Jessica Pierce is the recipient of the 2021 Marcia Katz Scholarship’s award of $2,500. Pierce is a junior majoring in biomedical engineering at UT. As an undergraduate research assistant, Pierce conducts research in musculoskeletal biomechanics to discover new innovations in invasive prothesis implantation.
The Knoxville Association of Women Executives (KAWE) annually awards a scholarship in memory of club member and UT professor the late Marcia Katz, the first woman to earn a doctorate in engineering from UT.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Pierce plans to attend medical school to become a neurosurgeon and apply the skills she’s acquired in biomedical engineering. Pierce also is the principal-chair oboe player in UT’s Symphonic Band, illustrating her diverse talents.
Pierce won first place in the Engineering Poster Presentation Category based on her DeepLabCut research at the 2021 Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Research Conference. An active participant in the Multicultural Engineering Program, Pierce is also a Tickle College of Engineering Ambassador. In UTK’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, she is serving as vice president.