Dr. Paula Fitzpatrick is the Inaugural Director of the Center for Well-Being and an Affiliate Professor in the Psychological Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). A psychologist, implementation scientist, and higher education leader, her work focuses on translating behavioral science into evidence-based, sustainable approaches that promote population mental health, well-being, and belonging.
Dr. Fitzpatrick’s research spans developmental and experimental psychology, dynamic systems, autism, interpersonal social synchrony, and the neuroscience of social functioning. Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), her scholarship has examined the dynamics of social interaction, the mechanisms underlying social functioning, and haptic perception. Building on this scientific foundation, she now applies behavioral science and implementation science to the development and evaluation of institution-wide strategies that strengthen student mental health, resilience, and belonging.
At WPI, Dr. Fitzpatrick leads evidence-informed prevention and campus-wide initiatives designed to advance student well-being and build institutional capacity for sustainable change. Prior to joining WPI, she was Professor of Psychology and the Inaugural Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Assumption University. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and presented more than 90 papers and posters at professional conferences.
Dr. Fitzpatrick is a certified teacher and teacher trainer with the Mindful Institute of Emerging Adulthood (MIEA) and an Action Network for Well-being (ANEW) facilitator. Her honors include recognition in the Worcester Business Journal’s Power 100 in 2024 and the Paul Ziegler Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship from Assumption University. She is an alumna of Leadership Worcester’s Class of 2022.
Outside of work, Paula enjoys hiking, practicing meditation and yoga, cooking, and gardening. She especially treasures time spent with her family and grandchildren, as well as adventures with her dogs.
