28SPONSOR CONTENTSASKATCHEWAN’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)USask inspires employees to ‘be what the world needs’Moving to a new country can be a disorienting experience. WhenNatalia Rudnitskaya’shusband was offered a positionin Saskatoon in 2000, 10 monthsafter landing in Halifax fromtheir native Crimea, she wasconcerned about finding a way toimprove her English and build onher degree in material engineering. As a young mother with ateenaged son and infant daughter,Rudnitskaya already had plentyon her hands – but the Universityof Saskatchewan offered solutionsto both her objectives.She was quickly absorbedinto USask’s world. In additionto taking English classes andpursuing a degree in agricultureand applied microbiologicalscience, Rudnitskaya soon beganworking for the university as alab technician. She volunteeredin the soil sciences departmentto improve her English skills andsigned up for swimming lessonsat the university pool. USask evenprovided social events and ransummer camps where she couldregister her children.More than two decades later,Rudnitskaya is manager ofanalytical laboratory services forUSask’s College of Agricultureand Bioresources, responsiblefor managing 36 laboratories andsupport spaces. “I learned to doeverything because I was a technician in this department,” she says.“I can change the oil in a vacuumpump, run a gas chromatograph,take a soil sample, everything.”She still volunteers and hasbeen serving on the university’sOccupational Health Committeefor the last 10 years. “It takes a lotof time, but I love it,” she says.The fact that USask hasbecome such a driving force inRudnitskaya’s life is typical ofmany employees, says Wade Epp,associate vice president, campusoperations. “I have colleagues whostarted working here part-timeas students and advanced intomore professional careers withinUSask. Because of its vastness, theuniversity offers them the abilityto really grow their career.”Epp compares operating a university to managing a small city.The more than 6,000 employeeswho keep it running includeexecutive chefs and engineers,steamfitters and pipefitters,counsellors and health workers,parking enforcement and campussecurity.We’re there to help solvethe problems of the world,and that’s significantbecause we can tie thatto every job on campus.That really makes it anincredible place to callhome.— Wade EppAssociate Vice President,Campus Operations Employees at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre, part of the plant sciencesdepartment in the College of Agriculture and Research.“We have our own electricaldistribution. We produce a largeamount of steam to provideheating and cooling, for researchprojects and for our hospital.We have restaurants and sportscomplexes. It’s a fast-paced placeto work, and it’s always a challengeto keep up.”It also comes with a higherpurpose, says Epp. “We’re thereto help solve the problems ofthe world, and that’s significantbecause we can tie that to every
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