To Retire as One of the Current, Longest-Serving Female College Presidents in Massachusetts
WESTON, Massachusetts – Forty years ago, Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN, began her teaching career at Regis College as a part-time faculty member in nursing. On June 30, 2026, she will retire having served the university for 15 years as president and 26 years as a faculty member, including nine years as dean, building its signature nursing program. During her presidency, Dr. Hays raised nearly $90 million for the university, launched two schools, an online program, and numerous academic programs. When she retires, the university will bestow upon her the honor of President Emerita.
A national search for the university’s next president will commence immediately.
“On behalf of the university’s Board of Trustees, we cannot begin to express our sincere gratitude to President Hays for her passionate and unwavering support of the students, alumni, staff and faculty of Regis College,” said Board Chair Kathleen S. Jose '87, '94, MSN, RN. “Over the span of four decades as a member of the faculty, former dean of the School of Nursing, Science and Health Professions and as president, Dr. Hays has demonstrated a steadfast commitment and fervent belief in the transformative value and impact of a Regis education as well as advocacy for health care education. The impact of Dr. Hays’ service to Regis will leave a lasting legacy.”
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve Regis College for the past four decades—and lead the university for the past 15 years,” said Pres. Hays. “When I first stepped onto campus as a part-time faculty member, I could not have imagined the journey I would eventually pursue. What kept me here—and what inspired me every day—was the profound belief in the Regis mission and the extraordinary students, alumni, faculty, and staff who manifest that mission so purposefully. Together, we have expanded access to education, launched transformative programs, and built a community rooted in compassion, justice, and academic excellence. I look forward to supporting Regis in new ways as it continues to thrive in the years ahead.”
In addition to enhancing the university’s academic profile, Pres. Hays raised $87,840,666 in annual giving and Regis’s first comprehensive campaign, Now We Fly. Fundraising at Regis was significantly enhanced under her leadership, notably through the campaign and the annual gala that is held each year to raise financial aid for students in need.
Faculty Member
President Hays began her service at Regis as a member of the nursing faculty in 1985, teaching in the RN-MSN program. In 1990, she developed and launched Regis’s first graduate nursing programs in nursing leadership and nurse practitioner. She founded the Regis College Nursing Honor Society, laying the foundation for Regis’s growing national reputation in nursing education. She also created and taught the university’s first nursing research curriculum.
Upon earning her doctorate in health policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, Dr. Hays deepened her commitment to the mission of Regis and formally transitioned to full-time status in 1995. On the retirement of the founding Director of Nursing, Dr. Amy Anderson, Dr. Hays was appointed the Director of Nursing in 2002.
Dean of Nursing, Science and Health Professions
In 2006, the university’s Board of Trustees decided that nursing should be a separate school and named Dr. Hays the Inaugural Dean of the School of Nursing, Science and Health Professions. As dean, she launched the undergraduate major in nursing, introduced the university’s first doctoral program, the Doctor in Nursing Practice, and the university’s first programs for the health professions with public health, health and fitness studies, regulatory and clinical research management and the master’s in health administration.
Dr. Hays played a pivotal role in elevating the Regis nursing program to one of the most respected programs in Massachusetts, earning the National League of Nursing Center of Excellence designation in 2007. Since that time, the university has graduated 9,666 nurses.
During her tenure as dean, she secured $4.5 million for programs, scholarships and loans from federal, state, private foundation, corporate and major donor sources, including HRSA, Advanced Education Nursing Traineeships (AENT) for full time nurse practitioner students, Scholarships for Disadvantages Students (SDS) for undergraduate nursing students, and Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) funding for DNP students. These grants marked the first time Regis had successfully applied for and obtained HRSA grants. In addition, Dr. Hays raised funds to support the new nursing labs and manikins that would train nursing students in life-like simulations.
In recognition of her contributions to the nursing profession, Dr. Hays was named a Living Legend in Massachusetts by the American Nurses Association.
Serving the Dear Neighbor
Dr. Hays’ 2007 visit to Haiti, accompanied by Partners In Health, catalyzed an enduring partnership with the island nation. Moved by the country’s dire need for healthcare providers, she launched Regis in Haiti, raising millions to prepare Haitian nurses as faculty members, equipping them to train future generations of healthcare professionals. Today, 36 Haitian faculty members have been educated through this program. One Regis graduate now serves as the National Director of Nursing for the Haitian Ministry of Health. The Program continues with simulation education and doctoral education for nursing faculty in Haiti. Dr. Hays now serves on the board of Partners in Health committed to promoting global health equity.
Under Dr. Hays’ leadership, the university expanded its commitment to educational access and workforce development with the launch of Regis North—a satellite located on the campus of Northern Essex Community College in the Gateway City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Designed to serve post-traditional students in the Merrimack Valley, Regis North offered affordable, flexible bachelor’s degree completion programs for students who otherwise had limited access to baccalaureate and master's education.
The President Hays Era at Regis
When President Emeritus Mary Jane England, MD, announced her retirement in 2010 Dr. Hays received encouragement from colleagues across the university and the Greater Boston community to enter the search process—and was appointed the 10th president in 2011.
As president, she led the process of creating the university’s first all-encompassing strategic plan and launched the first comprehensive campaign—Now We Fly—which raised $40 million. The campaign included the largest single gift in the history of the university with a $5 million donation. A master plan was also created followed by the transformative construction of a new central quad and contemporary residence hall.
In 2012, President Hays launched a strategic technology initiative and became an early adopter as an all-iPad institution, in partnership with Apple, launching the use of technology in the classroom and beyond. Students, faculty and staff were provided with an iPad and professional development to transform the university culture toward the use of advanced technology across all areas of the university.
Two schools were named: The Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing and the Marshall M. Sloane School of Business and Communication. Recognizing that the School of Nursing, Science and Health Professions needed to expand, the schools were separated to support the growth of the School of Health Sciences independent of nursing.
In 2017, President Hays championed fully online graduate education at Regis. By 2021, The Business Journals named Regis among the fastest-growing colleges in the country, with enrollment reaching 3,500 students, due largely to growth in its online offerings.
President Hays supported Regis in becoming a member of the NCAA Division III Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2017, elevating conference competition for Regis student-athletes. The change helped to recruit more student athletes to the university.
In May 2018, President Hays expressed her commitment to provide students in the dental hygiene program a pathway to completing their degree upon the abrupt closure of Mount Ida College. She launched a dental hygiene program at Regis which included a Dental Center that still exists in Waltham. The program remains in high demand at Regis.
Several other initiatives were introduced during her presidency including the Center for Inclusive Excellence, which amplified key components of the university’s mission; the Center for Global Connections; Center for Internships and Professional Development (all Regis students are required to complete at least one internship or clinical prior to graduation); the Division of Professional Studies, which offers professional certificates and degree completion programs; fast track undergraduate to master’s programs; and more.
President Hays also shepherded the introduction of new academic programs such as the EdD in higher education leadership, speech-language pathology, applied behavior analysis, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, medical imaging and sonography. In addition, President Hays was a founding member for the Lower Cost Model Consortium which supported growth in the School of Business and Communication.
Recognizing the value of partnerships with companies and organizations, President Hays launched a strategic partnership program that offers partner discounted tuition for their employees. There are currently more than 100 employer partners with the university that have helped to bolster graduate enrollment.
Under President Hays’ leadership, Regis is regularly recognized by the Boston Globe Magazine as one of The Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts.
“Through her impressive record of success, President Hays will depart Regis in June 2026 having built a university well-positioned to thrive amid the challenges facing higher education, while remaining true to its mission to educate the whole person,” added Board Chair Jose. “This includes preparing students to pursue excellence, become change agents in their own communities, and to serve and lead as advocates for a more just and compassionate global society.”
Following a due diligence process, the university has retained the services of an executive search firm to support the hiring of the next president. A search committee comprised of trustees, students, alumni, faculty, and staff will lead the search process.