Santa Clara University Names Welsh Theologian and “World Citizen” as Executive Director of Ignatian Center

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CatholicEducation–Welsh theologian Dorian Llywelyn, S.J., has been named to lead the
Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education at Santa Clara University. Fr.
Llywelyn will begin his appointment on August 1, 2016.

As Executive Director of the Ignatian Center, Fr. Llywelyn will lead the
15-member team in its work of promoting and enhancing the distinctively
Jesuit, Catholic tradition of education at Santa Clara. The Center
engages campus members, local neighbors, and the global community
through its signature programs including the Bannan Institutes, Arrupe
Weekly Engagement, immersions, Ignatian tradition offerings, and the
Thriving Neighbors Initiative. Fr. Llywelyn will also lead the
University’s efforts in promoting and strengthening the understanding,
engagement, and shared appreciation of the Jesuit, Catholic character of
the University.

“Hiring Dorian Llywelyn, S.J., is a big win for Santa Clara University,”
said Michael Engh, S.J., president of Santa Clara University. “Having
lived and worked in many countries around the world, Fr. Llywelyn brings
impressive global perspectives on Jesuit education, ecumenism, and
interreligious dialogue. Coupled with these, he holds a deep
appreciation for Santa Clara’s particular setting and strengths. His
vision for the Ignatian Center will bolster current programs and animate
new enterprises that will boldly engage our Jesuit imagination.”

Fr. Llywelyn comes to Santa Clara from Heythrop College at the
University of London and Loyola Marymount University, where he has
taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Christian spirituality,
theology and culture, and ecclesiology and ecumenism. He has also held
visiting chairs at Marquette University and Seattle University.

“Santa Clara University is a leading institution of Jesuit
higher education, and I am honored to have been asked to join in this
great tradition of learning, faith, and social engagement,” said Fr.
Llywelyn. “Standing as it does in the heartland of a globally
influential industry, SCU is a key player in forging Jesuit, Catholic
higher education for the 21st century. The prospect of working alongside
so many people of imagination, compassion, and vision—both on and off
campus—fills me with enthusiasm. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves.”

In addition to his appointment as associate professor at LMU, Fr.
Llywelyn was founding director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute
and the director of the Catholic Studies Program. He has held
appointments on various advisory boards at LMU including the Center for
Ignatian Spirituality, Center for Religion and Spirituality, and the CSJ
Center for Reconciliation and Justice. Fr. Llywelyn currently serves as
president of the International Society of Jesuit Ecumenists and is the
superior of the Jesuit Community in Brixton, London.

Fr. Llywelyn has written several books and scholarly articles on the
intersection of faith and culture. His research interests focus on the
place of land and national identity in the spirituality of peoples, and
the intersection of devotion to the Virgin Mary with politics and
culture.

Fluent in several languages including Spanish, French, Indonesian, and
colloquial Arabic, he served several years in the Voluntary Service
Overseas (British Peace Corps) in Indonesia and Egypt.

Fr. Llywelyn received a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Wales;
a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Jesuit School of Theology; a
Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
in Spain; and a B.A. in English from the University of Cambridge.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university
located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley,
offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in
arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master’s degrees in
business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and
theology; and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished
nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S.
master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education
institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social
justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

Contacts

Santa Clara University
Deborah Lohse, 408-554-5121
SCU Media
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