I want to express my deep gratitude and pride in how our faculty and staff stepped up to support Anna Maria College students following the announcement of their institution's planned closure after May commencement. In true alignment with our mission, you acted quickly and thoughtfully to assist affected students—many of you showing up in person on the Anna Maria campus for an open house and others joining Zoom sessions this week to provide guidance and reassurance.
We continue to be actively engaged in a coordinated effort to welcome Anna Maria students and provide supportive pathways for them to continue to complete their degree programs at Regis. A dedicated resource page, Welcome Anna Maria Students, serves as a central hub for prospective transfer students.
Thank you for engaging with these students and their families with care, clarity, and responsiveness as they are introduced to and become members of the Regis community. Please extend the same spirit of welcoming the Dear Neighbor that has defined the Regis community for nearly a century.
Student News and Achievements
Congratulations to William Comeiro for being named Class of 2026 Valedictorian! A biology major in the pre-med track with a minor in laboratory operations management, Will was the lead undergraduate research assistant in the Ovarian Cancer Lab, a research assistant in the Zebrafish Lab, and a TA for environmental microbiology, as well as captain of the men's soccer team.
Will's impressive achievements are a testament to the excellence that Regis students embody!
Steven Threlkeld, neuroscience program director, attended a conference at Quinnipiac University with neuroscience students Akshita Duvvuri '26 and Dylan Slichko '26. Akshita and Dylan presented their research into the effects of experimental treatment on brain volume outcomes in a model of traumatic brain injury. The conference presentations reflected the culmination of their senior capstone projects that required 240 hours of lab experience.
In addition, students in the intro to neuroscience class toured the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center at McLean Hospital last week as part of their unit of pathology. Students heard about processes of brain donation and pathological assessment from education coordinator Dr. Oluwarotimi Folorunso.
I was pleased to join current and incoming executive members of the Student Government Association for today’s Passing the Gavel luncheon, where they reflected on this year’s accomplishments and shared their goals for the year ahead.
Faculty and Staff News and Achievements
Priscilla Boerger, chair of education, and Lauren Bent, EdD associate professor, served on a panel, "Finding Your Voice — Leadership, Advocacy & Confidence," at the Inaugural Young Women’s Leadership Summit at Lowell Community Charter Public School. Ceara Yourell, a student in the EdD in leadership program, is a 7th grade lead and STEM teacher at the school and was instrumental in coordinating this event.
Priscilla also published a book review of Humanocracy: Creating Organizations As Amazing As the People Inside Them in the April 2026 issue of School Administrator magazine
I also enjoyed having lunch with EdD students recently. Here is a photo of Conway Campbell and me posing in front of the wall sign with a picture of me handing him his degree when he graduated with his EdD in 2019.
OT Professor Michael Roberts recently spoke with CounselingSchools.com for the article Occupational Therapy Month: An Expert’s Advocacy Guide for OTs where he shared insight and perspective on the occupational therapy profession; highlighting the important work occupational therapists do to support individuals, families, and communities.
Congrats to Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Coach Diana Matthews who was selected to receive the Collegiate Scholastic Award from the Eastern Massachusetts Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association! She will receive the award at the EMISCA banquet on May 3.
Jason Clemence, associate professor of English & film studies, made a guest appearance on the podcast Cracked Rear View to discuss music from the 90s through the lens of the "10 CDs for the price of one" offer that used to appear in newspaper inserts. Check it out to see which 10 CDs from a 1997 catalog Prof. Clemence would choose 30 years later. The episode can be found here.
In addition to Commencement week at Regis, next week kicks off National Nurses Week 2026! It is an honor to be among our amazing nursing faculty who are the heart and soul of healthcare.
At the New England Regional Nurse Practitioner conference next week Angela Kulesza, associate professor of nursing, will receive a 2026 MCNP Exceptional Preceptor Award by the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (MCNP).
Victoria Vatcher, assistant professor of nursing, completed a post-doctorate certificate with family nurse practitioner specialization and successfully passed her certification exam.
Emily Rumble, assistant professor of nursing, presented her DNP defense on Feb. 27 titled “The Effect of Workplace Violence Education on Prelicensure Student Nurses’ Self-Confidence.”
Mission in Action
Regis hosted its third annual Social Justice Research Symposium bringing together students, faculty, and staff for a day of thoughtful dialogue, creative expression, and scholarly engagement centered on issues of equity, ethics, and social responsibility. The symposium, organized by Professors Jennifer Krusinger and Aubrey Crosby of the Writing Program and Gerena Walker of the Office of Student Engagement, showcased over 230 student and faculty research projects, presentations, and artwork that explored social justice through interdisciplinary lenses, reinforcing Regis’ mission to educate the whole person and promote a more just and compassionate world.
The First-Year Writing Contest recognized academic excellence and the independent voice of our newest students.
- First place for "A Reason to Keep Going" by Ariel Reyes
- Second place for "The Family We Choose" by Eglis Pena
- Third place for "The Memories He Gave Me" by Paola Zaldivar
- Fourth place for "Carrying my Mother's Dream" by Sawera Bibi
- Fifth place for "Personal Narrative" by Alexsia Lampkin
Congratulations to all award recipients and special thanks to the faculty, staff, and students who made the symposium a success!
Social work and psychology students along with Ababa Abiem, assistant professor of social work, attended the Alliance to End Human Trafficking conference in Boston. It was an incredible opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of human trafficking and to learn effective ways to combat this devastating issue through advocacy and awareness.
Pictured from left: Samuel Soroff '28, Ababa Abiem, Ashley Ponce '27, Sophia Musto '27, and Angelika Ramos '27
Thank you for all that you do to support our students and recruit prospective students to our community. I hope to see all of you at the many celebrations to recognize the Class of 2026 including the Commencement ceremony next Saturday.