Ninety per cent of Cypher Environmental’s employees are RRC Polytech graduates. That’s not a coincidence.

The company has built a strong connection with the College and actively seeks out grads who are ready to tackle real-world challenges—a must in the manufacturing industry.

“Red River is home for a lot of us,” said Dr. Teaghan Wellman, Executive Vice-President and Vice-President of Research and Development at Cypher.

“The College does a fantastic job of giving students the opportunity to get their feet wet—not just in a perfect situation, but what might actually take place—on a manufacturing floor or in a research project,” adds the 2016 grad, who completed a post-graduate diploma at RRC Polytech in Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Wellman knows this firsthand. What started as a short-term research role at Cypher turned into a decade-long career leading one of Manitoba’s most innovative environmental companies.

Today, she helps develop sustainable road solutions used in more than 60 countries—and it all began with an unexpected opportunity at RRC Polytech.

The Road to Real-world Exposure

Wellman’s path to Cypher wasn’t part of some carefully laid-out career plan. It happened because she stayed open to opportunities.

After earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba, she wasn’t sure what was next. A master’s degree felt like the obvious choice, but she wanted something more applied to bridge the gap between theory and industry.

That’s what led her to RRC Polytech’s Post Graduate Diploma in Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

“The program had a diverse course load,” she said. “There were different courses in not only the pharmaceutical industry but also general manufacturing and quality control.”

She describes her time at RRC Polytech as creative, hands-on, and motivating. Unlike traditional academic programs, where learning often stays theoretical, RRC Polytech provided Wellman with real-world exposure.

“We had the opportunity to go and visit local pharmaceutical companies and actually see what the industry is expecting, as opposed to just reading it out of a textbook,” she said.

That hands-on approach is what set her up for success when a professor connected her with a local research opportunity at Cypher Environmental.

“I thought, why not?” she said. “At the time, I knew the pains and the struggles of finding summer employment or even an internship, so I thought, let’s give it a go.”

That summer job as a lab assistant was a turning point for her. She was brought on to help develop a soil stabilization product, which would later become ROAD//STABILIZR®, one of Cypher’s flagship innovations.

Soon after, she helped develop another key product, DUST/BLOKR®, a non-corrosive and environmentally friendly alternative to road salts. Today, both solutions are used worldwide.

“It’s humbling to see something we worked on here in Manitoba making an impact around the world,” she said.

A Decade of Growth

When Wellman first joined Cypher, it was a small company with just a handful of employees. The team was scrappy, ambitious, and working to scale up their impact.

Over the years, she took on more responsibility, moving from a laboratory assistant to a research specialist, then to Director of Research and Development, then Vice-President, and now Executive Vice-President.

The company itself has grown, too. What started as a small Manitoba-based operation with four employees is now a leader in sustainable environmental solutions with a staff of more than 20. Cypher’s products—alternatives to traditional road stabilization and dust control solutions—are now used in over 60 countries.

“Every day is different,” she said. “As Executive Vice-President, my day involves whatever needs doing. I have a hand in quite a few different things, whether it’s production, day-to-day leadership meetings and strategy, or getting my hands dirty back in research and development, getting back into my roots and back into the lab.”

That mix of leadership and innovation is what keeps her excited about her work.

“I love the ability to be able to create solutions that have real impact on industries as well as the environment,” she said. “And all while collaborating with such an incredible team.”

Building Industry Leaders

Cypher’s commitment to hiring graduates from RRC Polytech is to recruit talent, but it’s also about giving back.

“We’ve all been in that classroom when the daunting task of finding an internship or a co-op summer opportunity is upon you, and it’s very challenging. So, having gone through that experience myself, I know that it’s very important to maintain those relationships and give back to the community.”

Cypher has hired interns from RRC Polytech across multiple disciplines, including manufacturing, engineering, business, and science. Wellman and Cypher’s CEO frequently visit RRC Polytech to speak to students, offering guidance and insights from their own career paths.

“We try to offer some words of encouragement and just let them know that if we can do it, they can do it.”Looking back at her path from student to industry leader, Wellman’s biggest advice for students is to embrace every opportunity—even the ones that feel like a detour.

“The harder things in life are often the most rewarding,” she said. “Never underestimate an opportunity, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the perfect fit. I didn’t plan for a career down this path, but it’s been extremely rewarding. Every experience, each project, internship, and challenge is preparing you for something much greater than you may know.”

She also encourages students to take initiative and build relationships while still in school.

“Education isn’t just about earning that diploma or walking across the stage at the end of your degree; it’s about equipping yourself and gaining the skills, relationships, and connections—and the confidence—to take on what comes next in your journey.”

Despite going on to earn multiple degrees—including a master’s degree in leadership and science, and a doctorate of business administration from Walden University—Wellman is still not finished.

“For me, it’s quite simple: just keep learning,” she said. “I think we need to be lifelong learners, never underestimate the power of an opportunity, and take as much out of any situation as you possibly can. Be open to learning at any stage in your life or career.”

For Wellman, this means always embracing challenges, questioning assumptions, and pushing boundaries. And that, she says, is exactly what RRC Polytech prepared her to do.

Wellman was one of 41 outstanding graduates featured in the College’s Polytechnic Proud campaign.

Profile by Riley Chervinski (Creative Communications, 2016).