College Contacts
Chelsea Smith BA Academic Affairs Specialist
Luis Corredor Duarte MPA Interdisciplinary Studies & Student Engagement Coordinator
Kim Fraser-Saddleback BA, M.Ced., Ed.D. (in progress) Indigenous Graduate Student Liaison
Peggy Naughton Senior Awards Officer
Andrew Hartman BA, M.Ed., PhD (In Progress) Service Program Evaluator
Kassidy Guy B.Comm. (Marketing) Digital Communications Specialist
Leadership Team
Debby Burshtyn PhD Dean
Dean of the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) and Professor in the department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Debby has held a series of administrative roles in graduate education beginning as graduate coordinator from 2009-13 at the University of Alberta. As an advocate for adapting graduate education and mentorship to fit the changing funding and employment landscape, she led departmental career planning workshops for students and developed the groundbreaking workshops on mentoring graduate students. Over the next several years Debby held various administrative roles within the graduate faculty at the University of Alberta as Associate Dean, Vice-Dean, and most recently, served a one-year term as Interim Vice Provost and Dean. She continues to lead initiatives designed to effect long-term positive change on graduate students’ learning experiences including designing the quality assurance processes for graduate programs and promoting the development and assessment of learning outcomes in graduate education linked to career preparation. Through her work with the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) Task Force on Excellence in Graduate Programs Debby is committed to a vision of excellence in graduate programming across Canada and here, close to home, as she embarks upon her new role as Dean of the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, USask.
Ryan Walker PhD, RPP, MCIP Associate Dean, Policy & Programming Innovation
In his role at the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Ryan helps build an international alumni community of the brightest, most engaged, and career-ready people in the world. He values a USask experience for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows that is well-supported in an intercultural environment of peers, service professionals, and faculty who are experts in their fields and value enhancing their roles as supervisors, teachers and career mentors. Ryan knows that our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows need to be prepared for careers in industry as well as the academy, and encourages their engagement in the wider life of Saskatoon and Saskatchewan. He uses an open, inclusive, collaborative work style to support USask’s disciplinary colleges and schools, and its interdisciplinary research mission. A professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, Ryan has degrees from the University of Lethbridge (B.A. with distinction), University of Waterloo (M.A.), and Queen’s University (Ph.D.). He has received industry awards for planning practice, scholarship, and volunteer recognition from the Canadian Institute of Planners, Saskatchewan Professional Planners Institute, Design Council of Saskatchewan, International Downtown Association, and the Award for Distinction in Outreach and Engagement from the University of Saskatchewan.
Steven Rayan PhD Director, Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Steven Rayan (he/him/his), Professor in Mathematics and Statistics / College of Arts and Science, joined USask in July 2016 after a doctoral degree at the University of Oxford (2011) and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto. Dr. Rayan's research lies at the border of mathematics and quantum physics and is funded by NSERC, the Tri-Agency as a whole through its New Frontiers program, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. He is the founding director of an interdisciplinary research centre at USask, the Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA). He has given over 70 invited lectures around the world since joining USask, is an editor of Research in the Mathematical Sciences (Springer-Nature), and has recently served as the first chair of the Canadian Mathematical Society's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusiveness Committee. In 2021, he was named a recipient of the USask New Researcher Award. This is Dr. Rayan's fifth year as a member of the CGPS Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, having co-chaired the committee in 2020-2021. He has also served as the Chair of the CGPS Postdoctoral Advisory Committee from 2018 to 2021.
Marc Usunier PhD Senior Director, Graduate Student Services
Marc joined the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in January 2021. Holding an honours degree from Brandon University in history, and an MA in history and a PhD in Educational Administration from USask, Marc’s ongoing research interests lie at the intersection of executive recruitment and selection, the politics of leadership, change leadership, and organizational decision-making. He is actively involved in several professional and scholarly associations and is a regular presenter at conferences associated with the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE), the CBIE, the International Leadership Association (ILA), and the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA). In addition to his professional and academic interests, Marc is involved with a variety of local and national groups including the People Bridge Advocacy, as a board member; CSSHE, as a board member; AIESEC Saskatoon, as an advisory board member; and the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), as chair and past chair the International Network of Tomorrow’s Leaders.
Heather Lukey | on leave Director, Awards & Scholarships
Everyone who works with Heather Lukey in the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies extolls her virtues as a dedicated university employee, but none more than the graduate students themselves. Winner of the President's Serivce Award (2012) Heather is known to go "above and beyond" and is frequently referred to as "the go-to person". Lukey's job is a complex one; she helps graduate students navigate the complex world of applying for funding from various external sources, she manages a manual portfolio of more than $14M, serves as USask's Tri-Agency Scholarship Liaison Officer, and manages the day to day finances of the college. She also serves as a valuable advisor to students, faculty members, and programs about the most effective ways to access and use the funding provided. Heather started her career with USask over 30 years ago as a clerk steno and receptionist. Heather has been heard saying "I do it for the students".
Lori Lisitza CMgr, PMgr, MCIM Executive Officer
A self-declared life-long learner, being surrounded by students on an academic journey was a natural fit for Lori. Fast forward from coding in MS-DOS, Lori found that she has a knack for project management and paired that with media brokerage and indie music album design. Lori went on to study business administration at Memorial University and USask with a particular interest in management earning chartered management credentials in both Canada and the UK. Lori wears ‘several hats’ within the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies from being the Dean’s central support person and as a member of the Dean’s leadership team bringing leadership and development on all aspects of college communications, leads strategic projects and has oversight of key aspects of day-to-day operations of the college including coordination of governance and faculty membership. When not at work you will find Lori at the barn, with a pair of skates in the trunk and a yellow ribbon on the bumper in support of Canada's troops.