Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 30
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SASKATCHEWAN’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
USask inspires employees to go for the finish line
W
hen she’s
training five
days a week
at Saskatoon’s
indoor track
and field facility in preparation for
future sprint hurdle competitions,
Astrid Nyame draws on the
ongoing encouragement she
receives from her colleagues at the
University of Saskatchewan.
“The support I get from the
university is amazing,” says
Nyame, team lead for payments
and reimbursement services.
“They have always been there for
me throughout my journey as an
athlete.”
For myself, the learning
never stops, and
what better place to
do it than at a postsecondary institution?
—Astrid Nyame
Team Lead for Payments and
Reimbursement Services
Nyame’s journey at USask
began in 2012 when she left
rural Saskatchewan to study in
the geography and planning
department and became a
member of the track and field
team. In 2017, she struck gold
at both the Canada West and
U SPORTS championships in
the 60-metre hurdles. She also
finished third during a track and
field event at the prestigious Park
Avenue Armory in New York City.
She went on to spend three years
training at a high-performance
An employee at the University of Saskatchewan works from the Crop Development Centre.
facility in Arizona and attended
the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials
for the 100-metre hurdles in
Montréal. Soon after, she returned
home and landed a full-time job at
the university.
Having worked at the campus
bookstore while completing her
undergraduate degree, Nyame got
a full-time job at the store in 2021.
The following year, she joined
payments and reimbursement
services. Outside of work, she now
trains and competes with Running
Wild Athletics Club. When she
needed time off last summer
to travel to Europe to compete,
she appreciated the flexibility
her employer offered. It is that
flexibility and the opportunities
she sees for growth that keeps her
engaged.
“I’ve gotten to experience so
many different elements of the
University of Saskatchewan and
I’ve loved every part of that,” says
Nyame.
USask is a world leader in
water and food security, vaccine
development, and human, animal
and environmental health. As
a research-intensive university
with more than 26,000 students,
it aspires to be “the university the
world needs.”
The institution’s mission
was front and centre last June
when Kimberly Kroll-Goodwin,
associate vice-president,
development, joined close to 1,000
people — including volunteers,
community partners and senior
leadership — to celebrate a major
milestone for USask.
At Merlis Belsher Place, a
new recreational facility on
campus, Kroll-Goodwin and her
colleagues announced that the
largest fundraising campaign
in Saskatchewan’s history had
surpassed its $500-million goal,
reaching a total of over $570
million.
The money raised is earmarked
for scholarships, bursaries and
other supports for students,
funding for 23 new research chairs
and more than $90 million in
enhanced learning and athletic
facilities.
“It was an absolute career
highlight,” says Kroll-Goodwin.
“It’s very easy to get passionate
about the work that we do.”
Having earned two bachelor
of arts degrees and a business
administration certificate from
USask, Kroll-Goodwin joined
the staff in 2023 and jumped into
the fundraising campaign. She
continues to develop a culture
of philanthropy on campus and
