Billy Pierce

Billy Pierce studies the mechanisms behind the spread of dis- and misinformation in social networks, focusing on building policy to address online harms while upholding values of free expression.

Before joining Annenberg, Billy graduated with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and a B.S. in Business Administration through the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (M.E.T) program.

While at Berkeley, Billy volunteered at the CITRIS Policy Lab, researched with former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and led Political Computer Science, the tech policy club on campus. He interned as a systems engineer at an intelligent energy company, a technical program manager at HBO Max, and an engineering program manager at Apple. He was also a teaching assistant for Berkeley's Signals and Systems course (EE120).

Billy is now a first-year doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication, working with the Networks Dynamic Group and the Center for Information Networks and Democracy.