At a ceremony on March 3, OCAD University President Ana Serrano was awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal from The Hon. Andrew Cardozo, Senator for Ontario (pictured above at left with President Serrano, at right).
President Serrano was among six recipients to receive the medal at the City of Toronto’s City Hall in recognition of her notable accomplishments to Canada through her dedication to digital innovation, arts education and cultural leadership, especially at the University.
She joined the following recipients in receiving this prestigious medal: Karim Bardeesy, executive director of the Dais; Patricia Fernandez, a community volunteer who works to support the settlement of immigrants and provide ongoing support; Anita Li, founder, publisher and CEO of The Green Line; Shamira Madhany, managing director and deputy executive director at World Education Services; and Samantha Price, a survivor of the Danforth shooting who is a community advocate at Danforth Families for Safe Communities.
The commemorative medal was created in honour of the coronation of King Charles III, honouring distinguished citizens from the Commonwealth. In presenting the medals, the Hon. Senator Andrew Cardozo said all recipients have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making Canada a better and stronger country and he praised their remarkable contributions.
An award-winning and innovative leader, President Serrano has more than 25 years of experience in transforming organizations, creating award-winning digital products and cultural experiences, and designing cutting-edge programs to strengthen creative sectors and industries.
“As Chancellor of OCAD University, I am proud to congratulate President Serrano on behalf of our faculty, staff, and students for this achievement," said Jaime Watt. “This medal celebrates those who bring credit to our country and President Serrano does so with unmatched distinction. Through her bold vision, innovative ideas, and unwavering commitment to nurturing creativity, she has empowered countless voices and solidified Canada’s position as a global leader in the arts.
Chancellor Watt also noted that President Serrano “continues to inspire and elevate our OCAD U community. Her receipt of this prestigious medal is a powerful recognition of her transformative leadership, not only within our institution but across Canada’s arts and education sectors.”
President Serrano became OCAD U’s president on July 1, 2020, when COVID-19 was in full swing. She led the institution with transparency and forged meaningful connections between stakeholder groups while developing protocols for managing the facilities and operations during the pandemic, and ensuring the health and safety of the community when the University gradually reopened its doors.
In June 20204, the University’s Board unanimously reappointed Serrano for a second five-year term.
“President Serrano provided the leadership necessary to lead OCAD U during the pandemic with its resulting challenges and disruptions,” said Board Chair Lanita Layton when announcing the reappointment. “She also led the University in developing a roadmap to improve the institution’s long-term financial sustainability while enhancing the student experience. President Serrano has strengthened existing partnerships and forged new ones across multiple stakeholders to further position OCAD U as Canada’s leading art and design university.”
At OCAD U, President Serrano has spearheaded initiatives to successfully secure several million-dollar investments, including more than $1.7 million from the Government of Canada’s Future Skills to create the cooperative platform Fineline.art, and close to $4 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada for the Mindful Campus initiative. She initiated a review of the University’s fundraising efforts, which have seen a steady increase in these revenues.
Under her leadership, the University successfully launched several initiatives to facilitate and nurture the growth and success of the next-generation of artists, designers and scholars as they tackle some of the most complex challenges of our time. These include:
- OCAD U LiVE, the first 24/7 digital streaming on-demand channel at a University that has evolved into a vibrant studio and production house, offering students paid experiential learning opportunities in video and film content creation;
- The Cultural Policy Hub, a national bilingual platform that is building communities of practice among diverse stakeholders to support the development of cultural policy in the country; and
- The Global Centre for Climate Action, a research centre where art, design and creative practice are coming together to imagine new approaches to sustainability, climate justice and decolonization.
As a creative and innovator producer of more than 140 digital projects, President Serrano has produced some of Canada’s critically acclaimed works in digital media, including the award-winning Body/Mind/Change starring David Cronenberg, the first transmedia experience that integrated interactive storytelling, 3D printing and virtual reality.
She produced the award-winning transmedia experience, Prison Dancer: The Musical, which won five Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards in June 2023. The production ended a run at The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton in May 2023 and a sold-out run at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in November 2023.
The recipient of numerous awards from the digital, media, film and theatre industries in both Canada and United States, President Serrano received the Insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Government of France in 2018.
She is the recipient of the 2021 Crystal Award for Digital Trailblazer Award from the Women in Film & Television Toronto, the 2015 Digital Media Trailblazer Award from the Academy of Canadian Film & Television and won the 2012 Best Canadian Feature Film Award from the International Reel Asian Film Festival for Prison Dancer: The Musical.
Before joining OCAD U, President Serrano was Chief Digital Officer of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and founder of the world-renowned and award-winning CFC Media Lab.
At the CFC, she launched several unique and cutting-edge Canadian start-up accelerators, including IDEABOOST, Canada’s first digital entertainment accelerator, with founding partners Corus Entertainment, Google and Shaw Media.
An engaged and active volunteer, Serrano is co-chair of the Open Democracy Project, a former trustee of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and a member of various boards, including the National Film Board and Atkinson Foundation.
Serrano is also co-founder of Canada’s annual democracy conference, the DemocracyXChange Summit (#DXC25), taking place this year from April 3to 5 at OCAD University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
