Regis College is pleased to announce that fourteen distinguished faculty members have received promotions. Seven faculty represent the School of Health Sciences, four are from the School of Arts and Sciences; and three are from the Sloane School of Business and Communication.
“Regis College welcomes and values the commitment of these tremendous faculty to the university community,” said President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “We are proud of their proven academic excellence in teaching, service to the institution, and exceptional scholarship.”
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Erina Driscoll shared, “Faculty applying for promotion are assessed using Ernest Boyer’s model of scholarship. These distinguished individuals each presented compelling evidence of their achievements and demonstrated accomplishment across four dimensions, including the scholarship of discovery, the integration of knowledge, the application of knowledge, and the scholarship of teaching. These components are critical to enhancing undergraduate and graduate students experience and growth at Regis.”
School of Health Sciences
Frazier B. Beatty, PhD, MPH, CHES has been promoted to Associate Professor of Public Health.
Dr. Beatty is program director of the online Master’s in Public Health program. He has more than 20 years of education, program management, and research, and has mentored countless students—including over 35 PhD students in public health—ensuring their preparedness to address multifaceted challenges of the field. In addition to his role as a professor at Regis, Dr. Beatty is founder of the Global Public Health Credentialing Board, which provides students and professionals worldwide access to affordable education aimed at expanding public health knowledge and skills while addressing global disparities. His research interests include using telehealth to address HIV and other infectious diseases, and he has co-authored two peer-reviewed articles. At Regis, he has served on several faculty committees including the Institutional Review Board, Online Faculty Committee, and numerous faculty search committees.
Rebecca DesRoches, PhD has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychology.
Dr. DesRoches is a half-time faculty member who has taught multiple disciplines in addition to psychology. Her robust record of service to the university includes involvement in the Glee Club, private music lessons for a hearing-impaired student, member of the Racial Equity Justice Institute (REJI), and co-led of the Civil Rights Pilgrimage service immersion experience. Dr. DesRoches always seeks to improve and share her knowledge as evidenced by presentations on “Child Development for BCBA Providers” and “Unconscious Bias & Perspective Taking.” She has written several book reviews, and participated in podcasts related to anti-racism titled “Beyond Colorblind with Dr. William T Lewis.”
Cory Finn, MHA has been promoted to Associate Professor of Medical Imaging.
Professor Finn joined Regis in 2018 as the Clinical Coordinator for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program and became program director in 2019. She enhanced the DMS curriculum and worked across disciplines to prepare students effectively, resulting in a 100 percent licensure exam pass rate on all four national board exams. Under her leadership, DMS successfully underwent accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for which the program received full accreditation for all tracks. Currently, Regis has the only bachelor’s program in New England that provides training in all three concentrations within one degree. Professor Finn is the Founder of “Smart Sonography,” an educational and consulting service for ultrasound practitioners in Greater Boston.
Jude Gonsalves, PhD has been promoted to Full Professor of Social Work.
Dr. Gonsalves serves as program director of the bachelor of social work (BSW) program and assistant dean of social work, public health, health administration, and regulatory and clinical research management programs. He led a successful self-study for the BSW program and serves as co-chair of the Young School of Nursing/School of Health Sciences Promotion and Tenure and Sabbatical Grants committee. He leverages his experience in international social work practice and working with patients with dual diagnoses and substance use disorder to share knowledge and build connections with students and educators around the world. Over the course of his career, he has published peer-reviewed articles, presented at regional, national, and international conferences, and mentored student authors.
Roseanne Lesack, PhD, BCBA-D, ABPP has been promoted to Associate Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Dr. Lesack is a licensed psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-D® and serves as practicum coordinator for the online ABA program. While at Regis, Dr. Lesack has published peer-reviewed articles, has been an invited speaker at regional, national, and international conferences on topics including pediatric feeding disorders and parental perceptions of ABA, and served as a reviewer for more than 25 manuscripts for the Journal of Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. She completed the ACUE Teaching Certificate and used that knowledge to redesign courses to engage students with the material. She also serves as chair of the Online Faculty standing committee and is a member of university-wide Mission Committee.
Steven Threlkeld, PhD has been promoted to Full Professor of Neuroscience.
Dr. Threlkeld serves as the program director of the neuroscience program and is a co-investigator in collaboration with the Neurotrauma and Brain Barriers lab in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital.
Dr. Threlkeld has a long history of meaningfully engaging undergraduate students in high impact NIH-funded neuroscience research and has served as co-PI on prestigious RO1 and PI on academic research enhancement grants (R15). His efforts to collaborate with Regis students and colleagues at Women’s and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island demonstrated that treatment with novel protein inter-alpha inhibitor (IAIP) reduces brain injury markers and improves learning, memory, and auditory function in rat models of neonatal brain injury that parallels pathology of human prematurity. He collaborated with Regis STEM faculty on the development of a $746,476 Massachusetts Life Sciences Grant to fund a new science building generator, renovations to lab space, and science equipment in STEM and neuroscience research.
Dr. Threlkeld’s research resulted in several peer-reviewed publications that included undergraduate participation and authorship on the final manuscripts. He established, and continues to chair, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), led the charge in implementing CITI training at Regis in 2016, work that has collectively strengthened our Institutional Review Board (IRB). He was pivotal in developing the university’s emergency response protocols as they relate to laboratory facilities. Finally, he previously served as the faculty advisor for the Regis chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and is currently the faculty mentor for the Regis Brain Sciences Association, which engages the community in brain health and education outreach.
Jillian Wilson, PsyD, BCBA-D® has been promoted to Associate Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Dr. Wilson currently serves as the program director of the online ABA programs. Her research focus includes the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders, parent/caregiver training and views of ABA, and the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior. She has collaborated on publications, has an article accepted for publication, and one in process. Dr. Wilson completed the Quality Matters (QM) certification and ACUE credential to incorporate best practices in online and blended learning environments, and successfully completed the accreditation self-study document for the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) in preparation for the site visit in May.
As a licensed psychologist and behavior analyst, she consults with the Regis Autism Center and the Center for Pediatric Neurodiversity. Her service to Regis includes co-chairing the Personnel Policies and Finance Committee (PPFC) and previously serving on the Cultural and Co-Curricular Committee.
School of Arts & Sciences
Kelly-Anne Doherty, JD has been promoted to Associate Professor in Criminal Justice.
Dr. Doherty serves as program director for the criminal justice program and pre-law advisor. A former Massachusetts state prosecutor, Dr. Doherty is a passionate advocate for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable and marginalized participants in the criminal justice system. For years, she has served as a judge and advisory board member at South Coast Youth Court, a diversionary juvenile court system in New Bedford and Fall River, and was an associate director at the Massachusetts Family Advocacy Coalition. Her long-standing involvement in the youth court led to a poster presentation “New Bedford Youth Court: An Effective Alternative for Juvenile Delinquency Cases in Massachusetts.”
Cultivating her research interests, Dr. Doherty developed for Regis a Restorative Justice Certificate program for K-12 Educators and Law Enforcement personnel. Her service roles in faculty governance at Regis includes membership on the Curriculum and Academic Policies (CAP) committee and co-chair of the New Faculty Network Committee. She is an active participant in professional conferences and presentations in her field. As Pre-Law Advisor, Dr. Doherty secured favored status with Suffolk Law School to guarantee a $20,000 scholarship for first-generation Regis graduates for the duration of their time at Suffolk.
Edward Hunt, PhD has been promoted to Associate Professor of Political Science.
Dr. Hunt is an accomplished member of the Regis community who is highly regarded by his students and colleagues. In the Humanities Department, he co-directs the field of history, politics, and global studies, and he administers minors in history, sociology, political science, and international relations. His teaching includes more than twenty different courses, most of them in history, politics, and interdepartmental studies. He also teaches in First Year Seminar, where he works closely with first-year students in education and the humanities. Dr. Hunt has been elected to several faculty committees, including the Educational Resources Committee, Curriculum and Academic Policies Committee, and Personnel Policies and Finance Committee. He has volunteered for the Campus Pride Index Task Force and Campus Democracy Challenge Task Force. A prolific scholar, he conducts research in the area of American empire studies, a field that he is helping to develop. His scholarship has been published by academic journals, think tanks, and independent news media.
Upasana Kashyap, PhD has been promoted to Full Professor in STEM.
Dr. Kashyap teaches mathematics classes ranging from introductory core curriculum courses in quantitative reasoning and math bootcamp for incoming first-year students to upper-level calculus seminars. Her scholarly publications include numerous prestigious peer-reviewed articles often cited by other scholars, several book reviews, and numerous conference presentations. Dr. Kashyap was also invited to participate in a project sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) that developed and examined rubrics for quantitative literacy. She served on a variety of faculty committees including CAP and PPFC.
James Windelborn, PhD has been promoted to Associate Professor in STEM.
A faculty in the STEM department, Dr. Windelborn also serves as Course
Coordinator for Anatomy & Physiology and Director of the Regis Zebrafish Research Facility. He has authored two laboratory manuals for Anatomy & Physiology I and II, published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, and delivered scholarly research presentations. Dr. Windelborn’s service to Regis includes membership on the Faculty Development and Research Committee (FDRC) and Regis’ IRB.
Sloane School of Business and Communication
Colleen Malachowski, PhD, has been promoted to Full Professor of Communication.
Dr. Malachowski serves as the Carole Remick endowed program director in communication and is chair of the Regis Institutional Review Board. She specializes in the role of communication in romantic relationships and various techniques, including visualization and implementation intentions, that may alleviate anxiety associated with discussing taboo topics in interpersonal relationships. Dr. Malachowski has published works in several communication journals including the Western Journal of Communication, Communication Education, Communication Teacher, and Communication Research Reports. She is an active member of the Eastern Communication Association and the National Communication Association.
Charlene Geary, LPD has been promoted to Associate Professor in Business Management.
Dr. Geary has demonstrated leadership and service to Regis and serves on numerous committees including the Personnel Policies and Finance Committee (PPFC) and the Online Faculty Committee. She will chair both committees in the upcoming academic year. She presented a series of lectures in a Leadership Lecture Series at Stanford University covering topics such as Leadership Perceptions, Leadership Effectiveness, and Leadership Opposition and shares these lectures with her students. Dr. Geary’s published works focus on the topic of real estate including the area of land-use policy, leadership, and personal entrepreneurship™. Her recent publication It’s Your Race – How Will You Finish? provides a concise analysis of the spiritual development aspects of her personal entrepreneurship™ philosophy.
Naomi Kooker, MFA has been promoted to Associate Professor in Communication.
Kooker, a Boston-based multimedia journalist and documentary filmmaker, brings her professional experience as a longtime reporter for newspapers and magazines, and in the field of public relations—where she started her career in New York City—to help inspire and guide her students. She spearheaded the relaunch of The Regis Herald online student newspaper and advises students on content and production. Kooker's works include storyboard creation for an award-winning documentary-short, Making Mill Town and executive producer of the feature documentary Why Are You You? She has published articles in Bon Appetit, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Time Out travel guides and other media outlets; as well as experience in TV and radio broadcasting.