President, Regis University
Shawna Cooper Whitehead, Ed.D. serves as the 29th President of Regis University: the first woman to hold the office in the institution’s nearly 150-year history. Her appointment marks a defining moment for Regis as it enters its sesquicentennial era, and she brings to the presidency a record of executive leadership that has shaped the mission, culture, and long-term vitality of some of the nation’s most distinguished Catholic and Jesuit universities. Grounded in Ignatian values and a deep commitment to educational equity, Dr. Cooper Whitehead has spent more than two decades advancing student success, mission integration, and institutional excellence at every level of higher education leadership.
Prior to Regis, Dr. Cooper Whitehead served as Vice President of Student Affairs at Boston College, where she was a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a participant in the 2023–2025 Ignatian Colleagues Program. In that executive role, she provided strategic leadership across the full scope of student affairs, advanced philanthropic priorities as part of BC’s $3 billion Soaring Higher capital campaign, and deepened the University’s commitment to Jesuit formation and restorative community practices. Her work at Boston College reflected a consistent focus on integrating institutional mission with operational leadership and student-centered outcomes.
Before Boston College, she served as Vice President of Student Services at Seton Hall University, where she was a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet. There she co-led anti-racism initiatives, secured a $1.3 million TRIO Student Support Services grant, and convened the first-ever Big East Conference Vice Presidents of Student Affairs, generating collaborative thought leadership on issues from equity and inclusion to pandemic response. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant Provost for Student Academic Services at Loyola University Chicago, Dean of Students at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, Director of African American Student Affairs at Northwestern University, and Assistant Director of Student Activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A committed scholar-practitioner, Dr. Cooper Whitehead earned her doctorate in education from Boston University, where her dissertation examined the persistence and legacy of an extraordinary student leader. She holds a Master of Education degree from National Louis University and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is an inductee of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society, and a recipient of the NASPA Sankofa Award, which honors leaders whose work reflects a commitment to lifting the next generation.
As President of Regis University, Dr. Cooper Whitehead is committed to advancing the institution’s Jesuit, Catholic mission while building on its strengths as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a university with a long tradition of educating students who will go on to lead lives of purpose and service. She brings to this role a clear sense of priority: deepening the quality and reach of the student experience, strengthening the University’s financial vitality and long-term sustainability, and ensuring that the mission of the whole person, cura personalis remains at the center of every institutional decision. Her presidency is grounded in the conviction that Regis’ best years lie ahead.
Dr. Cooper Whitehead assumed the Regis University presidency on June 15, 2026.