Meet Dr. Matt McTaggart, CD

Matt grew up in London, Ontario and took a year of Urban and Regional Planning at Fanshawe College before joining the Canadian Armed Forces as an Aviation Systems Technician (aircraft mechanic) in Summer, 2001. He served on the CP-140 anti-submarine warfare fleet in Greenwood, Nova Scotia where he filled leadership roles in support of coastal patrols, drug-interdiction missions, international treaty enforcement operations, and deployment training for the war in Afghanistan.

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In 2009, Matt was selected for a commissioning program and arrived in Kingston to complete his honours bachelor's degree in chemistry at the Royal Military College of Canada, receiving the Governor General's Silver Medal for achieving the highest academic marks in the graduating class. After completing a Master's degree, Matt filled roles in 8 Wing Administration (Trenton) and 1 Wing A4 Supply (Kingston) before returning to RMC as a lecturer in chemistry and student in the ammunition and explosives program. Matt received an academic promotion to Assistant Professor and military promotion to Major while supporting undergraduate and graduate students through the special challenges of education during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Recognizing the need for active engagement between Canada's political and scientific communities, Matt initiated Science Meets Parliament which has developed into Canada's premier opportunity to guide researchers to engage with elected decision makers and use their hard-won expertise to impact public policy. As program Chair, Matt has worked with colleages and partners to expand Science Meets Parliament from Ottawa's House of Commons and Senate Chambers into the British Columbian and Ontario legislatures, preparing more than 400 of Canada's top reserachers in the sciences, social sciences, and engineering disciplines to work across sectors and confirm evidence-informed policymaking as a Canadian cultural norm.

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Matt took his honourable release from the Candian Armed Forces in 2023 and defended his doctorate in 2025. He is currently on the RMC faculty as Research Grants Officer, a position that gives him responsibility over the effective and ethical management of external research grants and scholarships across the College departments while also teaching and guiding his own research program. 

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Matt lives in a historic home in Barriefield villiage with his wife Danielle. Their children, Alex and Moira, work in the arts and culture sector in Ontario. In his spare time, Matt produces pottery, knits garments and enjoys the natural splendour of our region.