Oli Pierce

Oli Pierce (they/them) is a graduating senior majoring in History and a recipient of the Senior Excellence in Research Award. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Rachel Buff, Oli leads a small research team on the project “The Gangster Buffs of Charleston: Jewish Safety in a Southern City.” This project takes a multifaceted approach to exploring the immigration of Dr. Buff’s ancestors from Lithuania to the United States, combining genealogical, archival, and scholarly research to trace the family’s history back to the 18th century and reconstruct aspects of their lives in early 20th-century Appalachia.

During this work, Oli uncovered the mysterious death of one of Dr. Buff’s great-aunts, Leah. Drawing on their academic and personal interest in queer history, Oli proposed that Leah may have entered into a lavender marriage, a union between a queer man and woman designed to conceal their sexual orientation. Supported by evidence, Oli is currently developing a research article examining Leah’s life, identity, and the social pressures that may have shaped her story.

Oli has presented this research at multiple academic conferences, including the UW System Symposium and the National Undergraduate Research Conference. As both the grandchild of an immigrant and a queer scholar, Oli’s work is deeply personal, rooted in a commitment to recovering and honoring the lives of queer individuals lost to history. They aspire to continue in academia, amplifying marginalized voices through historical research and storytelling.