The Wellesley Centers for Women offers a number of opportunities for Wellesley College students to work with our research scientists, project directors, and administrative staff. These students serve as research assistants, as administrative assistants, or as interns through the Class of 1967 Internship Program and other Wellesley College internship programs. Students who work with our research scientists have opportunities to help with data collection and analysis, contribute to academic journal articles, attend conferences, and present alongside their mentors. Students in administrative roles get a behind-the-scenes look at social justice work while supporting our action projects, external relations initiatives, and other WCW teams.
Working at WCW is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to get firsthand experience with research and action that drives social change. Learn more about the work students have done at WCW:
Wellesley Intern Brings STEMKit to India
December 14, 2023
My first summer in college, I wasn’t just lucky enough to go home, but I was lucky enough to go home and give back to my community. Through the Wellesley Career Education Grants Program, I received the Susan Rappaport Knafel ’52 Internship Fund. I used the fund to take the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Kit (STEMKit) to India.Developed in 2015, under the guidance...
Research Scientist Teaches Wellesley Students How to Write for the Real World
January 19, 2023
The interdisciplinary course is focused on social technologies and adolescent development.
Q&A: How a WCW Research Scientist and a Wellesley Student Collaborate
December 14, 2022
Meet the 2022-23 Wellesley College Students Research Interns
October 24, 2022
At the start of the academic year, five Wellesley College students began internships at WCW through the Class of 1967 Internship Program.
Internship Reflection: Fathers Belong in Conversations with Their Teens about Sex and Relationships
September 8, 2022
At the beginning of my summer research internship, I’ll admit that I didn’t fully understand the impact of fathers talking to their teens about dating and sex. Why would fathers have a significant impact on teens’ sexual health if someone else, like their mother, already has the situation under control? However, after taking a deeper dive into Senior Research ...
The Unique Struggles and Triumphs of Latinx Adolescents Using Digital Technology
August 11, 2022
This post was written by Jennifer Miranda and Bri Vigil, recent graduates of Wellesley College who took a Calderwood Seminar on public writing taught by WCW Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph...
Helping Middle School Girls Create Their Own Digital Spaces
July 18, 2022
Digital communication systems, such as social media platforms, are created for the masses but aren’t often designed for a large scope of their user base: adolescent girls from marginalized communities. The Youth, Media & Wellbeing (YMW) Research Lab, ...
Internship Reflection: Fighting Gender-Based Violence Looks Different Every Day
March 15, 2022
Starting in the fall of 2021, I began working as a research intern for Senior Research Scientist Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., on her Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the Wellesley Centers for Women. Heading into the year, I was unsure of what to ...
On(line) Identity: Social Media is Essential for LGBTQ Youth
March 3, 2022
This piece was written by Carolyn Bacaj and Mikhaela Andersonn, students at Wellesley College who recently took a Calderwood Seminar on public writing taught by WCW Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D. As...
Rewire: How Parents Can Talk to Their Kids About Consent
November 24, 2021
Internship Reflection: Studying the Power of Social Media in a Pandemic
November 15, 2021
Last fall, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc in the U.S. and across the world, the class of 2021 carried on attending Wellesley but in a fragmented way for our senior year. We attended our remote classes on Zoom and connected with friends through FaceTime or other forms of social media. And without really any choice, our entire lives had become entirely dependent on ...
Internship Reflection: Examining the Role Fathers Play in Conversations About Sex and Relationships
October 28, 2021
Conversations centered around dating, relationships, and sex take place in classrooms, on social media, in households, and even in mainstream news outlets. Policymakers, educators, and parents alike realize the benefits of teaching adolescents about these topics instead of leaving teens to learn on their own via the internet, friends, and other less-than-ideal sources. However, one ...
Internship Reflection: Exploring the Role of Fathers in Sex Education
October 13, 2021
Jacqueline Brinkhaus ’22 discusses her experience as an intern with our Family, Sexuality, and Communication Research Initiative.
What is a Girl Worth? Lessons from USA Gymnastics on International Day of the Girl Child
October 8, 2021
On October 11, International Day of the Girl Child, Intern Simone Toney and Senior Research Scientist Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., discuss how USA Gymnastics exemplifies what happens when an institution places a girl’s achievements above all else, and how Simone Biles is driving change for the better.
Wellesley College Students Begin Research Internships
September 22, 2021
At the start of the academic year, five Wellesley College students began internships at WCW through the Class of 1967 Internship Program.
Internship Reflection: Building Knowledge Together About Our Digital Worlds
September 20, 2021
As a Class of 1967 intern at the Wellesley Centers for Women, I had the opportunity to spend the past year working with Dr. Linda Charmaraman in ...
Young Sexual Minority Adolescent Experiences of Self-expression and Isolation on Social Media: Cross-sectional Survey Study
September 1, 2021
This article examines how sexual minority middle schoolers use social media, who they are connected to and for what purposes, and the associations between these behaviors and mental wellbeing, compared to their heterosexual peers. Dr. Charmaraman, Hodes, and Richer surveyed 1,033 early adolescents aged 10-16 from four middle schools in the Northeast U.S., comparing the responses of ...
Exploring the Link Between Paid Sick Leave and the Early Spread of COVID-19
July 26, 2021
Imagine that it is March 2020 and you are hearing increased reports about COVID-19’s U.S. path. Meanwhile, it’s a Monday—a workday—and you feel ill with symptoms that align with ones reportedly associated with the new virus. You know that if you attend work, you may infect your fellow coworkers with whatever illness you are experiencing, COVID-19 or not. Your ideal ...
Wellesley College: WCW’s Mission Drew Eshika Kaul ’23 to Wellesley. As a Research Intern, She Lived It.
July 26, 2021
New Research on the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Teens
June 9, 2021
Several new studies from Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., and Jennifer M. Grossman, Ph.D., help us understand more about the experiences of LGBTQ+ teens.
Exploring Adolescent Social Media Use
May 21, 2021
Students from the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab share findings from ongoing studies during a Wellesley College Ruhlman Conference presentation.
Students Share Insights from 2020-21 Internships
May 20, 2021
Students in the 2020-21 Class of 1967 Internship Program at WCW discuss what they learned during their internships.
Wellesley News: Senior Snapshot: Rachel Hodes Finds Joy in an Unusual Year
May 17, 2021
Wellesley College student Rachel Hodes worked with Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., during the 2020-21 academic year.
Understanding the Role of Extended Family in Sex Education
February 9, 2021
Nora Pearce, a Wellesley College student in the class of 2022, discusses research findings from a journal article she co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Grossman.
Internship Reflection: Studying How Extended Family Members Talk to Teens About Sex and Relationships
February 8, 2021
Sex education in the American public school system varies from state to state and from school district to school district. The lack of standardized sex education makes family education and conversations about sex and relationships all the more important for teenagers and their development. It is often assumed that parents are the default—that they are the only family members ...
Internship Reflection: Studying Women’s Entrepreneurship During a Pandemic
December 17, 2020
I spent the past semester working with Professor Sari Kerr as a research intern, and greatly enjoyed the experience. Our weekly Zoom meetings were welcomed as constant reminders of my connection to Wellesley, despite studying off campus. My work with her focused on the role of entrepreneurship and how it affects social mobility ...
Wellesley College: Research with Mentor at Wellesley Centers for Women Gives Student New Perspective on Black Scholarship
December 12, 2020
The Urgency of Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in the Midst of COVID-19
November 25, 2020
Today, the International Day to End Violence Against Women and Girls, we call for a renewed commitment to this work in the U.S. The UN Women’s executive director has called for governments to make visible at the highest level a “commitment to addressing violence against women and...
Wellesley College Students Begin Virtual Research Internships
September 24, 2020
Six Wellesley College students recently began internships through the Class of 1967 Internship Program at the Wellesley Centers for Women.
Wellesley Students Complete Research Internships Remotely
June 4, 2020
Ninotska Love, Jessica Abowitz, Nora Pearce, Dhanya NageswaranDespite the need to leave campus, WCW mentors and interns found ways to continue their collaborations.
Student Intern Spotlight: Dhanya Nageswaran ’21
May 29, 2020
During the 2019-2020 academic year, Dhanya Nageswaran, a Wellesley College student in the class of 2021, worked with mentor Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., to study the ways colleges and universities respond to sexual assault on campus.
Now More Than Ever, Title IX Coordinators Need Greater Institutional Support
May 28, 2020
Sage Carson was raped by a graduate student in her sophomore year of college. In an article for VICE in 2018, she recounts the grave trauma she endured as a result. Unable to transfer schools and experiencing a steady decline in her GPA, Carson ...
Student Intern Spotlight: Jessica Abowitz ’22
May 28, 2020
Jessica Abowitz, a Wellesley College student in the class of 2022, studied student activist movements against sexual harassment in K-12 schools with mentor Nan Stein, Ed.D., during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Student Intern Spotlight: Ninotska Love ’20
May 27, 2020
Ninotska Love, a Wellesley College student and Davis Scholar in the class of 2020, reflects on her internship with Wendy Robeson, Ed.D., during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Student Intern Spotlight: Nora Pearce ’22
May 26, 2020
Nora Pearce, a Wellesley College student in the class of 2022, reflects on her internship with Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., during the 2019-2020 academic year.
A Research Internship that Expands Horizons
May 19, 2020
I never knew that I would have the opportunity to do social science research as an undergraduate until I got to Wellesley College. Towards the end of my first year, with my academic interests starting to gravitate toward Sociology and South Asia Studies, I knew I wanted to connect the concepts I was learning in the classroom to action-oriented research that produced tangible results for ...
Q&A with Student Research Assistant Katie Du
May 14, 2020
Undergraduate student research assistant Katie Du reflects on her work with our Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, and her experience as an international student at Wellesley during a pandemic.
Research Connections: A Student Teacher’s View on Social Media in the Classroom
May 6, 2020
It is the spring of 2020, and my senior year at Wellesley College is not at all what I imagined it would be like. Before concerns about COVID-19 led schools around the country to close their doors, I was student teaching at a nearby ...
Wellesley College Students to Gain Research Experience through Internship Program
September 20, 2019
Throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, five Wellesley College students will gain hands-on social science research experience and mentorship from a WCW research scientist through the Class of 1967 Internship Program.
Reflections from an Undergrad at APA Convention
August 29, 2019
My name is Anmol Nagar and I’m a junior at Wellesley College, originally from the California Bay Area. Over the past year I’ve done research at the Wellesley Centers for Women with Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., through The Class of 1967 Internship Program. Our ...
Student Reflections: Experiential Learning at WCW
March 1, 2019
Three Wellesley students share what they enjoy about working at WCW.
NIH Awards Wellesley Centers for Women Funding to Promote Undergraduate Research
October 17, 2018
NIH awarded WCW $450,000 over three years to study social media use of early adolescents while providing Wellesley College students with hands-on research opportunities.
Reflections on a time in Cabo Verde
July 12, 2018
This article was originally posted by Natália Marques on her Medium blog on June 4, 2018. I landed in Cape Verde on June 17th. I’ve been here for a while already, but as someone who has just spent the last four months ...
Six Wellesley College Students Accepted to Research Internship Program
May 23, 2018
Six Wellesley College students have been accepted to a hands-on social science research internship program at the Wellesley Centers for Women during the 2018-2019 academic year.
Student Reflection: Research Internships at WCW
May 16, 2018
For Tanushree Mohan '18, getting involved with WCW during her four years at Wellesley College gave her tremendous research opportunities.
Student Reflection: Developing Technical Skills While Working at WCW
May 14, 2018
For Wellesley College student Tabia Smith '19, working in communications at WCW is a way to explore her passions for social justice while developing technical skills, like video production and social media management.
Student Reflection: Social Justice Work at WCW
May 9, 2018
What is it like to work at the Wellesley Centers for Women? You're surrounded by activists, social justice workers, and researchers, says Kamaria Kaalund '20.
Student Reflection: Mentorship at WCW
May 7, 2018
Elinor Higgins '18 has been working at the Wellesley Centers for Women since her first year at Wellesley College. While at WCW, she says she had access to great mentors that created a very supportive environment throughout her undergraduate career.
Shaping Future Leaders Through Research and Action
February 5, 2018
The Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) is now accepting applications from Wellesley College students for five paid research internships/fellowships -- one during summer 2018 and four during the 2018-2019 academic year, through The Class of 1967 Internship Program. Over 100 students ...
How the Power of Representation Transformed My Wellesley Experience
January 23, 2018
By the end of my first year at Wellesley College, I knew that I wanted to explore the world of research. I had taken the first of many gender studies courses to come, and left class with a head full of questions that I not only wanted answers to, but wanted to take a stake at answering. A stroke of luck brought me to an event for students to meet with research scientists at the Wellesley ...
A Quarter-Century of Partnership: WCW and the Class of 1967
June 1, 2017
The Wellesley Centers for Women and the Wellesley College Class of 1967 joined together to celebrate 25 years of partnership.
Mentoring & Girls of Color
January 17, 2013
Happy National Mentoring Month! Since 2002, each January has been a time to give mentoring a boost nationwide through the recruitment of individuals and organizations. The documentary, It’s Our Time: The Empathy Gap for Girls of Color, by Wellesley Centers for Women Research Scientist...
The Class of 1967 Internship Program at the Wellesley Centers for Women
December 8, 2006
Each year, the Wellesley Centers for Women offers five to six paid internships to Wellesley College students through the Class of 1967 Internship Program. Throughout the academic year, students who participate in the program: Gain hands-on social science research ...
