Chris Olsen, who has more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, will become the 19th president of Northern Michigan University, effective Jan. 1. He has served Indiana State University as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs since 2021, and previously as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of History. The NMU Board of Trustees unanimously approved his appointment at a special meeting this afternoon.
“We want to thank Presidential Search Advisory Committee Chair Tami Seavoy and the committee members for their exceptional work,” said NMU Board Chair Steve Young. “We also thank the campus community for being so supportive of the process by attending forums and providing feedback on the candidates. I believe this search has resulted in the selection of a top-notch individual.”
Board Vice Chair Missie Holmquist explained that Olsen emerged from the rigorous interview and stakeholder engagement process as the right choice to lead Northern, based in large part on his extensive, impressive background in several areas of higher education leadership and management.
“Some of those areas key to Northern's future direction include strategic planning, enrollment management, student success, distance education, external relationships and philanthropy,” she said. “As provost at Indiana State, he's had 20 direct reports from a variety of campus entities, providing him with valuable insight on diverse functions across the university. We are confident that his wide-ranging experience, along with his constant connection with students and collaboration with leaders across campus, the region, and the state, have prepared him well to lead Northern as its next president.”
Among his career accomplishments at Indiana State, Olsen highlighted the following: his administrative reorganization of Academic Affairs; his leadership in the area of student success, which includes the university's all-time-high student retention and graduation rates, and record enrollment in the Honors College; his management as dean of ISU's largest and most diverse college—Arts and Sciences—which teaches more than half of all student credit hours; and the record of faculty scholarship, teaching and service produced during his 14 years as chair of the Department of History, which helped it earn a reputation as one of the university's most successful and collegial departments.
“I'm incredibly excited to have this opportunity to serve as NMU's next president,” Olsen said. “I was very selective and intentional about where I applied because I wanted a university that would be a good fit professionally, has a mission that I believe in, and is a place where I can hopefully make a difference. Northern checked all of those boxes.”
Olsen said he and his wife, Jennifer, were also highly impressed with Marquette. The couple has three adult children: Emma, Charlotte and Ross.
“The university is located in a community where we felt extremely comfortable during our visit,” added Chris, a native of Fargo, N.D. “In fact, Jenn and I agreed it felt like home. Neither of us have ever wanted to live in a big city. Marquette has a lot to offer for its size, from businesses, services and activities to outdoor recreation and, of course, the most amazing Great Lake. We're excited to become better acquainted with the city and surrounding Upper Peninsula after we make the move north this winter.”
Olsen earned his bachelor's degree in history from North Dakota State University, followed by a master's in U.S. History from the University of Nebraska and a doctorate in the same discipline from the University of Florida. His academic work examines the history of the 19th-century United States, focusing on politics and political culture.
On-campus events welcoming Olsen to Northern will be announced at a later date.