Wellesley Honors 2018 Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients
Wellesley College has announced the recipients of the 2018 Alumnae Achievement Awards, which have been presented annually since 1970 by the College’s Alumnae Association, and are the highest honor given to Wellesley alumnae by the College.
Selected for their accomplishments and distinction in their fields, the 2018 Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Award recipients are Camara Jones ’76, a family physician and epidemiologist whose 30-year career in the public health sector has focused on naming, measuring, and addressing the effects of racism on the health and well-being of the nation; and Nergis Mavalvala ’90, a quantum physicist whose pioneering work on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project enabled researchers to detect gravitational waves from colliding black holes for the first time.
“Each recipient of the Alumnae Achievement Award is distinguished by the way her unique path from Wellesley forward has led to significant contributions in making the world a better place. She shares the determination of all our graduates to make a difference in the world,” said President Paula A. Johnson.
“Over the years, recipients have been drawn from the fields of business, education, medicine, the arts, science, social activism, law, international affairs, journalism, public policy, and community service—proving that a Wellesley woman’s place in the world is wherever she chooses it to be,” President Johnson continued. “The only 'typical' path for a Wellesley alumna is the one that she forges with the courage and passion of her own convictions.”
The Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) supports the institutional priorities of Wellesley College by connecting alumnae to the College and to each other. Chartered in 1880 and incorporated in 1916, the WCAA represents approximately 35,000 alumnae, serving as a lifelong resource and encouraging alumnae to contribute to the continued excellence of the College.
Mavalvala and Jones will be celebrated on Friday, October 12 at 5pm in Alumnae Hall Auditorium as part of the third annual Wellesley Weekend.
