In 2008, three University of Vermont faculty members founded the UVM Janus Forum. The group was led by James Gatti, a faculty member in the School of Business Administration, who worked with alumni to raise funds to support the Janus Forum. Professor Gatti, along with Rick Vanden Bergh (Grossman School of Business) and Art Woolf (Department of Economics) identified topics and recruited the experts to bring to campus for each debate. From 2008-2012, the Janus Forum held eight debates. With the retirement of Professor Gatti in 2012, the Janus Forum went into temporary hibernation.
In September of 2013, Rick Vanden Bergh (current director) brought together a diverse group of faculty from across campus to develop a sustainable plan for the Janus Forum and to participate in ongoing Janus Forum activities. Art Woolf is also a member of the newly constituted faculty group.