Regina Richards

Dr. Regina D. Richards is a nationally recognized leader in diversity and inclusion strategies for all, community engagement, and academic access with over 20 years of experience in executive leadership, medical education, and social work. Currently serving as Vice Chancellor of the Office of Access and Engagement at University of Colorado Anschutz, she has held multiple inaugural roles where she architected campus-wide socioecological and inclusive excellence frameworks, oversaw $4M+ in strategic workforce grants, and launched transformative programs to support first-generation students and historically disadvantaged faculty, staff, students and residents.

Dr. Richards’ expertise spans inclusive faculty recruitment, pipeline program development, student success strategies, curriculum innovation, co-development of the CU Center for Health Equity, and community-engaged scholarship. Dr. Richards has led institutional accreditation efforts, facilitated conflict resolution intervention strategies using restorative justice practices, and co-authored the 2015 CU School of Medicine’s Diversity Plan. Her leadership has produced measurable outcomes, including a 27% increase in historically disadvantaged medical student enrollment, and expanded representation across allied health programs for all.

A published scholar and invited keynote speaker, Dr. Richards contributes to peer-reviewed journals, national conferences, and health disparities initiatives. She has served as a mentor to dozens of faculty, residents, and medical students, and was awarded the 2024 AAMC GDI Exemplary Leadership Award, and the Dr. MLK Jr. Humanitarian Trailblazer Award for her trailblazing contributions to academic medicine. She is also a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (as a result from student nominations).

Dr. Richards holds a PhD in Social Work Education and Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University, an MSW from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a certified restorative justice practitioner, and implicit bias trainer, with board service, and editorial roles on national health disparities’ platforms.