‘The UTSC community has given me a lot’: Maydianne Andrade reflects on 25 years of research, leadership and impact 

When Maydianne Andrade reflects on her legacy, it’s not just her research and leadership that come to mind – it’s the support that helped shape it. 

Moments of collaboration, impact and meaningful relationships with students – the heart of her work – are what Andrade will carry with her as she prepares to take on a new role as dean of the Faculty of Science at York University, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. 

The move closes a 25-year chapter at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where Andrade gained recognition for her groundbreaking research on black widow spiders and for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in academia. 

“The UTSC community has given me a lot,” says Andrade, a University Professor of biological sciences. 

“I’ve felt well supported here, even back in 2016, when I had the opportunity to speak to senior leaders and departments about equity, inclusion and unconscious bias, when hardly anyone was talking about it.” 

A renowned evolutionary ecologist, Andrade’s research has shed light on the cannibalistic mating habits of black widow spiders, revealing how social and environmental factors influence traits and species diversity. Her research rests on the contributions of hundreds of students, including a decade of high school co-op participants in her lab. 

She completed her master’s degree at the University of Toronto Mississauga before pursuing a PhD in neurobiology and behaviour at Cornell University. Near the end of her doctoral studies, she came across a posting for a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) University Faculty Award at U of T Scarborough – an initiative aimed at increasing the representation of women in science. 

She landed the job, and, a week after defending her dissertation, relocated to Toronto. 

“I heard a lot of great things about the students here and boy, was it true,” Andrade says. “They’re fantastic – respectful, energetic, hardworking and really bright – and my colleagues have been great.” 

Luciana Baruffaldi was one of those students. She had just completed her master’s in Uruguay and had her sights on a PhD when she cold-emailed Andrade to visit the lab.  

Andrade responded, and after Baruffaldi spent three months exploring the lab’s research, Andrade helped her apply to U of T Scarborough.       

That was just over 15 years ago.       

“A supervisor is easy to find – but a true mentor? That’s rare,” says Baruffaldi, a former research associate in the Andrade Lab.   

“Maydianne genuinely cares about her students, not only while they are part of her lab but by continuously supporting them in the paths they’ll take after they leave.”     

A laboratory co-ordinator in the department of biological sciences, Baruffaldi launched Linking Labs to Curriculum in STEM (LinC STEM) in 2024 with Andrade’s support. The program increases access to STEM education for high school students in underserved Scarborough communities. So far, it has reached more than 140 Grade 9 students across three schools through interactive workshops and hands-on activities at U of T Scarborough.      

LinC STEM recently received an Access Programs University Fund grant to expand the program to Grade 10 students. The program also engages with teachers to understand how best to support student learning and success.      

“Through Maydianne’s mentorship, I became a better scientist and leader because she fosters a sense of belonging within her teams that inspire you to strive for excellence while supporting others,” Baruffaldi says. “This defines her influence as a leader and educator.” 

A new path in leadership 

Research wasn’t Andrade’s only calling. In 2017, she was appointed vice-dean, faculty affairs and equity at U of T Scarborough, a position she served for four years while also taking on the role as acting vice-principal academic and dean for a six-month term in 2019. 

“As a full professor, I knew I needed to start doing something about what I saw as broader systemic problems,” Andrade says of her vice-dean role.  

“This role made it clear that equity was becoming a central part of UTSC, and that really appealed to me.” 

Her tenure was defined by data-driven decisions and campus-wide change management across 16 academic units.

Notably, she introduced a more collaborative approach to academic planning – still in use – where department chairs voted on each other’s hiring proposals based on strategic goals.  

“It opened people to different academic cultures and chairs came to understand each other’s challenges and accomplishments,” Andrade says.  

Equity-focused leadership aligned with Andrade’s work with the Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Equity (TIDE), which she founded in 2016, after three years of facilitating research and workshops on bias. Its achievements are credited to nine years of unwavering volunteer work with colleagues. 

TIDE delivers free, evidence-based workshops on unconscious bias to faculty, administrators and staff. At its peak, the team facilitated 50 workshops in one year. Online modules, developed to meet the demand, have been completed more than 3,000 times. 

“Some people do them every year and that’s a huge milestone of success for me,” Andrade says. 

Elevating Black-led research 

Building on TIDE, Andrade co-founded the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) in 2020 (the first of two equity-focused research initiatives she launched in succession).  

The CBSN now has more than 1,000 members who share its mission to elevate, celebrate and connect Black researchers across Canada. 

In 2023, the CBSN partnered with U of T Scarborough to serve as its host institution for a five-year term. 

Its mentorship focus addresses a key gap: a shortage of senior Black researchers compared to the growing number of students, and the pressure to support them. 

Its national conference, BE-STEMM, fosters professional connections across disciplines. The CBSN also offers virtual career chats and collaborates with government partners to offer internships for Black students. 

“People write to us saying, ‘I was going to quit, but then I attended BE-STEMM,’ and knowing we’re making an impact is rewarding,” Andrade says.

Denzel Lodge first met Andrade while working in her lab during his undergraduate studies at the U of T Scarborough. Although he realized behavioural ecology and spider research weren’t his passion, Andrade’s course, Bias in the Sciences, introduced him to health equity. He also found community within the CBSN. 

“Not only has she supported and inspired me in my academic pursuits, but she has also been a guiding light and example of inspiring excellence that I hope to replicate in my future career,” says Lodge, now a master’s student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. 

In 2023, he joined the CBSN as a data and scheduling assistant, helping coordinate programming such as its annual Youth Science Fair. At the 2024 BE-STEMM conference, he co-moderated a public health panel, interviewing experts on topics ranging from COVID-19’s impact to maternal health outcomes for Black patients. 

Lodge now focuses on healthcare access among marginalized communities at DLSPH, which he largely credits to Andrade and the CBSN’s support. 

“I am not certain she is aware of what impact she has left on her students and how much we notice her dedication. I cannot think of a clearer example of her passion for teaching and drive to inspire her students.” 

As CBSN gained momentum, Andrade helped launch the Black Research Network (BRN) in 2021 to promote Black research excellence at U of T. Developed in alignment with U of T’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force, the BRN was the first initiative of its kind in Canada.  

Before it, concerns affecting Black faculty were shared informally. “In one of those meetings in 2017 or 2018, someone said, ‘We need a more proactive approach – something focused on supporting students and early-career faculty,’” Andrade recalls. 

The BRN’s impact grew quickly, offering seed grants, workshops and a research symposium to support scholarship and foster a sense of belonging. 

“U of T has more Black faculty in any one place than anywhere else,” says Andrade, one of four co-founders. “That critical mass is an important part of what the BRN wanted to accomplish, which was to recognize that we are scholars.” 

“But real success is when there’s no need to elevate Black researchers because their valuable contributions, like all researchers, is already recognized and they take on leadership roles in institutions where they work.” 

Looking ahead to York, Andrade is eager to connect with the faculty’s community of students – much like her early days at U of T. 

She hopes TIDE – which has now received three years of provostial support to hire staff – will remain part of her legacy.  

The CBSN, meanwhile, will continue to be hosted at U of T Scarborough. 

“Scarborough has been the place where I found my place as a scientist, leader and advocate,” Andrade says. “The lessons and relationships I built here will stay with me.”