In the summer of 2023, Rumina Velshi boarded a night train from Poland to Ukraine. The journey, cloaked in darkness, was punctuated by the buzz of her phone alerting her to nearby air raids. It was a moment of uncertainty – and undeniable risk.
But for Velshi, then President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Safety Advisory Group, the decision to travel to a country under siege was clear.
“The potential risk to nuclear safety at Ukraine’s four sites during active war, and the importance of showing solidarity from Canada to their nuclear regulator, outweighed the personal risk,” she said.
Velshi’s visit was emblematic of her career-long commitment to global collaboration and regulatory integrity. “In nuclear, we have this old adage: ‘an accident anywhere is an accident everywhere,’ because we all feel the aftereffects,” she explained. “Checks and balances, controls and systems to be prepared for the totally unexpected – that’s the essence of nuclear safety.”
On November 20, McMaster University will honour Velshi’s decades of leadership and advocacy with an honorary doctorate from the Faculties of Engineering and Science.
In nuclear, we have this old adage: ‘an accident anywhere is an accident everywhere,’ because we all feel the aftereffects.
Building a career in nuclear safety
Velshi’s path to becoming one of Canada’s leading nuclear safety experts began with resilience. At 17, she arrived in Canada as a refugee from Uganda, just in time to start her final year of high school in a new, unfamiliar city.
Unsure of her future, she found inspiration in a university brochure featuring a picture of a suspension bridge. “The image of connecting two shores – bridging worlds – felt deeply symbolic,” she recalls. “I knew I wanted to build things, and it felt like the universe was calling me to civil engineering.”
To her undergraduate degree, Velshi added a master’s in chemical engineering and eventually an MBA. Her early career included roles as a design engineer and health physicist at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, where she oversaw radiation protection. She later led health and safety at Ontario Power Generation before being invited to join the CNSC.
Velshi’s leadership was tested in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, when she helped shape Canada’s response and future safeguards. “We had to be prepared for the totally unexpected, the totally unimaginable,” she said.
“It was a moment to look inward, to assess our emergency preparedness and ask whether we had the right systems and equipment in place. It was also a time to reflect on our role as a regulator and the importance of learning from our international counterparts.”
Since retiring from the CNSC, she joined Torys LLP as a senior advisor in its Energy and Infrastructure Practice, works as a senior advisor to the CEO and board of the Polish multinational Orlen Synthos Green Energy, serves as a board member of Hydro Ottawa and SaskPower and is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC.
Velshi is also a co-founder and principal of ZettaJoule Inc., a Japanese startup which intends to provide clean power directly to commercial end-users through Japanese high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology.
Championing equity and mentorship
“When I started out in nuclear, there weren’t even changing facilities for me to use nor protective equipment designed for women,” she recalled. “But I kept going. I found myself in roles that women hadn’t held before, and I knew I had a responsibility to make space for others.”
As CNSC President and CEO, Velshi used her platform to push for gender equity in the nuclear sector. Under her leadership, license holders appearing before the Commission were asked to present concrete strategies for increasing the representation of women in their workforces.
“It didn’t take more than a couple of hearings before they came prepared with a plan,” she said.
Over the years, Velshi has built a strong network of women in STEM across Canada and internationally. “When you reach senior leadership roles, especially as a woman, it can be lonely,” she said. “Some of the challenges we face are unique, and it’s comforting to have others to lean on and to say, ‘You’re not alone in this.’”
A meaningful honour
Velshi sees science and engineering not just as technical disciplines, but as public callings. She holds McMaster University in high regard, not only for its pioneering role in nuclear research, but also for its commitment to equity and inclusion.
“To be recognized by such an institution known as Canada’s Nuclear University means more to me than any professional title or accolade,” Velshi added. “It’s a powerful recognition of the many people who have guided and supported me; my family, mentors, sponsors and the incredible teams I’ve worked with. It’s an affirmation of why I chose this path in the first place.”
To be recognized by such an institution known as Canada’s Nuclear University means more to me than any professional title or accolade.”
Velshi’s family shares in the pride of this honour. “My father passed away in April of this year, but before he did, I had heard from McMaster that I was being considered for this. I shared the news with him, and for him, this was the pinnacle of our journey to Canada. It’s such an honour, and I’m deeply touched to be welcomed into the academic family of this great university.”
Learn about McMaster University’s cohort of Fall 2025 honorary doctorate recipients.
