Education

Ph.D., Education Administration (Higher Education), University of South Carolina
M.S., Counselor Education (Student Affairs), Mississippi State University
B.A., Communication (Public Relations), Mississippi State University

Background

Erica Lake was promoted to vice dean for organizational development and innovation in August 2024 after serving for a year as the interim assistant dean for opportunity and engagement in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. Lake also spent seven years as the director of corporate engagement for the college before taking on her current role as vice dean.

Prior to Lake's work in the college, she served more than eight years as the associate director for employer relations for the University of South Carolina Career Center. Lake has many years of experience building relationships with employers and helping them to connect with University of South Carolina students for internships and full-time positions. She has managed an online recruiting platform that provides networking opportunities for students to connect with employers through job postings, career fairs, on-campus interviews and specialized networking events.  

Lake is dedicated to her profession and served on the board of directors for the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers as president from 2019 to 2022. In this role, she was responsible for chairing the site selection committee for the annual conference, and she was the chair of the awards and nominations committee. She previously served SoACE as the director for targeted knowledge groups and has volunteered through the Employer Relations Knowledge Group. Lake also served as co-chair for the National Association of Colleges and Employers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee in 2021-22. She is a 2013 graduate of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Management Leadership Institute and a 2014 graduate of Leadership Columbia. 

Lake completed her doctorate in the education administration program at the University of South Carolina. She is a two-time graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications (public relations) and a Master of Science in education (student affairs). She has presented on best practices in employer relations at both the National Association of Colleges and Employers annual meeting and the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers annual conference. She frequently consults with career services professionals about employer relations programs, policies and procedures.

Lake enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, Dietrich, daughter, Jordin, and two sons, Sebastian and Austin. In addition, she is an avid SEC basketball and football enthusiast. 

Honors / Awards

• Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Southern Star Award, 2023
• Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Research Fellowship, 2023
• Charles and Margaret Witten Dissertation Scholarship, 2022
• Southern Association of Colleges and Employers New Professional Award, 2012
• Staff Chair, USC Provost’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues, 2013
• Leadership Columbia, 2014

Professional Affiliations and/or Consulting Experiences

• Keynotes Chair, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Annual Conference, 2024
• Black Student Perceptions of Experiential Education at PWIs, National Association of Colleges and Employers Annual Conference Presenter, 2021
• Partnering the Business and Industry to Align Academic Programs with Emerging Labor Market, Ed Talk Presenter, Northwestern Michigan College, 2021
• Board of Directors, President-Elect, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, 2020–2021
• Board of Directors, President-Elect, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, 2019–2020  
• Board of Directors, Target Knowledge Groups, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, 2017–2018
• Assistant Chair, Exhibitors and Sponsorships, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Annual Conference 2016
• Chair, Employer Relations Knowledge Group, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, 2015
• Certificate in Leadership, Institute for Leadership and Professional Excellence, Columbia College, 2014
• Certificate in Professional Selling, Carew International, 2015
• Connecting with Local and National Employers, Career Services Conference Presenter, Intern Bridge, 2015
• Capitalizing on Your Employer Relationships, National Association of Colleges and Employers Annual Conference Presenter, 2013