Catherine Davy: A Normalienne Leading the Arts et Métiers Campus in Lille

True to the Mission of the Écoles Normales Supérieures, for nearly 30 years, the career of Catherine Davy (Class of 1997, agrégée in Mechanical Design and PhD in Mechanics of Materials from ENS Cachan) has been dedicated to Higher Education and Research. However, for the past two years, the university professor and teacher-researcher has embraced a new challenge: leading an Arts et Métiers campus.

A Dual Excellence in Education

In the fall of 2024, Catherine Davy was awarded the title of Chevalier of the National Order of Merit. “I was just doing my job, nothing extraordinary,” she says with humility. Yet, she acknowledges that this recognition has brought attention to her professional journey—that of a graduate from both École Centrale Nantes and ENS Paris-Saclay, now the first woman to direct an Arts et Métiers campus.

Graduating from École Centrale Nantes in 1996, Catherine decided to continue her education and joined ENS Paris-Saclay in her third year. “After a few internships, my initial interest in engineering waned. I felt there was still so much for me to learn,” she recalls. She earned her agrégation in Mechanics in June 1997 and pursued a PhD at the Laboratoire de Mécanique et Technologie (LMT, now LMPS), inspired by one of her ENS professors.

“In partnership with the Military Applications Division (DAM) of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the research project focused on the experimental validation of a multiaxial failure criterion for a tri-directional carbon-carbon composite—the very material used in the warhead tips of nuclear missiles,” she explains. “We even filed a patent for the experimental setup we developed.” As a normalienne, she benefited from both her academic standing and a teaching assistantship grant, gaining her first teaching experience.

After defending her thesis in 2001, Catherine went on to a postdoctoral position at the University of Cambridge. Returning from the UK, she settled in Nantes, where her husband had just been hired as a CNRS research fellow. She briefly held a temporary lecturer position at ENS Bretagne before securing a lecturer position at École Centrale Lille. Over 18 years there, she pursued her career as a teacher-researcher, obtained her habilitation in 2010, and became a full professor in 2014.

Research as a Springboard to Leadership

Catherine Davy’s career took a decisive turn in 2022 when Laurent Champaney, General Director of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), invited her to lead the Angers-Laval campus. “We had met as students at ENS Paris-Saclay, so the network worked well,” she says. She hesitated at first but was eventually convinced. As the first woman in this role, she successfully led the Angers campus for two years. With her family and friends still in the north of France, she then became director of the Lille campus.

Now overseeing around 600 engineering students and 120 staff members, Catherine describes her role with enthusiasm: “I ensure that both staff and students work in good conditions every day. On campus, I interact with students differently than I did as a teacher. Externally, I promote and uphold the prestigious image of this great institution.”

To navigate her management responsibilities, she enlisted the help of a personal coach. “Leadership talent alone is not enough,” she admits, “but it’s incredibly stimulating to work in such a passionate environment. The students and my colleagues are highly dedicated and share the same values. This is something we have in common with ENS Paris-Saclay,” she notes.

Fostering Alumni Connections

Another similarity between the two schools is their focus on alumni engagement. “It’s a fascinating culture, rooted in traditions of integration and fraternity that have evolved with society,” the director observes. “Transmitting these traditions is essential when leading an Arts et Métiers campus.”

As an alumna of ENS Paris-Saclay, she readily admits to her curiosity about the lives of her former classmates. While she maintains some contact with her Centrale alumni—most of whom work in industry—she has also stayed in touch with fellow normaliens, many of whom remain in academia and research. “When we meet, which happens regularly, there’s a natural sense of closeness and trust between us.”

Supportive of students, she is happy to advise them on their future paths. “Many join ENS thanks to their excellent academic achievements, but I would encourage them to remain open-minded. A career path doesn’t always unfold as planned. Mine was shaped by the people I met along the way,” she says. “You just need to take the time to truly understand yourself.”