Erika received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and History from the University of Miami (FL) in 2011. Through these studies, she gained an interest in the history of science and academia throughout the early 20th century, particularly with regards to the big American philanthropic foundations and their connections to some of the most influential theoretical researchers of the era. This led her to pursue a Master of Arts in Modern European Studies at Columbia University, culminating in a thesis titled ‘The Rockefeller Foundation Through the Dawn of the Atomic Age,’ (2015) based on primary research completed at the Rockefeller Archives in Tarrytown, NY.
Erika spent the next few years working at the College of Central Florida, including two years as their Dual Enrollment Coordinator working directly with high school students taking college credit courses. In 2023, she completed her Master of Science in Education at Penn’s Graduate School of Education with a thesis entitled ‘With or Without: American Foundations and the Roots of Hegemonic Knowledge Production in Europe,’ building upon her earlier research. Shortly after graduating, she joined the VIPER team as Administrative Coordinator.
B.A. - 2011 - Chemistry & History, University of Miami
M.A. - 2015 - Modern European Studies, Columbia University in the City of New York
M.S.Ed. - 2023 - Education, Culture, & Society, University of Pennsylvania