The Knapp Social Science Center (KSSC), located at Pendleton Hall East in the heart of the Academic Quad, serves three purposes:
- Support student and faculty research, promoting the exploration of complex issues such as health, the environment, poverty, and social justice.
- Provide a rich program of events, including lectures, colloquia, panel discussions, community-building activities, and informal gatherings.
- Support innovative approaches to teaching, including community engagement and interdisciplinary learning initiatives.
Faculty research examples
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Professor Chipo Dendere is researching how some of Africa’s first ladies have influenced national policy-making; her investigations will culminate in a forthcoming book. Hailey Lunceford ’26 assisted with research as a 2023 SSSRP fellow.
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The science and human experience of COVID are the subjects of Professor Anastasia Karakasidou’s research. Hailin Cao ’26 (center) researched COVID and anti-Asian American rhetoric, and Maisie Boren ’26 (right) researched long COVID.
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Professor Kyung Park is working on three projects: COVID-19 and anti-Asian sentiment, racial classification using online data sources, and improvements in home price indices.
Thesis fellowship research examples
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Addie New-Schmidt ’24 used data from ten state-level affirmative action bans to examine their impact on the racial makeup of universities' freshman classes and the earnings of graduates later in life.
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Saskia Vanderwiel ’24 studied the effect on a person’s psychological well-being when their emotion regulation strategies conflict with their religious values.
Origins of the KSSC

Elizabeth “Betsy” Wood Knapp ’64 was a pioneering tech entrepreneur, angel investor, and passionate philanthropist. She developed online computer access to consumer databases as well as decision-support systems for the media and advertising industries. Holding leadership positions at tech and media businesses, Betsy pushed the transition to interactive computer technology and electronic products. A longtime member of Wellesley’s Board of Trustees, Betsy was a powerhouse philanthropist, and, with her husband Bud, funded significant projects at Wellesley, UCLA, and elsewhere.
Knapp Social Science Center
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481