Corcoran Named WCAA Assistant Vice President

Like many alumnae, Erin Corcoran ’13 fell in love with Wellesley when she first set foot on campus. Growing up in Connecticut, she had a vague awareness of women’s colleges in the Northeast. But her mother, who had long admired Wellesley, insisted that she apply. An overnight visit the spring of her senior year in high school sealed the deal. “I was surprised at how much I loved it,” she says. “The campus was beautiful, the students were brilliant, and it just felt like the right place for me.”

Now, Corcoran has left her career in public service at the Pentagon to return to Wellesley in a new role: assistant vice president of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. With a deep understanding of the Wellesley experience, she is eager to strengthen the bonds among Wellesley’s alumnae and with the College.

“Coming into Wellesley, I was your typical Type-A student—student government, clubs, all the things,” she says. “I knew I wanted a career in public service, and Wellesley helped me find my way.” Corcoran majored in international relations and political science. One of her most memorable courses was EXP 105: The Nuclear Challenge, taught by Nancy Harrison Kolodny ’64, Nellie Zuckerman Cohen and Anne Cohen Heller Professor of Health Sciences and professor of chemistry. “It wasn’t a chemistry class, but a history and policy course on nuclear weapons and energy. It was fascinating to approach these issues from a scientific and historical perspective,” Corcoran says.

Corcoran’s Wellesley journey was also shaped by her involvement with the Tupelos. “A friend from my Wellesley Phonathon job encouraged me to try out for the Tupelos. I got in, and that’s when I truly felt at home at Wellesley,” she says. The camaraderie and support she found within the group were transformative: “It was more than just singing—it was a community.”

The summer after her junior year, Corcoran interned at the U.S. Department of State, working in an arms control bureau and getting a taste for government service. After graduation, she landed a contracting position with the U.S. Navy, focusing on arms control agreements. She transitioned into a civilian position in the Navy, where she regularly attended Pentagon meetings. Inspired by a woman who was a senior official and played a central role in those discussions, she sought a rotation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, securing a spot in the Russia policy office. She later advanced to roles overseeing regional security issues and crisis management.

Her work culminated in leading efforts on the release and implementation of the Biden administration’s national defense strategy. Most recently, she worked directly for the undersecretary of defense for policy, overseeing a portfolio that spanned global security issues, strategic planning, and high-level diplomatic engagements. She traveled extensively, including with the secretary of defense, witnessing firsthand how senior officials represent the United States on the world stage.

Most of the time she lived in Washington, Corcoran was an active volunteer with the Washington Wellesley Club, working on programming and communications and then serving as president of the club from 2020 to 2024. In 2019, she received the WCAA’s Sed Ministrare Volunteer Award. In bestowing the honor, then-WCAA President Martha Goldberg Aronson ’89 said, “No matter what size the event, Erin made sure the [club] programs were inclusive, accessible, and interesting to as many alums as possible.”

Although Corcoran loved her time in DC, she knew she eventually wanted to return home to New England. When Kathryn Harvey Mackintosh ’03 told her she was stepping down as assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement, the role sparked her interest. “I realized I really wanted to do that job, especially following the merger, and figure out even more opportunities for connection and engagement with the College. It just seemed like really perfect timing for this opportunity to come up,” she says.

Corcoran is focused on enhancing the alumnae experience. “The Wellesley network is powerful,” she says. “My goal is to create more opportunities for alumnae to engage with each other and with students in meaningful ways. Whether through mentoring, career networking, or regional events, I want to help alumnae feel as connected to Wellesley as they did when they were students.”