Kathie Olsen, Ph.D., founder of ScienceWorks, will be the HTC Distinguished Scholar Lecturer at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8 in the Wall Auditorium. “A Life in Science: From High Calling to Low Comedy” is the title of her talk. The event is free and open to the public.

“We are very excited about having a scientist of the caliber of Dr. Olsen on campus to provide expertise and insight into the careers in science,” said Michael Roberts, vice president for research and dean of the College of Science at CCU.

"HTC is proud to support the Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, and we hope students and community members will attend the lecture to connect with the expertise of Kathie Olsen, Ph.D, as she delivers a unique presentation based on her extensive research," said Tom Vitt, director of marketing at HTC.

Olsen is the founder and managing director of ScienceWorks, a consulting firm that helps people and organizations succeed in science and engineering research. She is also an affiliate professor of neuroscience at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University. Recognizing the worldwide importance of these fields, ScienceWorks is dedicated to the use of science and technology research as the foundation for education, innovation, quality of life and economic vitality.

Olsen earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology with honors from Chatham College and Ph.D. in biology (neuroscience) from the University of California, Irvine. Her postdoctoral fellowship was in the Department of Neuroscience at Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School. She was an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Harvard’s Medical School and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Microbiology at George Washington University. Her research on neural and genetic mechanisms underlying development and expression of behavior was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Olsen has received numerous awards, including the Norwegian Royal Order of Merit, from foreign entities, government agencies, institutions and scientific societies. 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 and the Cosmos Club. She has been awarded four honorary doctoral degrees.

For more information about the Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, contact Michael Roberts at mroberts@coastal.edu .