R. Erika Schafer

Erika is a seasoned HR expert with over 25 years of professional experience. She has been with the University for 12 years, leading HR Operations, HR Analytics, the F&A Knowledge and Optimization Organization, and strategic HR projects. She was on project teams to implement Workday, Oracle, and Shared Services and enjoyed bringing employee engagement and strengths initiatives to help leaders instill an engaging workplace culture.

Her work before the University included eight years in HR positions of increasing responsibility at Caterpillar Inc. She brought her passion for environmental preservation and advancing economic opportunity to leadership roles at the Alaska Conservation Foundation, the Center for Economic Progress, and the Illinois Environmental Council.

Erika received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy in 2020 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She holds senior certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute.