About Jake Bucher, Ph.D.

Jake Bucher, Ph.D., serves as Provost and chief academic officer of Regis University, where he provides leadership for the University’s academic enterprise and student experience. He works closely with faculty, staff and university leaders to advance academic quality, student success and institutional sustainability while strengthening Regis’ distinctive mission as a Jesuit Catholic university.

Bucher joined Regis in 2023, bringing more than two decades of experience in higher education as a faculty member and academic administrator. Before coming to Regis, he was the founding dean of the College of Applied Social Sciences at Dominican University, a Catholic university near Chicago. He previously spent 10 years at Baker University in Kansas, where he served on the faculty and as dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies.

A sociologist by training, Bucher began his career as a faculty member and remains deeply committed to the transformative role of teaching and learning. His approach to academic leadership emphasizes clarity of purpose, thoughtful use of evidence, strong relationships and a willingness to adapt institutions to meet the changing needs of students and communities. He believes universities are at their best when academic excellence and human formation reinforce one another.

At Regis, Bucher draws particularly on the Ignatian traditions of discernment and cura personalis – care for the whole person. He views leadership as an act of service and stewardship: creating the conditions in which students can flourish, faculty and staff can do meaningful work and the University can pursue its mission with both ambition and responsibility. His work is grounded in the belief that difficult decisions and high expectations can coexist with compassion, transparency and respect for the people affected by them.

Bucher earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree in sociology from Emory University, a master’s from the University of Memphis and his bachelor’s degree from Baker University. His own path to higher education began while serving in the U.S. Army, an experience that helped shape his understanding of service, responsibility and leadership.

Outside of work, Bucher enjoys spending time with his wife, Carrie, and their two children, being outdoors, traveling, attending concerts and sporting events and pursuing an annual birthday challenge that usually involves considerably more hiking than good judgment would recommend.

Jake Bucher

Office of the Provost

provost@regis.edu
303.458.1843
800.388.2366 x1843

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