Erin Lane

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Edward H. Levi Hall, Suite 501
5801 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL  60637
Phone: 773.702.2812
erinlane@uchicago.edu

Erin Lane is Vice President and Chief of Staff in the Office of the President. In this role Lane serves as an advisor and senior staff member to President Alivisatos to help advance his University-wide agenda. She is responsible for supporting presidential strategic initiatives, convening groups across academic and administrative units of the University, and developing partnerships within and outside the University. Lane manages the immediate Office of the President including the President’s support staff and communications. She was appointed to the role in February, 2022.

Since arriving at the University in 2014, Lane has held a number of positions, most recently Assistant Vice President for Science and Strategy in the office of the Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories and Global Initiatives. She was also the founding executive director of the Microbiome Center at Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago, and the Marine Biological Laboratory. With deep and varied experience working with people across disciplines and sectors, Lane specializes in driving forward large, interdisciplinary collaborations. This skill set leverages years as a practicing social worker.

Before joining UChicago, Lane launched and led a new organization at the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, which developed statewide STEM education and workforce development programs. In her career as a social worker, Lane worked directly with families in medical, mental health, and juvenile justice settings in Philadelphia and Chicago.

Lane received her BA from Wheaton College and her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania.