Joseph Pesce

Joseph E. Pesce FRAS is an American astrophysicist whose research has focused on active galactic nuclei (AGN), supermassive black holes, their host galaxies and environments, relativistic jets, and galaxy clusters. He is an Assistant Director at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), North American Director of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and Director of the North American ALMA Science Center.

Pesce was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2024, an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge in 2025, and a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Early life and education

Pesce received a B.A. in physics, cum laude and with honors, from the University of Colorado Boulder. His early research included studies of evolved stars and stellar atmospheres.

He subsequently studied astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of Peterhouse, and at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy. He received M.Phil., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in astrophysics.

His doctoral dissertation, completed in 1993, was titled The Environments of BL Lacertae Objects. His doctoral research examined the galaxies and larger-scale environments associated with BL Lacertae objects, a class of active galactic nuclei in which a relativistic jet is directed approximately toward the observer.

Research career

Pesce's early research included studies of symbiotic binary systems, evolved stars, and the atmospheres of late-type asymptotic giant branch stars. His research subsequently shifted toward extragalactic astrophysics, particularly active galactic nuclei, their host galaxies and environments, galaxy clusters, and supermassive black holes. The results were consistent with elliptical galaxies being the hosts of BL Lac objects and supported the unification of BL Lac objects with FR I radio galaxies.

National Science Foundation

Pesce joined the National Science Foundation's Division of Astronomical Sciences as a Program Director in 2016. His responsibilities included scientific and programmatic oversight of U.S. ground-based radio astronomy facilities.

Pesce has also worked as a science consultant for science-fiction projects, advising television productions and authors on astronomy and astrophysics.

Awards and honors

Pesce was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2024. His fellowship citation recognized his contributions to the understanding of supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei, together with scientific outreach, education, leadership, and service to astrophysics.

He was elected an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge in 2025.

Pesce is a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He is also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Pesce received the National Science Foundation Director's Award for Superior Accomplishment and has received additional NSF awards for his work at the agency. At George Mason University, a course he taught was recognized as an Outstanding Mason Core course.