In photos: Melanie Woodin's first 48 hours after being named U of T's president-designate

U of T News Staff
University News
A woman, smiling and wearing glasses, takes a selfie with a large, diverse group of people gathered behind her in a bright indoor space. The crowd is smiling and cheering, some with fists raised, standing in front of blue curtains and under a ceiling of exposed white beams.
Melanie Woodin, who was named U of T’s 17th president on March 26, snaps a selfie with community members at U of T Scarborough.
(photo by Polina Teif)

In the two days after being named the University of Toronto's 17th president, Melanie Woodin met with students, staff, faculty and senior leaders across the university’s three campuses as part of a whirlwind schedule that barely included time to take congratulatory phone calls.

The renowned neuroscientist officially begins her five-year term as president on July 1, 2025—but her association with the university began more than three decades ago. A professor in the department of cell and systems biology, Woodin earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U of T in the 1990s before joining the university as a faculty member in 2004 and becoming dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science in 2019.

"I am deeply honoured to be selected to serve as the 17th president of the University of Toronto,” Woodin said in remarks to Governing Council on Wednesday following her appointment. “What an exceptional time for our institution – one of the great universities of the world, embarking on its third century.”

Here’s how Woodin’s first 48 hours as U of T’s president-designate unfolded through the lenses of U of T photographers:

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair walks down an aisle in a formal room, smiling as she receives a standing ovation. People on both sides of the aisle are clapping and smiling, with some capturing the moment on their phones. The room features wood paneling, framed artwork, and decorative lighting.
(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Woodin is applauded as she walks through Governing Council Chamber in Simcoe Hall on the St. George campus.

A woman and a man stand smiling and chatting in a formal room with wood-paneled walls, tall windows, and chandeliers. The woman is wearing a dark blazer and light top, while the man is wearing a light grey double-breasted suit with a blue checked shirt and patterned pocket square. Several people converse in the background.
(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Woodin chats with U of T Chancellor Wes Hall following a meeting of Governing Council on March 26, 2025.

A woman with blonde hair and glasses, dressed in a dark suit, looks at and gestures toward a document held by another woman with short grey hair and red jewelry. Several people stand around them, observing and smiling, in a bright room with blue curtains and high ceilings.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

One of Woodin’s first stops as president-designate was U of T Scarborough, where she met with U of T Vice-President and U of T Scarborough Principal Linda Johnston (holding the book) and other senior leaders.

A woman in a dark suit smiles while speaking with two students. One student, wearing glasses and a jacket that says “Inspiring Inclusive Excellence,” gestures while holding a phone. The other, wearing a suit with lapel pins, listens and smiles. Blue curtains line the background of the bright indoor space.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

Woodin has a conversation with Riya Osti, an international student from Nepal at U of T Scarborough, while fellow U of T Scarborough international student Arjun Singh Yanglem looks on.

In her initial remarks to Governing Council, Woodin said “students remain at the core of our purpose” and that she plans to work closely with U of T Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young, faculty deans and professors “to advance pedagogical innovations that enhance student learning and to build local campus communities so that every student finds their home.”

A woman in a dark suit smiles while speaking with two workers wearing bright orange safety hoodies and reflective vests. One of the workers holds a travel mug.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

Staff members, wearing orange safety jackets, chat with the president-designate at a reception event at U of T Scarborough.

A woman in a dark suit stands with a group of seven young adults, all smiling and wearing name tags. They pose together in a wood-paneled room decorated with heraldic shields and stained-glass windows.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

Woodin takes a group shot at Hart House on the St. George campus that includes both members of her family and colleagues from her lab. To her right: Samuel Delage and Melissa Serranilla. And to her left: Madeleine Kaminski, Peter Kaminski, Sarah White, Jordan Rosenfeld and Vineeth Raveendran.

A woman in a dark suit hugs a man in a suit while holding a University of Toronto folder. The man smiles warmly, and people in the background applaud in a wood-paneled room decorated with crests and coats of arms.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

U of T President Meric Gertler, who has served in the role since 2013, embraces Woodin during an event at Hart House on March 27, 2025. 

He has called Woodin “a highly accomplished and authentic leader who is passionate about student success.”

A woman in a dark suit speaks with Geoffrey Hinton, who gestures while talking. Both wear name tags, and another man and a flower vase are visible between them in a formal room lined with heraldic shields.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

Woodin spoke with two U of T Nobel-Prize winners at Hart House: University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024...

A woman in a dark suit smiles while speaking with an older man in a black blazer and name tag that reads "John Polanyi." Other attendees are mingling in the background in a large, wood-paneled hall.
(Photo by Polina Teif)

... and University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986.

A group of smiling people stands indoors, holding takeaway coffee cups. The woman in the center, wearing a dark suit and holding a University of Toronto folder, raises her cup alongside others, including a man in a suit.
(Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

To Woodin’s right (from far right): Governing Council Chair Anna Kennedy, Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President and Chief of Protocol Bryn MacPherson and U of T Vice-President and Principal of U of T Mississauga Alexandra Gillespie.

And to Woodin’s left: U of T President Meric Gertler.

A woman in a dark suit poses for a selfie with a smiling young man holding a smartphone. They stand in a modern indoor space with a light wood and stone design, and people are visible in the background.
(Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Incoming Governing Council student member Albert Pan snaps a photo with the president-designate at U of T Mississauga.

A group of eight people pose for a photo on black couches in a bright, modern atrium. Three people sit in front, including a woman in a dark suit, while five people stand behind them.
(Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Woodin takes a seat with students and senior administrators in the rotunda of the Innovation Complex at U of T Mississauga. 

Back row, from left: Governing Council undergraduate student member Ehab James, Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young and incoming Governing Council student member Albert Pan.

Front row, from left: students Damien Kemka Douvanla and Ahmed Manasseh; President-designate Melanie Woodin, Vice-President and Principal of U of T Mississauga Alexandra Gillespie and U of T President Meric Gertler.

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