Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire appointed Chair of the Board of the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal

Polytechnique Montréal's first woman civil engineering graduate today becomes the first woman to be named Chair of the Board

MONTREAL, Jan. 10, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire has just been appointed, by order-in-council, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal for a five-year mandate, thus becoming the Corporation's senior officer.

Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire, who until just recently served as President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montréal, succeeds Bernard Lamarre, who chaired the Board from 2002 to 2012.

The first woman civil engineering graduate of Polytechnique in 1963, Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire today becomes the first woman to chair the Board of the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire has very extensive professional experience. After working as a professional  structural engineer at Lalonde Girouard Letendre from 1963 to 1975, she served as a consulting engineer for the firm Francis Boulva & associés from 1975 to 1982. That year, she was named Québec Delegate to new England, where she served until 1984 before returning to her alma  mater as Assistant to the CEO in 1985 and then, beginning in 1986, also working as Director of Public Relations for Polytechnique. Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire had been President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montréal since 1991.

Recognized for her commitment and devotion to the profession of engineer, to mutual aid and to her community, Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire has received numerous honorary doctorates, including from Université de Montréal, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montréal, McGill University and University of Ottawa. She is also a member of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec. In 2001, she was named a Great Montrealer by the Academy of Great Montrealers. She was awarded the Grand Prix d'excellence from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec in 1995, and the Prix Mérite and Ordre du mérite from the Association des Diplômés de Polytechnique in 1994 and 1995 respectively. She is also a Fellow of Engineers Canada and sits on the Board of Directors of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

About Polytechnique Montréal
Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering teaching and research institutions. It is the largest engineering university in Québec for the size of its student body and the scope of its research activities. With over 40,000 graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has educated nearly one-quarter of the current members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Polytechnique provides training in 15 engineering specialties, has 242 professors and more than 7,100 students. It has an annual operating budget of over $200 million, including a $72-million research budget.

Image with caption: "Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire appointed Chair of the Board of the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. (CNW Group/Polytechnique Montréal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130110_C5067_PHOTO_EN_22403.jpg

SOURCE: Polytechnique Montréal

Annie Touchette
Senior Communications Advisor, Polytechnique Montréal
514 231-8133
[email protected]