Dr. Casey Pierce
Assistant Professor at University of Michigan
“My mom. She always pushed me to be different and not follow what everyone else was doing. Growing up I wanted to be so much like everyone else, but I now hold dear her philosophy to just be “unashamedly me.” It definitely takes confidence and boldness, but life is so much more exciting following your own path rather than trying to fit in with the norm or other people’s expectations.”
Read Dr. Casey’s full profile below
What do you do every day?
Currently, I am a PhD candidate at Northwestern University in the Media, Technology and Society program in the School of Communication. I really love my program because it takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying technology and its impacts on society. Specifically, I study how technologies are used in organizations for knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration. In my dissertation research I examine how organizations use technologies to deal with new changes associated with healthcare policy reform. Because healthcare reform is such an important issue today with such significant consequences at stake, I am excited to research such a challenging and interesting topic.
Why do you love it?
I love research because I get to dive into questions that interest me. I get to travel the world for research and to attend conferences. I’ve had the opportunities to visit India, London and all over the US as a doctoral student. I’m looking forward to future trips to Asia and Europe. In addition to the perks of traveling, I also love the opportunities to meet and collaborate with smart people from different universities and research areas.
What were your moments of fear and challenges in your career?
The middle part my PhD program was rough for me, mostly because I questioned if I was “good enough” to become a future professor and great researcher. My confidence overall was non-existent. I had a bad case of the “imposter syndrome” where I felt that I was pretending to be smart enough when I was not. I constantly compared myself to others, which only made me feel bad about myself. I only focused on my weaknesses without giving due credit to my strengths.
I eventually came to a point that I forced myself to stop thinking so negatively about my potential success. I reminded myself that I have overcome many challenges in my life – the most difficult was losing my mother to cancer when I was 15 years old. After her passing, I not only had to deal with that deep personal grief, but also move states and change high schools in the middle of the school year. Now THAT was hard. Anyone who has been that “new kid” at school can definitely relate! I thought, if I could go through that and make it through to the other side victoriously, I had no reason to fear whether I was good enough to excel in my PhD program. I now welcome challenges because I see them as opportunities to only improve and grow – even if I am not perfect. Challenges do not have to hold you back with fear!
What are some of the latest innovations in science that you are most excited about?
I am excited to learn and research about the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs). From my perspective as someone who studies technology and organizational change, I am interested how it changes the dynamics between the physician-patient relationship and how healthcare organizations can use EMRs and EHRs to improve the quality of care.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Long Beach, California, but spend much of my years growing up in Long Island, NY and Norcross, Georgia. I finished out high school back in Palmdale, California and lived in Los Angeles when I attended USC for college. I eventually traded the SoCal weather when I moved to the great city of Chicago for graduate school. It’s hard for me to pinpoint just one city as my hometown since each place had a unique impact on my life. However, having lived in some many places, my accent is more or less a blend of all the different regions!
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Two of my elementary school teachers, Mrs. Hawk and Mrs. Hoover instilled the love of learning at such a young age. I also appreciate my junior high math teacher, Mr. Dimsdale, who motivated me to love math. Later on, in graduate school, I really loved taking classes with my professor, Andrea Hollingshead. She is not only an amazing researcher and scholar, but also a fantastic teacher. I would be remiss to not mention my current advisor and professor, Paul Leonardi, who was one of the main reasons I came to Northwestern. He has provided me with amazing opportunities and challenged me to do better work.
What is your unique talent?
Crafts! I especially love all things stationary. I love finding ways to “upcycle” and re-purpose old things for new uses.
Is there a current book or book you love?
“When I Was Puerto Rican” by Esmeralda Santiago. I love reading memoirs, and I especially loved this book as I could relate to Santiago’s experiences with culture, trying to fit in and finding one’s identity.
What is your favorite website or fun activity?
Hands down, the show “24” is one of my faves. In my opinion, Jack Bauer is one of the best heroes of all time. When I have the time, I love to binge watch an entire series over a weekend.
Who inspires you?
My mom. She always pushed me to be different and not follow what everyone else was doing. Growing up I wanted to be so much like everyone else, but I now hold dear her philosophy to just be “unashamedly me.” It definitely takes confidence and boldness, but life is so much more exciting following your own path rather than trying to fit in with the norm or other people’s expectations.
