Photo by Richard Howard

Dear Wellesley College Alumnae:

It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome President Paula A. Johnson to the Wellesley alumnae community! Those alumnae who were able to attend Paula’s inauguration as Wellesley’s 14th president witnessed her tremendous grace and warmth. I am eager for all members of the alumnae community to have that opportunity. I know President Johnson is looking forward to traveling and meeting all of you, and we are working together to create a schedule that allows her to do that while carrying out her myriad of responsibilities to the students, faculty, and staff on campus.

When you do have the chance to meet President Johnson, you will be struck not only by her empathy and charisma, but by her vision for Wellesley as the world’s leading educator of women and the transformative impact that our alma mater can have on everyone’s future — socially, physically, economically, and politically. As Paula said when she made her surprise appearance at reunion, there were many forces that brought her to Wellesley, among them her mother-in-law, Phyllis Rosenthal Sands ’46, and her research on the impact of women’s health on the overall well-being of their community. These intersections were also reflected in President Johnson’s inaugural address when she expressed her aspiration that Wellesley be a leading force in making the world a better place. And Paula is just the person to lead us there.