USask inspires employees to ‘be what the world needs’

Moving to a new country can be a disorienting experience. When Natalia Rudnitskaya’s husband was offered a position in Saskatoon in 2000, 10 months after landing in Halifax from their native Crimea, she was concerned about finding a way to improve her English and build on her degree in material engineering. As a young mother with a teenaged son and infant daughter, Rudnitskaya already had plenty on her hands – but the University of Saskatchewan offered solutions to both her objectives.

She was quickly absorbed into USask’s world. In addition to taking English classes and pursuing a degree in agriculture and applied microbiological science, Rudnitskaya soon began working for the university as a lab technician. She volunteered in the soil sciences department to improve her English skills and signed up for swimming lessons at the university pool. USask even provided social events and ran summer camps where she could register her children.

More than two decades later, Rudnitskaya is manager of analytical laboratory services for USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources, responsible for managing 36 laboratories and support spaces. “I learned to do everything because I was a technician in this department,” she says. “I can change the oil in a vacuum pump, run a gas chromatograph, take a soil sample, everything.”

She still volunteers and has been serving on the university’s Occupational Health Committee for the last 10 years. “It takes a lot of time, but I love it,” she says.

The fact that USask has become such a driving force in Rudnitskaya’s life is typical of many employees, says Wade Epp, associate vice president, campus operations. “I have colleagues who started working here part-time as students and advanced into more professional careers within USask. Because of its vastness, the university offers them the ability to really grow their career.”

Epp compares operating a university to managing a small city. The more than 6,000 employees who keep it running include executive chefs and engineers, steamfitters and pipefitters, counsellors and health workers, parking enforcement and campus security.

“We have our own electrical distribution. We produce a large amount of steam to provide heating and cooling, for research projects and for our hospital. We have restaurants and sports complexes. It’s a fast-paced place to work, and it’s always a challenge to keep up.”

It also comes with a higher purpose, says Epp. “We’re there to help solve the problems of the world, and that’s significant because we can tie that to every job on campus. That really makes it an incredible place to call home and a proud place to be employed.”

To make sure employees are supported, USask offers a large array of programs to enhance work-life balance, including opportunities for paid and unpaid leaves and salary deferrals. Competitive benefits, room for career growth, and a commitment to an inclusive workplace are also part of the package. Grounded within its mission and values, USask’s strategic planning connects all employees to the vision of being the university that the world needs.

For Rudnitskaya, it’s been central to her life in Canada. “We’re like a family here,” she says. “We help each other out. We share. We’re constantly learning. I love my job and I can’t imagine a life away from the university.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Saskatchewan's Top Employers winners, published February 4, 2025 in the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon Star Phoenix. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.