Dr. Airini has no shortage of accomplishments she could point to, but when you meet her face-to-face, it’s all about connecting.
“Meeting people is not a one-off, you're actually building a relationship,” Airini said in an interview with Black Press Media during her visit at Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) Williams Lake campus.
“And I would hope that people would feel that about the university too, that once they're with the TRU family, that they would always feel part of this family."
As the next president and vice-chancellor of TRU, Airini is visiting both the Kamloops and Williams Lake campuses to meet people and hear their stories.
“My approach as a leader is to be open; to be equity oriented and results focused as well,” Airini said. “For that to happen in a good way it really matters to actually connect with people."
There’s no doubt she’s on the right path, as students left and right were called by their names and greeted by Airini throughout her interview with Black Press as she wished them luck in their studies.
“Get out there and be that archaeologist,” she cheered on to one student in passing, and thanked another for their “superb” demonstration on ADHD in adults.
During her visit on Tuesday, April 8, Airini sat down with nursing students and heard about their excitement for the renovation projects at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital, and she also met with students in trades and regenerative agriculture.
“It's amazing to catch up on four years of growth and dynamism that's been happening,” Airini said, thinking about the changes from the last time she worked with TRU as dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work from 2014 to 2021.
“I'm really impressed by the caring nature and that people are motivated to look after one another and to look after their families, and I heard that loud and clear today,” she said.
Airini believes strongly in the difference good education and research can make, and she brings this passion to her role as a leader. What she heard from students is that family and community is foremost, and building a career is part of how students can support what they value.
By developing and attracting talent, Airini said TRU is helping the region become the best place to live in Canada.
“This university can really help with building a region, in a way that matters to the people and the businesses that are here,” Airini said. “TRU is the university for this region.”
After an extensive search, TRU announced Airini’s appointment on April 2 and her five-year term begins on July 1. She will be succeeding Brett Fairbairn, who has led TRU since 2018.
“Dr. Airini stood out for her experience, integrity and academic leadership,” said Hee Young Chung, chair of the university’s board of governors and the search committee for a new president. A press release by the university highlighted Airini’s impact during her time as dean, overseeing the expansion of research and scholarship and the creation of new undergraduate and graduate programs.
Airini led and introduced transformative programming and practices at the university which enhanced learning opportunities for Indigenous students as well as the understanding of Indigenous culture and research. She is co-editing a book about TRU’s Knowledge Makers, a program she co-led which mentors Indigenous undergraduate researchers and which is now a global initiative sponsored by the United Nations.
Alongside reconnecting with the community, Airini has set five goals for herself leading up to her new position at TRU. She’s taking courses on MIT, AI and organizational strategy, student success, sustainability and leadership, governance and a course on how to develop and implement strategy. She also believes strongly in balancing her career with her health and well-being and plans to get out on her kayak.
Once she does get started, Airini said part of her role is to find and tell the exciting stories taking place in the university community.
“There's terrific humility which is throughout the community, and yet there's also incredible innovation,” she said.
“I think it's good every now and then to start telling our stories so that we...have reason to keep learning, to keep giving, to keep growing and from time to time, it could well be the role of the president to actually gather those stories up and send them out so that we can say, ‘we've got something pretty special happening here’.”
To learn more about Airini's many accomplishments, visit the TRU website.
