BS: Physics, University of Maryland

M.Ed (pursuing): Higher Education – Student Affairs, Liberty University

Jessica Leonard joined Centre College in August 2018. She previously taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea for almost 8 years.

Jessica is a member of the College's CARE team and Enrollment Management & Retention Advisory Committee in addition to serving on the College's Staff Congress as Secretary. She currently advises the International Student Association (ISA), the Asian American and Pacific Islander Coalition (AAPIC), and the Centre South Asian Cultural Association (SACA) and previously advised the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA).

In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter at home in Versailles, KY.

PhD in Islamic Studies, Boston University

Matthew Pierce joined the Centre College faculty in 2011 and was awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2019. Before coming to Centre, he spent extensive time in the Middle East and Central Asia, including living in Egypt, Yemen, and Iran. He was named a Centre Scholar in 2016. Dr. Pierce has led students around the world — from Turkey and Morocco to Spain and London — and designed innovative courses that explore global Muslim communities.

BA: History, Spanish, Murray State University

MA: Comparative Literature, Dartmouth College

Originally from Murray, KY, Mallory joined Centre College in 2026. Mallory’s interest in exploring and engaging with global communities stretches back to 2017, when she first left the U.S. to travel to Managua, Nicaragua. Since she first stepped onto a plane, her travels have shaped her research interests and career.

In her time as an undergraduate at Murray State University, she majored in Spanish and history. She also studied abroad several times while at MSU, including through the Kentucky Institute for International Studies’ (KIIS) Mérida, Mexico program and the university’s flagship exchange with the University of Regensburg in Germany. After graduation, she returned to Germany for two years to teach and study through the Fulbright program. She later attended graduate school at Dartmouth College where she studied comparative literature, researching East German literature and memory studies.

Mallory’s expertise lies in faculty-led programming, and she is passionate about connecting people and places across the globe. She finds her work most rewarding when curiosity is at the fore. She believes that the most stimulating learning environment is a product of staff, faculty, students, partners, and community members all serving as both student and teacher to one another