[4] Pilarz became interested in the priesthood as an undergraduate student at Georgetown and put together a plan to join the Jesuits during his senior year.
Pilarz elaborated on his interest in a 2010 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "I remember going into the library, sneaking into the stacks, looking at books about Jesuits.
"[7] In 1998, Pilarz collaborated with three students and co-founders of the Hoya Blue fan club – Michael Boyle, Austin Martin, and Kathleen Long – to bring back the bulldog mascot tradition at Georgetown.
[8] The Hoya Blue club and the senior class raised $1,500 to purchase Jack, Georgetown's first live mascot since the 1970s.
[9] Pilarz personally picked up the new Jack the Bulldog, who was named John P. Carroll then a nine-month-old puppy, upon his arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport on February 16, 1999.
[10] Pilarz was approached by several members of the Scranton board who proposed that he submit his name as a candidate to succeed McShane.
[12] One of the centerpieces of Pilarz's tenure at Scranton has been the development and implementation of a strategic plan called "Pride, Passion, Promise – Shaping Our Jesuit Tradition".
[3] The new 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) Loyola Science Center, an $83 million building which is the largest capital and construction project in the history of the University of Scranton, was expected to open during the fall 2011 semester.
[3][14] On September 14, 2010, the university blessed and broke ground for the two new $33 million dormitories, which will contain apartment-style dorms and a fitness center.
[14] In remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, Pilarz noted that the new dormitories would "add a splendor to this gateway corridor to the city" of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
[14] The entire $125 million capital campaign, including the Science Center and dormitories currently under construction, was expected to be completed in fall 2011.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Scranton as number 10 out of 165 universities and colleges in the Northeast United States in August 2010.
[15] Pilarz announced that the University of Scranton and the Rwandan Ministry of Education would sign a memorandum of understanding to promote faculty and student exchanges.
"[4] Throughout his tenure at Scranton, Pilarz had continued to teach at least one course each semester, focusing on a diverse range of subjects, including 16th-century British literature,[3] Renaissance poetry and a course called "Playing God: Theatrical Expression of Divinity.
"[4] In 2010, author Ronald M. Shapiro profiled Pilarz as one of thirty-eight individuals included in his book, "Dare to Prepare: How to Win Before You Begin," which became a New York Times bestseller.
[3][4] A presidential selection committee, headed by Mary Ellen Stanek, began searching for Wild's successor.
After 10 years serving in the capacity of a university president, Pilarz planned to pursue new apostolic work as a Jesuit priest.
[18] Pilarz accepted his appointment to become President of Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda Maryland, starting effectively on July 1, 2014.
[5] He served as the representative of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) to the board of directors of the American Council on Education (ACE) from 2005 until 2008.