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Olsen, Kathie

oops see other node

bush plum burrow?

nasa --> nsf

During Olsen’s 2002 Senate confirmation hearing, before she officially joined the Bush OSTP,her wavering avoidance of climate change questions aroused the ire of none other than Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). From Science magazine’s report,

She joined theOffice of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President in August 2002, where she serves as OSTP Director John Marburger'sdeputy for science

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY (OSTP)

thanks kathie!

2003 soon & B peer review:

But even as the paper was being discredited, it was causing great

excitement in the White House. WhenKathie Olsen of the Office of

Science and Technology Policy forwarded the study to Cooney, he

responded with an enthusiastic, "Thanks, Kathie!" Six minutes later,

according to internal e-mails, the study was in the hands of Kevin

O'Donovan, who served as Cheney's point man on climate. The study

also grabbed President Bush's attention, as revealed in an e-mail

sent two days later to a high-ranking White House official: "Bob - if

you din't [sic] already have, this is the study the President was

talking about."

The Bush administration’s participation in the personnel tactic known as “burrowing” has been well-reported in recent weeks. The practice isn’t unique to the Bush crowd; during presidential transitions, political appointees eager to stay on the government payroll often wriggle their way into secure civil service positions — despite the differing political beliefs of the White House’s new occupant.

But because the central objective of burrowing is for political appointees to fly under the radar while Washington changes hands, it’s often hard to tell when the practice is actually occurring. Consider the case of Kathie Olsen, who just made a very curious move: going from the No. 2 post at the National Science Foundation to the far less influential job of “senior advisor” in the NSF’s Office of Information and Resource Management.

As **Science**magazine observes, Olsen had already submitted her resignation to the Obama administration and would have been out the door had she not slipped into her new, seemingly secure post. And this isn’t just any Bush appointee avoiding the need to find a new job —Olsen was at the forefront of the former president’s systematic denial of the human causes of climate change.

Before becoming deputy director of the NSF, Olsen was the associate director of the Bush White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. Her immediate boss there was Bush science adviser John Marburger, who was implicated in the 2007 censorship of congressional testimony that would have publicly illustrated the human health risks of the warming climate.

Remember Phil Cooney, the once and future oil industry representative who habitually erased from government documents any evidence that fossil fuels cause global warming? It was Olsen who first handed Cooney a debunked, Big-Oil-underwritten study that purported to disprove the existence of climate change. As Rolling Stone reported in 2007:

did she work of m griffin? hired fema clown rhode

timeline

OFFICE OF US SENATOR CONRAD BURNS

CSUapplic

Brookings Institution LEGIS FellowJan. 1996– Oct. 1996

NSF detailee Oct. 1996 – Nov. 1997

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Senior Staff Associate Dec. 1997 - May, 1999

Office of Integrative Activities

Conrad Burns   US Senator from Montana

Dr. Olsen was recruited to NASA from the NSF, where since 1997 she had been Senior Staff Associate for the Science and Technology Centers in the Office of Integrative Activities.From February 1996 until November 1997, she was a Legislative Fellow and detailee from NSF to the Office of Senator Conrad Burns of Montana. Between 1984 and 1996, she served NSF in a variety of administrative and scientific leadership positions.

stc: 

. FromMay 1999 to April 2002, she was Chief Scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,a role in which she served as the Administrator's senior scientific advisor and the major interface with the national and international scientific community. Olsen has also held numerous previous positions at NSF dating back to 1994, including the Senior Staff Associate for the Science and Technology Centers in the Office of Integrative Activitie

During Olsen’s 2002 Senate confirmation hearing, before she officially joined the Bush OSTP,her wavering avoidance of climate change questions aroused the ire of none other than Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). From Science magazine’s report, 

She joined theOffice of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President in August 2002, where she serves as OSTP Director John Marburger'sdeputy for science

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY (OSTP)

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Associate Director for Science (Senate Confirmation Aug. 2002)Aug. 2002 – Aug. 2005

2003 bogus study to cheney and bush2

2004   Nov 18 '04$-333  25970074633Source

Nov 18 '04  $333    25970094701Source

Oct 20 '04 $333      24981485502Source

CURRENT POSITIONS

Affiliate Professor of Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason

University, Fairfax, VA

The changes sparked a rebellion by the EPA's senior scientists. In an

internal memo uncovered by Congressional investigators, they wrote

that Cooney's edited text "no longer accurately represents scientific

consensus on climate change" and "may leave an impression that

cooling is as much an issue as warming." Whitman was also

furious. "The language that CEQ found acceptable was such pablum,"

she says now. "It was so much below the level of sophistication of

the report that I felt it would have denigrated it all." But her

solution to this problem was to simply delete the section on climate

change - handing Cooney a carte-blanche victory.

Whitman says she killed the section hoping that scientific documents

included with the report would speak for themselves. But the

capitulation helped drive her to the breaking point. Four days after

bowing to Cooney, she resigned as head of the EPA.

Internal documents uncovered by Rolling Stone reveal that Cooney did

far more than edit scientific reports to suit the administration' s

point of view. Just as neoconservative hawk Douglas Feith funneled

false intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs to the vice president,

Cooney steered industry-sponsored junk science on global warming to Cheney.

 "What disturbed me most," Whitman says, "was the administration' s record of taking the most extreme of the science

 - what I call the 'political science' - and giving it the same weight as the real science."

The most egregious example of cooked intelligence was a study

underwritten in part by the API, Cooney's former employer. The study,

which purported to show that the twentieth century was not unusually

warm, was authored by two astrophysicists, both of whom were on the 

payroll of the George C. Marshall Institute, a climate-denial group

funded by ExxonMobil and now headed by Bill O'Keefe, Cooney's former

boss. The paper's publication in a minor German journal in January

2003 quickly created a scandal, with the editor in chief and three

other editors resigning in shame after acknowledging that the paper

was fundamentally flawed and should never have been published.

"It was sham science," says McCarthy, the Harvard scientist. "It's

almost laughable, except that this study was held up by the

administration as a definitive refutation of the temperature record."

But even as the paper was being discredited, it was causing great

excitement in the White House. WhenKathie Olsen of the Office of

Science and Technology Policy forwarded the study to Cooney, he

responded with an enthusiastic, "Thanks, Kathie!" Six minutes later,

according to internal e-mails, the study was in the hands of Kevin

O'Donovan, who served as Cheney's point man on climate. The study

also grabbed President Bush's attention, as revealed in an e-mail

sent two days later to a high-ranking White House official: "Bob - if

you din't [sic] already have, this is the study the President was

talking about."

Kathie Olsen — a global warming denying Bush official at the National Science Foundation 

— has entrenched herself into the agency prior to the arrival of the Obama administration. 

A congressional investigation said Olsen’s action “raises serious questions concerning whether a high-level Bush White House science appointee is trying to ‘burrow in‘ at the agency.”

The whole sad story, from Talking Points Memo, is below:

The Bush administration’s participation in the personnel tactic known as “burrowing” has been well-reported in recent weeks. The practice isn’t unique to the Bush crowd; during presidential transitions, political appointees eager to stay on the government payroll often wriggle their way into secure civil service positions — despite the differing political beliefs of the White House’s new occupant.

But because the central objective of burrowing is for political appointees to fly under the radar while Washington changes hands, it’s often hard to tell when the practice is actually occurring. Consider the case of Kathie Olsen, who just made a very curious move: going from the No. 2 post at the National Science Foundation to the far less influential job of “senior advisor” in the NSF’s Office of Information and Resource Management. in 

my days at DOE, an SES could be asked to take any comparable SES position — no matter where it is or what the duties. That should give the Obama administration some opportunity for creative thinking.

Science 30 August 2002: :{

Vol. 297 }:no. 5586 pp. 1477DOI:10.1126/science.297.5586.1477b

Science 14 December 2001: :{

Vol. 294 }:no. 5550 pp. 2267DOI:10.1126/science.294.5550.2267b

As *Science*magazine observes, Olsen had already submitted her resignation to the Obama administration and would have been out the door had she not slipped into her new, seemingly secure post. And this isn’t just any Bush appointee avoiding the need to find a new job —Olsen was at the forefront of the former president’s systematic denial of the human causes of climate change.

Before becoming deputy director of the NSF, Olsen was the associate directorof the Bush White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. Her immediate boss there was Bush science adviser John Marburger, who was implicated in the 2007 censorship of congressional testimony that would have publicly illustrated the human health risks of the warming climate.

Remember Phil Cooney, the once and future oil industry representative who habitually erased from government documents any evidence that fossil fuels cause global warming? It was Olsen who first handed Cooney a debunked, Big-Oil-underwritten study that purported to disprove the existence of climate change. As Rolling Stone reported in 2007:

“It was sham science,” says McCarthy, the Harvard scientist. “It’s almost laughable, except that this study was held up by the administration as a definitive refutation of the temperature record.”But even as the paper was being discredited, it was causing great excitement in the White House. When Kathie Olsen of the Office of Science and Technology Policy forwarded the study to Cooney, he responded with an enthusiastic, “Thanks, Kathie!” Six minutes later, according to internal e-mails, the study was in the hands of Kevin O’Donovan, who served as Cheney’s point man on climate. The study also grabbed President Bush’s attention …

During Olsen’s 2002 Senate confirmation hearing, before she officially joined the Bush OSTP, her wavering avoidance of climate change questions aroused the ire of none other than Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). From Science magazine’s report, available on Nexis:

McCain first read a description of how “warming in the 21st century will be significantly larger than in the 20th century … and temperatures in the U.S. will rise by about 5 degrees – 9 degrees F … on average in the next 100 years.” Without identifying the source — a recent White House report that President George W. Bush has dismissed as mere speculation — McCain then asked each nominee whether he or she agreed with the statement.Olsen and Russell initially refused to answer the question. Olsen, despite NASA’s dominant role in the global change initiative, later said that she “was nervous … [and] didn’t understand the paragraph,” adding that “I don’t know if we have enough data to make that statement.” Foiled in his attempt to solicit the nominees’ views on climate change, McCain declared that “I will oppose your nominations until I get an answer” and stalked out of the hearing.

How was Olsen permitted to slip inside the NSF bureaucracy after playing such a front-and-center role in the Bush administration’s politicization of science? We’re looking into whether her case fits the technical definition of “burrowing” — and what the Obama team can do about it — but suffice to say that her survival hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“This internal NSF personnel action raises serious questions concerning whether a high-level Bush White House science appointee is trying to ‘burrow in’ at the agency,” said a senior congressional investigator with knowledge of NSF. “Usually when a director or deputy director vacates their post, they are not given a non-competitive, SES-level job at the same agency. This merits scrutiny.”

We have a call into the NSF to confirm whether the new “senior advisor” post announced last week is senior enough to ensure that Olsen could not be reassigned for several months.

Late Update: An NSF spokeswoman confirms that Olsen has reinstatement rights as a member of the Senior Executive Service, or SES. This could mean that civil-service rules preclude anyone in the Obama administration from acting on the matter. We’ll keep you posted.

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate Dr. Kathie Olsen

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate Dr. Kathie Olsen, current Associate Director of Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to the position of Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

By Sara Robinson

:{President Bush has announced his intention to nominate Dr. Kathie Olsen, current Associate Director of Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to the position of Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). After confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Olsen will replace outgoing Deputy Director Joe Bordogna. 

Olsen will bring with her an impressive record of service, including experience with both science agencies and with Congress. She joined the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President in August 2002, where she serves as OSTP Director John Marburger's deputy for science. From May 1999 to April 2002, she was Chief Scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a role in which she served as the Administrator's senior scientific advisor and the major interface with the national and international scientific community. Olsen has also held numerous previous positions at NSF dating back to 1994, including the Senior Staff Associate for the Science and Technology Centers in the Office of Integrative Activities, as well as Acting Deputy Director for the Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience. In addition to her experience in federal science agencies, Dr. Olsen also has experience working for Congress. From February 1996 until November 1997, she was a Brookings Institute Legislative Fellow and then on detail from NSF in the Office of Senator Conrad Burns of Montana. 

Dr. Olsen earned her BS in biology and psychology from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of California, Irvine. Her academic career includes one year as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Children's Hospital of Harvard Medical School, and two positions at the State University of New York at Stony Brook: research scientist at Long Island Research Institute and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science.}:

05-12-2002

Nasa Chief Scientist Kathie L. Olsen Awarded Clarkson University Honorary Degree

Kathie L. Olsen, President Bush's nominee for the associate director of the Office of Science and Technology in the Executive Office of the President, received an honorary doctor of science degree at Clarkson University's 109th Commencement in Potsdam, N.Y., on Sunday, May 12.

The degree was awarded "for her contributions in behavioral science, education and service to the public, and for her intellectual leadership as chief scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration."

Olsen told the graduates to explore every option presented to them and take advantage of every opportunity. "When I was in high school, I was not becoming a scientist - because I hated it. And yet in college … I took a class from a professor in biology … and I became a biologist."

Olsen gave her own career experience as an example of the bright future awaiting the graduates. "In the next ten to fifteen years you'll be getting a lot of opportunities. What you really need to do is reach out for them. I did not think I was going to be a scientist. And now I'm the chief scientist of NASA."

Prior to joining NASA in May 1999, Olsen served as the senior staff associate for the Science and Technology Centers in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Integrative Activities. From February 1996 until November 1997, she served as Brookings Institute legislative fellow and then as an NSF detail in the office of Senator Conrad Burns of Montana. Among her responsibilities were NASA's authorization and appropriation bills and other issues pertaining to space transportation. Previously she had served for two years as acting director for the Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience at the NSF, where she has worked and held numerous other science-related positions dating back to 1984.

Olsen received her B.S. with honors from Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pa., majoring in both biology and psychology and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of California, Irvine. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Children's Hospital of Harvard Medical School. Olsen was an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at SUNY Stony Brook. Her research on neural and genetic mechanisms underlying development and expression of behavior was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Her many awards include the National Science Foundation Director's Superior Accomplishment Award, the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society's award, and the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Award for outstanding contributions in research and education. In May 2000, she received the Barnard Medal of Distinction, Barnard College's most significant recognition of individuals for demonstrated excellence in conduct of their lives and careers. She received NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal in June 2001.

Clarkson University, located in Potsdam, New York, is an independent technological university with a reputation for developing innovative leaders in technology-based fields. Its academically rigorous, collaborative culture involves 2,600 undergraduates and 350 graduate students in hands-on team projects, multidisciplinary research, and real-world challenges. Many faculty members achieve international recognition for their scholarship and research, and teaching is a priority at every level. For more information, visit http://www.clarkson.edu.

[News directors and editors: For more information, contact Michael P. Griffin, director of News & Digital Content Services, at 315-268-6716 or mgriffin@clarkson.edu.]

http://static.colostate.edu/client-files/provost/OlsenK_AM_0320_12_24-57.pdf

http://static.colostate.edu/client-files/provost/OlsenK_AM_0320_12_24-57.pdf

Kathie L. Olsen, Ph.D.

March 20, 2013

Yvonne Bridgeman

Administrative Assistant for the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs 

Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President 

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO

Dear Dr. Bridgeman:

Thank you for contacting me in reference to the position of Vice President ofColorado State 

University (CSU). I am very familiar with its land-grant mission and its strong commitment 

towards the integration of research, education and service. CSU, with its strong leadership, and 

faculty’s scholarly excellence, has earned an international reputation and is very deserving of its 

standing as one of the top-100 research universities. The Office of Research—fostering 

excellence in research, scholarship and creative artistry and overseeing the research 

infrastructure—will be a vital partner in implementing the University’s Strategic Plan. It will 

have a key role in CSU’s commitment to building a stronger Colorado by serving as a major 

economic engine and graduating an educated workforce. In this letter, I would like to highlight 

some of the key strengths and professional accomplishments that demonstrate my qualifications

in promoting, managing, and facilitating the growth of research and in expanding research 

collaborations

First, and most importantly, I have a long track record of commitment to the integration of 

education and research, and have always welcomed new challenges and opportunities consistent 

with this goal. I believe that I have a valuable and relevant combination of education, research 

experiences and accomplishments, and executive and policy positions. I have a strong record of 

the administrative leadership and development of interdisciplinary programs. I have in depth 

knowledge of the challenges facing the leading research universities of today. And, I have held 

positions in academia, government (both executive and legislative), non-profit organization, and 

most recently in small business. 

I understand and appreciate the critical roles played by sponsored programs in being proactive 

for and supportive of faculty research, and in helping the university and its faculty translate their 

research results into economic opportunity. In my various government positions, I have been 

involved in overseeing the regulatory and business arms of research, and recognize the critical 

role of the Vice President’s Office to oversee and ensure research integrity and assurance for the 

University, as well as the Office’s other mandatory responsibilities including health and safety, 

animal welfare, human subjects, and export control. I was responsible for the ethical conduct of 

research as Deputy Director at NSF and set up the practices for the scientific misconduct policy 2

at NASA. In my vision, the Office must be trusted by the faculty to understand and assist them in 

meeting pre- and post-award requirements. By supporting the “business aspects,” the Office 

allows the researchers to focus their efforts on the research and its integration with education. 

The Office also needs to be on the forefront with international opportunities and well integrated 

into the research globalization strategy of the University.

The position description emphasizes the importance of funding from traditional and novel 

sources for research and infrastructure. My experience within the federal government, and now 

as Founder and Managing Director of ScienceWorks International, LLC, has enabled me to 

understand and appreciate the culture, the evaluation processes, and the mission of the specific 

research agencies and their respective research communities. At ScienceWorks, many of my 

clients are Vice Presidents for Research at various universities. Thus, I’ve learned a great deal in 

the last two years on “what makes a successful research office,” especially as measured by 

faculty (proactive, helpful) and senior leadership (demonstrated outcomes, increase in external 

support, recognition). Working with the Vice Presidents’ Offices, I have led campus strategic 

R&D planning; assisted individual faculty in research proposal development across the various 

research agencies, including navigating the federal research enterprise; and provided advice and 

direction towards building coalitions and partnershipsin interdisciplinary activities for 

Center/Program-like opportunities. Many large-scale grant opportunities must include 

collaborators across academic institutions or with federal laboratories. They may require a 

global/international component, or expect specific outreach to minority serving institutions or 

underserved populations. Having been responsible for the National Science Foundation (NSF) 

Science and Technology Centers’ Program, which encourages and/or requires all of the above, I 

have first hand knowledge of the pre-planning, outreach, and strategic preparation that are the 

critical elements for success. In my vision, the VPR must be proactive and the researchers are 

already prepared to respond to the large center-type proposals even before the solicitation or RPI 

is released. Successful proposals are focused on important research challenges facing society 

where results can have global impact. 

I have a proven record of facilitating the development of new research initiatives that resulted in 

the increase of agency programs and budgets(e.g. NASA’s Living with the Star, NASA’s 

Biological and Physical Enterprise, NSF’s water initiative, NSF overall budget). While some 

may believe that federal agencies have their budgets handed to them with little negotiation and 

even less fanfare, this is not the case! I have been an effective negotiator in both the formal and 

informal channels of budget advocacy. A strong story, well told, is essential for achieving a 

robust budget—and this usually includes how basic research and education are essential for 

growth and economic development. I have found that building of trust and personal relationships 

are as, or even more critical. I have worked with leaders of industry and academia. I have also 

advocated to heads of agencies, to the Administration’s Office of Management and Budget, and 

to Congressional appropriators, as well as cultivated relationships with friends of federal 

research agencies in academia and industry who, in turn, advocate on our behalf. One of the 

hallmarks of my career has been successfully securing increases in science and engineering 

budgets for the agencies I have worked for and for the programs that I have advocated. I believe 

that this strength was the reason I was recently recruited to assist the America Society of Animal 

Science in gaining more visibility and support from agencies other than USDA. At the Innovate 

2012 Workshop, I served as an invited speaker on the Federal Perspective on Funding 

Agriculture Research panel, and talked about the roles of OSTP, Congress, federal agencies and 

the scientific community in setting research priority projects. Relevant to CSU, I also served as 3

the U.S. Co-Chair of the US-EU Task Force on Biotechnology Research, which investigates and 

facilitates new and innovative ways to collaborate internationally. During my tenure, we 

organized workshops and working groups in areas of plant biotechnology, biobased product 

research, sustainability bioenergy, food safety, future of livestock genomics and enhanced a 

focus on the origins of emerging and re-emerging diseases in humans and animals. 

In each of my key leadership roles at NASA, the Office of Science & Technology Policy, and the 

NSF, the importance of commercialization, economic growth and entrepreneurship were

priorities. I encouraged collaborations between academic institutions and local industries to 

strengthen regional economic engines, and I advised and gave numerous presentations on these 

issues, including to both state coalitions and foreign entities. I understand the critical ways that, 

in particular, the land-grant university must be both incubator and focal point for development 

and innovation in regional targeted industries, and its key role in producing the skilled workforce 

needed for success. I know how partnerships are formed and sustained, and have the skills 

needed to navigate the process from beginning to end.

Since retiring from the government, I become very active in the ARCS Foundation, (Achieving 

Rewards for College Scientists). ARCS is a national philanthropic organization with a Denver 

Chapter that provides financial awards to academically outstanding students completing their 

degrees in science, medicine, and engineering. Indeed, 100% of every dollar donated to scholar 

awards goes directly to the graduate or undergraduate scholars. Not only am I totally committed 

to the ARCS mission; I have also had the opportunity to learn firsthand from experts about fund 

raising. This is especially true in my position on the ARCS National Board’s Development

Committee. 

I believe that the VPR also needs to enhance the visibility of CSU through promotion of faculty, 

students and their research successes and along with the academic and administrative leadership 

convey CSU strengths to Colorado, the U.S and globally. While NSF Deputy, I led the 

development of a new, community driven strategic plan, NSF: Investing in America’s Future that 

articulates the vision and leadership of the NSF for the 21st century. This plan outlined the core 

values that underlie NSF’s integrity and unique character. The emphasis was placed on the 

importance of realizing the full potential of people, encouraging creativity and initiative, 

dedication to excellence, being broadly inclusive and global and upholding accountability. The 

process of developing the plan was transparent and continually underscored obtaining input and 

ownership from staff and community. I believe this aspect was as important as the production of 

a final document. It also exemplified how I lead and operate, which is to be open and consult 

widely. I am very proud that, over every year I served as NSF’s Deputy Director, the 

measurement of the federal-wide evaluation of employee satisfaction and agency senior 

executive “effective leadership” increased. We received recognition as one of the top small 

agencies to work for in 2009, as reported by the Partnership for Public Service and American 

University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation.

By initiating several major interdisciplinary task groups during my tenure, I was able to reached 

out to and engage participants from across the full spectrum of our diverse staff and the research 

community. The groups were enabled and encouraged to thoroughly research and analyze the 

selected issue from a variety of viewpoints, develop reports, and provide recommendations. 

Three examples are groups that focused on (1) Proposal and Award Management Mechanisms

(NSF 07-45, Impact of Proposal and Award Management Mechanisms (IPAMM) Final Report); 

(2) Broadening Participation (Broadening Participation at the National Science Foundation: A 4

Framework for Action, August 2008) and (3)support of transformative and interdisciplinary 

research, resulting in two new funding mechanisms: Grants for Rapid Response Research 

(RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER). Many of the significant

research center/program opportunities facing WSU require engaging a diverse staff in similar 

multi-disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary approaches, which are already a successful 

cornerstone of the University’s research portfolio. 

My leadership and service positions, accomplishments, and my frequent invited presentations 

demonstrate that I have the ability to relate to a wide variety of people, and a champion of 

innovative and interdisciplinary research and for research infrastructure, both physical and 

human. Indeed, my positions have enabled me to interact with a wide variety of academic,

legislative, and research communities, including providing congressional testimony, giving 

keynote and plenary lectures at international scientific meetings and workshops, delivering 

commencement addresses, speaking to students and teachers of K-12 schools, as well addressing 

the broader community ranging from Town meetings in Breckenridge Colorado to the 

Ambassadors’ wives monthly luncheon. I believe that I convey knowledge with enthusiasm, and 

always develop remarks that are pertinent to the target group and provide avenues for continued 

engagement. As NSF Deputy Director I oversaw the Director’s Advisory Board, responsible for 

oversight of the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction budget and activities, 

and I advocated for the importance of adequate budget for infrastructure programs such as the 

Major Research Instrumentation program. At OSTP and at NSF I worked tirelessly on multiple 

fronts to encourage scientists and engineers “from K-gray” and help strengthen their careers. I 

was also an original member of the OSTP Interagency Research Animal Committee, and served 

on that Committee for several years.

I have an earned doctorate and track record of successful acquisition of competitive funding. I 

am presently an Affiliate Professor of Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies at 

George Mason University. I would look forward to closer ties with CSU’s strong neuroscience 

group.

I started my neuroscience career in academia and immediately secured NIH support for my 

research in reproductive neuroendocrinology. I published in prestigious journals (two Nature

Articles), was invited to present at key national and international meetings and workshops, 

served on NIH, DOD and NSF review panels, became a consulting editor of the primary journal

in my field, and co-organized an international NATO meeting. Throughout my career, I 

maintained ties with my scientific community and still regularly attend and present at the 

neuroscience meetings. For example, I co-organized a workshop at the 2007 Society for 

Neuroscience Meeting on Neurotech for Neuroscience: Unifying Concepts, Organizing 

Principles, and Emerging Tools, for which I brought together scientists from different fields 

including math, physics, and engineering, as well as neuroscience. I also co-organized a 2011 

AAAS Symposium titled Molecules to Mind: Challenges for the 21st

 Century, where I presented 

on Neurotechnology: Integration of Neuroscience, Engineering, Computer and Physical 

Sciences. I served for six years as a member of the Institute of Medicine Forum on Neuroscience 

and Nervous System Disorders, which includes NIH Institute Directors and leaders in academia 

and industry. Since retiring from the Government, I am serving or have served on Committees 

for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), 

National Academy of Sciences, and several academic Boards. 5

This letter along with my enclosed CV provides an outline of some career highlights and vision 

that attest to the qualifications and characteristics identified in the position description. I believe 

that my experiences and demonstrated outcomes attest to my qualifications in management, 

budget and fiscal accountability, experiences in advancing the growth of large complex research 

organizations, communication skills, knowledge and understanding of the critical role of the 

public land-grant university, and commitment and experience in successfully advocating for 

diversity. Please let me know if you would like additional information and material. 

Sincerely yours,

Kathie L. Olsen1

Kathie L. Olsen

Statement of Vision and Philosophy

Colorado State University’s mission and its Strategic Plan (2006-2015) emphasize the 

land-grant value of integration of world-class education, innovative and scholarly 

research with service, thus impacting the well-being of all. 

My vision is to be an integral part of helping CSU to achieve its unified vision to be the 

premier system of public higher education, and I heartily endorse the stated values of 

accountability, promoting civic responsibility, employing a customer focus promoting 

freedom of expression, demonstrating inclusiveness and diversity, encouraging and 

rewarding innovation, acting with integrity and mutual respect, providing opportunity and 

access, and supporting excellence in teaching and research.

I repeat these here to emphasize a core aspect of my philosophy and my leadership style. 

I would not presume to come to CSU with my own vision for the position firmly in place. 

I would come to be an integral part of the larger vision of the university. Do I desire to 

add my own unique values and strengths to a continually evolving CSU vision? –

Certainly! But, such a contribution will require that I learn about the university and its 

research endeavors, meet and get to know the faculty, administration, and students, study 

the regional culture and economy, listen to who you are and to what your goals and 

priorities are, and learn how best I can serve and contribute to the institution.

Given the above, I do believe that foremost to achieving success, you must invest in the 

people. All institutions are defined by the quality and productivity of their faculty and 

staff. Thus, hiring and retaining the top talent in the Nation is a critical necessity to 

achieving success. Moreover, none of the global challenges that we face can be 

effectively addressed by a single investigator. While always recognizing the unique 

contribution of the individual investigator, leaders in the organization must enable an 

environment that encourages and rewards interdisciplinary teams. These teams may 

include scientists and engineers across CSU, the state of Colorado, the United States, and

research and education experts from around the world. The Vice President of Research 

(VPR) must enable an environment that fosters and encourages transformational ideas 

and new directions and secure the necessary seed money to allow the faculty to test the 

feasibility of their ideas. This support will enable the individuals and team scientists to be 

successful in obtaining federal funding and other types of support. In collaboration with

the dean, chairs and faculty, it is important to develop five- and ten-year strategic 

roadmaps in the priority research areas that focus on critical societal challenges and their 

intersections. From my experience, especially as NASA Chief Scientist, well planned 

roadmaps identify the strengths and weaknesses that can be addressed to enhance 

competitiveness and effectiveness in producing the results necessary to answer the global 

challenges. They also provide a framework for measuring progress and doing selfassessments.

To attract and maintain the best scientists and engineers as faculty members, it is 

necessary for the VPR to work closely with the deans, chairs and faculty to assist in 

providing the resources and infrastructure to carry out the work. It is important to have 

state-of-the-art equipment, and monitoring devices to collect and analyze the data. Thus, 2

the VPR needs to advocate for these very real funding and infrastructure priorities, and 

help secure funds to provide the “critical” match and/or operating costs to ensure a level 

or better playing field when competing for federal or other types of support. 

To hire beginning researchers with exceptional potential and to retain the top 

investigators, it is important to enable a working environment that provides stewardship 

and reduces bureaucratic burdens. Procedures and practices need to be adopted that 

streamline the preparation of grants and contracts and their management. CSU faculty 

need to focus on the research questions. They must be provided an environment that 

encourages publications and assimilation of the research while eliminating obstacles that 

detract from their goals. Moreover, the Office needs to be proactive in mentoring 

beginning scientists and engineers in grantsmanship, and in helping them maneuver in 

and understand the federal research enterprise. 

Attracting the top scientists and engineers requires that CSU is has a world-renowned 

reputation. As I stated in my letter, I believe that the VPR also needs to enhance the 

visibility of CSU through promotion of faculty, students and their research successes and 

along with the academic and administrative leadership convey CSU strengths to 

Colorado, the U.S and globally. It is important to outline a communication strategy that 

promotes the research and the researchers and that demonstrates how the outcomes can 

affect our lives and the lives of our children.

CSU research addresses some of the most critical global challenges of today. I believe 

that the realization of CSU mission depends upon the quality of the faculty and staff and 

of the resources provided to them. In all of my experience, success comes down to having 

the very best people and providing them with an environment that recognizes and 

rewards their achievements, provides needed support and resources, and enables an 

atmosphere of creativity and openness to new ideas transparency of the decisions and 

decision processes. K. L. Olsen 1

 The Honorable Kathie L. Olsen, Ph.D.

Founder, Managing Director

ScienceWorks 

www.scienceworksdc.com

Affiliate Professor of Neuroscience

Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 

SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Led the development of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) new strategic plan & major 

research facilities roadmap and co-led budget development for NSF 2007, 2008, & 2009 that resulted 

in Presidential approval for budget increases by over 7% each year. (2005-2009)

• Built strong international ties with leadership roles in UNESCO, OECD Global Science Forum, the 

Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Human Frontiers Science Program (HSFP), 

and US-EC Biotechnology Task Force. (2002-2009)

• Re-established the National Science & Technology Council (NSTC) and led its development of a 

report on national science policy, “Science for the 21st Century.” Established new NSTC 

Subcommittees to address national needs including, Education and Workforce, Research Business 

Models, Oceans Science, Social, Behavioral & Economic Science, Environment & Health, Water 

Availability & Quality, Global Earth Observations. (2002-2005)

• Developed the plan that led to the establishment of the Office of Biological and Physical Research 

(OBPR), the Fifth NASA Strategic Enterprise, with the mission to use the synergy between physical, 

chemical, and biological research in space to acquire fundamental knowledge and generate 

applications for space travel and Earth applications. Within my tenure, increased the OBPR budget 

allocation from $350 M to more than $800 M. Received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. 

(1999-2002)

• Originated, developed and administered first behavioral neuroendocrinology program in a federal 

agency, which subsequently resulted in the establishment of a new professional society: the Society 

for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. Doubled program funding during a six-year period. (1988-1995) 

• Eight year record of exceptional research as lead investigator in National Institutes of Health-funded 

research on hormones and development. Frequent lecturer, author of professional articles, and book 

editor. Successfully organized international research conference on hormones, the brain and behavior. 

Served on federal scientific review panels and site visits. (1980-1988)

EDUCATION

Harvard Medical School Postdoctoral Fellow 1979-1980

University of California-Irvine Biology Ph.D. 1979

Chatham College Biology and Psychology B.S. 1974K. L. Olsen 2

CURRENT POSITIONS

Affiliate Professor of Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason

University, Fairfax, VA

Founder, Managing Director, ScienceWorks, LLC, Washington, DC

Believing that research is the core foundation for innovation that will sustain global quality of life and 

economic vitality, ScienceWorks is dedicated to helping people and organizations succeed in their science 

and engineering research pursuits. Among activities include strategic R&D planning, research program 

evaluation and assessment, coalitions and partnership development for interdisciplinary activities, 

international alliances, grant strategies and review, and training in the ethical conduct of research.

PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A?P?L?U ) May 4, 2010- Jan. 2011

Vice President, International Programs

A?P?L?U, established in 1887, serves as the nation’s oldest higher education association. Dedicated to 

to advancing research, learning and engagement, the non-profit association includes 218 institutions, 

consisting of state universities, land-grant universities (76, of which 18 are the historically black 

institutions), state-university systems and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Role as 

VP for International Programs includes strengthening ongoing activities and developing new international 

programs while providing the leadership and vision to incorporating the global dimension as an integral 

part of the modern public research university and a 21st century global education. 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)

Senior Advisor to the Chief Human Capital Officer Jan. 19, 2009 – May 3, 2010

Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer (Senate Confirmation) Aug. 2005 – Jan. 2009

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 

"to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; [and] to 

secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of about $6.5 billion, NSF is the funding source for 

approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and 

universities. Advised the Foundation’s Chief Human Capital Officer and other NSF senior management 

on opportunities for NSF-wide management improvement in areas such as strengthening merit review and 

interdisciplinary and transformational research processes, workforce planning, Program Officer training 

and development, and succession planning. As Deputy Director, responsibilities included overseeing 

program creation and administration, merit review, strategic and long-term planning, budget, and day-today operations. Also maintained and oversaw international cooperation and collaboration in research 

with emphasis in science and technology capacity development. 

• NSF was ranked number one on Results-Oriented Performance Culture, 2nd on Leadership & 

Knowledge Management and Talent Management and 3rd on Job Satisfaction of 37 federal agencies 

from 2008 Federal Human Capital Survey carried out by Office of Personnel and Management 

(OPM). During tenure as the Deputy Director, 13 items increased by 5 percentage points or more 

from previous surveys. 

• Co-led recruitment of a strong leadership team to promote and advance science, engineering to lead 

the U.S. in innovation and education for the 21st century.K. L. Olsen 3

• Led a transparent development of a community driven new strategic plan and research facilities 

roadmap that articulates the vision and leadership of the National Science Foundation for the 21st 

century. 

• Co-led the budget preparation, including development of new initiatives, from submission to the 

White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through appropriations from Congress

• Strengthened the international vision for NSF while continuing to serve in key leadership roles for 

advancement of science education and capacity building internationally (e.g., UNESCO, OECD, 

GEO, US-EC Biotechnology, Asian-Pacific Economic Council (APEC), and HFSP). 

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY (OSTP)

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Associate Director for Science (Senate Confirmation Aug. 2002) Aug. 2002 – Aug. 2005

OSTP is responsible for advising the President and the Offices of the President on science and technology 

with respect to major policies, plans, programs and budgets, and to provide leadership and coordination 

for our government’s role in the national and international science and technology enterprise. Worked 

with OMB to set forth the annual research and development vision to guide the federal agencies on 

science and technology priorities when developing their annaul budget request. Responsible for 

overseeing both science, education and international activities in the physical sciences, life sciences, 

biomedical science, environmental science, and behavioral and social sciences. 

• Re-established a mechanism for interagency coordination among the federal science agencies by reconvening and re-structuring the committees and subcommittees of the National Science & 

Technology Council and served as co-chair of the Committees on Science (COS) and Environment 

and Natural Resources (CENR).

• Oversaw the generation of numerous publications articulating the government-wide science and 

technology strategies for the new millennium, including Science for the 21st Century, Physics of the 

Universe, Strategic Plan for the US Integrated Earth Observation System, Grand Challenges for 

Disaster Reduction, National Plant Genome and Domestic Animal Genomes Initiatives, and US 

Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan.

• Re-established OSTP leadership in international science policy, including leading the rejoining of 

UNESCO, becoming U.S. Vice-Chair of OECD Global Science Forum, solidifying US-EC 

collaborations in Science & Technology and leading activities for both the G-8 and APEC.

• Led outreach activities for OSTP to the U.S. and international academic communities and beyond.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

Chief Scientist May, 1999 – Apr. 2002

Acting Associate Administrator July 7, 2000 – Mar. 10, 2002

 Office of Biological and Physical Research

Served as the NASA Administrator's senior scientific advisor and principal interface with the national and 

international scientific community, and functioned as his principal advisor on the budget content of 

NASA's science programs. Special professional emphases were on developing academic and Federal 

agency partnerships for NASA science and technology activities and creating a roadmap for biological 

research across NASA. 

• Instrumental in NASA & National Cancer Institute signing a Memorandum of Understanding to 

foster & support research in nanotechnology as a new biomedical tool to facilitate detection, 

diagnoses, and treatment of disease—one of the very first research programs to recognize the K. L. Olsen 4

potential revolutionary contributions of nanotechnology and other transformational approaches. The 

activity resulted in establishing a jointly funded NASA/NCI peer-review grant program.

• Successfully advocated for funding of a new NASA initiative on understanding the Sun-Earth 

connection and the physics of space weather—“Living with a Star.” 

• As the Acting Associate Administrator to the new NASA Strategic Enterprise, oversaw program 

budget and implementation, recruitment and development of professional and support staff, and 

strategic planning. The new visionary research plan resulted in increased budget from $350M in 

FY01 to $800 M FY02 and approval to reach $1B by FY06. Successfully advocated programs to 

OMB and Congress including two new research initiatives in “Generations” and “Radiation.”

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Senior Staff Associate Dec. 1997 - May, 1999

Office of Integrative Activities

Responsible to the Office of the Director for carrying out cross-organizational activities and providing 

science, engineering and education policy support. Organized, coordinated, developed, and led the new 

Science and Technology Centers (STC) Integrative Partnerships Program. 

• Five new STCs were awarded ($4 M per year for up to 10 years duration) based on panel, ad hoc, and 

site visit reviews that began with the submission of 283 pre-proposals. 

OFFICE OF US SENATOR CONRAD BURNS

Brookings Institution LEGIS Fellow Jan. 1996 – Oct. 1996

NSF detailee Oct. 1996 – Nov. 1997

Oversaw activities on science, technology, higher education, and space. Organized and orchestrate

hearings for Subcommittee on Science, Technology & Space chaired by Senator Burns. Prepared

speeches, advised on policy issues and legislation—both authorization and appropriation.

• Coordinated successful passage of bill signed into public law 104-289.

• Developed and organized hearings on Next Generation Internet, Computational Biology, Technology 

in Distance Learning, and Salmon Recovery Research and staffed Appropriations S& T Hearings 

• Enhanced activities that fostered research capacity development in less-competitive states (EPSCoR, 

EPSCoT).

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Special Assistant - Neuroscience Oct. 1995 – Jan. 1996

Office of the Assistant Director for Biological Sciences

Responsibilities include development of new multiagency "Presidential Early Career Awards for

Scientists and Engineers"; and initiating collaborations with French Science Agencies and

European Commission in neuroscience and computational biology.

Acting Deputy Division Director

Integrative Biology and Neuroscience Oct. 1993 – Oct.1995

With Division Director, set and manage scientific research priorities of $80 million division of

major federal scientific grant making agency. Coordinate federal scientific research policy through 

service on National Science and Technology Council committees and professional affiliations. Review K. L. Olsen 5

research in related fields to establish program priorities and national research policies. Position entails 

oversight of actions on scientific research grant applications (approximately 1,500 per year) and staff of 

34 scientists, program officers, and administrative staff to coordinate peer review process on scientific 

proposals.

• Earned NSF Director's Superior Accomplishment Award for exceptional service in expanding the 

Division's professional links and improved the operating environment and procedures. 

Leader, Neuroscience Cluster

Integrative Biology and Neuroscience Dec. 1991 – Oct. 1993

Administer annual budget of $27-$33 million in federal grants for significant academic research in 

neuroscience. Organized and coordinated peer review procedures for applications, established

priorities among programs, and advocated for programs in agency deliberations. Developed

partnerships with engineering, mathematics, computer, and cognitive sciences, and with other

federal agencies to foster research opportunities and enhance integration of priority research.

Director

Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Program 1988-1994

Established research agenda and coordinated review procedures for major biological and psychological 

program. Strengthened research funding and achieved stature as leading program

in the NSF neuroscience cluster.

Associate Director

Psychobiology/Integrative Neural Systems Programs,

Behavioral and Neural Sciences Division 1984-1986

Served as Visiting Scientist to review grant applications & assist with development and implementation 

of research priorities for major national programs.

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Adjunct Associate Professor

Department of Microbiology 

1989-1992

Conducted research in developmental neuroendocrinology, with a focus on hormone-genome interactions 

related to neural mechanism underlying expressions of sexually dimorphic behaviors.

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK - STONY BROOK

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science 1985-1989

Res. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science 1982-1985

Research Scientist, Long Island Research Institute 1980-1983

Developed and sustained internationally recognized research program analyzing the effects of hormones 

on sexual differentiation. Strengthened understanding and developed innovative evaluations of 

relationship between hormones, genes, brain, and behavior. Published research in leading professional 

journals, books, and organized panels for association meetings. Teaching experience included 

physiological sciences and neuroscience.K. L. Olsen 6

HONORS AND AWARDS

ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

 Barnard College 

Barnard Medal of Distinction 2000

 College’s Most Significant Recognition of Individuals for demonstrated

 Excellence in conduct of their lives and careers

 Chatham College

Phi Beta Kappa; B.S. degree awarded with honors 1974

Cornerstone Award 1999

 Doctorate of Public Service 2003

 Clarkson University 

Honorary Doctoral Degree 2002

University of California – Irvine

Edward A. Steinhaus Memorial A ward for Excellence in Teaching 1976

 University of California System Citation for Excellence in Teaching 1978

Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumna 2005

University of South Carolina

Honorary Doctoral Degree 2004

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 2010

Honorary Doctoral Degree

Commerce/Cleveland High School Alumni Association, Portland Oregon 2010

The Order of the Feather for Lifetime Achievement in the field of Science

Horry County Schools & Coastal Carolina University Scholars Academy 2011

 Stardust Award: For life’s work of providing motivation, education, guidance, 

 & inspiration to young women and men

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Group Achievement Award: Neurolab Spacelab Mission Science Team 1999

 For vision and efforts that enabled mission to advance knowledge to 

 benefit people on Earth and future astronauts in Space

NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal 2001

 National Science Foundation

Director's Superior Accomplishment Award 2010

Director's Superior Accomplishment Award 1995

 For exceptional Division leadership and cross-agency NSTC activities

Director's Award of Excellence 1994

 For outstanding accomplishments in program management and administration.

 General Workforce System Outstanding Performance Awards

1990-1998

Certificate of Appreciation for Outreach Activities 1992-1995

SCIENTIFC SOCIETIES

American Association for the Advancement of Science 2003

Elected Fellow (Neuroscience) 

American Institute of Aeornautics and Astronautics (National Capitol Section) 2003

Barry M. Goldwater Educator Award

 International Behavioral Neuroscience Society 1998

 For important contributions to behavioral neuroscienceK. L. Olsen 7

Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology 1998

For outstanding contributions to development of research & education initiatives 

Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN)

 Mentor Award as outstanding role model and mentor for young women 2006

Association for Women in Science (AWIS)

 Elected Fellow 2007

Association for Neuroscience Departments and Programs (ANDP) 2008 

Distinguished Service Award

FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS

Kommandor den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden 2005

(Norwegian Royal Order of Merit)

Highest honor bestowed by the King of Norway for non-Norwegians

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING

• EEO Training Seminar: Diversity Management Training for Managers and Supervisors 2007

• Media Skills Training, SusanPetersonProductionsInc. 1999

• LEGIS Fellows Program w/ U.S. Congress, The Brookings Institution (Jan.-Oct.) 1996

• The Brookings Institution's Issues in Science & Technology Policy (1 week) 1995

• Federal Executive Institute (1 month course) 1995

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• American Association for the Advancement of Science, Elected Fellow

• ARCs Foundation, (Achievement Awards for College Students), Metro Washington Chapter 

o Elected as Affiliate Member, National Board, June 2011-

o Appointed to the National Advisory Council on Science & Engineering: Dec. 2009-Present

• The Cosmos Club, Elected Member

• Explorers Club, Elected Member 

• Endocrine Society (Past Member of Research Initiatives Committee)

o Women in Endocrinology

• Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology

• Society for Neuroscience,( Member, Professional Development Committee)

o International Brain Research Organization, (Member, Women in World Neuroscience

Executive Committee)

• Washington Academy of Sciences

• Women in Aerospace (Previous Board Member)K. L. Olsen 8

SELECTED SERVICE POSITIONS

• Member of the External Advisory Committee for the Institute of Genomic Biology, University of 

Illinois, Jan. 1, 2013-Present

• Vice-Chair, Arecibo Observatory Science & Management Advisory Committee, Nov 2012-Present

• Member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on the Review of NASA Human Research 

Program’s Scientific Merit Assessment Processes, Jan.-July 2012

• Member ofGeorge Washington University Research Advisory Board, May, 2012-Present

• Member of the International Consulting Committee for the National Research Foundation of Korea 

2011-2012 

• Member of the Advisory Board for the School of Mind, Brain, and Behavior, University of Arizona,

Oct. 2011-Present

• Member of the Board of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, 

Fairfax, VA, Apr. 2011- Present

• Member, Professional Development Program and Chair, of Women in Neuroscience Subcommittee, 

Society for Neuroscience, Nov.2010-Present

• Advisory Board, The Journal of Science Policy & Governance, an electronic journal, Oct. 2010-

Present

• Member of the Dean’s Council of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana 

University, June 2009-Present

• Member of International Organization for Brain Research (IBRO) Executive Committee on World 

Women of Neuroscience, Nov. 2009-Present

• Member of ARCS Foundation “Science & Engineering Advisory Council, Dec. 2009-Present

• Member of Spain’s “High Level Group on the Governance of the European Research Area (ERA)” 

and to advise on EU Presidency in 2010, 2009 - 2010

• Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders, Member, Oct.

2006 – July 2012

• International Human Frontiers Science Program Organization, Board of Trustees, Elected Vice Chair, 

Sept. 2005 –May, 2010

• US-EC Task Force on Biotechnology Research, U.S. Chair, Sept. 2005 – Mar. 2009

• Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), U.S. Government Alternate Representative 

(Lead Rep is Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Adm. Of NOAA) Sept.

2006 – Mar. 2009 

• National Mathematics Advisory Panel, Ex Officio Member, Presidential appointed, Apr. 2006 -

January, 2007

• Served as Vice-Chair (2003-2006) and Led U.S. delegation to the Global Science Forum of the 

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), July, 2003 – Oct. 2007

• Member, Advisory Panel “Minding the Gap”: Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, 2007

• Head, U.S. Delegation to the 4th APEC Science Minister’s Meeting, Christchurch, NZ, Mar. 2004

• Head Lead Judge, Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math:Science:Technology, National 

Finals, Washington, DC, Dec. 2003, Dec. 2004K. L. Olsen 9

• Member, National Advisory Board for Burns Telecommunication Center, Montana State University 

(1999 – Aug. 2002)***

• Member and Chair, Advisory Board for NSF Science & Technology Center in Behavioral 

Neuroscience, Emory University (1999 – Aug. 2002)***

• Member, External Advisory Board for AAAS Science Magazine Next Wave, Washington, DC (2001-

Aug. 2002)***

• Member, U.S. Delegation to NSF of China to develop Bi-Lateral Workshops, (June 24-26. 2002)

• Member, National Space Science & Technology Center, State-University-Federal Partnerships, 

Huntsville, AL (1999 – Aug. 2002)***

• Member, Advisory Board for the School for Computational Sciences, George Mason University 

(1999-2001)

• Member, US-EU Biotechnology Task Force (1999-2002)

• Member of Interagency Steering Committee to the Commission on the Advancement of Women & 

Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development --Morella Commission (1999-

2000)

• Member, Presidential Federal-Wide Working Group for United Nations Meeting on Women (2000)

• Member, Council of Federal Liaisons, Decade of Behavior Initiative, American Psychological 

Association

• Co-Chair NASA Special Panel on Space Life Sciences Developmental Biology, (1998-1999)

• Executive Secretary, National Science and Technology Council Health, Safety and Food's 

Subcommittee on Biomedical, Socio-Cultural and Behavioral Science R&D, (1996-97) 

• NSF Liaison to National Advisory Neurological Disorders & Stroke, (1991-1996)

• Frank Beach Award Committee and Chair (Provides Award for Outstanding Beginning Scientist in 

Behavioral Endocrinology) 

• Hormones and Behavior - Consulting Editor, Editorial Board Member (1987- Dec. 1996)

• Federal-wide Interagency Research Animal Committee - NSF Representative (1993 -1996)

• Evaluation Committee for the 51st Westinghouse Science Talent Search, 1991

*** Please note: resignations following Senate confirmation as a Presidential appointee

MAJOR CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS Co-ORGANIZED :

2008 Water Science Forum: Practical Cutting-Edge Technology for the Whole World. Led planning, 

together with the federal agency members of the US-International Hydrological Program (IHP), of a preevent reception at National Acad. Sci. and the forum at State Department. Honorable guests included 

U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO, Louise Oliver, and Director-General UNESCO, Dr. Koichiro Matsuura. 

(Report published.) Washington, DC (June 27, 2008)

House of Sweden Innovation and Technology Seminar Series: Understanding the Brain through 

Informatics: INCF @ Karolinska. Co-organizers: K. Olsen (US) & S. Grillner (SE). Washington, DC 

(Mar. 7, 2008)

First National Summit on the Advancement of Girls in Math and Science: Co-hosted summit for NSF 

together with Secretary Spellings of the U.S Department of Education. Led planning team that included K. L. Olsen 10

leaders from NSF, Dept. of Education, NASA, Girl Scouts, and Sally Ride Science. Keynote 

presentation: Girls in Math and Science: Where are They? Where are We? Washington, DC (May 15, 

2006) 

Ist Workshop on Steroid Hormones and Brain Function: [Final (17th) workshop held in 2009.] Coorganizers: R. Handa, J. DeBold, L.Clemens, R. McGivern, and K.L. Olsen. Breckenridge, CO (Apr. 

4-8, 1993) 

NATO Advanced Research Workshop: The Development of Sex Differences and Similarities in 

Behaviour. Chateau de Bonas. Directors: M. Haug, R. Whalen, Cl. Aron, K.L. Olsen, F.R. Gers (July 

14-18, 1992) (Co-edited book)

FEDERAL & INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC REVIEWS AND SITE VISITS 

• Chair, Scientific Review Committee for the International Neuroinformatics Coordination Facility 

(INCF), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden, May 2009 (Report submitted to OECD and INCF)

• Member, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) International 

Review Committee on Discovery Grants Program, Report Submitted Mar. 2008

• Member, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Minding the Gap Advisory Panel, (Sept.14, 

2007) Report submitted on gender issues in GSFC education programs and recruitment, retention and 

advancement 

• Member, United National Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Science 

Review Committee (15 international members) to overview the major science programs, Feb.2006 –

Apr. 2007

• Organizer: NSF Site Visits for Science & Technology Centers, 1999

• Member, NSF Minority Graduate Education Advisory Panel, 1998

• Member, Member NIH Site Visit Team to Morehouse School of Medicine: Developmental 

Neuroscience Res. Application, 1994

• Organizer: NSF Site Visits for Science & Technology Centers and BIO Research Training Grants, 

1991-1995

• Chair, NSF Facilities Competition: Academic Research Infrastructure Program, 1992-1994

• Member, NSF Presidential Young Investigator Panel, 1988

• Member U.S. Air Force Centers of Excellence Panel, 1986

• Member, Ad Hoc NIH Site Visitor, HDMR, NICHD, 1985

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Neural mechanisms underlying the expression of sexually dimorphic behaviors, especially reproductive 

behavior. Current focus is developmental neuroendocrinology and hormone-genome interactions.

FEDERAL FUNDING

• NIH: Hormones and Sexual Differentiation, 4/1/81 - 9/1/89, Principal Investigator

• NIH: Hormones, the Brain and Behavior, 12/1/80 - 11/3 0/83, Co-investigatorK. L. Olsen 11

PRESENTATIONS

Presentations at Professional Meeting, Conferences & Forums, Colleges and 

Universities and Government Agencies (Selected):

University of North Texas: Global Research Forum: Moderator, Panel Discussant & Participant 

Dialogue, Core Issues in University Support for International Research Support, Denton, TX (Feb. 4-5, 

2013)—Also assisted in the planning and organization. 

Korean NRF Workshop for R&D Managers and Administrators in an International Perspective: 

Organized by SRI. Day and Life of NSF Program Officer, Arlington, VA (Nov.13, 2012)

America Society of Animal Science: Innovate 2012: Invited panelist and speaker on Federal Perspective 

on Funding Agriculture Research Panel. How to get Priority Projects Funded: Roles of OSTP, Congress, 

Federal Agencies and the Scientific Community, Shell Beach CA (Oct. 3-5, 2012) 

University of Arizona School of Mind, Brain and Behavior: From Grantsmanship to Careers with a 

Neuroscience PHD. Tucson, AZ (Sept. 28, 2012)

Society for Neuroscience (SfN)/NSF ADVANCE IWIN Workshop for Department Chair Training to 

Increase Women in Neuroscience speaker: Bringing What You Learned Back to Your Institution, Irvine, 

CA (Apr. 23-24, 2012)

Re-inventing Arecibo Observatory Workshop (NSF sponsored): Arecibo: The Next Life, San Juan, PR 

(Apr. 9-11, 2012) 

Long Island University: A Discussion of Federal Research Funding or How Not To Get A Grant, 

Brooklyn and Post Campuses, NY (Mar. 26, 2012)

Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Professional Development Program Workshops: Chaired and Coorganized, Advocating in Congress for Federal Research Funding; Speaker, Careers Beyond the Bench, 

Washington, DC (Nov. 12-13, 2011)

SRI Workshop on Korea-U.S International Collaboration in R&D and R&D Management: Arlington, VA 

(Nov. 9, 2011)

Women in World Neuroscience (WWN) of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO):

Workshop on Roadmap for Addressing Sex Differences in Pain Management. Also Co-organized

Workshop with Dr. E. Edwards (NIH) and Dr. R. Silver (Columbia Univ), Barnard College, New York, 

NY (Sept. 26, 2011)

University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience Colloquium: Invited Presentation. 

Understanding Science Policy or Not! (Also presented at UMINN Graduate Student’s Broad Impact 

Session on Women in Science), Minneapolis, MN (Sept. 21, 2011) K. L. Olsen 12

Coastal Carolina University: Women in Philanthropy and Leadership Group luncheon speaker 

Unconscious Bias: Why Gender Still Matters and Grants: Everything you wanted to know and more: 

An informal grant-writing presentation/discussion--helpful hints from 20 years of experience in 

federal government, Conway, SC (Sept. 8-9, 2011)

Institute of Medicine’s Board on Health Sciences Policy: Dialogue with Sponsors, Invited presentation at 

a mini-retreat to provide perspective on the activities of the board, Washington, DC (June 23, 2011)

UC-Irvine: Invited Presentation, Lessons Learned: Understanding the Federal R&D Enterprise. Irvine, 

CA (June 10, 2011) 

University of Nebraska’s Food, Water & Energy Resources Policy Symposium: Answering the Big 

Questions. Lincoln, NB (Apr. 13, 2011) 

Society for Neuroscience 2011 Oregon Chapter Meeting: “From Molecules to Minds: The Grand 

Challenges of Neuroscience Research”. McMinnville, OR (Apr. 8-9, 2011)

AAAS Annual Meeting: Co-organized Symposia titled“Molecules to Mind: Challenges for the 21st

Century”: Presented: Neurotechnology: Integration of Neuroscience, Engineering, Computer and 

Physical Sciences. Washington, DC (Feb. 20, 2011)

Feed the Future Planning Workshop: Partnering with the U.S. Research Community, Presentation on 

Organizing and Working Together, Next Steps. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (J an. 13, 2011)

Workshop on Korea-U.S International Collaboration in R&D and R&D Management: International 

Engagement and Cooperation: Role of APLU International Programs. Washington, DC (Dec. 6, 

2010)

International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) Workshop on Value of Research Intensive 

Universities: Does Society Need Research Intensive Universities and Why? ETH Zurich, CH. (Oct. 19, 

2010)

British-North American Committee (BNAC) 84th Meeting: Brain Drain: The Dangers of Budget Cuts to 

Science, Washington, DC (Oct. 16, 2010)

The Ohio State University: 2010 Life Sciences and Chemistry Career Day. After the Ph.D: Where can I 

be? Columbus, OH (June 25, 2010)

Women in Astronomy & Space Science: Meeting the Challenges of an Increasingly Diverse Work Force: 

Women in Science and Engineering: Exploring what A-MAZES Us. Adelphi, MD (Oct. 21, 2009) 

Swedish EU Presidency: Mini Seminar on the Mid-term Review of the European Research Council’s 

Structures and Mechanims. The U.S. Case. (Only American who spoke) Brussels, BG (Sept. 15, 2009) 

San Rossore: A New Global Vision “La scienza motore dello sviluppo, la pace motore del mondo.” 

Panelist on Science Opportunities for Sustainability: People, Planet, Peace, Profit. Science and 

Sustainable Development: A Science Policy Perspective. (One of two invited Americans presenting at 

this meeting.) Pisa, IT (July 10, 2009)

University of Chicago. The PhD: Now What? (Grants and Careers). Sponsored by the Bio.Sci. Div’s 

Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. Chicago, IL (June 11, 2009)

littlesis

Education

Chatham College

University of California - Irvine

Donation/Grant Recipients

Conrad Burns   US Senator from Montana

George W Bush   43rd US president, ex-governor of Texas, son of George H W Bush

Prior to OSTP, Olsen served as Chief Scientist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (May 1999-April 2002) and the Acting Associate Administrator for Biological and Physical Research (July 2000-March 2002). As Chief Scientist, she served as the Administrator's senior scientific advisor, principal advisor on budget content of the scientific programs and principal interface with the national and international scientific community. As Acting Associate Administrator during the formulation of the new Enterprise for Biological and Physical Research, she oversaw budget development and implementation, recruitment and development of professional and support staff and strategic planning. 

Dr. Olsen was recruited to NASA from the NSF, where since 1997 she had been Senior Staff Associate for the Science and Technology Centers in the Office of Integrative Activities.From February 1996 until November 1997, she was a Legislative Fellow and detailee from NSF to the Office of Senator Conrad Burns of Montana. Between 1984 and 1996, she served NSF in a variety of administrative and scientific leadership positions. At various times in her early professional career, Dr. Olsen also served as a Research Scientist at the State University of New York – Stony Brook's Long Island Research Institute and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Medical School, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology at theGeorge Washington University.

Dr. Olsen received a B.S. in Biology and Psychology with honors from Chatham College and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, Irvine. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Children's Hospital of Harvard Medical School. Her research on neural and genetic mechanisms underlying development and expression of behavior was supported by the National Institutes of Health. 

Olsen holds numerous awards from foreign entities, government agencies, institutions and scientific societies. These include the Norwegian Royal Order of Merit; NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal; the NSF Director's Award of Excellence; awards for outstanding contributions from the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society and the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology; the Barry M. Goldwater Educator Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Capital Section; the University of California, Irvine Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumna Award; and the Barnard College Medal of Distinction. She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association for Women in Science, and an elected member of the Explorers Club. She has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Chatham College, Clarkson University, and University of South Carolina.=