About Us

Wendy with students birding

The Paulson Initiative is cultivating a community of students, faculty, and staff who are engaging with the landscape in innovative, interdisciplinary, intellectual and inspiring ways.

We are inspiring and preparing Wellesley College students across disciplines to value sense of place and connection to nature in order to enrich their academic experience, well-being, and community, and become change agents who cultivate sustainable landscapes and communities around the globe.

Students can take part in interdisciplinary science research programs using the campus as a living laboratory, can engage with the Wellesley College Archives to understand how history informs the present landscape, can take literary walks on campus, listen to “plein air” music performed by fellow students, staff, and faculty while enjoying a campfire, and take part in a writing workshop by renowned authors such as Terry Tempest Williams. 

People

  • Aissata Barry

    Aissata Barry

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Lilia Bickson

    Lilia Bickson

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Ayana Hampton

    Ayana Hampton

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Anna Hedinger

    Anna Hedinger

    Paulson Post-baccalaureate Fellow
    hh4@wellesley.edu
    Science Center L-024
  • Reena Kim

    Reena Kim

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Suzanne Langridge

    Suzanne Langridge

    Director Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative
    slangrid@wellesley.edu
    781.283.3431
    she/hers
    Science Center E136
  • Karla Narvaez

    Karla Narvaez

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Aiyana Vazquez

    Aiyana Vazquez

    Paulson Initiative Intern
  • Annie Zhang

    Annie Zhang

    Paulson Initiative Intern
Paulson Initiative Students 2022-23

Paulson Initiative On-campus Interns:

Rachel Carethers '24
Jada Onwuta '24
Aiyana Vazquez '25
Ayana Hampton '25
Katie Knight '25
Annie Zhang '25
Aissata Barry '26
Karla Narvaez '26
Lucy Gonzalez '24
Lilia Bickson '25
 

Paulson Initiative Off-campus Summer Interns:

 

Paulson Initiative Students 2021-22

Paulson Initiative On-campus Interns:

Rachel Carethers '24
Jada Onwuta '24
Aiyana Vazquez '25
Lucy Gonzalez '24
Ayana Hampton '25
Anna Hedinger '23
Eva Knaggs '23
Katie Knight '25
Mona Shokrani '23
Annie Zhang '25
 
Paulson Initiative Off-campus Summer Interns
Annie Zhang '25
Akanksha Basil 
 

Paulson Initiative Sophomore Early Research Students:

Angela Douglass '24
Paulson Initiative Students 2020-21

Paulson Initiative Interns:

Ashley Bisram '22
Dayna De La Cruz '21
Diana Salinas '24
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Borecki ‘21
Erin Olson 23
Grace Callahan '21
Jada Onwuta '24
Katherine Muniz '22
Lily Herold ‘22
Mateo Gariepy '22
Mika Taka-Anderson ‘22
Nicole Zhao '20 
Phoebe Shea Pérez ‘23
Rachel Carethers '24
Roxie Miles '23
Ryan Rowe '24
 

Paulson Place Challenge Sophomore Early Research Program Researchers:

Aaliyah Beckford '23
Kyaralind Vasquez-Liriano '23
 
Paulson-Frost Practitioner Fellow Interns:
Dayna De La Cruz '21
Sarai Hertz-Velázquez '22
Cassiana Robinson '22

 

Paulson Initiative Students 2018-2019

Paulson Water Challenge Student Researchers:

Mateo Gariepy '22

Adhel Geng '22

Mia Kennerly '22

Julie Kim '22

Skylar Kolisko '22

Francelis Morillo Suarez ’21

Katherine Muniz '22

Amy Quintanilla '22

Chantaly Villalona '22

Chansie Yang '22

 

Paulson Initiative Interns:

Zixia (Linda) Liu ‘19

Junita Sirait '22

Kristine Meader '21

Anya Sheldon '20

Annabel Brazaitis '22

Nicole Zhao '20

 

Paulson Initiative - Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant Research Interns 

Kelsey Dunn '21

Emily Magness '21

Grace Olson '21

Sarah Elizabeth Stockman '21

 

Paulson Initiative Student Communication Assistants

Estrella Garcia '20

Sophie Hurwitz '21

Paulson Initiative Students 2017-2018

Paulson Water Challenge Student Researchers:

Rebecca Arango ‘20

Louisa Crane ‘19

Nallely Esparza ‘21

Kimberly Hernandez ‘21

Thea Louis ‘19

Faisa Warsame ‘21

Akilah Chatman ‘20

Maria Gonzalez ‘19

Nicole Zhao ‘20

 

Paulson Initiative Interns:

Rahwa Michael '21

Maggie O'Connor '20

Jessica Ostfeld '20

Han Qiao '19

 

Paulson Post-Baccalaureate Fellows

Kristine Meader '21: 2022-present

Lacey Berg '21: 2022-2023

Louisa Crane '19: 2019-2021

Bindu Nicholson '16: 2019-2021

Campus Advisory Committee

Dr. Kristina Jones, Director Botanic Gardens and Biological Sciences Faculty

Dr. Jay Turner, Environmental Studies Faculty and Chair

Dr. Jennifer Yang, ‘12, Associate Director Botanic Gardens