Faces of ICPSR: Amy Pienta

What is your ICPSR Job Title?

Research Professor and Director of Business and Collection Development

What is a favorite memory or instance you have working at ICPSR? What makes ICPSR a great place to work?

I really love grant writing and the energy that comes with a proposal that has to be prepared with a short turnaround. One particular proposal meant a number of us were working into the night. I remember being at ICPSR after hours with several staff and ordering a bunch of pizzas … it was well after midnight. We all were committed to getting the proposal finished in time. We also ended up winning that project which probably helps make this a fond memory!

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in a very snowy suburb of Buffalo, New York…in a village called Blasdell. I also received my Ph.D. in sociology from SUNY Buffalo and completed an NIA postdoc at Penn State.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I get to work with a lot of different groups and project teams in my role. I love all of the interactions with newer folks and those I have worked with for more than a decade.

How long have you worked here?

It has been 20 years!

What do you do when not at work?

I like to spend time with my family and enjoy biking (Peloton, Rails 2 Trails rides, & bike commuting), cooking, and reading.

What have you read/viewed/listened to/etc. recently?

My favorite podcast right now is We Can Do Hard Things (with Glennon Doyle) and I am reading All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews. I am usually working on a book for a reading prompt for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.

What might surprise us about you?

I recently found out that my biological father was a Lumbee Indian. I am enjoying getting to learn about Lumbees and my genealogical history.

Photo captions (left to right, top to bottom): My family at Oval Beach (Lake Michigan) at sunset. Getting ready to snorkel in Phuket, Thailand.

Thanks, Amy!