Jef Pierce

As South Asian Studies Librarian, Jef curates one of the most distinguished South Asia collections in North America. He supports students, faculty, and visiting scholars by offering expert guidance on research strategies and the discovery of primary sources. His collection development work spans a diverse range of print and digital materials acquired from across the region, representing dozens of South Asian languages. He also pursues special initiatives, including digitization projects that expand access to rare materials as well as post-custodial partnerships that support archival preservation in collaboration with South Asian institutions and communities. 

In his role as Assistant Director of the Center for Global Collections, Jef helps guide a team of area studies librarians in building globally oriented collections and delivering specialized research services. He also develops programming and fosters community engagement efforts, organizing public events and coordinating outreach strategies that showcase and engage the Penn Libraries' global resources and activities. 

Prior to joining the Penn Libraries, Jef obtained his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. His academic research has focused on issues of gender in mythological narrative, with particular attention to the rise of the feminine divine in premodern Sanskrit literature. He taught courses on South Asian religions at Middlebury College, the University of Virginia, and the University of Mary Washington, then led study abroad programs for the State Department's CLS Bangla Program in Kolkata as well as Davidson College's Semester in India.