Reza Moridi
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Reza Moridi (born in 1945 in Urumiah, Iran) is a Canadian politician, and the first Iranian-Canadian elected to a provincial or federal legislature in Canada. He is a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and Parliamentary Assistant, Ministry of Research and Innovation. Dr. Moridi, an award-winning scientist, engineer, educator, business leader and community activist who has lived in Richmond Hill since 1991, was first elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly in 2007, representing the riding of Richmond Hill. He won his second term as Liberal MPP for Richmond Hill on October 6, 2011 in a tough battle with Progressive Conservative candidate Vic Gupta.
Prior to his election, Reza Moridi was the Vice-President and Chief Scientist of the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada. He was a senior business executive in the electrical industry. Dr. Moridi has also worked as a professor and administrator in academia for a number of years. He was appointed to the Dean of the School of Sciences, Chair of the Physics Department and University Chief Librarian at Alzahra University, Tehran. He served on the University Senate as well. Dr. Moridi is a Chartered Physicist and Chartered Engineer. Over the years, Reza has contributed significantly to the understanding of nuclear materials, radiation and radiation safety by the public, students, educators and workers in Canada. In recognition of his contributions, the Canadian Nuclear Society presented Reza with the Education and Communication Award in 2001. In recognition of Reza’s outstanding contributions to the profession of Health Physics (radiation protection), the US Health Physics Society presented Reza with the Fellow Award in 2002. For his original contribution to physics and engineering, he was elected as Fellow of the UK Institute of Physics (1986) and Fellow of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology (1992).
Moridi is an editor of Health Physics, The Radiation Safety Journal, published by the US Health Physics Society and was a guest speaker at the Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Reza Moridi has authored or co-authored over 150 research papers, technical reports and documents, conference abstracts, training manuals and articles. He has made presentations at over forty scientific conferences held in North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
On April 10, 2008, MPP Moridi introduced a motion in the Legislature at Queen's Park proclaiming the first day of spring as Nowruz Day in Ontario. This was passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, recognizing the first day of Spring as Nowruz. In 2009, Reza Moridi, MPP Richmond Hill, presented a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario regarding the human rights in Iran. The petition protested against the situation in Iran and the lack of respect for the most basic of human rights.
Educated in the UK, Reza obtained a PhD from Brunel University. He has completed CANDU Reactor, Industrial Management and Reactor Health Physics certificate courses. Education, energy, innovation, environment, health and prosperity are key issues of interest to Reza.
Reza Moridi and his family immigrated to Canada in 1990, and they live in Richmond Hill.