NC State Chemist Receives NSF CAREER Award

Dr. Joshua Pierce, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at NC State, has received a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award, also known as the NSF CAREER Award, is one of the highest awards the foundation bestows upon young faculty in the sciences.

The five-year award will support Pierce’s research project entitled “Novel Methods for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles.” The project involves converting simple molecules – examples include those found in bulk commodity chemicals or in petroleum products – to complex, highly functional molecules that could be used as building blocks toward developing new drugs, among other potential applications. The research will develop new and efficient ways to complete those molecular conversions.

Pierce has previously delivered general-interest chemistry talks at Science Cafés at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and the outreach portion of the CAREER grant will continue that partnership. The collaboration between Pierce and the Museum staff includes a proposed interactive “synthesis lab” at the Museum to engage K-12 students in organic chemistry and chemical biology.

Pierce earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 and 2008, respectively. He completed postdoctoral studies at The Scripps Research Institute before joining NC State in 2012.