Interim Executive Vice President for Research
University of Louisville

William M. Pierce, Jr., University of Louisville vice provost for graduate affairs and interim dean of the School of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies, has been named the university’s interim executive vice president for research effective September 1, 2009.

A professor of pharmacology and toxicology with a joint appointment in chemistry, Pierce conducts osteoporosis research. He also heads Pradama Inc., a start-up company working to develop new treatments for bone disease.

Previously, he was special assistant to the provost for strategic planning, served on the UofL Athletic Board and chaired the university’s Faculty Senate twice, also serving as a trustee in the latter post.

Pierce, who has received two UofL distinguished faculty awards, holds a doctoral degree in pharmacology and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UofL. He was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University.