Dr. Erika Peirce joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in 2026 as a scientific program manager supporting the Cultivating Thriving Production Systems priority area.
Before joining FFAR, Peirce worked as a landscape ecologist with the Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association, where she developed drone and aerial imagery tools for prairie dog management. Before that, she served as a geospatial scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, where she helped create satellite‑based precision management tools for producers.
Peirce also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University focused on integrated pest management for the wheat stem sawfly, a major wheat pest.
Peirce is passionate about applying technology to agricultural challenges, with expertise in crop and rangeland systems, in‑field monitoring and satellite‑enabled decision support. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Colorado State University.
Outside of work, Peirce enjoys running and snowboarding in the mountains, and designing custom clothing with her sewing machine.