Dr. Joy Pierce is professor and chair of the Department of Communication in the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. She has three streams of research that correlate to her intellectual and personal interests in technology, literacy and social justice. Dr. Pierce employs cultural studies and contemporary social theory through a critical pedagogical lens to study underrepresented populations coming to information communication technologies (ICTs). She has studied the theories of qualitative research methods extensively, and is a methodologist specializing in ethnographies (auto, performative, participatory action research). Her community-engaged research has led to guest speaking at professional meetings; in the media; and consulting on local, state and federal policy. She was invited to give a TEDxTalk on digital equity policy. Dr. Pierce has presented research papers at regional, national and international academic conferences; published in communication, sociology and qualitative research methods journals; and, published a book titled Digital Fusion: A Society Beyond Blind Inclusion (Peter Lang, 2015). She is working on a book titled Autoethnography Beyond the Self: Practice, Reading, and Writing. Dr. Pierce sits on numerous community-based advisory boards, and is the inaugural recipient of the Utah Digital Equity Champion award. She is an associate editor for Qualitative Health Research (Sage Publishing), a former Presidential Leadership scholar, and an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Leadership Institute for a New Academy (LINA) fellow.  

When she is not focused on academic and scholarly matters, Dr. Pierce enjoys ballroom dancing, horseback riding, archery, cooking, and hiking.