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Wellesley Centers for Women

@wcwonline.bsky.social
211 followers 70 following 242 posts

Research & action center at @wellesley.edu on gender equality, social justice, human wellbeing. #womenchangeworlds 🌍 linkin.bio/wcwonline

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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman was quoted in a @nytimes.com / @nytwirecutter.bsky.social article that compiled expert advice on how parents can best steer their child's engagement with technology. #devpsy #cyberpsychology #phdsky #womeninstem
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
A Step-by-Step Tech Guide for Parents Who Live in the Real World
The New York Times
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Senior Research Scientist Jennifer Grossman wrote for @msmagazine.com about the critical importance of fathers taking part in their child's sex education. #GenderSky #EduSky #WomenInSTEM
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
Back to School Means Back to Sex Ed. Fathers Need to Be Part of the Conversation.
Ms.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Read the article here: msmagazine.com/2026/08/22/f... #GenderSky #EduSky #WomenInSTEM
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
"As families settle into the back-to-school season-and teenagers encounter new classes, friendships, relationships and pressures-the work of guiding adolescents through questions about sex, consent and relationships becomes especially visible. Too often, that work still falls primarily to mothers.
To disrupt this gendered imbalance and foster healthy sexual development for adolescents, we must actively engage fathers in the work of talking to their teens about sex, consent and relationships."
Ms.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Senior Research Scientist Jennifer Grossman wrote for @msmagazine.com about the critical importance of fathers taking part in their child's sex education. #GenderSky #EduSky #WomenInSTEM
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
Back to School Means Back to Sex Ed. Fathers Need to Be Part of the Conversation.
Ms.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
▶️ Kate Price was featured on the podcast Root For Each Other, where she discussed her experience as a child sex trafficking survivor. Here, Kate discusses survivors' relationships with other survivors and how trauma and culture stop survivors from empathizing with each other. #GenderSky #PsycSci 💡📚
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
International Scholar-in-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social was featured in a @glblctzn.bsky.social article about her life and her organization @learnafghan.bsky.social's work to fight for Afghan girls' right to education. #GenderSky #WomenInSTEM #EducationalResearch
IN THE NEWS
Pashtana Durrani Won the Global Citizen Prize Three Years Ago. Here’s How She’s Using It to Help Thousands More Access Education in Afghanistan.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
International Scholar-in-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social was featured in a @glblctzn.bsky.social article about her life and her organization @learnafghan.bsky.social's work to fight for Afghan girls' right to education. #GenderSky #WomenInSTEM #EducationalResearch
IN THE NEWS
Pashtana Durrani Won the Global Citizen Prize Three Years Ago. Here’s How She’s Using It to Help Thousands More Access Education in Afghanistan.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
For Mail & Guardian, Dr. Nyasha Karimakwenda and Wits University postdoctoral fellow Dr. Thatshisiwe Ndlovu wrote about the social and cultural change needed to end violent forms of abduction marriage (colloquially known as 'ukuthwala') in South Africa. #GenderSky #Lawsky #SocSky
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
▶ Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman provided insight into social media's impact on youth mental health during @aljazeera.com's coverage of the United States' legal battle with Meta. Watch the full interview here: mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/cbXqbi...
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
▶ Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman provided insight into social media's impact on youth mental health during @aljazeera.com's coverage of the United States' legal battle with Meta. Watch the full interview here: mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/cbXqbi...
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
▶ In this clip from Nila Ibrahimi's 'NexusTalk with Nila', International Scholar-In-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social discusses what the international community can do to assist the fight for Afghan girls' education. Watch here: youtu.be/L7xCfGHzUZY #EduSky #WomenInSTEM #EdTech #MENAstudies
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
▶ In this clip from Nila Ibrahimi's 'NexusTalk with Nila', International Scholar-In-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social discusses what the international community can do to assist the fight for Afghan girls' education. Watch here: youtu.be/L7xCfGHzUZY #EduSky #WomenInSTEM #EdTech #MENAstudies
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Since 2005, Senior Research Scientist Nan Stein has researched, written and evaluated Shifting Boundaries (SB): Lessons on Relationships for Students in Middle School, a sexual harassment/teen dating violence prevention intervention for schools. [1/3] #EduSky #SciPol #WomenInSTEM #DevPsy #SchlPsych
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Since 2005, Senior Research Scientist Nan Stein has researched, written and evaluated Shifting Boundaries (SB): Lessons on Relationships for Students in Middle School, a sexual harassment/teen dating violence prevention intervention for schools. [1/3] #EduSky #SciPol #WomenInSTEM #DevPsy #SchlPsych
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The Massachusetts Early Childhood Exchange recently visited WCW! ECX is a partnership among three founding organizations (MECPRC, The Rennie Center, and @sfc-ma.bsky.social) to ensure MA state leaders have the research and evidence needed to inform early childhood policymaking. #ECEC #EduSky #PAsky
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🔎 New Publication! Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman contributed to a study assessing the relationships between adolescents with social anxiety and their dogs. Read the study's article here: bit.ly/adolescentdog #WomeninSTEM #DevPsy #SciPub #SocialPsyc
New in Publications
An Idiographic, Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Adolescent-Dog Relationships in the Context of Social Anxiety
Megan K. Mueller, Jasmine Mote, Eric Anderson, Brianna Paquette, Siyu Zhang, Angelique Zhong, Jordanne Brown & Linda Charmaraman
How do the relationships adolescents with social anxiety have with their dogs affect their ability to cope with stressors? This study uses an idiographic, mixed methods approach to explore adolescent-dog relationships in real-life contexts.
https://bit.ly/adolescentdog
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🔎 New Publication! Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman contributed to a study assessing the relationships between adolescents with social anxiety and their dogs. Read the study's article here: bit.ly/adolescentdog #WomeninSTEM #DevPsy #SciPub #SocialPsyc
New in Publications
An Idiographic, Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Adolescent-Dog Relationships in the Context of Social Anxiety
Megan K. Mueller, Jasmine Mote, Eric Anderson, Brianna Paquette, Siyu Zhang, Angelique Zhong, Jordanne Brown & Linda Charmaraman
How do the relationships adolescents with social anxiety have with their dogs affect their ability to cope with stressors? This study uses an idiographic, mixed methods approach to explore adolescent-dog relationships in real-life contexts.
https://bit.ly/adolescentdog
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
[1/3] We were delighted to welcome Carolyn M. Elliott '59, the founding director of the Wellesley Center for Research on Women (later WCW), to Simpson Cottage this week. #WomenInSTEM #SciPol #PhDsky
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Laura Mamo, Ph.D. as the next executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women! Currently the director and a professor of public health at the Health Equity Institute at @sanfranciscostate.bsky.social, Laura will join WCW in September. [1/3]
Announcing Our New Executive Director!
Laura Mamo, PHD
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
As the Executive Director, Laura will play a key leadership role in advancing WCW’s core mission: to drive meaningful progress for women and girls through research and action. She will also be a professor in the @wellesley.edu Department of Sociology, pending successful tenure review. [2/3]
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Read Wellesley College's announcement of her appointment here! www.wellesley.edu/news/wellesl... #scipol #edusky #womeninstem #phdsky [3/3]
“Laura is an outstanding scholar and an institution builder with a proven track record of establishing partnerships and programs that enable interdisciplinary, community-based, policy-relevant research,” said Coile, who is also Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College and Stanford Calderwood Professor of Economics. “Her scholarship and her ability to mentor and support researchers in all career stages, combined with her targeted advocacy work, make her the ideal strategic leader for this role.”
“I’m excited to build on WCW’s work and continue contributing theoretically grounded, empirical research that can drive solutions for women, gender equity, and communities,” said Mamo. “I can think of no better place to be than alongside my colleagues at WCW, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together.”
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Join the Youth, Media, and Wellbeing Lab for a FREE Virtual Digital Wellbeing & AI Literacy Workshop! This week-long experience is designed for middle school girls and allies to explore self-image & mental wellbeing in the age of AI. 🗓 July 20 – 24 ⏰ 1 – 3pm ET 📍 Online (Join from anywhere!) #edusky
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Laura Mamo, Ph.D. as the next executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women! Currently the director and a professor of public health at the Health Equity Institute at @sanfranciscostate.bsky.social, Laura will join WCW in September. [1/3]
Announcing Our New Executive Director!
Laura Mamo, PHD
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D. is featured in a @snexplores.bsky.social article by @kathrynhulick.substack.com on a new study showing that more than half of US teens use AI-based chatbots to complete their homework. Read here: www.snexplores.org/article/teen... #edusky #edtech
IN THE NEWS
At least half of U.S. teens use chatbots for homework and more
IN THE NEWS
‘More than half of U.S. teens use AI, according to the survey — mainly to get information or help with schoolwork. Dharunish says he and his friends often use AI to walk them through solving difficult problems in math or chemistry. “I find it really helpful,” he says, “because I learn a new way to do a problem.” However, he adds, “I never let the AI do all the work for me.”


Not all students take that approach. Six in 10 of the surveyed teens say students at their school cheat with AI, using it either somewhat often or very often.’
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Senior Research Scientist Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D. is featured in a @snexplores.bsky.social article by @kathrynhulick.substack.com on a new study showing that more than half of US teens use AI-based chatbots to complete their homework. Read here: www.snexplores.org/article/teen... #edusky #edtech
IN THE NEWS
At least half of U.S. teens use chatbots for homework and more
IN THE NEWS
‘More than half of U.S. teens use AI, according to the survey — mainly to get information or help with schoolwork. Dharunish says he and his friends often use AI to walk them through solving difficult problems in math or chemistry. “I find it really helpful,” he says, “because I learn a new way to do a problem.” However, he adds, “I never let the AI do all the work for me.”


Not all students take that approach. Six in 10 of the surveyed teens say students at their school cheat with AI, using it either somewhat often or very often.’
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
For @africasacountry.bsky.social, Research Scientist Nyasha Karimakwenda, Ph.D. wrote about the systematic erasure of LGBTQ+ Africans across the continent, and the LGBTQ+ African activists resisting this suppression. Read the article here: africasacountry.com/2026/06/refu... #gendersky #lgbtstem
IN THE NEWS
Refusing non-existence
IN THE NEWS
“African queers are often confronted by the claim that their existences are un-African; a detestable product of Western influence. And so African leaders and others expend considerable energy in attempting to do away with queerness through various tools of violence: rhetorical, legal, political, physical, religious, and sexual. At the same time that queer Africans are subjected to violence and live with the unrelenting spectre of it, they must also find ways to resist. It is a liminal existence, but one that demonstrates that queer Africans are permanently fixed within the continent’s bounds despite concerted efforts to effect their erasure.”
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
For @africasacountry.bsky.social, Research Scientist Nyasha Karimakwenda, Ph.D. wrote about the systematic erasure of LGBTQ+ Africans across the continent, and the LGBTQ+ African activists resisting this suppression. Read the article here: africasacountry.com/2026/06/refu... #gendersky #lgbtstem
IN THE NEWS
Refusing non-existence
IN THE NEWS
“African queers are often confronted by the claim that their existences are un-African; a detestable product of Western influence. And so African leaders and others expend considerable energy in attempting to do away with queerness through various tools of violence: rhetorical, legal, political, physical, religious, and sexual. At the same time that queer Africans are subjected to violence and live with the unrelenting spectre of it, they must also find ways to resist. It is a liminal existence, but one that demonstrates that queer Africans are permanently fixed within the continent’s bounds despite concerted efforts to effect their erasure.”
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Your contributions allow us to advance gender equality, social justice, and human wellbeing through our high-quality research, theory, and action programs. Together, we can continue to shape a better world for generations to come! Donate: wcwonline.org/donate #womeninstem #gendersky #socsky #scipol
Join us in shaping a better world

We at the Wellesley Centers for Women are committed to building a world of justice, peace, and wellbeing for women and girls, children and youth, families and communities. We do this work in the best way we know how: through research and action.

This kind of work cannot continue without your support. Please consider a gift before June 30 to help us reach our goal for this fiscal year.

wcwonline.org/donate
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Your contributions allow us to advance gender equality, social justice, and human wellbeing through our high-quality research, theory, and action programs. Together, we can continue to shape a better world for generations to come! Donate: wcwonline.org/donate #womeninstem #gendersky #socsky #scipol
Join us in shaping a better world

We at the Wellesley Centers for Women are committed to building a world of justice, peace, and wellbeing for women and girls, children and youth, families and communities. We do this work in the best way we know how: through research and action.

This kind of work cannot continue without your support. Please consider a gift before June 30 to help us reach our goal for this fiscal year.

wcwonline.org/donate
001
Reposted by Wellesley Centers for Women
Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
For @theconversation.com, Senior Research Scientist Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D. wrote about the generational increase in fathers' willingness to discuss sexual health with their children. Read the article here! theconversation.com/dads-today-t... ( #devpsy #socsky #womeninstem #edusky )
IN THE NEWS
Dads today talk more freely with their teens about sex and relationshipsIN THE NEWS
“Fathers’ increased involvement in parenting extends to talking with their teens about sex and relationships, and research shows that both fathers and teens see benefits to this.

Fathers see it as key to supporting their teens’ healthy development, while teens value their fathers’ perspectives and experiences. While many fathers worry that their daughters don’t want to talk with them about sex and relationships, research shows that daughters want to hear from their fathers about these topics.”
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
For @theconversation.com, Senior Research Scientist Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D. wrote about the generational increase in fathers' willingness to discuss sexual health with their children. Read the article here! theconversation.com/dads-today-t... ( #devpsy #socsky #womeninstem #edusky )
IN THE NEWS
Dads today talk more freely with their teens about sex and relationshipsIN THE NEWS
“Fathers’ increased involvement in parenting extends to talking with their teens about sex and relationships, and research shows that both fathers and teens see benefits to this.

Fathers see it as key to supporting their teens’ healthy development, while teens value their fathers’ perspectives and experiences. While many fathers worry that their daughters don’t want to talk with them about sex and relationships, research shows that daughters want to hear from their fathers about these topics.”
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Dr. Linda Charmaraman was interviewed on @childmindinstitute.bsky.social's Thriving Kids podcast about the impact of social media on teen mental health! In this clip, Linda discusses the potential long-term consequences of parents banning their children from social media. #devpsy #cyberpsychology
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Watch the full interview here! www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQL... #devpsy #cogpsyc #cyberpsychology #womeninstem
youtube.com
How Social Media Affects Your Teen’s Mental Health (and What to Do)
YouTube video by Child Mind Institute
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
For the WCW blog, 2025-2026 Intern and @wellesley.edu student Mallika Sunder wrote about her experience working with Associate Research Scientist Kate Price on a project exploring the impact of human trafficking awareness on victim criminalization laws. #pasky #crimsky #scipol #lawsky
Wellesley Centers for Women
ON THE BLOG
Internship Reflection:
Researching Human Trafficking
Policy and Public Awareness
Mallika SunderON THE BLOG
"With Dr. Price's guidance, I embarked on a research project to test whether public awareness of human trafficking issues has an effect on the passage of anti-criminalization laws for children who have been sexually trafficked. Eventually, I found that there is an increase in Google searches related to human trafficking in a state about three years before noncriminalization legislation is passed in that state."
Wellesley Centers for Women
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Dr. Linda Charmaraman attended a @srcdorg.bsky.social congressional meeting this April! Linda contributed to a leave-behind document for lawmakers that recommended changes to AI policy to protect children's wellbeing. Key points below! [1/2] #womeninstem #lawsky #scipol #pasky #devpsy
Emerging Policy Considerations for AI’s Impact on Children’s Wellbeing
Dr. Linda Charmaraman attended a Society for Research in Child Development congressional meeting and contributed to a leave-behind document of AI policy recommendations for lawmakers.

Key takeawaysDevelopmental science offers a useful lens for identifying predictable risks and opportunities across childhood, even as the evidence base, especially for children and adolescents, is still catching up to rapidly evolving products. Practical policy considerations include:
Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
Keeping AI task-bound
Requiring safeguards for relational and mental health use.Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
Integrate AI literacy into school curricula and pair it with practical guidance for parents and educators.
This includes where the AI’s information comes from and normalization that AI can make mistakes.
Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
These efforts should also foster social and emotional AI literacy so children can understand how AI shapes trust, relationships, and decision-making and use it in ways that protect well-being and human connection.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Dr. Linda Charmaraman was interviewed on @childmindinstitute.bsky.social's Thriving Kids podcast about the impact of social media on teen mental health! In this clip, Linda discusses the potential long-term consequences of parents banning their children from social media. #devpsy #cyberpsychology
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
For the WCW blog, 2025-2026 Intern and @wellesley.edu student Mallika Sunder wrote about her experience working with Associate Research Scientist Kate Price on a project exploring the impact of human trafficking awareness on victim criminalization laws. #pasky #crimsky #scipol #lawsky
Wellesley Centers for Women
ON THE BLOG
Internship Reflection:
Researching Human Trafficking
Policy and Public Awareness
Mallika SunderON THE BLOG
"With Dr. Price's guidance, I embarked on a research project to test whether public awareness of human trafficking issues has an effect on the passage of anti-criminalization laws for children who have been sexually trafficked. Eventually, I found that there is an increase in Google searches related to human trafficking in a state about three years before noncriminalization legislation is passed in that state."
Wellesley Centers for Women
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Dr. Linda Charmaraman attended a @srcdorg.bsky.social congressional meeting this April! Linda contributed to a leave-behind document for lawmakers that recommended changes to AI policy to protect children's wellbeing. Key points below! [1/2] #womeninstem #lawsky #scipol #pasky #devpsy
Emerging Policy Considerations for AI’s Impact on Children’s Wellbeing
Dr. Linda Charmaraman attended a Society for Research in Child Development congressional meeting and contributed to a leave-behind document of AI policy recommendations for lawmakers.

Key takeawaysDevelopmental science offers a useful lens for identifying predictable risks and opportunities across childhood, even as the evidence base, especially for children and adolescents, is still catching up to rapidly evolving products. Practical policy considerations include:
Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
Keeping AI task-bound
Requiring safeguards for relational and mental health use.Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
Integrate AI literacy into school curricula and pair it with practical guidance for parents and educators.
This includes where the AI’s information comes from and normalization that AI can make mistakes.
Emerging Policy Considerations
Starting AI literacy early
These efforts should also foster social and emotional AI literacy so children can understand how AI shapes trust, relationships, and decision-making and use it in ways that protect well-being and human connection.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Again, congratulations to all the Wellesley College WCW interns, research assistants, and admin assistants! Learn about Noely and Mallika's presentations below. #womeninstem #edusky #socsky #lawsky
Capoeira Pedagogy: Transforming Learning Spaces
Noely Irineu Silva | Advisor: Dr. Wendy Robeson
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and cultural practice born from the resistance of enslaved Africans in colonial Brazil. Historically criminalized and later institutionalized, Capoeira has endured as a living tradition rooted in community, embodied knowledge, and collective survival. This study examines the transnational expansion of Capoeira to the United States and its reinterpretation within diasporic and marginalized communities, particularly immigrant youth.Capoeira Pedagogy: Transforming Learning Spaces
Noely Irineu Silva | Advisor: Dr. Wendy Robeson

Using ethnographic and autoethnographic research with a Capoeira school in the Greater Boston area, this paper explores Capoeira as an inclusive, antiracist, and anticolonial pedagogy. This exploration engages Capoeira Pedagogy in dialogue with other existing critical pedagogies. Preliminary findings suggest that Capoeira schools function as transformative learning spaces that challenge hierarchical norms and offer alternative models of education.Human Trafficking Safe Harbor Laws:
How Are They Passed?
Mallika Sunder | Advisor: Dr. Kate Price
I have worked with Dr. Kate Price on a project tracking what factors predict the passage of human trafficking Safe Harbor laws in states. The federal Trafficking Victims Prevention Act prevents victims from being prosecuted for acts that they were coerced into doing by their trafficker, but within states, children can be prosecuted, and even arrested for sex work that their trafficker forced them to do. Safe Harbor laws protect children from this prosecution.Human Trafficking Safe Harbor Laws:
How Are They Passed?
Mallika Sunder | Advisor: Dr. Kate Price
We examine what factors within a state can predict the passage of these Safe Harbor laws from 2007-2025. Specifically awareness, measured in the number of searches relating to human trafficking that people in a state searched up each year, was a statistically significant variable that correlated with a higher likelihood of Safe Harbor law passage. I explore this variable and other factors in this project.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
For @slate.com / @hechingerreport.org, Writer-in-Residence @laurapappano.bsky.social wrote about the Oklahoma school system's recovery from chaos caused by the ultra-conservative former school superintendent Ryan Walters. Read the article here: slate.com/life/2026/05... #edusky #schlpsych #pasky
IN THE NEWS
A MAGA Troll Almost Ran a Whole State's Public School System Into the Ground. It's Time to Find His Replacement.
SLATEWellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
"Walters' MAGA-style edicts-calling for Bibles in classrooms, book bans, anti-diversity measures, and ideological tests for teachers coming from blue states-drew national attention, spurred lawsuits and protests, and plunged Oklahoma public education into chaos. (Through a spokesperson, Walters declined to be interviewed or respond to a list of detailed questions.) Educators "still experience some PTSD," said April Grace, a former school superintendent and member of the Choctaw Nation who in 2022 lost to Walters in the Republican primary for state superintendent."
SLATE
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Congrats to all the @wellesley.edu WCW interns, research assistants, and admin assistants who presented their research at the 2026 Ruhlman Conference, a communal event where Wellesley students have an opportunity to present their research work to a wide audience. [1/5] #womeninstem #edusky #phdsky
Wellesley Centers for Women
THE RUHLMAN CONFERENCE 2026
Congratulations to the Wellesley Centers for Women interns who presented this year!
Learn more about their research presentations
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Anika Gupta presented on a qualitative study of fathers’ and teens’ perceptions of Dr. Jennifer Grossman's online program to support healthy father-teen communication about sex and relationships. [2/5] #gendersky #devpsy #educationalresearch #edtech
Bridging The Communication Gap: Analyzing Feedback On A Father-Teen Health Program Anika Gupta | Advised by Dr. Jennifer Grossman

"I worked with Dr. Grossman on a qualitative study of fathers' and teens' perceptions of an online program to support healthy father- teen communication about sex and relationships. My poster with study findings was accepted to the EPA 2026 conference.
One main theme was program impact, which included three subthemes:
1. Topic-related learning
2. Fathers' and teens' experience
of communication
3. Fathers' and teens' behavioral changesBridging The Communication Gap: Analyzing Feedback On A Father-Teen Health Program
Anika Gupta | Advised by Dr. Jennifer Grossman
"Fathers and teens described feeling closer to and more comfortable with one another when talking about sex and relationships after the program.
This example highlights the importance and need for tools that help fathers and teens communicate with each other."
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Student researchers from Dr. Linda Charmaraman's Youth, Media, and Wellbeing Lab presented about three projects incorporating community and institutional partnerships. [3/5] @mgbresearch.bsky.social @tufts.edu #womeninstem #edtech #edusky #scipol
On- and Off-line Peer Racial
Socialization of Chinese American Adolescents
Showcasing the Lab's work with Brigham Women's Hospital, YMW's Building Our Bonds Authentically (BOBA) team (Angela Yong, Margaret Isacson) discussed Chinese-American racial socialization within school and online contexts.Human-Animal Interaction
Research Project

In collaboration with Tufts University, YMW's human-animal interaction team (Cecilia Miller, Evelin Buestan, Annie Chen, Gatsby Langston) reported on qualitative interview data from parents and teens about peer-related stress and the impact of pets and online social support.Summer 2025 Digital Wellbeing
Workshops

Lastly, student researchers Marinka Peralta, Bela Sanchez Taipe, Lillie Stewart, and Kathryn Geertsma showcased YMW's ongoing Digital Wellbeing workshop for middle school girls, which recently centered on Al chatbot companions and also provided separate tailored workshops for LGBTQ+ youth at OUT MetroWest, Framingham.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Shreeya Lakkapragada presented on @wellesley.edu's storied, yet unknown, history with India and Indian scholars. [4/5] #edusky #phdsky #philhist #history
Hidden Histories, Educational
Expansion: The Wellesley-India Relationship
Shreeya Lakkapragada Advised by Dr. Neelima Shukla-Bhatt
India, a colonized country far away, would have hardly appeared in the vision of Wellesley's founders. Yet, the college's history with India started with the first graduating class of 1879. Through research over a period of two years at the Wellesley Archives and Harvard Radcliffe Institute, along with interviews with Wellesley alumnae, faculty and staff, this project brings to light unknown facets of the Wellesley-India relationship. These findings share how the Wellesley-India relationship has been shaping lives of women and influencing societal change worldwide.
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Congrats to all the @wellesley.edu WCW interns, research assistants, and admin assistants who presented their research at the 2026 Ruhlman Conference, a communal event where Wellesley students have an opportunity to present their research work to a wide audience. [1/5] #womeninstem #edusky #phdsky
Wellesley Centers for Women
THE RUHLMAN CONFERENCE 2026
Congratulations to the Wellesley Centers for Women interns who presented this year!
Learn more about their research presentations
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
International Scholar-in-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social was quoted in a @projectsyndicate.bsky.social article about the impact of the Taliban's newest restrictions on Afghan women's rights to legal protections and education, and the work @learnafghan.bsky.social is doing to stand against it.
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
Afghan Women, Too
Project Syndicate
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Read the article here: www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a... #gendersky #edusky
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
"The Taliban regime, no longer content with merely excluding girls and women from schools and workplaces, has ramped up its misogyny with efforts to erase women's visibility from public life. The enactment in January of a new criminal procedure code heralds the loss of basic legal protections and further entrenchment of repression and discrimination against women and girls. It is for those reasons that many observers now talk of the Taliban's crimes as equivalent to gender apartheid."
PS
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
International Scholar-in-Residence @pashtanadurrani.bsky.social was quoted in a @projectsyndicate.bsky.social article about the impact of the Taliban's newest restrictions on Afghan women's rights to legal protections and education, and the work @learnafghan.bsky.social is doing to stand against it.
Wellesley Centers for Women
IN THE NEWS
Afghan Women, Too
Project Syndicate
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Join us for our FREE Virtual Summer Digital Wellbeing & AI Literacy Workshop! This experience is designed specifically for middle school girls and allies to learn how to build a positive online presence and support themselves and others in AI-filled social media spaces. #womeninstem #devpsy [1/3]
FREE VIRTUAL SUMMER DIGITAL WELLBEING & AI LITERACY WORKSHOP
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS + ALLIES AGES 11-15
Small group, project-based, collaborative work! Explore self-image & mental wellbeing in an Al world.

Co-led by Wellesley College Students, Co-Organized by Education & Computer Science Departments

When?
July 20-24 1-3pm ET

METROWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION
METROWEST WOMEN'S FUND

youth, media & wellbeing
RESEARCH LAB
Wellesley Centers for Women

Questions? Email us at:
youthmediawellbeing@wcwonline.org
Learn more at: www.wcwonline.org/summerworkshops
Eligible for community service, raffles & $25 Gift card!
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Wellesley Centers for Women @wcwonline.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Meet our 2025-2026 interns! At the start of the academic year, seven @wellesley.edu students began internships through our Class of 1967 Internship Program, established by generous gifts from Wellesley College alumni and friends of WCW. #womeninstem #edusky #phdsky #socsky #gendersky [1/3]
Meet our 2025-2026 interns!
Wellesley Centers for Women
bit.ly/wcw2526Chloe Guntrip
Mentor: Dr. Maya Hernandez
Youth, Media & Wellbeing: Data & Action
I appreciate how the Youth, Media and Wellbeing Research Lab has encouraged and supported me to pursue projects that align with my interests, while also exposing me to new ideas and perspectives.
bit.ly/wcw2526
Wellesley Centers for WomenAnika Gupta
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Grossman
How Teens and Their Fathers Talk about Sex and Relationships
It has been amazing to see this project grow and reach fathers and teens across the country. Through this internship, I have learned how to be a better communicator, researcher, and writer.
bit.ly/wcw2526
Wellesley Centers for WomenMariam Hassan
Mentor: Pashtana Durrani, M.Ed. Community Development & Humanitarian
Response
The most valuable part of this experience has been seeing how closely this work ties to real lives and impact. Working alongside Pashtana has deepened my commitment to contributing to work that makes a tangible difference for women.
bit.ly/wcw2526
Wellesley Centers for Women
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