LIN ERICKSON
Executive Director & CEO,
Da Vinci Science Center
Lin Erickson, Executive Director and CEO of Da Vinci Science Center, is dedicated to advancing STEAM learning– the integration of the Arts with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — and committed to creating opportunities for every individual to engage in STEAM, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Erickson has spearheaded the Science Center’s development since returning as CEO in 2013; she served as its Executive Director previously from 1997-2005.
The award-winning Da Vinci Science Center had a record-breaking year in 2023, the last full year at its Cedar Crest facility, welcoming over 160,000 visitors and program participants. Today, Erickson is the driving force behind the development of the new $75 million Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion which opened on May 22, 2024, in downtown Allentown.
Erickson’s deep commitment to collaboration with school and community partners provides the foundation of the Science Center’s vision to create a community-based resource and regional hub for STEAM education in the heart of downtown Allentown.
Under her leadership, the Science Center has developed an innovative partnership with the Allentown School District (ASD) that provides ASD students with state-of-the-art immersive learning experiences in Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, or STREAM, at the new facility and expands ASD capacity for next generation science, teaching, and learning.
Erickson is an advocate for removing barriers to STEAM for traditionally underrepresented groups and was instrumental in introducing the Science Center’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Initiative in 2015. She was named a 2021 Take the Lead honoree by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. The award recognizes women whose leadership and professional achievements have a positive impact in their community. Erickson also is the recipient of the 2020 Women of Influence Circle of Excellence Award and the 2023 Lehigh Valley Business ICON Success and Leadership Award, both from Lehigh Valley Business.
Erickson has over 35 years of experience spearheading educational initiatives for students from kindergarten through college – raising more than $130 million from public and private sources. She was Chief Development Officer of the Air Force Museum Foundation in Dayton, Ohio, from 2011-2013, and Director of Government, Corporate, and Foundation Relations at Wittenberg University from 2006-2011. Erickson held progressive leadership roles earlier in her career with Northampton Community College and Lehigh University – developing innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors to advance workforce competitiveness – and was a middle school teacher.
Erickson holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Smith College in Northampton, Mass., a master’s degree in educational technology from Lehigh University, and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Erickson is passionate about creating a world where the boundaries between different disciplines are blurred, and where individuals are encouraged to follow their curiosity.
