Alumnae Achievement Awards 2024

Wellesley’s highest honor is given annually to graduates of distinction who have brought honor to themselves and to the College through their achievements. This year’s recipients are Claire Parkinson ’70, Joanne Berger-Sweeney ’79, and Amy Weaver ’89. To read in-depth profiles of the recipients and to watch a video of the awards presentation held on campus in October, visit magazine.wellesley.edu.

Claire Parkinson ’70

A leading climatologist and senior fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, mathematics major Claire Parkinson ’70 first discovered her passion for science during her senior year at Wellesley after an eye-opening experience in an astronomy class. She fondly recalls late-night telescope sessions at Whitin Observatory, where gazing at the rings of Saturn and the vastness of a globular star cluster ignited her curiosity about the universe.

After Wellesley, Parkinson’s interest in Antarctica led her to graduate work at the Institute of Polar Studies at Ohio State University, which allowed her to travel to the continent and become one of the few women involved in polar research at the time. She spent time at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., creating sea-ice models, and in 1978, she joined NASA. There, she pioneered the use of satellite data to track polar ice, revealing critical changes in Arctic sea ice—findings that became essential to understanding climate change.

Parkinson’s career includes serving as project scientist on NASA’s Aqua satellite mission and receiving NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal for her contributions to climate science. She has been a leading voice in helping the public better understand what’s happening with the Earth’s climate and why we must find solutions, and she remains a key voice in the field today.

Joanne Berger-Sweeney ’79

Joanne Berger-Sweeney ’79, president of Trinity College, says that her mother was instrumental in her decision to come to Wellesley—she felt a women’s college would be the best place for her daughter. Her mother was right. Upon her arrival, Berger-Sweeney immediately felt at home, and when tragedy struck later her first year when her mother died, the community supported her. “It was as though the whole campus surrounded me like a mother,” she says.

After Wellesley, Berger-Sweeney pursued a Ph.D. in neurotoxicology at Johns Hopkins and went on to become a distinguished neuroscientist, contributing to Alzheimer’s research. Returning to Wellesley in 1991, she became the first female African American to rise through the ranks to become full professor. She served Wellesley for nearly 20 years, including as director of the neuroscience program and as associate dean, before leaving to become dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. Since 2014, she has served as president of Trinity, the first woman and first African American in the role.

During her tenure at Trinity, which will conclude when she retires in 2025, Berger-Sweeney has championed diversity, improved retention rates, and tackled gender disparities among faculty. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to science and higher education, including a Lifetime Mentoring Award from the Society for Neuroscience and a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award. In 2018, she was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Amy Weaver ’89

In 2020, Amy Weaver ’89 became chief financial officer and president of Salesforce. Her initial reaction was shock, knowing she would need to learn new skills and face heightened public scrutiny. Previously Salesforce’s chief legal officer, Weaver had already helped build its global legal operations, but transitioning from legal to finance in a Fortune 500 company was rare.

“I thought about all the young women I’ve mentored,” Weaver recalls. “What would I say to them if I turned down this extraordinary opportunity because I was afraid?”

Weaver embraced the challenge, focusing on mastering Wall Street relations and earnings calls. She became one of the few female CFOs at a major company and helped guide Salesforce to significant growth, including an 11% year-over-year revenue increase and AI integration across products.

Known for leadership rooted in kindness, Weaver insists that civility is key to lasting success. “People mistake kindness for weakness, but it’s what earns trust,” she says.

A fierce advocate for women’s rights, Weaver leads the Salesforce Women’s Network and has supported global initiatives like the U.N. Women’s Generation Equality campaign.

In August, Weaver announced that she has decided to step down as CFO and president, staying on until a successor is appointed. “My time at Salesforce has been an amazing journey, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside such a talented, dedicated, and compassionate team,” she said. She said that after more than a decade with Salesforce, she was eager to challenge herself with new adventures.