Professor, Département d’informatique/Department of Computer Science
Research Chair in Post-Quantum Cybersecurity
University of Sherbrooke
Marc Frappier recently found a picture of a microscope that he drew when he was in Grade 3. His interest in science was first sparked at about that time when his older sister gave him a subscription to Science & Vie, a French-language monthly popular science magazine. “It was the first time I read about climate change and the effect of carbon dioxide on the environment,” says Marc. “I became really interested in science because of what I read in the magazine every month.
Marc grew up as the youngest of seven children in the small town of Windsor, Quebec, a short 30 km from where he has worked as a professor at the University of Sherbrooke for almost 30 years. “In 1981, when I was a young teenager, one of my sisters gave me a TI 99/4A computer that saved programs on a cassette recorder and used a TV as a screen,” says Marc. “I enjoyed building things without using hammers and nails – and I knew then that I wanted to pursue computer science as a career.”
After completing his undergraduate degree as one of the first graduates of the newly formed Département d’informatique/Department of Computer Science at Sherbrooke, Marc worked for over five years in industry as a consultant, senior analyst, and project manager in areas ranging from manufacturing (Alcan and Cascades), banking (Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada and BFD/ÆBIS), pharmaceuticals (Merck Frosst), aerospace (Canadian Space Agency) and telecommunications (Nortel). “I enjoyed working to solve problems in industry by building real tools and software,” notes Marc.
Although working in industry was rewarding, Marc decided that he would rather focus on conducting research. He completed his Master’s degree in Computer Science at Sherbrooke and his PhD at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on formal specification methods, security, vulnerability testing, intrusion detection, and consent management in healthcare.
During his tenure at Sherbrooke University, Marc has been active in academic and administrative work – as a member of finance and audit committees and of the University Council and Research Council. He has also served the Computer Science community in Quebec, as co-founder and coordinator of the Coalition pour l’avenir de l’informatique du Québec/Coalition for the Future of Computing in Quebec, which brought together the key players in Computer Science in the province, both academic and professional, to preserve the professional freedom of computer scientists to work as software engineers.
Marc has also contributed significantly to the Computer Science community across Canada, as a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Liaison Committee on Informatics, which was established in 2011 to strengthen interactions between NSERC staff and the Canadian computer science research community. And, as President of the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors from 2021 to 2024, Marc led this member organization, which represents more than 60 Computer Science and Computer Engineering departments and laboratories as well as centres in industry and government, to advocate for the discipline on research funding, computer science education, and public policy in Canada. During his tenure as President, CS-Can|Info-Can has also established opportunities to foster greater industry-university collaboration.
Marc’s experience in industry continues to influence his research direction. “Many of the real problems to be solved come from industry,” notes Marc. “It’s important to develop research partnerships to develop solutions that can be made usable in industry.” In 2023, he was awarded a Research Chair in Post-Quantum Cybersecurity, funded by Loto-Québec. Additional funding from Intact Financial Corporation and Sherweb also established Sherbrooke’s Intact Cybersecurity Hub, headed by Marc. This collaborative university-company-organization model will deal with the growing pressure of cyber threats by developing defences against these threats through interdisciplinary and industry partnership research and the training of future cybersecurity professionals.
Marc’s work as a renowned cybersecurity expert, researcher, leader in the Computer Science community in Canada, author of more than 100 papers in international journals and conferences, and co-editor of two books add up to a rich and busy professional life. “I plan to spend more time training for long bike trips, writing books, and developing software when I retire from my roles as professor and research chair,” says Marc.
Marc’s journey from a young boy fascinated by science to his current work as a prominent researcher has distinguished him as an innovator and leader. His work in industry, his research expertise, his leadership in the Computer Science community in Canada, and his current role as head of a multi-disciplinary centre to protect against cyber threats all continue to directly benefit software development research, public and private companies, and society in general.
