|
 In the
early 1980's Dr. Olsen
worked for the Marine Biology Department of the University of Chile in
Reñaca, situated on the coast across the bay from Valparaiso about sixty
miles from Santiago. In a building overlooking a dramatic coastal setting,
often observing biologists selecting mollusks and sea urchins for lab
samples, she translated research documents into English, assisted with
international correspondence, and served as interpreter for visiting
scientists. Such proximity to the ocean, both physically and
intellectually, left her with a lasting impression of the richness and
fragility of marine environments.
The political climate in
Chile at that time was not conducive to a free exchange of ideas, so Olsen
returned to California and entered the academic arena. Her desire to
understand the difficult relationship human beings have with nature served
as the impetus for her graduate studies, focusing on the role that culture
and religions play in influencing our perceptions and interactions with the
natural environment. Her studies at both the Graduate Theological Union and
U.C. Berkeley involved historical and socio-scientific approaches, including
the history of the environmental movement, and field studies in India,
Japan, Taiwan and Ireland where she observed how different religious
communities interacted with their environments. In 2001, she received an
interdisciplinary doctoral degree in Religion and Geography.
Dr. Olsen found a niche with grant writing during her student days
while trying to find something socially relevant and meaningful beyond the
philosophical high-mindedness of academic life. Currently in private
practice as a grants and strategic planning consultant, and a member of the
Association of Fundraising Professionals, she finds that she has found the
perfect compliment to her work as an independent scholar, keeping her feet
on the ground and bread on the table while roaming through musty libraries
and journeying to distant lands.
With over 30 years of experience in educational and nonprofit
settings, Dr. Olsen is knowledgeable about the role of grants within the
overall structure of an organization, including an understanding of
programming, project planning, project evaluation, and strategic planning
for grant-readiness. |
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