We received very sad news about the passing of Donna Barry, assistant professor and DNP program director, last week. Donna accompanied me and nursing faculty on our first trip to Haiti in 2007. She was a true advocate and supporter of our Regis in Haiti project. I am eternally grateful for Donna's countless contributions, passion and dedication to our students, and heartfelt leadership in the nursing program and profession. Read this beautiful tribute to Donna written by her colleagues in the Young School of Nursing. A service for Donna will be held tomorrow, March 28 in the Regis Chapel at 2 p.m.
Student News and Achievements
Congratulations are in order to the following students for recent achievements:
During the Academic Excellence Celebration earlier this week, 98 student-athletes were recognized for an average 3.62 GPA! The event honored sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students from all 18 sports and all four of our schools.
The Conference of New England announced its All-40th Women’s Basketball Team that features 47 prominent names in the league’s history—including our own Meghan Foley, director of athletic communications, and two Regis Hall of Fame alums Jen Erickson '95 and Julie Rando '94.
Phinney Reckard '26 from the 16-month accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) program, and Lindsey Heigh '26 from the 24-month ABSN program received the Joyce L. Wolf Scholarship from the Foundation of the National Student Nursing Association. The $5,000 scholarship is for students pursuing accelerated nursing bachelor degrees who demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Vera Rivard '26, biology major in the pre-med track and laboratory operations management minor, was accepted to the Dartmouth Hitchcock College Summer Internship Program where she will participate in a 10-week paid internship with hands-on experience in a healthcare clinical, business, or operational setting. During the internship, Vera will gain work experience and make connections with healthcare professionals, as well as participate in professional development and social activities with her cohort.
Vera was also selected to present a poster at the 2025 American Medical Student Association conference in Washington, D.C. this April, along with Princesa Gonzalez '26. Princesa's poster is on 3D Modeling for the Production of a Biosafety Level Two Facility, and Vera's is on Development of a Novel Phage Display Protocol to Identify a Peptide Diagnostic for Early-Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Thanks to SGA, the Center for Student Engagement, and the Institutional Advancement Office for funding this opportunity!
Dawn Smith '25, BS to DNP adult-gerontology nurse practitioner student, was featured in the first newsletter for the International Geriatric Diabetes Society (IGDS). Dawn's doctoral research project “Exploring the effect of focused palliative care education on perceived self-efficacy and practice change of early nurse-driven palliative care screening tool in acute care” reflects her commitment to advancing supportive care and resources for patients with chronic disease.
The neuroscience program hosted its annual Brain Awareness event with the Regis Children’s Center. Students in the Intro to Neuroscience class participated along with Program Director Steven Threlkeld had a great time teaching the children about the parts of the brain and how to build their own neurons. Brain awareness week is an annual international event designed to bring greater awareness to brain health and research.
During spring break March 10-14, more than 50 students participated in a service immersion or faculty-led program.
Eleven undergraduate students from various majors within the School of Health Sciences visited Northern Ireland for a faculty-led program with our partner Ulster University. Participating in both academic and cultural activities, the group visited two of Ulster’s five campuses to learn about the healthcare system in the UK, and engaged in hands-on learning activities with Ulster faculty members. They also spent a day touring the coast with a special stop at Giant’s Causeway (pictured here), a UNESCO world heritage site. While in Belfast they engaged in various historical and cultural activities including a city walkabout and a Black Cab taxi tour. Thanks to Cathy Fuller and Devin Cashman for leading another successful trip for Regis Global.
Forty members of our community chose to spend their break serving at one of three Service Immersion Program run by the Center for Ministry and Service.
I look forward to hearing stories from their transformative experiences at the annual Regalos fundraiser on Thursday, April 3. Tickets are available now and all proceeds support this impactful program.
One group traveled to the Dominican Republic to Hogar Immanuel, a residence for abandoned children with special needs run by Mustard Seed Communities (MSC).
DR group members included: Maia Augustin '27, Colleen Curran '27, Leasly Diaz Beltre '27, Julia Dennis '27, Ezekiel Kimani '27, Jonathan Montiel '27, Ashley Pasko '27, Ainet Ramirez '28, Vera Rivard '26, Ambar Rodriguez '25, graduate students Kristin Barrett '26, Alyssa Cimino '27, Janelys DelValle '24, MS '26, Mariama Sanneh '24’ MS '26, and AVP for Mission and Ministry Dan Leahy.
A second group traveled to Jamaica to Blessed Assurance, another residence for children with special needs run by MSC.
Jamaica group members included: Katherine Cubias '25, Noy Geffen '26, Anna Grace Kolodny '25, Macie Mannone '27, Ruby Martinez '25, Stephanya Mendes '25, Sarah Santos '25, Kali Taylor '27; graduate students Maddie Conover '24, MS '26, Alyssa Murnane '26, staff Liza Monahan (Children's Center), Katya Rego (President's Office), and faculty Danqing Xiao and Wanting Niu (STEM), and Professor Ababa Abiem (Social Work).
Members of the Civil Rights Pilgrimage, co-sponsored by the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Humanities, traveled to Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. During this powerful educational experience, the group was immersed in the challenges and heroism of the Civil Rights Movement of the past, present and future.
Civil Rights group members included: Shannon Cunniff ’27, Marsha Francois '25, Anna Miles '27, Aiden Charles '25, Deana Antunes '26; graduate students Brian Williams '25, Sarah Casey '26; and faculty Serena Cardoso( Counseling), and Kevin Henze (Counseling Program).
Faculty and Staff News and Achievements
Faculty help Regis students Rise!
When biology major in the pre-med track Anna Miles '27 demonstrated strength and interest in music, Associate Professor of Music and Humanities Heather Josselyn-Cranson encouraged her to minor in music. Heather created an independent study to introduce Anna to music conducting skills and helped her work with the Regis Community Chorus to conduct a piece of music for the annual Christmas Concert in December and the Spring Concert on April 5. This semester, they are studying the famous piece of choral music Brahms Requiem. Heather found a local performance of the piece so that Anna can hear the music she's studying live. But upon learning the performance overlapped with Anna's spring service project, Heather arranged for them to attend a dress rehearsal instead. Heather said: "Regis students are worth the extra effort!"
It's so great hearing the ways our faculty and staff go above and beyond. Let me know the ways in which you help Regis students Rise!
Congrats to the following faculty and staff for recent activities:
Ernie Collamati, associate professor of religious studies, was featured in this WFXT interview on a recent Pew Research Center religious landscape study.
Associate Professor of Biology Danqing Xiao co-authored a published article in the International Journal of Molecular Science, Comparison of Deep Learning and Traditional Machine Learning Models for Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Plasma Proteomic Biomarkers - MDPI.
Kelly Brochu, assistant to the president for special projects, served as a panelist for Boston College’s Educational Leadership and Higher Education Department event, “Transition2Success Series.” On this panel, Kelly spoke to aspiring education practitioners about strategic leadership and their professional brand.
Last call for appointments for the Regis College Dental Center Give-Kids-A-Smile event this Saturday, March 29.
Dental hygiene students will provide free dental hygiene care including dental exams, x-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants to children in the community.
To schedule an appointment, please call 781.768.7250 or email GKAS@regiscollege.edu.
President's Office
I'm looking forward to celebrating Heritage Week 2025! The Center for Ministry and Service has put together a full slate of events and activities to celebrate our CSJ heritage and legacy from Monday, March 31 through Friday, April 4.
Review our list of Heritage Week Events
I hope you can join me at the Women Who Inspire Speaker Series event on Wednesday April 2 at 9:30 a.m., featuring a Fireside Chat with Giselle Rodriguez ’16, an inspiring immigration lawyer and founder of the Law Offices of Giselle M. Rodriguez.
Giselle’s journey through law, advocacy, and entrepreneurship is truly remarkable. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from a trailblazer in her field, gain valuable insights, and connect with others in our Regis community.
This event is complimentary, but please be sure to register by March 28 to reserve your spot. I look forward to seeing you there!
And the following week on Thursday, April 10 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. is the second annual Research Symposium. This year's theme draws from our First-Year Seminar common read book Tell Me Who You Are by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi, which explores the power of the individual and their impact on the broader systems that shape our world and construct our lived realities. Over 100+ submissions were received from students, faculty, and staff who will present research and art around various social justice topics. The event is free and includes food, an award reception, and launch of this year's Hemetera literary journal.