Erin Phillips, PhD
Acting Senior Director, Research
Erin Phillips, PhD, is the Acting Senior Director of Research for the University of
Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER).
Prior to her current role, she served as the SER Director of Cross-Cutting Programs.
Phillips co-leads the Energy Education, Leadership, and Careers Program (Energy ELC)
at SER and works on multiple energy-related workforce development initiatives. She
has contributed broadly to critical minerals research at SER and was the Principal
Investigator for the DOE-sponsored Powder River Basin Carbon Ore, Rare Earths, and
Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) project. She also leads the DOE-sponsored Critical Minerals
Leadership Academy, hosted by SER. In 2025, Phillips received a Fulbright award to
study critical mineral supply chains in Norway.
Phillips earned her bachelor's degree in geology from Macalester College, followed
by her master's degree from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She
completed her PhD at the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics
and is an adjunct faculty member in that department.
