Dr. James Olson, PhD, P.Eng., is currently serving his second five-year term as dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia. He is also a professor of mechanical engineering.
During his first term, he led a community-engaged process to co-create the Faculty’s strategic plan, Transforming Tomorrow, and increased research funding from $53 million to $99.8 million.
Dr. Olson has played an instrumental role in the expansion of UBC’s engineering program and the growth of various diversity, outreach and research programs. Under his leadership, the Faculty has expanded nursing, planning and design programs, and has invested in new major facilities, including the Gordon B. Shrum Building, Canada’s first purpose-built biomedical engineering facility, and the Gateway Building, a new home for the School of Nursing. Plans are also underway for Applied One—a hub for integrated, interdisciplinary research and learning.
A former associate dean of research and industry partnerships and past director of UBC’s Pulp and Paper Centre, Dr. Olson is an internationally recognized expert in forest products. His work has contributed to the sector’s evolution into a dynamic bio-products industry.
A Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Dr. Olson has received two NSERC Synergy Awards, the 2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Innovation, the 2009 Fundamental Research Committee’s Van den Akker Gold Medal, and several best paper awards.
Dr. Olson holds a BASc in engineering physics and a PhD in chemical engineering from UBC.
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