From London to Indonesia: Globetrotting alumnus returns to Regis

At Regis University, the power of a Jesuit education extends far beyond the Denver campus. From London to Indonesia, alumnus Josh Madrid, RC ‘18, carries his experience and vocation with him.

From July 29 to Aug. 2, 2026, the World Union of Jesuit Alumni (WUJA) hosted the annual congress in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Travelling with Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit institutions, Madrid represented Regis University among the other alumni leaders.

The WUJA is an organization that brings together former students and alumni of Jesuit schools and universities from around the globe to engage in change-making conversations. Madrid was invited to the congress to speak on the mission, history and goals of Alpha Sigma Nu with a global audience.

In 2016, Madrid was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu and served as the chapter co-president at Regis from 2017 to 2018. As chapter co-president, he worked with Regis’ Office of Mission to host a series of activities and events to address local issues and support his fellow students.

Madrid, alongside his fellow co-president, hosted a series of 60-second lectures confronting the refugee crisis, leading to the Walk a Mile in My Shoes event in partnership with the Jesuit Refugee Services. Finally, they organized a Concert for a Cause in Regis’ own Walker’s Pub, supporting the same cause. At the WUJA congress, Madrid and two other Alpha Sigma Nu alumni spoke in a seminar-style discussion about their experiences with Alpha Sigma Nu.

"Myself and two other alumni spoke about Alpha Sigma Nu, its history and its goals that it aims for with Jesuit universities,” said Madrid. “I showcased to the congress the thematic programming and the university mission in regard to what Regis was facing at the time, and how we wanted to respond to it.”

In his path to joining Alpha Sigma Nu, Madrid started his educational career at Regis in 2013. Madrid studied history and philosophy, and his interest in history was piqued when he joined Regis’ Stories from Wartime class series. Stories from Wartime is a unique Regis-specific program put on through the Center for the Study of War Experience (CSWE) that invites undergraduate students and the local community into the classroom to engage with the living history of past and current warfare.

Alongside his studies at Regis, Madrid studied at the Denver Seminary, which inspired deeper explorations into theology and vocation in the context of history. In his opinion: “We study history to understand how we think in the present.”

After graduating from Regis, Madrid received his master’s degree from the University of Birmingham and his doctorate from University College London. Throughout his studies, Madrid continued to focus on history and warfare through a Catholic lens. Through philosophical self-discovery, Madrid realized that his true vocation was to teach.

“I wanted to find a way in which I could both blend academia and my vocation together,” said Madrid. “I left the seminary with the understanding that I was going to pursue higher education and teach the newer generations that would be coming into the university; that's what inspired me to leave and go do graduate studies in the UK.”

Now, Madrid will return to Regis this fall as co-director for the CSWE. Madrid described how “the CSWE is trying to think of new ways to expand and broaden its horizons.”After celebrating their 30th anniversary in the spring of 2025, the CSWE is prepared to continue engaging with the Regis community with Madrid at the helm.

For Madrid, his return to Regis reflects a full-circle moment in his vocational journey. As an educator with the CSWE, he will be able to provide the same life-shaping education to the newest generation of students. This role at Regis also means returning to his hometown of Denver, Colorado.

“All the pieces kind of fell at the same time in the right place.” Madrid continued, “Being able to go back to my hometown in Denver and bring my family back was just one of those things that was like a gift placed on your desk.”

To learn more about the Center for the Study of War Experience, visit https://www.regis.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/regis-college/center-for-the-study-of-war-experience.