Organising Committee

With several years of experience in Work Integrated Learning (WIL), I am passionate about supporting students in developing the skills, confidence, and industry connections they need to thrive in their careers.  

In my current role as Team Leader within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology at the University of Adelaide, I oversee the planning and delivery of elective internships that provide students with meaningful, hands-on industry experience.  

I collaborate closely with academic staff and industry partners to create high-impact learning opportunities that enhance student employability and build stronger pathways between academic study and professional practice.

Jena Buchan is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and work-integrated learning academic coordinator in exercise and sport at Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast, Queensland. She is passionate about supporting people, and herself, to develop sustainable, personalised health habits to maximise wellbeing and both quality and quantity of life.  In addition to running the exercise and sports science placement at SCU, Jena also coordinates the nutrition for health and physical activity unit.  She is an active researcher in the scholarship of learning and teaching space, leading projects on student and supervisor placement preparation and support, as well as student wellbeing.

Erin Stacey has a long history within vocational and higher education and has been at University of Canberra (UC) since 2012. Erin spent over 10 years managing UC’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, working with industry and academia to establish programs that provided students with early entry into the workforce. She has been instrumental in developing UC’s international internship programs, specialised industry-based learning programs, virtual WIL, and institution wide approaches for WIL @ UC. Erin is now leading the partnership between UC and Cisco as part of the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN), a Cisco led alliance between industry and universities across Australia.  

Erin has been an active member of the ACEN community, previously serving on the ACT/NSW State Chapter, professional learning and award working groups,  and was a committee member for the 2022 and 2024 ACEN Conferences. 

Shufen Lin is an accomplished professional with demonstrated strategic leadership in driving initiatives and delivering outcomes in tertiary education. In her current role as the WIL Manager, she develops and implements strategies and programs to support the faculty’s WIL and global learning programs, enhancing students’ graduate employability.

Coming soon

Dr Amali Weerasinghe is the Director for Industry Partnerships within the School  of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at University of Adelaide and oversees industry engagement across 20 programs. Her main teaching duties including proving a work-integrated learning (WIL) experience at a large scale (500 students) through the final-year capstone project. Her research expertise focuses on understanding the impact of educational technologies on student engagement and she has published extensively in international peer- reviewed journals and conferences. She has recently started the Purpose-Driven Industry Engagement (PIE) Series that focuses on a gradual, proactive approach to enhancing student career-readiness through purposeful and multi-staged industry engagements.

Dr Bita Zaferanloo is a nationally recognised leader in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), STEM education, and sustainability innovation. As Senior Lecturer at Swinburne University, she designs and leads multidisciplinary WIL initiatives that empower students to address real-world challenges through collaboration with industry and community. 

 She leads the Shaping STEM Futures program, which equips students to become science communicators and changemakers through sustainability-focused projects. Her AI-optimized high-tech composter project is revolutionising urban waste management and has gained the attention of local councils and climate innovation networks. 

 A seasoned microbial biotechnologist, Dr. Zaferanloo also pioneers research into novel bioactive compounds from Australian native endophytes, contributing to sustainable solutions in environmental, health, and agricultural domains. With deep experience in global mobility and the International Sustainable Project, she champions inclusive, scalable WIL experiences that bridge academia and society, fostering the next generation of STEM leaders.

Melissa Connor is an Adjunct Lecturer at Charles Darwin University and has over 10 years of working at universities in work-integrated learning and employability. Melissa has worked as an Academic Director WIL and course coordinated several internship and professional industry experience courses, including virtual WIL. Melissa is a member of the SA/NT State WIL Chapter.

Dr Elena Balcaite is a Teaching Specialist (Experiential Learning) in the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne. Elena specialises in Experiential Learning, Work Integrated Learning and undergraduate teaching, particularly in multidisciplinary environments.

In her role, Elena coordinates a flagship internship subject within the Bachelor of Arts, working closely with internal and external partners to develop undergraduate students’ world-readiness. Her role within the Arts Teaching Innovation team also involves curriculum leadership; Elena leads curriculum development and renewal projects and champions implementation of classroom-based Experiential Learning across the Humanities and Social Sciences.  

Wayne Read is the Academic Coordinator of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for the Deakin Business School. Since stepping into this role in 2018, Wayne has led the redevelopment of the DBS WIL suite, introduced online pre-placement modules, and revitalised WIL programs and assessments. Wayne’s work in this space is led by his focus on student career outcomes and building a more inclusive WIL offering. Wayne’s research includes ACEN funded projects into online WIL and fostering sustainable relationships with Indigenous Organisations through WIL.

Leoni Russell is the Lead, Employability and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in the Centre for Educational Innovation & Quality at RMIT University. Leoni provides academic support to build staff capability across a range of educational strategies including industry partnered learning, work integrated learning (WIL), career development learning (CDL) and the embedding of employability initiatives into curriculum. Leoni has extensive experience in WIL policy, governance, national research and facilitating professional development to support WIL practice.  Leoni has been involved in WIL Australia (ACEN) for over 14 years. She was an elected director on the national board, the Chair of the Conference and Awards committee (2022 & 2024) and chair/secretary for the Vic/Tas WIL Australia chapter. 

Natalie Milic is the Associate Dean of Work-integrated Learning for the Faculty of Health at Charles Darwin University. In this role, she has led the redevelopment of WIL processes, documentation, and reporting to ensure greater consistency, improve oversight, and reduce associated costs. She also brings extensive experience in curriculum design, teaching quality, and industry engagement, having held a range of senior leadership roles across both the Faculty and the University. Natalie serves on the Board of Directors for WIL Australia, chairs the SA/NT chapter, and is co-chair of the 2026 national conference committee.

Daryl has over 20 years of experience in project and program management, industry engagement, and business development, with a strong focus on advancing Work Integrated Learning (WIL) across sectors. He is passionate about connecting education and industry to improve student outcomes and workforce readiness. Currently leading WIL and Online initiatives within the Adelaide University Integration Management Office, as co-chair of the 2026 WIL Australia Conference Committee he is excited to bringing counterparts from across Australia to SA.