Melanie Woodin named next U of T president

On March 26, U of T announced that current Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science Melanie Woodin has been named the 17th U of T president, succeeding Meric Gertler who has served as U of T’s president since 2013. Woodin is the first woman to hold the role in U of T history.

After a special meeting of the Governing Council, Woodin was appointed for a five-year term effective July 1, following a search for the next president that began in March 2024. 

Woodin is a professor with the Department of Cell & Systems Biology and has been the Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science since 2019.  FAS’s current Vice-Dean, Research and Infrastructure, Stephen Wright, will serve as acting Dean for the faculty, effective April 15. 

“I am profoundly honoured to accept this appointment to lead an institution that I care about deeply,” said Woodin in a U of T news article. 

She joined U of T in 2004 as an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology, following her postdoctoral study at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2017, she was promoted to professor in the Department of Cell & Systems Biology. She holds a bachelor of science in biology and a master of science in zoology from U of T as well as a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Calgary. 

“I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of President Gertler — a distinguished leader whose vision, expertise and dedication have propelled our institution to new heights,” said Woodin in the article. “I will work tirelessly to build on the legacies of the eminent scholars who have guided the university since our founding almost two centuries ago and to deepen U of T’s contribution to human, social and economic well-being.”

Woodin’s previous research explored how neurons communicate and process information, how the strength of that activity affects brain function, and how changes to these mechanisms lead to neurological disorders and diseases.

“Taking on this position is an enormous privilege and a tremendous responsibility. After completing two degrees at U of T and having dedicated over two decades of my career here, I know first-hand that U of T is an unstoppable force for good,” she said in the article. 

“I can’t wait to put my energy to work to serve our community and to advocate broadly for Canada’s leading university. I am truly excited by the possibilities before us.”