The Chancellor and CEO of UOWC and the Liberal Studies Program is Fr. Joseph D. Fessio, S.J., S.T.D. His work in the area of Catholic education will be known to most readers, but for those not familiar with it this link will proved some of the extensive details.

Fr. Joseph Fessio’s CV

Father Fessio, born January 10, 1941 attended high school at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, CA from 1954 to 1958. Before entering the Jesuit novitiate in 1961, he completed undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at the University of Santa Clara, California. He entered the novitiate on September 7, 1961. Before his ordination as a Roman Catholic priest, he earned a B.A (in 1966) and an M.A. (in 1967) in Philosophy from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on June 10, 1972. By that time, he had also earned an M.A in Theology from his studies in Lyons, France.

In 1975, he earned his doctorate in Theology from the University of Regensburg, West Germany. His thesis director was Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI. Less well known perhaps is that Fr. Fessio is a founder. Founders take risks for worthwhile goals; they are often visionary; they oftentimes bear heavy responsibilities. Fr. Fessio is such a person.

• 1978 – Founder and Editor, Ignatius Press
• 1968 – Co-founder Director of Project 50
• 1976 – Founded the St. Ignatius Institute, University of San Francisco, CA
• 1995 – Co-Founder, Adoremus: Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy
• 1998 – Founded the Catholic Radio Network
• 2002 – Founded Campion College of San Francisco
• 2002 – Founding Chancellor of Ave Maria College and Ave Maria University
• 2010 – Founding Chancellor of UOWC Network of Cooperating Colleges and the Ignatius-Angelicum Liberal Studies Program

Fr. Fessio is an Catholic evangelizer. As such he became an educator and a publisher.

• 1966 – 1967 Taught Philosophy at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
• 1967 – 1969 Taught Philosophy at University of Santa Clara, California.
• 1974 – Taught Systematic and Spiritual Theology, University of San Francisco
• 1979 – Director, Religious Books on Tape, Audio Division of Ignatius Press
• 1988 – 1991 Editor, 30 Days, In the Church and the World
• 1991 – Publisher, The Catholic World Report
• 1995 – Publisher, Catholic Dossier, Catholic Faith, Homiletic & Pastoral Review

The UOWC network of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the Liberal Studies Program are extremely pleased to have Fr. Fessio as our Chancellor.