From Pavement to the Presidency: Event celebrates new president and research 

Six people standing in a row on the stage in Convocation Hall smile down at the camera.

From left, panelists Hassan Baaj and Zaid Alyami, moderator Vimy Henderson, President Susan Tighe, and panelists Alondra Chamorro and Doug Gransberg at the Pavement to Presidency event. (Maxine Gravina, McMaster University)

September 23, 2025

Colleagues and friends of the university’s newly installed president gathered this week for a far-reaching panel discussion that covered Susan Tighe’s road to McMaster — and the research excellence that goes into actual roads.

A panel discussion, “From Pavement to the Presidency,” featured several of Tighe’s cohorts from her civil engineering career sharing insights about her leadership, research and accomplishments prior to taking the helm at McMaster.

A person in a suit speaks into a mic at the podium in Convocation Hall, watched by five panelists seated on stage.
“Susan wants you to be the best version of yourself.” John Yeaman, CEO at Pavement Management Services, introduces the panelists and moderator at the Pavement to the Presidency event, attended by Susan Tighe’s current and past students, as well as colleagues from around the world. (Ron Scheffler for McMaster University)
Seen from the audience to the far side of the stage, five smiling panellists chat on stage in Convocation Hall.
The panel discussion covered challenges and opportunities within the pavement industry, as well as Tighe’s influence on the sector. Moderator Vimy Henderson, centre, the principal engineer of PTech Engineering Solutions, started her career as a co-op student under Tighe’s supervision. (Maxine Gravina, McMaster University)

The panel comprised Doug Gransberg, president of Gransberg & Associates Inc.; Hassan Baaj, associate dean of research & external partnerships and holder of the Norman W. McLeod Chair at the University of Waterloo; Alondra Chamorro, associate professor of engineering and director of academics at Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile; and Zaid Alyami, advisor to the deputy minister in the ministry of transport and logistic services for the government of Saudi Arabia. 

Eight smiling people stand in a row during the Pavement to the Presidency event.
Georgia Kirkos, McMaster University)
Susan Tighe chats with a large group of former students and colleagues standing in a circle at a gathering
(Ron Scheffler for McMaster University)

“When you make infrastructure decisions, you’re making decisions based on how people live their lives.”
— Former student Alondra Chamorro, now director of academics at Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile and Chile’s deputy director of the Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management.

Rows of people sit in Convocation Hall, watching the panel discussion on stage.
(Maxine Gravina, McMaster University)
Three smiling people chat in a larger gathering in Convocation Hall.
(Georgia Kirkos, McMaster University)
About 30 smiling people pose for a group photo after the Pavement to Presidency event in Convocation Hall.
Many of Tighe’s former and current students, as well as colleagues from industry and other institutions attended her installation and the panel discussion. (Ron Scheffler for McMaster University)
Two people in suits chat inside Convocation Hall. A screen behind them shows the signage for the Pavement to Presidency event.
Panelist Zaid Alyami, left, speaks with an attendee at the Pavement to the Presidency event. (Georgia Kirkos, McMaster University)

Research and innovation drive policymaking, said Alyami, who used what he learned under Tighe to lead the development and implementation of performance-based contracts for maintenance of a network of 190,000 kilometers of roadway. 

“Whether it’s a road that sees 80 cars a day or a main highway that connects major cities, we need to be able to let the data tell the story,” said Alyami.  

Susan Tighe and a student lean on a bar-height table, smiling and chatting.

Susan Tighe and and attendee in soft focus in the background. In the foreground, a person is taking their picture on her phone.
“I’m proud and so grateful of the bonds of friendship I’ve formed because when we have those long days and hard days, it’s about the people,” Tighe said. (Ron Scheffler for McMaster University)

Tighe said it was “grounding” to hear panelists talk about using evidence-based research to guide decision making, considering McMaster is the birthplace of evidence-based medicine and problem-based learning. 

She thanked her former students for showing up and acknowledged how much she has learned from them, along with her colleagues, throughout her career. 

“We all have something to learn every day, and that is something that I really, truly believe in – learning and listening,” said Tighe. “I’m proud and so grateful of the bonds of friendship I’ve formed because when we have those long days and hard days, it’s about the people. That’s what’s most important to me.” 

A group of people, including someone holding a baby, pose for a group selfie.
Some of the students in attendance take a selfie. (Maxine Gravina, McMaster University)