She received her Ph.D. in Special Education from George Mason University in 2005, her M.S. in Special Education and B.S. in Psychology degress from Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia. Prior to entering academia, Professor Regan served as a special education teacher of students with mild disabilities including students with learning disabilities (LD), Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and behavioral/emotional difficulties. She taught in separate day facilities for students with emotional and behavioral disabilties (EBD) and self-contained settings for students with EBD in grades 6 - 8.