Education Abroad Professional Learning Community (EA-PLC)

Colleen Packer has worked in the field of international education for over 20 years. She is currently the Director, Global Learning at University of Calgary International, where she provides leadership for the University’s education abroad and global learning at home programs, working with stakeholders across campus to support the institution’s global engagement plan. In addition to serving on various internal and external committees, Colleen is the co-chair of the CBIE’s Education Abroad Professional Learning Community and is a frequent presenter at both national and international conferences. Colleen has an M.Ed. in adult learning from the University of Calgary.

As the Director of International Strategic Initiatives, Shabnam (Shay) designs and delivers University of Waterloo’s Co-operative and Experiential Education’s internationalization strategy that continues to place CEE as a global leader in the work-integrated learning arena via sustainable pathways for quality growth & innovation. Being an avid advocate of WIL, she has presented on program outcomes, student satisfaction, building co‐op legacies in organizations, risk management, WIL impact on UN’s SDGs, etc. at several global conferences. Shabnam loves working at university because she believes that in a well-rounded education lies the promise of our future.

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Kira Johnson has worked at the University of New Brunswick for over a year as Study Abroad Coordinator (Short Term/Asia), overseeing inbound and outbound Asian exchanges and short-term summer programs. With nine years of passion for international education, Kira’s journey includes studying abroad in Germany and Japan and working in South Korea, providing her with a deep understanding of students’ challenges abroad. Her professional objectives focus on enhancing a global community on campus, creating enriching study abroad experiences, and fostering a supportive environment for her students. Kira is working towards obtaining her RISIA certification to further strengthen her knowledge of international student services.

Ana is a higher education professional with a business background and over 8 years of experience, including 5 years in international education. Her journey as an international student drives her passion for making global learning accessible to all.

As Project Coordinator for the Global Justice and Change program at Toronto Metropolitan University, Ana led fully funded, faculty-led trips to Senegal and Aotearoa. She is dedicated to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for underrepresented students to engage in transformative global experiences.

Colin has been working in a Faculty of Business Administration for eight years, where, among many other things, he focuses on measuring learning goals and objectives and reporting for accreditation and quality assurance initiatives. He is actively involved in program development and changes that are responsive to the needs and demands of international and domestic students. As a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy, his area of study is in domestic outbound mobility.

Mila Sokolyanskaya has been working at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology for three years, where she currently holds the position of Global Education Coordinator. Before this, she worked as a career coach for diverse clients in the non-profit and post-secondary sectors for almost seven years. Her current role at NAIT involves developing a study abroad program to enable students to engage with different cultures and enrich their careers. Mila firmly believes that learning abroad can positively change one’s mindset on culture, communication, and diversity.

Mila has been instrumental in implementing NAIT’s recently finalized Global Engagement Strategy, overseeing global partnership development at the institutional level. As the co-lead of the PLC-EA subgroup on Measures and Benchmarking, she also believes in the power of data-driven decisions. Her qualifications include a master’s degree in education and a Certified Career Development Professional designation.

Brian Rochat is post-secondary instructor, researcher, and WIL professional at RRC Polytech responsible for supporting post-graduate international students in business programs understand and adjust to Canadian and colonial education systems, soft skills and other cultural constructs, and reestablish professional identities in Canada. Brian recently completed an M.Ed.-Thesis project as a grad student at University of Saskatchewan which identified and includes a new model of intercultural discovery and development in international education (published in August 2024). Prior to joining RRC Polytech in 2021 he spent 6 years as an instructor of international students at Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, and nearly a decade supporting inclusive employment initiatives, workforce development programs, and WIL projects. Brian sits on several boards and committees, including CEWIL’s (Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada) International Committee and co-chair’s CBIE Intercultural Skills Working Group.

Ining Tracy Chao currently serves as the Director, Global Partnerships and Learning Services at St. Lawrence College (SLC). She was trained as an instructional designer, specializing in curriculum development and online learning, and she has worked in higher education for over 25 years. Since 2009, Ining has been involved in international education by developing cross-border programs and internationalization initiatives on college and university campuses. She established SLC’s Global Learning Centre, implementing programs and services for education abroad, and promoting intercultural competence and global citizenship through on-campus programming. Her passion lies in creating transformative learning and culturally inclusive pedagogy for all learners. Ining has a BA in Library and Information Science from National Taiwan University, and a MA in Educational Technology from Concordia University. She also obtained the Certificate in Intercultural Studies from the University of British Columbia and is a certified intercultural trainer.

Elissa earned a Master’s of Education degree in Higher Education leadership from the University of Calgary and worked to support students as a Manager, Residence Life before taking on leadership of the Safety Abroad portfolio at the University of Waterloo. Skilled in risk assessment and iterative process improvement related to international travel Elissa provides strategic and operational leadership associated with the health, safety and security of those travelling abroad on University of Waterloo sponsored travel and activities including the coordination of emergency responses for crisis situations abroad.

Stasa’s curiosity around multidisciplinary projects, community building and technology has led her to work in a range of industries, including international education, performing arts, management consulting, telecom, and magazine publishing. Her deep involvement in the international education sector began over 10 years ago at Capilano University in North Vancouver, where she currently serves as Manager, Global Engagement, and is responsible for the university’s outbound and inbound mobility strategic planning and implementation. Her work has focused on driving collaborative partnership pathways that enable globally relevant education, wide access two-way mobility programming, and sustainability-based global initiatives across cultures and time zones.

Ada Lee is an international education professional with 10+ years in global mobility and partnerships, recruitment & admissions, and student engagement.  A 1.5-generation settler from Hong Kong, her work focuses on widening access to experiential global learning programs and leveraging technology to build inclusive and innovative programming. She lives alongside the great Douglas fir trees in Vancouver, Canada.