The University of Waterloo mourns the passing of Dr. Ronald Cleveland Mullin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, who passed away on March 6, 2026.
Ron was a pioneering mathematician and beloved educator whose work helped shape the fields of combinatorics and cryptography. He was widely respected for his intellectual brilliance, mentorship of generations of students, and foundational role in the development of mathematics at the University of Waterloo.
Ron holds the distinction of being the first graduate of the University of Waterloo, receiving the institution’s first Master of Arts degree in Mathematics in 1960. He later completed his PhD at Waterloo in 1964 under the guidance of the renowned mathematician and cryptography pioneer William Tutte.
His contributions to mathematics were recognized internationally, including receiving the Stanton Medal from the Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications. In addition to his academic work, Ron was a co-founder of Certicom, a company that commercialized cryptographic technologies that became influential in secure communications.
Memorial donations will be held until such time as the family, working with the University, can determine the best way to honour Dr. Ron Mullin based on the total contributions received. The goal is to establish an endowed graduate scholarship in his honour.