Member Highlights

ASPA Member Highlight – Lecia Ellis, Admissions and International Education Officer, (ISSAC), and Transfer Credit Department

This member highlight was written by Mariam Alaverdashvili, ASPA Communications & Public Relations Committee member

Lecia Ellis currently serves as an Admissions and International Education Officer with the International Students and Study Abroad Center (ISSAC) and the Admissions and Transfer Credit Department since October 2023. Her journey is made even more inspiring by the perspective she brings as an international student from the vibrant island of Jamaica and as a PhD candidate in USask’s College of Education, where her studies are expected to conclude in 2026.

Recognition for Lecia has been earned through her thoughtful support of university-wide initiatives designed to encourage and uplift the international student community, including programs that respond to food security concerns. A spirit of welcome and care has been felt by many students, who have affectionately come to know her as “Ma,” reflecting the appreciation for the nurturing presence she offers beyond her official responsibilities.

ASPA Member Highlight – Andrea Eccleston, Operations Manager, International Officer

Andrea Eccleston works as the Operations Manager in the International Office. She has been a dedicated member of ASPA for over 18 years. In addition to her professional role, Andrea has volunteered with Huskie Football for 26 seasons as Team Manager.

Her longstanding commitment to amateur football in Saskatchewan was recently recognized with the Roughrider Recognition Award, honouring her outstanding contributions and dedication to the sport.

ASPA Member Highlight – Vanessa Ellis Colley, PhD, Research Coordinatior

Vanessa Ellis Colley, PhD is a Research Coordinator in the College of Nursing – Nursing Unit for Research and Scholarship Excellence (NURSE) since November 2023. She was nominated for her willingness to share knowledge with colleagues across the University.

ASPA Member Highlight – Ryan Bilanski, Counsellor in Residence and Student Support and Outreach Coordinator

Ryan Bilanski, – Student Affairs and Outreach (BSW, MSW)

Ryan Bilanski (he/him) has been working at USask (Saskatoon campus) since 2018 with Student Affairs and Outreach. With a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Regina, he previously worked with non-profits, the Saskatoon Public School Division and the Saskatchewan Health Authority, before he joined USask. He was completing his Master’s in Social Work through Dalhousie University when he was hired and had the opportunity to complete his practicum requirements in his new position as the Counsellor in Residence at USask, which he’s been in ever since.

ASPA Member Highlight – Tina Shaw, Provincial Lab Manager

Tina Shaw – College of Nursing, BSN, RN, MN (Prince Albert Campus)

Originally from La Ronge, Tina Shaw (she/her) has a personal connection to the College of Nursing’s “Learn Where You Live” philosophy. After completing a year of nursing in Saskatoon through the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan, Shaw decided to, instead, complete her diploma in Tourism and Recreation Management. This took her back to La Ronge where she worked as the Recreation Coordinator at the high school she had grown up attending.

Finding long-term, stable employment in the Tourism and Recreation sector wasn’t easy, which led Shaw to turn back to nursing. Once she was accepted to the University of Saskatchewan, she was pleased to find that she could stay in La Ronge and complete her entire degree from her hometown. She then worked as a registered nurse in long-term care in Shellbrook and at the correctional facility in Prince Albert.

ASPA Member Highlight – Amaranta Sokol Como, Senior Strategic Officer

*Amaranta Sokol Como – Office of the Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement, B.Ed, M.Ed.*

Amaranta Sokol Como (she/her) is a Senior Strategic Officer in the Office of the Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement (OVPIE) (Saskatoon campus). Balancing a diverse portfolio while completing her doctoral research in education, Sokol Como embodies the collaborative and opportunistic nature that gives the University of Saskatchewan its highly respected reputation. She is a member of Beardy’s Okemasis Cree Nation in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan and places importance on her small-town roots. Despite completing two degrees at the University of Saskatchewan (and working on a third) she has never lived in Saskatoon, instead finding relaxation in a daily commute outside the city.

ASPA Member Highlight – Kathleen McMullin, Indigenous Academic Advisor

Kathleen McMullin is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and a Cree traditionalist. She is currently an Indigenous Academic Advisor for the University of Saskatchewan Community of Aboriginal Nurses (UCAN) and lives in Prince Albert.

“I hold a BEd and MEd from the University of Saskatchewan and am currently doing data analysis for my PhD in Health Sciences, College of Medicine. I have interviewed Elders of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band on their lives from the 1940s to present. Their stories capture how Woodland Cree families create(d) reflections of themselves in their children and the interplay of home. Participants speak the language of possibility in co-creating healthy families and communities.

ASPA Member Highlight – Mark Ferguson, Director of Communications, Global Institute for Water Security

Written by Karen E. Mosier

Mark Ferguson has a Bachelor of Arts (English Major) from the University of Saskatchewan and a post-grad Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College. His first job was as the Editor of the Sheaf student newspaper in 2001. He moved away for a while to pursue grad studies. Mark returned in 2007 to take a position with the Alumni Relations Department working on the Green & White and as an in-house writer. He soon moved over to On Campus News as a writer with the Communications Department. He became the first Media Relations Officer a couple years after that and built the first USask news site (news.usask.ca). He took a position with the Canadian Light Source in 2013 where he worked in the communications department as a science writer until 2016. Mark took a short leave from campus to work for the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan but returned in 2017 to take a position with the Global Institute for Water Security and the pan-Canadian Global Water Futures program. He has worked about 17 years at the university.

ASPA Member Highlight – Chris O’Grady, Director of Operations for USask Health Sciences

Written by Karen E. Mosier

Chris O’Grady has a MSc in Biochemistry conferred from the University of Saskatchewan. He has worked at the University of Saskatchewan for the last 12 years. Chris started working on campus in early 2010 as a Research Technician in the biochemistry lab in the Health Sciences building. In April 2015, he transitioned to Lab Manager for the USask Health Sciences, formerly known as the Council of Health Sciences Deans Office. In January 2022, he accepted a position as the Director of Operations for USask Health Sciences.

ASPA Member Highlight – Banjo Olaleye, Academic Advisor, College of Arts & Science

Written by Jane Onuma

Banjo Olaleye moved to Saskatoon from Nigeria in 2015 for his master’s program at the University of Saskatchewan. He has a BSc honor in English and International studies from Osun State University, Nigeria; a master’s degree in English and is currently completing a PHD in English from the University of Saskatchewan. He has worked at the University for 7 years, starting as a research assistant, becoming a teaching assistant between 2016 and 2017. Between 2017 and 2019 he worked for the International Student and Study Abroad Center (ISSAC) and has also worked as a sectional lecturer for St. Thomas More College (STM) and the English department. Banjo currently works as an academic advisor mentoring students in Arts and Science.