Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., served as the eight Jesuit to be named President of Fairfield University (2004 - 2016). A historian by discipline, Fr. von Arx began his academic career at Georgetown University, where he taught in the History Department from 1982 to 1998 and was its chair from 1991 to 1997. While at Georgetown he was a founding Director of the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies in the School of Foreign Service. He then moved into administration at Fordham University, serving as Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill from 1998 until his selection as President by the Fairfield University Board of Trustees in 2004.

Fr. von Arx has served on the boards of trustees of Boston College, Canisius College, Loyola Marymount University, and Xavier University.

Fr. von Arx graduated from Princeton University in 1969 and entered the Society of Jesus that summer. He subsequently earned an M.A. and M.Phil. in history at Yale University, and completed his Ph.D. there in 1980. A year later, Fr. von Arx received an M.Div. from the Weston School of Theology and was ordained a priest.