Paula A. Johnson to deliver fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture
Paula A. Johnson ’80, M.D. ’84, M.P.H. ’85 has been named Harvard's 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture speaker. Johnson is an eminent physician-scientist and educator who has been recognized internationally for her contributions to medicine, public health and science. Currently serving as the 14th president of Wellesley College, Johnson has focused her tenure on improving opportunities for scientific research and promoting understanding of and engagement with the global world. Throughout her multi-faceted career, she has held leadership roles in higher education, the public health sector and the medical field.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture was established in 2022 with the Harvard community invited each year to submit nominations for a speaker “who, through activism, advocacy, scholarship, or service, has helped to advance the work that inspired Dr. King to act and lead.”
“Paula Johnson is an extraordinarily distinguished member of the Harvard community. At Wellesley and elsewhere, she has been a champion of excellence and opportunity, advocating tirelessly for women as she has celebrated their achievements and worked to expand their opportunities,” said Harvard President Alan M. Garber. “I look forward to welcoming Paula, a colleague, friend and alumna, back to campus later this year.”
Since becoming president of Wellesley in 2016, Johnson has propelled the institution forward as a leader in STEM education at the all-women’s college. During her tenure, Wellesley’s science center was transformed into a Science Complex, a cutting-edge center for scientific research and discovery, reinforcing the college’s commitment “to educating the next generation of inclusive STEM leaders.” In addition, Johnson led the establishment of the Wagner Centers for Wellesley in the World, a collaboration of three centers — the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute, the Wellesley Centers for Women and the Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy — that are designed to prepare students to tackle the most complex challenges around the world and provide them with the skills to lead and engage through civic participation.
Before her appointment at Wellesley, Johnson was the Grayce A. Young Family Professor of Medicine in Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was the chief of the Division of Women’s Health and founded and served as the inaugural executive director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. While at the helm of both, Johnson advanced understanding about women’s health through new research and transformation of training for the next generation of medical providers.
“Paula Johnson embodies the visionary leadership and moral clarity that this lecture series was designed to amplify," said Sherri Ann Charleston, Harvard's Chief Community and Campus Life Officer. "By working to close critical gaps in women’s health and empowering the next generation of students to become agents of global change, she brings a vital, scientific dimension to our collective pursuit of equal opportunity for all. We are honored to welcome back an alumna who so profoundly bridges the gap between clinical excellence and the urgent moral imperative of justice.”
Johnson has received numerous honors, including the 2021 National Medical Fellowships Champions of Health Academic Excellence Award, the 2017 Stephen Smith Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Public Health and the 2018 Wainwright Social Justice Award. She is a recipient of two Harvard awards — the 2021 Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard Chan School and a Harvard Medal in 2023, which recognizes extraordinary service to the university. She was also inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame in 2015.
Johnson is a member of the National Academy of Medicine where she serves on its Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation and is also a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Additionally, she is on the board of directors for Johnson & Johnson and a member of the board of trustees for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Previously, she chaired the Boston Public Health Commission.
Johnson received her A.B. from Harvard Radcliffe Colleges, M.D. from Harvard Medical School and M.P.H. from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She trained in internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Princeton University in 2024.
The lecture is hosted by the Office of the President and administered by Community and Campus Life. More information will follow on the Community and Campus Life website.
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