From student to Simcoe Hall: President Melanie Woodin on her academic journey — and the road ahead

University of Toronto President Melanie Woodin recalls sitting in Convocation Hall as a first-year student, listening to a professor explain the road to becoming a university researcher in the sciences: undergraduate degree, graduate school, PhD, postdoctoral fellowship and, eventually, leading your own lab.

It seemed like an extremely long and arduous journey to someone who was focused on her first-year courses and just excited to be in university.

Yet, in the decades that followed, Woodin steadily marked each milestone. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U of T, she completed her doctoral studies at the University of Calgary and postdoctoral research in the U.S. before returning to Canada and U of T in 2004, starting as an assistant professor in what was then the department of zoology.

Today, Woodin is an accomplished neuroscientist and U of T professor with her own lab. And she served as dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science before being named U of T’s 17th president earlier this year – a role that includes championing the university’s research and education missions while deepening its contributions to social and economic well-being. 

“It’s a tremendous honour to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead the University of Toronto – an institution that shaped my own academic journey and is poised to shape the future of Canada and the world through the talent, ideas and research of our extraordinary community,” Woodin says. “I’m deeply grateful for the chance to support the people who make this university such a dynamic, inspiring and forward-looking place.”

As a neuroscientist, Woodin explores how brain cells communicate and how disruptions in those processes can lead to neurological disorders. She is the author, or co-author, of more than 50 academic papers and book chapters, and was one of five researchers at U of T and its partner hospitals to receive a New Ideas Award in support of research using chemogenetics to delay the onset of symptoms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Her research background shaped her interdisciplinary mindset as a leader. 

As dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, a faculty as large as some universities, she oversaw the creation of a strategic academic plan that called for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among departments and divisions spanning computer science to the study of religion. 

“We were very much in silos and saw the potential that could be unleashed for research and learning if we worked in a more interdisciplinary way,” she says.

At the same time, her leadership orientation and her hands-on role as a researcher kept her closely connected to students, the lifeblood of any post-secondary institution. “I’ve come to be repeatedly inspired by our students – how bright they are, how creative they are and how grateful they are for the opportunities they have at the university.”

Woodin’s student-first focus was especially evident during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person classes, labs and convocation ceremonies were paused or moved online. She quickly became known as a dean who not only personally replied to individual student emails but also eagerly engaged in extended back-and-forth conversations. 

“I felt very connected to those 30,000 students in those first two weeks,” she recalls.

Student well-being remains a top priority for Woodin as U of T president – and forms the core of her advice to those who are beginning their undergraduate journey. “One mantra I always have is: be good to yourself and prioritize your own well-being,” she says. “When you let yourself do that, you’re probably going to find that things go better in the classroom and you make more friends.”

Another one of Woodin’s key priorities will be advancing U of T as a global research powerhouse, ensuring it continues to foster new ideas, discoveries and innovations that benefit people and the planet.

She cites artificial intelligence as an example. U of T scholars – notably University Professor emeritus and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton and his graduate students – played a key role in shaping the technology. Now, its application and responsible use are being informed by a wide range of U of T experts at places like the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. 

“We’re guided by Geoff’s warnings about the existential threats of AI, but what Geoff will also tell you is that [AI] is here – we’re not unplugging it,” says Woodin, who sits on the board of the Vector Institute. To that end, Woodin envisions U of T as a “living lab” for impactful and responsible AI adoption, exploring everything from precision medicine and robotics to teaching and campus operations.

She notes that a similar approach has already yielded powerful results in sustainability. These include U of T’s pledge to become climate-positive by 2050, its investments in green technology and support for sustainability-focused research and learning opportunities. 

“We’ve shown that a university can be both a hub for innovation and a model for action,” Woodin says, citing U of T’s sustainability leadership as a prime example of her predecessor Meric Gertler’s “truly exceptional and visionary” stewardship of the university.

As she looks ahead, Woodin says there’s much to do – but also a lot to celebrate.

“We’ve got a big birthday coming up. I want everyone to mark their calendars and start party-prepping because we’re turning 200 years old in 2027,” she says. “We’re going to have a whole year of build-up with opportunities to reflect on our legacy – and to dream big about the next 100 years.”