Southeast College has appointed Tania Andrist as the Executive Director of Innovation and Applied Research for the Centre of Sustainable Innovation. Andrist began her role on June 3 and expressed enthusiasm about leveraging her skills and knowledge to benefit the college and community.

Prior to this position, Andrist served as a Business Consultant and Applied Research Lead Officer at the Centre. She also completed post-degree work in innovation and nonprofit management before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s what really led me on this path. Being at Southeast College, developing relationships, and being part of this new Centre of Sustainable Innovation allowed me to utilize my skill set in fund development and relationship building,” Andrist said.

Dr. Vicky Roy, President and CEO of Southeast College, praised Andrist’s appointment: “We are incredibly fortunate to have Tania Andrist leading our Centre of Sustainable Innovation. Her extensive experience, strategic vision, and dedication to fostering sustainability make her the perfect fit for this role. Under her leadership, the Centre will achieve remarkable success and drive significant positive change in our region and province.”

Andrist emphasized the support from her colleagues and the community, which has enabled progress on various fronts. She expressed excitement about new programs developed at the college.

“I’m a big cheerleader for Southeast College and all the innovative projects we’ve been working on. This new role allows me to pursue opportunities for the college and the Centre of Sustainable Innovation,” she said.

With a small modular reactor coming to the area, the college’s programming may include courses in renewable energy and nuclear training. Andrist highlighted existing relationships with SaskPower and training programs in electrical and powerline engineering.

“We look forward to using the Centre of Sustainable Innovation to expand our programming for the Southeast region,” said Andrist.

Creating partnerships has been a highlight for Andrist during her tenure at the college. Currently, Southeast College is teaming up with Southeast TechHub to launch a pilot computer programming course this summer.

“We’re seeking students for this pilot program and building projects. It’s very exciting to see how it responds to the region’s needs and provides missing training,” she noted.

The pilot program is looking for five students with a grade 12 education. “Kids right out of school interested in computers or technology programming looking for a career in tech—this is the class to start with,” Andrist said.