Since its founding 50 years ago, the Department for the Study of Religion has become a thriving community of critical and creative thinkers across many fields, exploring the complex role of religion in our world — and Arts & Science alum Catherine Maudsley is one of those remarkable figures.
Stepping onto the St. George campus in 1975, Maudsley was among the department’s first undergraduate students pursuing the academic study of religion at U of T. She was introduced to Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, three distinct yet deeply interconnected traditions in East Asian culture that all explore how to live wisely and harmoniously.
Maudsley’s professors and mentors helped shape her decades-long career as an art advisor, curator and educator. She has advised distinguished collectors worldwide and lectured at prestigious organizations including Christie’s Education, Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the University of Hong Kong.
“I wouldn’t have my career without the interdisciplinary strength of U of T,” says Maudsley, who earned her honours bachelor of arts degree in 1979 as a member of St. Michael’s College.
From age 12, she had known she wanted to study Sanskrit and Chinese, and at U of T she deepened her knowledge of Asian religions, cultural history and languages.
“I also learned how challenging my own beliefs could lead to growth,” Maudsley says. “I didn’t go to U of T just to get an education; I went to build a life and a career.”
Her academic excellence earned recognition through multiple scholarships and prizes from St. Michael’s College. As a graduate student, Maudsley was awarded the distinguished Connaught Research Scholarship.
Maudsley's U of T education transcended disciplines and the physical boundaries of the traditional classroom. “I'm so grateful that an education at U of T provides breadth and depth,” she says.
Professor Julia Ching from the Department for the Study of Religion and Professor Hsio-yen Shih, curator of the Royal Ontario Museum's Far Eastern Department — who were both cross appointed with the Department of East Asian Studies — fitted perfectly with Maudsley's career aspirations; their expertise equipped her with critical thinking and curatorial skills.
“They were fierce women and outstanding intellectuals,” recalls Maudsley. “They helped me grow as a scholar and as a woman in a male-dominated field.”
After graduating from U of T, Maudsley continued her academic studies in China, Hong Kong and Japan, focusing on art history, a transformative opportunity to engage authentically with the cultures that had fascinated her since childhood.
“I spent many years trying to understand East Asian religions, philosophies, cultures, languages and history because I don’t see art as being divorced from a context,” Maudsley says. “It’s essential to know the context.”
In 1994, she founded Catherine Maudsley Limited, providing art advisory services to distinguished collectors worldwide.
Throughout her 40 years in Asia, Maudsley cultivated meaningful connections with U of T, attending alumni events abroad and seizing opportunities to engage with current faculty and university leaders.
In 2021, Maudsley returned to Ontario, resuming active involvement on campus. “The opportunity for an education is a privilege,” says Maudsley, a lifelong learner who regularly attends lectures, including auditing a class at the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology, part of the Toronto School of Theology consortium in the University of Toronto.
“Never take learning for granted.”
Coming back to U of T stirs vivid memories for Maudsley, including an extraordinary encounter with the Dalai Lama on his first visit to Canada in 1980. Department faculty selected Maudsley, their rising star scholar, to represent them in a one-on-one meeting at Convocation Hall.
“That meeting set me on a lifelong spiritual journey,” says Maudsley, who attended the Dalai Lama’s teachings for decades, traveling regularly to Dharamshala, India. “It couldn’t have happened without U of T.”
Events commemorating the Department for the Study of Religion’s 50th anniversary continue throughout the 2025-26 academic year.