professor, researcher, and educator, he represented a rare and powerful convergence of brilliance: pioneering research, transformative mentorship, and a lifelong dedication to elevating minds and challenging norms.”
Haykin’s ability to “think big” was evident in his success in procuring prestigious grants and producing significant results. He transformed radar and telecommunications, and his pioneering work on neural networks helped lay the foundation for modern machine learning and artificial intelligence.
“As a new faculty member in 2003, I knew there was something remarkable about Simon —not just his brilliance, but his deep commitment to research and teaching,” says Andy Knights, Acting Vice President, Research at McMaster.
“In an environment of excellence, he shone. His pioneering work in cognitive radio, which earned him the VPR Lifetime Innovator Award in 2012, helped shape an entire field and inspired countless others along the way.”
In his final years, Haykin focused on cognitive dynamic systems, attempting to fuse our understanding of how the brain explores the environment with engineered systems. His vision was to create systems that adapt to their environments in the same way humans do, a testament to his forward-thinking approach, notes Davidson.
As a professor, researcher, and educator, he represented a rare and powerful convergence of brilliance: pioneering research, transformative mentorship, and a lifelong dedication to elevating minds and challenging norms.
Throughout his career, Haykin received numerous accolades, including prestigious IEEE medals and recognition from McMaster, such as his appointment as a Distinguished University Professor in 2023. He taught well into his eighties and continued his research activities until 2020.
Haykin’s contributions have profoundly enriched the lives of many and will continue to inspire future generations.
“It may be said that the measure of a person can be established by the degree to which they improve the lives of their fellow beings,” says Reilly. “In this respect, Simon soars to the highest peaks. He has done so much to educate and inspire his colleagues and has created many new ideas in technology that enable human endeavour.”