Woburn, MA Cummings Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of commercial real estate firm Cummings Properties, has pledged $2 million to Regis College. This gift will fund the Carol A. Donovan Endowed Dean of Nursing as well as a future health care clinic in town.

A 1959 Regis alumna, Donovan taught in the Woburn Public Schools system for 31 years before serving her first of seven terms in Massachusetts House of Representatives. She has remained active in the Regis and Woburn communities, including past service as a Cummings Foundation trustee, and was recently appointed to Governor Healey’s administration as a Woburn Housing Authority commissioner.

“Carol’s exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to the people of Massachusetts shine brightly through her years of service, which commenced at Regis College,” said Cummings Properties founder Bill Cummings. “We are honored to recognize her commitment to both the Commonwealth and Cummings Foundation with this investment in the next generation of health care professionals.”

Amid a regional and nationwide nursing shortage, enrollment in Regis College’s Young Nursing School has grown by approximately 170% since 2011. The $2 million gift in Donovan’s honor will support the Regis endowment and establish a Regis clinic in Woburn, where students will gain hands-on clinical experience while also serving the greater Woburn community.

“I have seen the Cummings’ generosity and wonderful work firsthand over many years – both in Woburn and in the broader community,” said Donovan. “I am honored they would think of me for this special named gift.”

“This generous gift and incredible partnership with Cummings Foundation will enable Regis to further expand its footprint in nursing and health sciences, educating our students in a state-of-the-art clinical space while also providing critical healthcare services to our neighbors in the greater Woburn area,” said Regis College president Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN.

Cummings Foundation has previously awarded funding to Regis through its annual $30 Million Grant Program, including support for Regis Center for Global Connections in 2013 and Cummings Nursing Resource Center in 2016. Among the Foundation’s other major contributions to health care education are ongoing multimillion commitments to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, the Paul Farmer Collaborative of Harvard Medical School and University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), Cummings School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Endicott College, and Cummings Institute of Global Health at UGHE.