Amanda J. Pierz, MSc (she/her)

Hi all - thanks for stopping by! Amanda J. Pierz (she/her) is a global health researcher specializing in the use of qualitative and mixed methodologies to improve sexual and reproductive health. As a New Jersey native, Amanda really took to heart her alma mater Rutgers University's vision of “Jersey roots, global reach” approach to her research and educational experiences. She holds a MSc in Global Health from Maastricht University with a focus on global health governance, mobility and human rights through the conduct of her elective track at Thammasat University. She has had qualitative fieldwork experience during her undergraduate and graduate coursework in Uganda, India, Cameroon and the US. 

 

Currently, Amanda is a PhD candidate at City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health & Health Policy (SPH). Amanda has 9+ years of experience in project management, research administration and research support, with a background in longitudinal cohort studies surrounding HIV and HPV co-infections in Central Africa and the Bronx. ​Additionally, Amanda has held appointments for 3+ years as an adjunct faculty member at CUNY SPH and York College. She has instructed 58.5 credits at the graduate level and 21 credits at the undergraduate level since 2022. Her teaching portfolio includes coursework in sex and sexuality, qualitative research methods, public health fieldwork and technical writing. In the fall of 2024, Amanda served as the key subject matter expertise in a redesigning of York College's Sex and Sexuality course for virtual learning.

 

Most recently, Amanda served as a research consultant for the To Zero Initiative, an Oak Foundation project centered on the collective visioning of actors working to end sexual violence against children. Her dissertation is similarly focused on eSwatini as a case study in reducing the national prevalence of childhood sexual violence (2007-2022). She was also awarded with a Grauate Research Fellowship endowed by Center for Immigrant, Refugee and Global Health (CIRGH) from 2021-2024. Her research interests include childhood sexual violence, HIV/HPV co-infections, the impact of stigma & violence on sexuality, data systems strengthening and qualitative research capacity building. She is currently based in New York City, USA.

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Amanda can generally be found in the airport lounge waiting to catch her next flight, slurping noodles in Manhattan Chinatown or taking care of her cats and houseplants with her partner. Whether you are looking for a research collaborator or a friend to explore the Lower East Side art gallery scene, do not hesitate to reach out via email and/or follow her on social media.