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January 29, 2020
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., served as a guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Research focused on adolescent and emerging adult development in an age of social media.
December 6, 2019
Members of the WCW community gathered at the Wellesley College Club in November 2019 to celebrate the publication of a new book by activist and changemaker Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D.
November 26, 2019
The Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley Club of Atlanta, and The Lola, a women-focused coworking space, joined together in Atlanta, GA, in November 2019 to discuss women's entrepreneurship, the gender pay gap, and work-life balance.
November 14, 2019
Karen Craddock, Ph.D., shares findings from a case study centering the voices of women with Black-Indigenous American ancestry.
November 13, 2019
Visiting Scholar Karen Craddock, Ph.D., participated in a symposium in Washington, D.C., on religion, spirituality, and mental health for youth of color.
October 17, 2019
Jonathan F. Zaff, Ph.D discusses young people’s need for a “web of support.”
October 3, 2019
Dr. Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley’s Professor Catherine Delcourt, and student researchers discuss their efforts to design an app that promotes healthy social media use in middle school students.
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.
September 19, 2019
Scholars discuss their journey in designing and implementing a science and art education program for students in Nigeria.
July 29, 2019
Dr. Linda Charmaraman turned her research into action when she co-led a workshop teaching middle schoolers to use social media in healthy ways.
July 3, 2019
Senior research scientist Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., explains why having open conversations among family members about sex, dating, and relationships can help protect teens from risky sexual behavior.
June 26, 2019
Sari Pekkala Kerr, Ph.D., economist and senior research scientist, testified before the U.S. House Committee on the Budget at a hearing on the economic benefits of immigration.
April 18, 2019
Researchers look at what has and hasn't changed for gender equality in college basketball over the last ten years.
March 29, 2019
Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., and Wellesley College student Anmol Nagar '21 discuss how conversations between teens and extended family can prevent teens' risky sexual behavior.
March 21, 2019
A DOJ-funded study from our Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative highlights the striking number of sexual assault cases that never lead to an arrest or trial.
March 15, 2019
Hauwa Ibrahim discusses her hands-on work to tame the rising tide of extremism while fostering a culture of peace.
March 12, 2019
Researchers from the National Institute on Out-of-School Time examine workforce trends in the afterschool and out-of-school time field.
March 1, 2019
Three Wellesley students share what they enjoy about working at WCW.
January 30, 2019
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses the effects of online video game Fortnite on teen health and wellbeing.
November 23, 2018
Afterschool Matters reflects on the out-of-school time field's ability to provide students with experiences outside of the classroom that give them opportunities to stretch their skills, grow friendships, and challenge limits.
November 15, 2018
In this November 2018 lunchtime seminar led by LaShawnda Lindsay-Dennis, Ph.D., and Wellesley College student Vei Vei Thomas '21, participants examined how respectability politics influence the lived experiences of girls from diverse cultural backgrounds.
October 25, 2018
Linda Charmaraman,Ph.D., director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, and her student research assistants shared findings from two research projects - a 2016 post-election survey on media and identity, which had over 1500 participants, and a 2017-18 study on early adolescent social media use and wellbeing.
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.
October 4, 2018
Autumn Green, Ph.D., and Sarah Galison discuss the unique challenges faced by students with children, particular those who are low-income, single parents, and women of color, and share results from the nation's first comprehensive research study on student parents programs.
September 27, 2018
During her time as president of Wellesley College, Barbara Newell, Ph.D., an economist and ardent advocate for women's education and economic equity, founded what would later become the Wellesley Centers for Women. She shares the story of its founding during the September 2018 Lunchtime Seminar.
September 19, 2018
Jennifer Baumgardner, editor of Women's Review of Books shares themes and highlights from the September/October 2018 issue of the publication.
September 18, 2018
The Wellesley Centers for Women will partner with University of Illinois at Chicago on a $7 million, multi-year project to evaluate and compare depression prevention programs for teens.
September 6, 2018
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., and Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., both of the Wellesley Centers for Women, and their colleague Megan Moreno, M.D., of the University of Wisconsin, discuss young adolescents’ use of social media.
August 22, 2018
Researchers at WCW investigate and eliminate cultural biases in assessment tool to ensure that results accurately indicate the quality level of youth afterschool educational programs.
June 27, 2018
Georgia Hall, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time at WCW, explains how research informs the afterschool field.
June 26, 2018
The National AfterSchool Association (NAA), the lead organization for the advancement of the afterschool professional, has selected the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) as one of NAA’s 2018 Most Influential in Research and Evaluation. Honorees are distinguished for their contributions to research and evaluation on youth and adolescent development.
August 6, 2018
Self care, rejuvenation, creativity, and empowerment were promoted throughout the Women of Color Conference held in partnership by WCW and The Home for Little Wanderers in June 2018 at Wellesley College.
June 18, 2018
WCW staff member Dana Rudolph '88 and award-winning journalist Katie Couric were recognized for their commitment to the LGBTQ community.
June 13, 2018
Summer isn’t just about basketball hoops, sprinkler parks, and popsicles. It’s an ideal time to help adolescents and children catch up on building their reading, writing, and math skills.
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.
May 16, 2018
For Tanushree Mohan '18, getting involved with WCW during her four years at Wellesley College gave her tremendous opportunities. This year she was awarded The Morse Fellowship, an endowed WCW internship, and is studying under Dr. Sari Kerr.
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.
May 10, 2018
As many as 13–20 percent of adolescents in the U.S. and other developed countries experience minor or major depressive episodes each year, according to Tracy Gladstone, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). To address this problem, Gladstone developed a unique intervention, which she discussed during this May 2018 Lunchtime Seminar presentation.
May 10, 2018
The Wellesley Centers for Women is mourning the death of Deborah Holmes, Chair of the WCW Council of Advisors and a passionate activist committed to the lives of women, people of color, equity, and social justice across the world.
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.
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.
May 4, 2018
In this May 2018 Lunchtime Seminar Spring Series, renowned human rights scholar Rangita de Silva de Alwis, S.J.D., discussed the challenges to reforming child marriage laws.
April 26, 2018
In this April 2018 Lunchtime Seminar presentation, Jim Strouse, a program manager at Open Circle, provided data and analysis of those resources along with an overview of the emerging research in the field of gratitude in education.
April 24, 2018
The newest issue of Afterschool Matters, the national, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship, and consciousness in the field of afterschool education, reflects on the field’s commitment to the value of the life of every student, in school and out—a timely focus as youth and young adults rally for safety and equity nationwide and educators strive to provide the highest quality environments that encourage learning and growth.
April 23, 2018
Most research about family sexuality communication has focused on teens and their parents, but Dr. Jennifer Grossman is including conversations with extended family members to understand how they can help teens make smarter decisions about dating, sex, and relationships.
April 19, 2018
In this April 2018 lunchtime seminar, members of WCW's Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research team presented new findings of a recent study of sexual assault case attrition, which discovered that that most cases of rape reported to the police do not result in prosecution -- in fact one in three cases with probable cause did not result in arrest.
April 12, 2018
In this April 2018 lunchtime seminar, Robbin Chapman, Ph.D. presented a developmental framework for equitable development, access, and opportunity for scholars across higher education.
March 21, 2018
Emmy Howe, M.Ed., of the National SEED Project, explains the systems of dominance and oppression that each of us face, and how to be a change agent in these spaces.
March 21, 2018
During the March 2018 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, WCW hosted a parallel event during which panelists discussed how gender-focused research can support rural women and girls in Africa.
March 19, 2018
Does social media activism decrease in-person activism? Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., discusses this in relation to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
March 19, 2018
Tracy Gladstone, Ph.D., explains the cultural shift in mental health conversations within communities.
March 5, 2018
The Wellesley Centers for Women and Old City Publishing are pleased to announce that feminist writer and activist Jennifer Baumgardner has been named editor in chief of Women’s Review of Books, the long-running publication that provides a forum for serious, informed discussion of new writing by and about women.
March 5, 2018
In this March 2018 lunchtime seminar, focused on women in NCAA basketball, a team of researchers explored the social discrimination, policy, and bureaucratic issues that impede women's recognition and success within the organization.
February 22, 2018
Director of Open Circle Kamilah Drummond-Forrester, explains the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) for students.
February 20, 2018
LaShawnda Lindsay-Dennis, Ph.D., discusses her research, which examined the population of Black women in STEM fields.
January 10, 2018
Wellesley College students share what they've gained from working with a WCW research scientist mentor.
January 8, 2018
Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., discusses how one of her major findings changed how we understand memory loss and childhood trauma.
Research & Action Annual Report 2017
While not always a pressing domestic priority for all Americans, early childhood care and education (ECCE) for young children has been in the forefront for many working families for decades. In order to work or go to school or training, parents need someone to watch their young children before they are old enough to go to school. Sixty-one percent of children under the age of five are in some type of regular ECCE arrangement, and ECEE serves dual purposes. It not only allows parents to be employed or be in school or training, it also helps prepare children for school and academic success—this is especially true for children from families with low incomes. Even quality afterschool care or out-of-school-time care for school-age children can be hard to obtain. Finding the kind of care mothers and fathers want for their children and then learning they can’t afford it has broken many parents’ hearts and budgets. What are they to do?
January 3, 2018
Georgia Hall, Ph.D., explains the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for kids.
December 13, 2017
Research Scientist LaShawnda Lindsay-Dennis, Ph.D., explains why we need more diverse dolls that show different skin tones, eye shapes, and hair textures.
For Immediate Release: December 14, 2017
December 8, 2017
Sari Kerr, Ph.D., economist and senior research scientist at WCW, explains how marriage affects the gender wage gap.
November 30, 2017
In this recording of a November 2017 lunchtime seminar, Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., and her research team discuss results of a survey related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
November 24, 2017
Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., research scientist and co-founder of the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the Wellelsey Centers for Women offers a brief message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
November 9, 2017
Amy Hoffman, M.F.A., a Massachusetts-based author and editor-in-chief of the Women’s Review of Books, read excerpts from her new novel, The Off Season during this November 2017 presentation at Wellesley College.
November 7, 2017
How can parents help teens make healthy decisions about dating, sex, and relationships? Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D., offers some advice.
November 2, 2017
Byllye Y. Avery, founder of the Black Women's Health Imperative shared her story, exploring the many influences in her life that led her to become a health activist.
For Immediate Release: November 1, 2017
On October 30, 2017, the Joint Committee on Public Health and Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators held a public hearing on domestic violence as a public health issue. Senior Research Scientist Linda M. Williams, Ph.D., co-founder of the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative, offered a written testimony that highlighted the need to build or enhance community readiness to deal with domestic violence in all communities.
October 26, 2017
Renowned scholar Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., discussed her final paper in the “Feeling Like a Fraud” series during this October 2017 presentation.
October 19, 2017
With assistance from Wendy Wagner Robeson, Ed.D., of WCW, a group of Wellesley College students came together to develop SeedKit, an affordable lab-in-a-box that can be used to teach hands-on science experiments in communities with few resources. The students -- Caleb Bercu '16, Isabella Narvaez '17, Mebatsion Gebre '18, and Mehak Sarang '18 -- along with Robeson, shared the story of how SeedKit came to be during this October 2017 presentation.
For Immediate Release: September 25, 2017
June 7, 2017
Watch highlights and full panel discussions recorded at our June 2017 research forum, From Persistence to Power: Facts, Truth, & Equity for Women.
The Wellesley Centers for Women and the Wellesley College Class of 1967 joined together to celebrate 25 years of partnership.
A mother daughter duo share how a bat mitzvah project transformed into a five year journey in research and action combatting obstetric fistula and its mental health implications in Ethiopia.
From Malala to the girls of Chibok in Nigeria, in many parts of the world, there is a war being waged against girls’ education. Women’s human rights scholar and practitioner Rangita de Silva de Alwis, S.J.D. led a discussion on this issue during the presentation, Attacks Against Girls’ Education as a Tactic of Terror.
Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., joined by Wellesley College student researchers, offered an overview of recent and emerging findings from the Media & Identity Project -- a series of ongoing online survey studies from 2013 through 2017, which to date have collected data from almost 5,000 individuals living in the U.S. and over 26 countries, ranging from 12 to more than 80 years old.
For Immediate Release: April 19, 2017
For Immediate Release: June 23, 2017
In April of 1979, a sixteen year-old boy, was tried as an adult and convicted of killing a professor in New Orleans, LA. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole and sent to Angola, the bloodiest prison in the country, to live out his days. Twelve years later his conviction was overturned due to prosecution misconduct. In this recording of the April 6, 2017 lunchtime seminar, “Fighting Time: Exploring the Social Impact of Wrongful Conviction,” Amy Banks, M.D. discusses her personal connection to this case.
In this recording from the March 23, 2017 Grace K. Baruch Memorial Lecture, Catia C. Confortini, Ph.D. discusses the lessons she has learned from breast cancer advocates in Nigeria and how their work can inform global health and peace.
In a recent study, WCW scholars Sumru Erkut, Ph.D. and Ineke Ceder discovered that women and people of color face bias from selection committees on the pathway to leadership in non-profit theaters. In this video, Ceder offers an overview of their findings as well as some suggestions Erkut and Ceder have for theaters that are looking to change.
Over the past five years, the world has witnessed, in real time through social media, deaths of many Black youth and adults, often by the actions of police officers.
Physicians face complex and often subjective treatment decisions, and they are expected to make decisions in their patients’ best interest.
Studies show that the early years are important for children's growth and development, school readiness, and later life.
American Conservatory Theater and The Wellesley Centers for Women presented the opening session of the Women’s Leadership Conference livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from San Francisco on Monday 22 August at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 12 p.m.-2 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 1 p.m.-3 p.m. EDT (New York) / 17:00-19:00 GMT / 6 p.m.-8 p.m. BST (London).
Charmaraman considers four areas around adolescent development as it relates to media literacy and media consumption in her presentation.
Ceder discusses research on women's leadership in nonprofit theaters and how other trends in women's leadership in elected office and on corporate boards, reflect the need for more female representation and participation.
Research & Action Report, Spring/Summer 2016
By Jennifer Grossman Ph.D.
Think about it—in many of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations, there was little family conversation about sex. Often, for religious and cultural reasons, family communication about sex was considered taboo. Many teens did not know what sex was or how to protect themselves from pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This has changed in many families, as cultural expectations have shifted and there is growing recognition that teenparent sexuality communication can protect teens from early pregnancy and STIs. Many parents also have reflected on the potentially harmful effects that ignorance about sexuality had on their own teenage years and lived experiences. Parents now often commit to talking with their children about sex, breaking from traditions of family silence from past generations, as a way to support their children’s healthy development.
There has been a long history of disconnection between the art of psychodynamic therapy work and the information being discovered in neuroscience research labs all around the world.
Williams discusses her research on intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, and gender-based violence, sharing insights and perspectives federal policymakers could consider more in the coming years.
Robeson discusses the value and need for quality early care and education, noting the significant wage discrepancies for educators in this field compared to other educators and other professions, and sharing recommendations for ensuring a well-compensated, skilled workforce to prepare children for lifelong learning.
Hoffman shares some of the titles and authors that were recommended by invited contributors to the Women's Review of Books, to be on the reading list of the next U.S. President.
Gladstone shares data on the alarming rates of depression in children and adolescents, providing insight and recommendations on ways practitioners and educators, with the help of policymakers, can help identify and prevent depression in more young people.
Gannett recommends ways policymakers and private industry can work together to create a stronger and more well-prepared workforce to meet the increased demands being placed on the out-of-school time field in order to contribute to both social/emotional and academic success of children and youth.
We are more alike than we are unalike – or so says the often quoted poem by Maya Angelou. Yet a substantial part of our cultural heritage is a racialized narrative that not only emphasizes our differences, but also ranks them as indicators of human worth.
For both teens and parents, talking about sex can be uncomfortable, but often teens and parents disagree about whether or not they have talked about sex at all.
In her April 21, 2016 lunchtime seminar, Amy Hoffman, M.F.A. read selections from her novel in progress Dot and Ralfie, which centers on a lesbian couple in their late sixties, who are facing some of the dilemmas of aging.
“Mind the Gap” is a well-known cautionary phrase from the London Underground, but it also offers an excellent picture of our child welfare system.
