Aaron Willis has served as the Director of the Bannan Forum since June 2018 and as Director of Ignatian Formation since April 2022. As Director of the Bannan Forum, he works to promote and make accessible the comprehensive humanism of the Jesuit intellectual heritage, bringing it to bear on contemporary global realities through public lectures, seminars, and other programming. As Director of Ignatian Formation, he leads the Ignatian Formation team to create and ensure the successful execution of a strategic vision for Ignatian formation to deepen the understanding and engagement with the Jesuit, Catholic character of Santa Clara University. 

 

Aaron received his B.S. in political science from Santa Clara, before completing his M.A. in history at Texas A&M University. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in history from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to joining the Ignatian Center, Aaron taught in the history department at Santa Clara. He lives in San Jose with his wife and two children.