Joan R. Piggott (born 1947) is an American historian specializing in East Asian studies.
Piggott completed a Master of Arts from Stanford University in 1972, followed by a doctorate from Stanford in 1987.
Piggott began her academic career at the University of Miami, where she was an assistant professor of history from 1987 until 1989.
Between 1989 and 1995, Piggott held an assistant professorship in history at Cornell University, where she was promoted to associate professor.
In 2003, Piggott accepted an appointment as Gordon L. MacDonald Chair in History at the University of Southern California.