{{short description|American biologist}} thumb|Speaking in India (2018) '''Naomi E. Pierce''' (born 1954) is an American entomologist and evolutionary biologist who currently serves as the Sidney A. and John. H. Hessel Professor of Biology at Harvard University.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-05-04 |title=Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University |url=https://www.oeb.harvard.edu/people/naomi-e-pierce}}</ref> She studies plant-herbivore coevolution and is a world authority on butterflies.<ref>{{cite journal |last=De Cuevas |first=John |date=July–August 2001 |title=A Life with Lycaenids |url=http://harvardmagazine.com/2001/07/a-life-with-lycaenids.html |journal=Harvard Magazine |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> == Education == Pierce earned her B.S. in Biology at Yale (1972–76) and her Ph.D. in Biology at Harvard (1977–83). Pierce was a Fulbright Scholar in Zoology from Harvard University to Griffith University in 1983<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fulbright Scholars who have received the Mac Arthur Fellowship |url=https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/fulbright-alumni/notable-fulbrighters/macarthur-fellowship-recipients |access-date=2018-10-08 |archive-date=2025-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250202031305/https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/fulbright-alumni/notable-fulbrighters/macarthur-fellowship-recipients |url-status=dead }}</ref> and a MacArthur Fellow in 1988 with Ecology and Evolutionary/Environmental Biology as area of focus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Pierce - MacArthur Foundation |url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/339/ |access-date=2018-10-08 |website=www.macfound.org |language=en}}</ref>
==Career== Pierce is the Hessel Professor of Biology<ref>{{cite news|last=Yoon|first=Carol Kaesuk|title=Charles Lee Remington, Butterfly Expert, Dies at 85|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/obituaries/17remington.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 17, 2007}}</ref> and Curator of Lepidoptera in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stevens, William K. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1D61F3AF935A3575BC0A967958260 |title=Seduced by Siren Song of Science |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 6, 1991 |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
From 1984–86, Pierce was Research Lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford and a NATO Research Fellow at Oxford's Department of Zoology. In 1986 she moved to Princeton University as Assistant (1986–89) and Associate (1989–90) Professor of Biology. In 1991 Pierce was appointed Hessel Professor and Curator of Lepidoptera at Harvard University.<ref name="harvard_bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/pierce/people/pierce/pierce.shtml |title=Naomi Pierce |work=Pierce Lab |publisher=Harvard Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
The Pierce Lab studies topics including the evolution of symbioses, phylogeny, biogeography, systematics, plant-insect-microbe interactions, and biodiversity and life history evolution of insects.<ref name=":0" /> Pierce is known for her research on the relationship between lycaenid butterfly larvae and ants, as well as the genetic trends within the species, in order to understand the process of evolution.<ref name=":0">[https://piercelab.oeb.harvard.edu Pierce Laboratory] and the history of the two species.</ref> Pierce and collaborators Corrie Moreau and Charles D. Bell were the first to establish the origin of ants at 140 to 168 million years ago using molecular sequence data, 40 million years older than previous estimates.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 7, 2006 |title=Ancient Ants Arose 140-168 Million Years Ago; Insects Needed Flowering Plants To Flourish |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060407144825.htm |accessdate=2013-11-25 |publisher=Science Daily}}</ref>
In 2018, the entomopathogenic fungus ''Ophiocordyceps naomipierceae'' was named in Pierce's honor. <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Araújo |first1=João Paulo Machado |last2=Evans |first2=H.C. |last3=Kepler |first3=R. |last4=Hughes |first4=D.P. |year=2018 |title=Zombie-ant fungi across continents: 15 new species and new combinations within Ophiocordyceps. I. Myrmecophilous hirsutelloid species |journal=Studies in Mycology |volume=90 |pages=1–42 |doi=10.1016/j.simyco.2017.12.002 |pmc=6002356 |pmid=29910522 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Personal life== She is married to evolutionary biologist and historian of science Andrew Berry (biologist), and they have twin children.
==Selected awards== * Elected to the National Academy of Sciences, 2023 <ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Pierce elected to the National Academy of Sciences |url=https://mcz.harvard.edu/news/naomi-pierce-elected-httpspiercelaboebharvardedunational-academy-sciences |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=mcz.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/2023-nas-election.html | title=2023 NAS Election }}</ref> * International Prize for Biology, 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=The 35th (2019) International Prize for Biology is awarded to Dr. Naomi Ellen Pierce |url=https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-biol/35_awardee.html |accessdate=2020-05-28 |website=Japan Society for Promotsion of Science}}</ref> * American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow, 2018<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi E. Pierce |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/naomi-e-pierce |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Pierce Elected 2018 Class Member of American Academy of Arts & Sciences |url=https://oeb.harvard.edu/news/naomi-pierce-elected-2018-class-member-american-academy-arts-sciences |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=oeb.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref> * Entomological Society of America Fellow, 2011<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi E. Pierce, ESA Fellow (2011) {{!}} Entomological Society of America |url=https://www.entsoc.org/fellows/naomi-e-pierce-esa-fellow-2011 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=www.entsoc.org |language=en}}</ref> * American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 2007<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-11-01 |title=AAAS selects four faculty members as fellows |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/11/aaas-selects-four-faculty-members-as-fellows/ |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Harvard Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> * Senior Fellow of the Society of Fellows, Harvard University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi E. Pierce |url=https://oeb.harvard.edu/people/naomi-e-pierce |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=oeb.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref> * MacArthur Fellow, 1988<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Pierce |url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-1988/naomi-pierce |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=www.macfound.org |language=en}}</ref> * Fulbright Scholar, 1983<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Pierce {{!}} Fulbright Scholar Program |url=https://fulbrightscholars.org/grantee/naomi-pierce |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=fulbrightscholars.org}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://piercelab.oeb.harvard.edu Pierce Laboratory] at Harvard University * The Harvard Crimson [https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/10/26/naomi-pierce-experiences/ interview with Naomi Pierce]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Naomi}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American evolutionary biologists Category:American women evolutionary biologists Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Harvard University faculty Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Yale University alumni Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Category:American lepidopterists Category:American women entomologists Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Category:American scientists