Susan Tighe facts for kids

Susan Louise Tighe (born in 1970) is a Canadian civil engineer. Civil engineers design and build things like roads, bridges, and buildings. She is currently the President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University, a big university in Canada. Before this, she was the Provost (a senior leader) at McMaster and also at the University of Waterloo.

Susan Tighe is recognized for her important work. She is a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers. In 2014, she was chosen to be part of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada. This group recognizes Canada's brightest minds.

Early Life and Education

Susan Tighe was born in 1970. She grew up in the Catholic faith and went to Georges Vanier Secondary School. She later graduated from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School.

After high school, she studied chemical engineering at Queen's University at Kingston. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1993. For almost four years, she worked at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. This job helped her learn about how roads and transportation systems work.

Later, Susan went back to school at the University of Waterloo. There, she earned her Master of Science and PhD degrees in civil engineering.

Career Highlights

Working at Waterloo University

After finishing her PhD in 2000, Susan Tighe became a professor at the University of Waterloo. She joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research focused on improving engineering and transportation, especially roads. She also served on important committees for transportation in Canada.

In 2004, she received the Engineering Medal for a Young Engineer. This award recognized her as a top researcher and teacher. It also highlighted her as a role model for women in engineering.

The next year, Susan took on new roles to advance her research. She became a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Pavement and Infrastructure Management. This special position helped fund her studies on how to reduce damage to roads and other structures. She also became an associate director at Waterloo's Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology.

In 2005, Susan and a colleague received an award to study how to monitor roads and construction sites. Her hard work was recognized when she was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in both 2006 and 2009. This award celebrates young leaders in Canada. In 2010, she also received an award for her research innovations in civil and environmental engineering.

As her career continued, Susan Tighe was named the Endowed Norman W. McLeod Chair in Sustainable Pavement Engineering in 2011. In this role, she helped create a guide for designing and managing roads in 2013. This guide is used by transportation experts across Canada.

In 2014, she received many awards for her achievements. She was among the first group of people chosen for the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada. She also received the Bleeds Black Award for her dedication to teaching students and helping the industry. Later, she earned the Academic Merit Award for her long-term contributions to education. This award also recognized her for helping to train future transportation leaders. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also named her one of Waterloo's top 10 influential alumni in 2014.

Susan Tighe also helped connect researchers beyond Canada. In 2016, she encouraged Waterloo's Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology to join a research group at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. This group studies how to adapt to climate change. That same year, she received a medal for Research and Development from the Ontario Professional Engineers.

In 2017, Susan Tighe became the President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. She was also appointed Deputy Provost at Waterloo. This role involved helping with planning and budgeting for the university. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers.

Leading at McMaster University

In 2020, Susan Tighe moved from Waterloo to McMaster University. She became the Provost and Vice-President, Academic. The Provost is a very important leader at a university, helping to manage all the academic programs and faculty.

In 2022, she received the Sandford Fleming Award. This award recognized her career achievements in civil engineering education and research. It also honored her service and new ideas in the field. On October 24, 2024, Susan Tighe was announced as the 9th President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University. This is the top leadership role at the university.

Personal Life

Susan Tighe married Christopher Raymond in 1997.

See also

• List of University of Waterloo people