The Regis College community mourns the loss of Donna Barry, DNP, MSN, MPH, Assistant Professor and DNP Program Director for the Weston campus and Online programs and former Director of Global Nursing, Regis College Young School of Nursing. Dr. Barry passed away on Thursday, March 20, 2025, following a valiant battle with cancer. She leaves her beloved husband, Dan Leist, her family and friends, the colleagues fortunate to work with her throughout her career, and her treasured students. May she rest in eternal peace.
A Regis College alumnus, Dr. Barry earned her DNP in 2021. Over the last seven years since January 2018, she served with distinction teaching in the Regis DNP program. Humble, gracious, and kind, Dr. Barry was known for her strength of character, determination, bright smile, and incredibly generous heart. She led by example with an amazing ability to inspire courageous leadership in others. She was passionate about her students and Regis’ DNP programs and made an incredible impact at the College and in the lives of all those that had the privilege to know her.
Dr. Barry earned her BA in Political Science and Russian at St. Louis University. She then received master’s degrees in both public health and in international affairs at Columbia University. After working in global public health projects in Russia and the United States, she returned to study at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and earned a BSN and MSN with specializations in women’s and adult health. Dr. Barry went on to earn a DNP from Regis College where she focused on nursing education. Her scholarly practice project explored how health policy is taught to undergraduate and master’s nursing students throughout New England.
Prior to joining Regis, Dr. Barry was the executive director of Global Oncology where she led the organization to help reduce disparities in access to cancer care around the world. Earlier, she served as the director of women’s health and rights at the Center for American Progress (CAP) from 2013-2015. Dr. Barry also served as the first advocacy and policy director at Partners In Health (PIH) where she began working in 2001. She led the PIH project to treat multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in Russia and was co-director of PIH’s women’s health programs in Haiti. She guided PIH’s advocacy and policy efforts related to health and hunger, socio-economic development in Haiti, increasing the pool of funding for global health, and health system strengthening. Dr. Barry participated in briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill regarding reproductive health, debt relief in Haiti, childhood malnutrition, tuberculosis, and funding for global health.
Dr. Barry’s many professional achievements included:
Service to Regis College:
Regis Grants:
- Enhancing Nurse Education in Haiti. Program Director. Wagner Foundation. January 2023.
- Collaborating on Nurse Education in Haiti. Program Director. Wagner Foundation. December 2019
Regis Committee Work:
- SHS/SON CAP Co-Chair
- CII AI Group
- Faculty Learning Committee: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- DNP Faculty Committee Co-Chair
- Assessment and Outcomes Committee
- NFLP Committee
- SON ARPC
- Graduate Curriculum Committee
- Leadership Committee
- Data Analysis Group (2024)
Professional Affiliations, Boards, & Appointments:
- Advisory Board, Global Oncology
- Policy Fellow, National Academies of Practice, 2013-2016
- Member, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Member of American Nurses Association (national and state chapter)
- Member of National League for Nursing (national and state chapter)
- Member, American Public Health Association
- Action Board Member, 2007-2012 (International Health)
- Section Councilor, 2004-2006 (International Health)
- Researcher, Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
- World Bank Civil Society Consultative Group, 2011 – 2013
- Member, Advisory Group, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Healthy Agriculture and Non-Communicable Diseases Project, 2010-2011
- Member, Cambridge-Haiti Sister City Project, 2010 – 2018
- Member, Sigma Theta Tau International.
Publications:
- Dr. Barry published thirty-three articles with many of the publications focused on global health disparities.
The Regis community will forever be grateful for the beautiful life of Dr. Donna Barry and shall fondly remember her dedication and heartfelt leadership in the nursing program and profession. She will remain an inspiration and guide to all of us. As said by Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.” May we all strive to follow the trail that Donna blazed and reach out to bring others along with us.
