Laurier appoints executive director: experiential learning and career development

July 8, 2026

Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Colleen Myronyk as executive director: experiential learning and career development, effective July 1, 2026.

Experiential Learning and Career Development encompasses co-operative education, career development services and community and workplace partnerships. Laurier’s Global Engagement team will also come under Myronyk’s leadership. The team delivers international programming through academic exchanges, international internships, and volunteer opportunities, as well as International at Home initiatives such as the Intercultural Certificate, Tandem Language Program and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) local committee.

In the newly established role of executive director, Myronyk will report jointly to vice-president: student affairs, Kate McCrae Bristol, and associate vice-president: academic, Trish McLaren and form part of the university’s senior leadership group.

“Colleen is collaborative leader who is focused on institutional priorities that support student success and graduate outcomes,” says McCrae Bristol. “She brings a wealth of experience from various institutions to her role that will build on Laurier’s position as a national leader in experiential learning and career development and prioritize the student experience.”

Myronyk has a served as Laurier’s director of co-operative education and workplace partnerships since 2022 and has been leading the department on an interim basis since former leader Jan Basso retired in July 2025.

Under her leadership, Experiential Learning and Career Development has developed and implemented a strategic vision for co-op education and workplace partnerships, developed integrated programming, and designed, implemented and continuously improved scalable experiential learning models, including co-op expansion, curricular integration and co-curricular programming that reaches thousands of students annually.

“Colleen is skilled at developing impactful partnerships with academic leaders, employers, community partners and government,” says McLaren. “I look forward to our continued work together to expand experiential learning and integrate academic curriculum with labour market needs.”

Myronyk first joined Laurier in 2004, where she held various co-op and career consultant roles at the Waterloo and Brantford campuses before moving to the University of Guelph in 2012, where she worked for a decade in progressive co-op education, employer partnership and work-integrated learning roles.

“Laurier has a strong reputation as a leader in experiential learning and career development, and I am excited to build on that foundation,” says Myronyk. “Through collaboration with students, faculty, staff, employers and community partners, we will continue to create innovative learning opportunities that connect academic experiences with evolving workforce and community needs. Our goal is to ensure every student graduates with the skills, experiences and networks that help them thrive.”

Myronyk holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies from the University of Guelph. She is a recognized leader in the national work-integrated learning field, serving on the directors/managers and accreditation committees of Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL). She is a member of Education and Work-Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO), the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), and the Co-operative Education and Internship Association (CEIA).

About Experiential Learning and Career Development

Laurier’s Experiential Learning and Career Development is regarded as a national leader in the field, offering students a range of hands-on experiences and reflection opportunities to apply knowledge, develop skills and make a meaningful impact through co-operative education; community and workplace partnerships, which supports curricular experiential learning within a course to help students gain experience outside the classroom through community service-learning placements, case studies, research projects, problem-based learning opportunities and internships. Experiential Learning and Career Development also provides career and employment support through programs and resources to guide students in beginning their careers after graduation, as well as recruiting services for employers.

Nearly 5,000 students were involved in community-workplace partnerships in the last academic year, and 94% of undergraduate students participated in at least one curricular experiential leaning opportunity during their degree program. In a 2025 alumni survey, nearly half of those surveyed said they benefited from co-op, internships, or placements offered by Laurier, with 86% of those saying the experiences positively shaped their careers.