Travis Heath Olson: Education

TRAVIS HEATH OLSON
475 Vermont Place
Columbus, OH 43201
651.343.5484
olson.337@osu.edu
EDUCATION
The Ohio State University; Columbus, OH
Preparing thesis that critically examines how the lack of opportunities for self-reflection and intercultural relationship
building in study abroad and international service-learning programs may impair participants development.
Loyola University Chicago; Chicago, IL
M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Summer 2015
B.A. in Sociology and Environmental Studies, May 2013
Studied local solutions to the legacy of colonialism and conflict in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and served in a community
center for children impacted by HIV/AIDS as part of a semester-long exchange program abroad.
DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PROGRAMS

International Affairs Scholars Graduate Administrative Associate
August 2013 Present
University Honors & Scholars Center; The Ohio State University
Incorporate student leadership, cognitive, and identity development theories into the design, delivery, and evaluation of a twoyear experiential program curriculum for 240 high-achieving undergraduate students.
Lead program towards a new mission of educating for justice through prioritizing local community engagement, utilizing
critical pedagogy, and incorporating subjugated knowledges into program design.
Recruit, select, train, and supervise a 12-member student leadership board responsible for weekly programming and the
organization of two initiatives focusing on service-learning and peer mentorship.
Mentor students towards expanded responsibility over programming that educates on social identities and globalization,
promotes comfort with ambiguity, and builds community on and off campus and across first- and second-year classes.
Design and teach four sections of an interdisciplinary, first-year seminar on student success and global awareness, which
has been shown to encourage self-reflection through a two-year assessment protocol.
Collaborate with faculty in the logistical planning and supervision of international travel experiences for groups of 50
students, including a four-day excursion to Toronto, Canada and two-week sessions in Delhi, India and La Paz, Bolivia.
Individually advise students, which has led to an increase in program completion from 40 to 80 percent.
Support the maintenance of a $20,000 operating budget and a $34,000 excursion budget.
Intern for Program Development and Research
May November 2014
Center for Community Engagement; Otterbein University
Created new resources for faculty and staff involved in planning a wide array of international learning experiences and assisted
the Center Director with the research and drafting of a competitive national grant.
Maintained and reported upon an extensive knowledge base of student engagement literature, focusing on the retention
and campus involvement of low-income, first-generation, and commuter students.
Built an online guide that addresses questions of ethics in international service-learning and study abroad program design.
NASPA Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP) Summer Intern
June July 2013
Office of Inclusion & Intercultural Relations; The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Collaborated with staff in three offices - Social Justice and Leadership Education (SJLE), the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender (LGBT) Student Center, and the Native American Cultural Center - to improve joint programming and services for
underrepresented and marginalized students.
Developed measurable assessment goals and implementation plan for SJLE paraprofessional training.
Researched and designed a series of seminars on intersectionality and ethical leadership for queer student leaders.
Conducted exploratory research on how to best serve and support queer Native American and two-spirit students, while
also educating the larger campus on non-Western understandings of gender and sexuality.
Research Team Member and Provost Research Fellow
August 2012 May 2013
Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL); Loyola University Chicago
Assisted with the preparation of a manuscript for publication as part of a four-person research team led by John P. Dugan, Ph.D.
Utilized a data set of 4,077 students to find key predictors for student involvement in community organizations.
Maintained extensive knowledge of scholarship on psychosocial student identity development, campus climate for
marginalized populations, and the social change model of leadership.
DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, ASSESMENT (continued)
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Intern for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) Student Initiatives
August 2012 May 2013
Department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs; Loyola University Chicago
Developed, promoted, and executed programs that supported and affirmed LGBTQI students, faculty, and staff, while
upholding the Ignatian traditions of dialoguing across difference and advocating for social justice.
Stratigically managed program communication through social media, initiative websites, and print media in order to
increase the departments visibility and build community across various campus constituencies.
Organized regular forums, lectures, and film screenings that explored diversity within LGBTQI communities and
challenged participants to critically engage with questions of privilege and parrallel oppression.
Assisted in Safe Space training and identifying and referring students to LGBTQI resources in the Chicago community,
while collaborating with local non-profits to increase the availability of on-campus STI testing.
ePortfolio Initiative Peer Mentor
August 2010 August 2012
Center for Experiential Learning; Loyola University Chicago
Designed and led one-on-one and group tutorial sessions for students, faculty, and staff interested in utilizing web-based
technologies to capture and present both on- and off-campus experiential learning opportunities.
Supported promotional outreach and program maintenance through overseeing the initiatives web presence,
corresponding with staff and faculty, and meeting with students and faculty during walk-in hours.
Worked independently and collaboratively on data analysis, marketing, report design, and HTML web design.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND CAMPUS-WIDE COLLABORATIONS

Professional and Scholarly Development Chair
September 2013 Present
Higher Education Student Personnel Association; The Ohio State University
Create relevant and engaging programs for Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) masters and doctoral students.
Plan and execute a one-day professional development conference for over 50 current and prospective graduate students
in collaboration with various campus offices, faculty, and program alumni.
Committee recognized for outstanding new program and awarded a $3,000 grant to expand the conference program.
President, Vice-President, and Treasurer of Registered Student Organization
September 2009 May 2013
ADVOCATE; Loyola University Chicago
Led a 10-student executive board in the planning and implementation of weekly meetings for approximately 50 general
members and LGBTQI Heritage Month events for up to 500 campus community members.
Challenged peers to coalition build and critically examine the organizations lack of racial diversity.
Successfully advocated for an increase in programmatic support for queer students through ongoing dialogue with the Vice
President for Student Development, other student leaders, and campus religious leaders.
Undergraduate Summer Fellow
May August 2012
Office of the Vice-President for Student Development; Loyola University Chicago
Collaborated with campus leaders to collect student testimonials in support of the Universitys new experiential curriculum, the
Four-Year Plan for Student Transformation, and other initiatives within the Division of Student Development.
Developed brand-compliant promotional materials for the Office of Student Leadership Development.
Researched the historic incidents of bias and campus violence that led to the establishment of the Department of Student
Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and presented findings to senior administrators.
SELECT PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

Olson, T.H. (2014, November). The evolving practice of study abroad: A call for new critical scholarship. Paper presented at the
Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
Ng, J., Olson, T.H. (2014, July). Going beyond fun: Examining and articulating the value of study abroad. Presentation at
Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers (ACE) Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Reynolds, D. J., Dwyer, E., Olson, T.H., Mills, K.A. (2014, January). Professional sense-making: Socialization of graduate
students in student affairs. Presentation at the Ohio College Student Personnel Association / Ohio College Personnel
Association (OCSPA/OCPA) Annual Conference, Worthington, OH.
Dugan, J.P., Correia, B., Olson, T.H., & Secrist, S. (2013, March). LGBT students college experiences and leadership
development: Inspiring a more intentional approach. Presentation at the Association of College Personnel Administrators
(ACPA) Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

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TRAVIS HEATH OLSON

475 Vermont Place

Loyola University Chicago; Chicago, IL

M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Summer 2015

B.A. in Sociology and Environmental Studies, May 2013

DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PROGRAMS

DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, ASSESMENT (continued)

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND CAMPUS-WIDE COLLABORATIONS

SELECT PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

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