Scott R. Olson was appointed the 15th president of Winona State University (WSU, Minn.) on May 16, 2012. He replaces Judith A. Ramaley, who served as WSU's president from 2005-2012.
Prior to joining WSU, Olson served as provost, vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, and professor of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato. During his time at Minnesota State Mankato, it saw significant growth in enrollment, diversity, innovation, industry partnerships, international programs, system collaboration, and applied research.
He served as dean of the College of Communication, Information and Media at Ball State University (Ind.) and as a faculty member at Central Connecticut State University. He also served for one year as interim vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
He has published two books, 30 book chapters, and 22 journal articles in publications in the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Poland, Russia, and India. He has delivered over 100 papers at conferences in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Poland, Taiwan, and the United States.