President's Notes XIII.11 | January 25, 2024

Faculty held a spring workshop two weeks ago including a presentation by Dean of Professional Studies David Rudder on the division and adult learners in college classrooms and campuses.

Staff and faculty also had a professional development day on January 9. Michael McCorvey, VP of inclusive excellence, kicked things off with an inclusive excellence workshop, and the afternoon was full of sessions facilitated by our talented staff. Special thanks to Dean of Academic Support Services Erin Wisniewski for coordinating this valuable training and educational event for employees.

During the break, Dean of Health Sciences Laura Burke, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Marie Gabour, and Director of Global Connections Megan Gibbons traveled to Bolivia to conduct a site visit for a new faculty-led program, funded by the IDEAS grant.

The team met with members of Universidad Católica Boliviana (UCB) and Universidad Privada Franz Tamayo (UNIFRANZ) on their respective campuses. Both universities expressed enthusiasm and willingness to partner with Regis on an initial joint effort Operación Acceso: Healthcare Professionals at Home and Abroad, which will include opportunities for our students to interact with other university students and faculty as well as community members of all ages and backgrounds.

During the site visit, they met Bishop Youssef of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Bolivia, who provided a tour of the daycare centers, schools, and health clinic built and served by the Diocese. This initial joint effort will create future opportunities for additional academic collaborations encompassing programs in all four of our schools.

Pictured below from left are Laura Burke; Henry Pinto, Academic Director Santa Cruz Campus School of Health; Maria Gabour; German Toledo, Director School of Medicine; Megan Gibbons; Mariana Saucedo, Head of International Relations UCB Santa Cruz; and Pablo Loayza, from Regis South American partner Fundación Tarea Global.

Congratulations to the following faculty and staff on their recent achievements.

Professor of English Julia Lisella recently published poems “Coyotes” in The Common Literary Journal and “Encounter” in Third Wednesday: A Quarterly Journal of Literary and Visual Arts. Her book review of a collection called Transitory is available here.

Lauren Bent, associate professor in the EdD program, was recently elected to serve as the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Delegates Council Secretary.

Kristen Willems, associate professor in the STEM department and pre-professional program director, was awarded a travel grant to the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) national conference in June where she will give a presentation on "Creating a pre-medical certificate for undergrads: A holistic approach to pre-health advising."

Associate Professor of Music and Humanities Heather Josselyn-Cranson and colleagues in the North American Academy of Liturgy published a collaborative ecumenical anthology, "Living the Church’s Song,” that echoes the values of the Sisters. The book, which Heather co-edited and wrote two chapters and the introduction, will benefit parishes that want to better understand liturgy and music.

As a show of appreciation, Leslie Mandel, professor of public health and health administration, received a complimentary membership to the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) for herself and our public health students. MPHA promotes a healthy Commonwealth by advocating for effective policies, organizing key stakeholders, and building broad coalitions in the state.

Mary Lou Cullen, associate dean for pre-licensure nursing, co-hosted an interactive listening session with members of the Mass. Association of Colleges of Nursing and clinical partners within the state.

Nearly 100 educators, hospital reps, long-term care facilities, and the Board of Registration in Nursing attended the two-hour session on how nurse educators can best prepare practice-ready nurses. It generated many ideas to move nursing education and practice-ready nurses forward, and plans are to meet quarterly to continue to make a positive impact on the education of future nurses.

Mary Lou, along with Interim Dean of Nursing Sharon Higgins , did a great job giving a presentation on nursing in the U.S. and requirements for foreign-educated nurses to take the NCLEX to 100 nursing students at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Bahrain, our most recent international partner university.

This was the first joint initiative in the new partnership that was part of RCSI Bahrain’s annual Nursing Career Day. In addition to collaborations with the Young School of Nursing, RCSI Bahrain is interested in participating in the near future in short-term mobility programs (hosted at Regis and managed through the Center for Global Connections) that would introduce their students to U.S. healthcare and culture. The MOU that was signed last year encourages not only the creation of these types of mobility and exchange programs but also academic and research collaborations and the development of articulation agreements to certain graduate programs. Thanks to Megan Gibbons, director of the Center for Global Connections, for collaborating with counterparts in Bahrain to facilitate this partnership.

Last but not least, congratulations to the Young School of Nursing for being recognized as a 2024 best online nursing program by Princeton Review and one of the best RN to BSN programs in the state by RNCareers.org! The program was also recognized as the second fastest RN to BSN program by allnurses.com.

I'm excited about some new events happening this semester.

Regis Roundtables begins January 29 at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom hosted by the Co-Curricular Committee. This series focuses on how AI is influencing our world today from culture, to education, to healthcare, and much more. All are welcome.

New faculty exchange series called Pride Faculty Exchange begins February 13 at noon via Zoom hosted by the Faculty Development and Research Committee and Center for Instructional Innovation. Each Pride Faculty Exchange will include two 30-minute components. In the first half hour, faculty can share a brief pitch for a current or upcoming course offering, or scholarship-in-progress. During the second half hour, faculty and staff will present best practices, evidence-based techniques, or guidelines for Regis-specific processes to support teaching and scholarship. Faculty interested in sharing their work can complete this form.

Today, I am meeting with alumni, online students, and prospective students in Puerto Rico. Several of our faculty members cherish the memories of students from Puerto Rico they have taught throughout the years. I am eager to connect with them and see what they are up to, as well as welcome new students to our community. Special thanks to former Trustee Anita Brennan '77 (pictured here in center)for hosting.