As universities across the country confront questions of leadership, representation and the future of higher education, Regis University has made a historic appointment of its own.

The Denver-based Jesuit institution announced that Dr. Shawna Cooper Whitehead will become its 29th president, making her the first woman to lead the university in its nearly 150-year history. 

“So I’m the first woman to lead Regis University,” she said with pride. “But I’m also, you know, the first Black woman to lead this institution.”

Cooper Whitehead, who currently serves as vice president for student affairs at Boston College, is expected to assume the presidency on July 1, according to the university.

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