Michel Pigeon was a full professor in the Civil Engineering Department of Université Laval, and was the university’s principal from 2002 to 2007. He is currently Temporary Committee Chair and Parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports.

He is a Université Laval civil engineering graduate himself. There, he won the United Kingdom’s Athlone scholarship and studied at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. In 1984 he earned a PhD from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.

After working as an engineer, Michel Pigeon began his academic career in 1972 at Laval, where in 1986 he launched the Research Centre on Concrete Infrastructure (CRIB), one of the most prestigious in the field. In 1989, with a few students, he created the high-tech business Expert Materials Service, Le Service d'expertise en matériaux. In 1998 he also founded The French-language Group for Research and Training on Concrete, Le Regroupement francophone pour la recherche et la formation sur le béton.

While he was university principal, Michel Pigeon paid special attention to developing links between Laval and the Greater Quebec City region.

His commitment to human rights has also led to many years of volunteer work for Amnesty International.