Interview: the first Black woman to lead a Jesuit university on the true meaning of diversity

In brief

Shawna Cooper Whitehead will become the first woman president of Regis University in Denver on July 1, 2026. According to America, she is also the first Black woman to lead a Jesuit college or university in the United States.

Regis University has operated for nearly 150 years. Whitehead's appointment marks a historical change for the Jesuit-run institution.