Erika C. Burt, Director of Professional and Graduate Academic Programs for Illinois Tech’s College of Computing, is a change agent with a passion for advancing educational equity and access for across technology fields. She leads large scale projects aimed at increasing the academic success rates of underserved student populations and for helping organizations become high-tech, high-touch, high-impact centers of excellence. She is a PhD leadership student with research interest in educational equity and policy creation. Erika also has a MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary & a MAT in education; she is a DEI workshop trainer and presenter and a published author with works in theological journals and magazines. Erika is from the south side of Chicago and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.