The experience shook Maday, to the point where she briefly thought she should sit back, focus on enjoying life, and not "get into anything" — a departure from her years of community involvement and public service as her children were growing up. But in January of this year, she reversed course, realizing that with "the short period of time (she) has on this earth, (she) wants to make a difference."

That realization was a catalyst for her run for Michigan State University trustee, she said.

Maday, a Republican, had been observing MSU from a parent’s perspective while her son was enrolled as a student there from 2019-2023. In a phone interview with The State News, she spoke of "blanket decisions" made during that time by MSU’s administration — a mandatory vaccination policy, the cutting of an athletic program and the ouster of a prominent dean — and the board’s failure to keep it in check. 

"I don’t think the former administration did enough to make smart, educated decisions," she said. "I think the university tended to do a lot of blanket decisions because it was easier, and I think that they weren’t really looking at the lasting effects on the students and their mental health."

If elected, Maday said she hopes to do things differently, leading with a particular responsiveness to students and their families. She also hopes to be a "fresh face" that can help restore togetherness to the embattled board.

In fact, what she described as the board’s unwillingness to solve problems amongst itself led to what she sees as the unnecessary referral of Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in April for potential removal from office, Maday said. 

She said "it should have never gotten to that point," but added that "maybe there was something that they did that was egregious that I missed." (The attempted ouster of the trustees was spurred by an outside investigation's findings that the two regularly interfered in university business, sometimes for personal gain, and encouraged students to publicly attack opponents of theirs at MSU, among other things.)

Maday graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1993, but said she’s always felt a strong connection to MSU, where her husband and son are alumni and her daughter is currently enrolled. 

"People in Novi would tell you that our family bleeds green and white," she said.

After graduating, Maday worked in the environmental consulting industry until her son was born in 2001, she said. Maday then shifted her focus to raising her children and became involved in Novi Community Schools and city government. She sat on several committees for the school district before landing a seat on the city’s planning commission, and later an appointment on city council. 

An observant MSU parent

For Maday, many of those "blanket decisions" by the administration that she said were carelessly rubber-stamped by the board, affected her and her family personally. 

Namely, when her son somewhat reluctantly got his COVID-19 vaccination to comply with the university’s mandate, Maday said his reaction landed him in the hospital. (She emphasized that, despite people’s occasional assumptions about her "because of the 'R' by (her) name," she is not anti-vaccination, and was the "first one in line to get the vaccine" due to her autoimmune disorder). 

"The whole COVID thing got me really paying attention," Maday said.

That skepticism of university leadership continued when the former dean of the Broad College of Business, Sanjay Gupta, was asked to resign in August 2022. 

Gupta’s ouster was spurred by his failure to report sexual misconduct by a subordinate. But critics of the decision — and Gupta himself, in a lawsuit — have criticized the move because those who told Gupta of the sexual misconduct implied to him they’d be reporting it themselves. 

"I am not a proponent of cancel culture," Maday said. "When somebody does something that’s actually truly wrong and harmful, they should be held accountable. But when it’s a technical error that didn’t actually cause any harm, that’s where cancel culture comes in."

Soon after the Gupta ouster, Maday said she was again-troubled by the university’s decision to cut the swim and dive team, especially given her understanding of how important athletics are to her two children.  

She recalled wondering "Why would you take a Big Ten swim and dive program out, and not think about how that’s going to affect the students, who are our biggest concern on this campus?"

Campaign platform and issue stances

Maday gave measured answers to questions on the two issues the board has faced continued heat over for months: divestment from Israel and the voluntary recognition of a union of tenured faculty. 

Maday said she’s not yet informed enough to make a decision on divestment.

"I would be lying if I told you I believed in divesting, and I’d be lying to you if I told you I believed in not divesting," Maday said, adding she would "absolutely" be willing to meet with student groups to hear their perspectives on MSU’s investments.

On the unionization push, Maday said she would be open to finding a "way to help" the negotiations between the administration and union "come to a swift end" with the two parties reaching an agreement. (Union organizers have argued the administration has been stalling the negotiation process, an allegation the administration has denied.)

However, she suggested that the board’s policy governing unionization —  which passed along party lines in 2021 and was aimed at expediting the unionization process — is merely "symbolic" and has no "teeth."

An area where Maday’s stance appears more defined is ensuring transgender women can’t compete in women’s sports. That’s one priority listed on her campaign website.

Despite the emphasis of the issue on her website, Maday said she doesn’t think it’s one that needs addressing at MSU at the moment.

"I’m telling you that if it ever came up, I would support defending women in sports." (An MSU spokesperson declined to comment on if there are any transgender people competing in MSU sports.)

Each major party candidate in the trustee race cites keeping tuition affordable as a priority, but they differ on how to achieve that. Maday suggests cutting wasteful spending. 

While she didn’t provide any examples of areas where she foresees budget cuts, Maday said the university would do well to stop "wasting" money on lawsuits. 

"If we can start functioning as a university better, right there we’re going to save a lot of money," she said.