Regis College President Antoinette Hays Announces Her Upcoming Retirement

Antoinette Hays, president of Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, has announced her retirement effective June 30, 2026.

Dr. Hays began her career with Regis College in 1985 as a part-time instructor of nursing. Early into her tenure, she created the college’s first graduate nursing programs and founded the Regis College Nursing Honor Society. She joined the faculty full-time in 1995.

In 2002, Dr. Hays was appointed director of nursing. When the nursing program expanded to its own academic school four years later, she was named the inaugural dean of the School of Nursing, Science, and Health Professions. As dean, she secured $4.5 million in funding and developed an undergraduate major in nursing, a doctor of nursing practice degree program, and several other degree programs in public health, fitness, clinical research, and health administration.

Twenty-six years after she first joined the faculty, Dr. Hays was named the tenth president of Regis College. Throughout her tenure, she has overseen the establishment of new academic schools, centers of excellence, certificates, and degree programs. She has advanced the college’s graduate education through expanding online offerings and establishing external industry partnerships. Since assuming her presidency, Dr. Hays has raised nearly $88 million in annual giving.

“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 Dr. 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.”

Dr. Hays holds nursing degrees from Boston College and Boston University and a doctorate in health policy from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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