President Paula Johnson commented on the College's history of (and ongoing commitment to) diversity in a Wellesley Townsman article on Black history month and Wellesley's African-American graduates. "At the core of our values, we believe that diverse backgrounds, ideas, and experiences create a deep, more robust academic and life experience for every student," she said.
The Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine, now the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation, published an article about President Johnson as the Alma Dea Morani MD Renaissance Woman Awardee for 2016.
Wellesley College President Paula Johnson was one of more than 90 college presidents who signed an open letter calling for the continuation and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), reported Inside Higher Ed.
President Paula Johnson and the leaders of the "Seven Sisters" colleges jointly authored a letter to top Trump administration appointee Steve Bannon. Among its messages, the college presidents wrote, "...Now more than ever, we look to those who would lead the United States of America for a message of inclusion, respect and unity." Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Boston Globe and the New York Times reported on the letter.
President Paula Johnson is one of the college presidents from across the country who have signed a joint letter urging President-elect Donald Trump to “condemn and work to prevent the harassment, hate and acts of violence that are being perpetrated across our nation, sometimes in your name, which is now synonymous with our nation’s highest office.” More than 100 college presidents have so far signed the letter.
In “Women in Charge: Hillary, Wellesley, and the Glass Ceiling,” WCVB’s CityLine interviewed Ophera Davis, lecturer in Africana studies, about President Johnson’s leadership on campus and the outcome of the presidential election on women in America.
The New York Times published President Paula Johnson's letter in which she writes that Donald Trump should "clearly and forcefully condemn episodes of bias" and that Wellesley will "remain vigilant and redouble our efforts on behalf of women."
Following the election, CNN published an op-ed from President Paula Johnson that called for all to "keep pushing to transform the world into which the next generation of women will lead."
