Elissa Welle

Elissa Welle is freelancing for The Chronicle while pursuing a master’s degree in science journalism at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 2021. Her work has appeared, among other places, in The Detroit Free Press, STAT News, and The (San Jose) Mercury News. She can be reached at ewelle@ucsc.edu.

Stories by This Author

Photo illustration with Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne in the middle, flanked by solid-color silhouettes of the middle image

Reputation at Stake

Fighting Claims of Research Misconduct, Stanford’s President Isn’t Pulling Punches

By Elissa Welle May 25, 2023

Marc Tessier-Lavigne has been vocal in defying his critics, even amid an investigation into image-manipulation allegations. Experts say the strategy may be risky.

DEI Road Map

Making Diversity Stick Is a Challenge for Higher Ed. New Research Suggests Ways to Get There.

By Elissa Welle April 12, 2023

Two studies of DEI practices in medical schools and residency programs examine barriers that hinder progress and strategies to overcome them.

Karen Petree, left, a 2007 Baylor University graduate reads an open letter to the administration about the about improvements the school should make on handling sexual assaults, Friday, June 3, 2016, in Waco, Texas. The group held a moment of silence during the rally Un-silence the Survivors, where they read an open letter to the administration about improvements on how the school should handle sexual assaults.

Risk Management

Multimillion-Dollar Payouts Are on the Rise in Sexual-Misconduct Lawsuits. Colleges’ Insurers Have Had Enough.

By Elissa Welle March 1, 2023

As more victims accuse colleges of failing to protect them from abuse, higher ed is becoming the third rail of risk management.