WESTON, Mass. -- Following a national search, Regis College today announced that its Board of Trustees has appointed Robin Lynn Cautin, PhD as the university’s 11th president as it enters its Centennial year. A seasoned academic leader with more than two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Cautin is the current provost at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she is the chief academic officer and provides leadership for academic affairs, faculty affairs, institutional effectiveness, and student success.
Dr. Cautin will succeed President Antoinette Hays, whose 41-year tenure at the university has strengthened Regis’ mission-driven identity, academic quality, and community impact. She will begin her presidency on July 1, when President Hays officially retires.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am proud to announce Dr. Robin Cautin as the next president of Regis College,” said John Gray, Chair of the Regis College Board of Trustees. “Throughout a thoughtful and exhaustive national search, Dr. Cautin distinguished herself as a leader who combines academic excellence with a deep commitment to student success, an inclusive community, and the values that define the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Regis mission. Her record of collaborative leadership and strategic execution will serve Regis and its students well as we build on a strong foundation and continue to prepare graduates who lead with compassion, competence, and purpose.”
At Sacred Heart, Dr. Cautin has led five colleges and managed a broad portfolio of undergraduate and graduate academic and student-support activities. Her leadership has included strategic planning, strengthening Sacred Heart’s academic infrastructure and shared governance, augmenting student success and retention, and supporting cross-disciplinary initiatives. Dr. Cautin has also led successful accreditation efforts and helped align organizational structures with strategic priorities.
“I am delighted and honored to be selected as the next president of Regis College,” said Dr. Cautin. “The proud history of Regis, with its emphasis on empowering and equipping students to live lives of purpose and meaning, is extremely compelling and important. Its mission to educate the whole person, fostering an inclusive and caring community, and to serve the dear neighbor without distinction resonates with me personally. Throughout the search process, the embodiment of the Regis mission was palpable to me. I’m grateful to the Board for its confidence and support, and I look forward to listening closely to and learning from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of Regis. Together we will build on Regis’ strong foundation so that its people and the institution as a whole grow and thrive in ways consistent with and driven by Regis’ core mission.”
Before serving as provost, Dr. Cautin served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Sacred Heart, where she led the establishment of three schools, the expansion of the college’s academic portfolio, various faculty development initiatives, and student academic success initiatives. Earlier in her career, she held academic leadership roles at Manhattanville College, including as dean of Undergraduate Education and associate provost, and served as chair of the Psychology Department. Dr. Cautin began her academic career as a professor of psychology before starting to serve in leadership roles, emphasizing collaboration, transparent communication, and shared governance.
“Dr. Cautin’s selection reflects the Board’s deep commitment to the future of Regis and to the people who continue to make this institution extraordinary,” said Board Chair Gray. “We are confident she will honor Regis’ legacy while engaging the community to prepare Regis students for lives and careers of personal and professional opportunities for caring and impact.”
President Antoinette Hays welcomed the appointment of Dr. Cautin and underscored the strength of the Regis community she will inherit.
“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as faculty, dean and then as president of Regis College and to witness the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff, the talent and compassion of our students, and the enduring commitment of our alumni, supporters and founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph,” said President Hays. “Dr. Cautin brings a strong record of academic leadership and a clear respect for mission-driven education, especially the unique and enduring type of mission that exists at Regis. I look forward to welcoming her to Regis and supporting a smooth transition as the university continues to thrive and impact our students.”
Dr. Cautin holds both a doctorate and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy with distinction from the University of Delaware. Dr. Cautin also completed leadership-focused professional development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Cautin is a noted scholar in the history of psychology, particularly clinical psychology, and has published on myths and misconceptions in the areas of abnormal and clinical psychology. She is the co-editor in chief of Wiley-Blackwell's five-volume Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology, published in January 2015, and is currently under contract with Oxford University Press to write a book on the history of psychotherapy in the United States. Dr. Cautin was the recipient of the Early Career Award of the American Psychological Association’s History Division and of research fellowships and grants from the Center for the History of Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science. She is a Fellow of the General Psychology Division of the APA and current program chair for APA’s History Division.
