The College of Nursing Welcomes Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot

In her new role, Heather will play an integral part in planning, implementing and evaluating the College's Integrated Plan and ensuring alignment of the Plan to the university's strategic initiatives. Her primary focus will be to position the college to achieve our vision for outreach and engagement with the International Indigenous and National Aboriginal communities. She will support faculty, staff, new graduates and all students to be inclusive of Indigenous/Aboriginal knowledge and experiences in educational curricula and practice. Through this process, Dr. Exner-Pirot will also create new opportunities to build upon the existing strengths of the Native Access Program to Nursing and other U of S programs and external successful initiatives.

Dr. Exner-Pirot has been engaging with aboriginal and northern students for ten years and has significant expertise in northern and aboriginal development. She has held positions with the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the International Centre of Northern Governance and Development at the University of Saskatchewan, at the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of the Arctic and at the International Affairs, Peace and Human Security for the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Dr. Exner-Pirot completed her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at the U of S, continued on to complete her Master of Arts in Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland and earned her PhD in Political Science at the University of Calgary in 2011.

In addition to her direct work experience, Heather has served as a Sessional Instructor at a variety of institutions, including the U of S and the University of the Arctic. She has presented and published on northern, Arctic and aboriginal issues and contributes to the work of the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network and northern food security efforts.

"I believe personally and professionally that education is a key element in building healthy and prosperous aboriginal communities. I have worked to enhance the ability of universities and the academic community to respond to the particular needs of aboriginal and northern students," said Exner-Pirot when asked about the experience she is bringing to her new position. "I have extensive experience liaising between academics and the university, on one hand, and policymakers, students and aboriginal stakeholders, on the other, to produce concrete outcomes and deliverables. I am eager to apply my experience to this new position."

Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot started with the College of Nursing on January 14th.