Dr. Niles Pierce

Professor

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Biography

Niles Pierce is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Applied Computational Mathematics and Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology. He holds a B.S.E. from Princeton University and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. Pierce has held various academic positions at Caltech, beginning as an Assistant Professor in 2000, becoming an Associate Professor in 2006, and then a full Professor in 2010. In addition to his professorship, he served as the Acting Executive Officer in 2007 and was the Executive Officer from 2007 to 2013 and from 2020 onward. His research interests encompass a range of interdisciplinary fields including biological engineering, chemical engineering, computational mathematics, molecular programming, chemical biology, and synthetic biology. He has made significant contributions to the engineering of conditional nucleic acids and the development of computational algorithms for analyzing nucleic acid systems. Over his career, Pierce has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, reflecting his exemplary research and teaching accomplishments.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2010-01-01 — 2024-01-01

California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA

Teaching and conducting research in applied computational mathematics and bioengineering.

Associate Professor

2006-01-01 — 2010-01-01

California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA

Teaching and conducting research in applied computational mathematics and bioengineering.

Assistant Professor

2000-01-01 — 2006-01-01

California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA

Teaching and conducting research in applied computational mathematics and bioengineering.

Awards

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Rozenberg Tulip Award

2020-01-01
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74th Eastman Professor

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Guggenheim Fellow

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National Science Foundation CAREER Award

2005-01-01
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Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching

2003-01-01
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Associated Students California Institute of Technology Teaching Award

2002-01-01

Requirements for California Institute of Technology

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong background in mathematics and physical sciences
Application Checklist
  • Online Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Most Caltech graduate programs are PhD-only. GRE General and Subject tests vary by department; many have made them optional or no longer accept them.