About ACEN
The Australian Collaborative Education Network Limited (ACEN) is the professional association for practitioners and researchers from the tertiary education sector, industry, community and government representatives, involved in work integrated learning (WIL) in Australia. WIL currently exists in various forms including:
- Internships
- Cooperative education
- Work placements
- Industry based learning
- Community based learning
- Clinical rotations
- Sandwich year
- Practical projects
ACEN provides strategic leadership for work-integrated learning research, scholarship and practice in Australia, for its members and other stakeholders.
Our People
ACEN is run by a dedicated Board made up of passionate WIL practitioners who are based all across Australia. Our Board lead the direction of ACEN and drive positive change in the advancement of WIL both nationally, and internationally.
Meet the 2023 Board:

Denise Jackson
President
Edith Cowan University

Craig Cameron
Chair of Finance and Audit
University of the Sunshine Coast

Franziska Trede
University of Technology Sydney

Heather Pate
Edith Cowan University

Jennifer Rowley
The University of Sydney

Karen Robinson
Griffith University

Leoni Russell
RMIT University

Michael O'Connor
Western Sydney University

Michelle Eady

Naomi Walsh
University of Tasmania

Rachael Baron
La Trobe University

Will Mackay
University of South Australia
Past Boards
2022 Board
2021 Board
The ACEN Board at the November 2020 Two Day Board meeting held over Zoom.
L to R: (top row) Cate Clifford, Laura Johns (admin), Annette Marlow, Michelle Eady, Bonnie Dean, (middle row) Anna Rowe, Franziska Trede, Denise Jackson, Leoni Russell, (bottom row) Sharon Scott, Susan Rowland, Matthew Campbell.
2020 Board
The ACEN Board at the February 2020 face-to-face meeting in Melbourne.
L to R: Bonnie Dean, Matthew Campbell (back row), Sonia ferns(front row), Leoni Russell, Cate Clifford (back row), Sharon Scott (front row), Anna Rowe, Michelle Eady (back row), Franziska Trede (front row), Denise Jackson, Susan Rowland, Annette Marlow (back row), Don MacDowall (Admin). Absent: Robert Ewers (Company Secretary)
2019 Board
2019 ACEN Board at a face-to-face meeting in Brisbane, October 2019. Back row: Faith Valencia-Forrester, Judie Kay, Susan Rowland, Chris Gonsalvez, Anna Rowe. Middle row: Franziska Trede, Sonia Ferns, Jude Smith, Don MacDowall (Admin) Front row: Sharon Scott. Absent: Denise Jackson, Robert Ewers (Company Secretary).