2010 Holstein Winner – Stephen Privett, S.J.

2010 Holstein Award – Stephen Privett, S.J.

Father Privett was born in San Francisco. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1960 and is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley and Gonzaga University. His doctorate is in Catechetics and his particular expertise focuses on the Hispanic community in the Catholic Church.

Prior to his appointment at USF, Father Privett served as provost and academic vice president at Santa Clara University. As provost, he was responsible for oversight of student life, intercollegiate athletics, as well as academic affairs. While teaching at Santa Clara, he was recognized for “Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership” with the Sears Roebuck Foundation Award.

Early in his career, Father Privett was an instructor at Jesuit High School in Sacramento and Principal of Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose.

He currently serves as a trustee at Fairfield University. He chairs the California Campus Compact Executive Board and serves on the boards of the Commonwealth Club, the Fromm Institute, Jesuit Commons, Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins and The Beijing Center. He serves as commissioner for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the California Foundation and is an honorary member of the San Francisco Host Committee.

Throughout his career, Father Privett has demonstrated a commitment to “whole person education,” a traditional hallmark of Jesuit education. At Santa Clara, he helped establish the Eastside Project, a program that has received national recognition as a model program for community-based learning.