NMU President Chris Olsen
Chris Olsen, who has more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, became the 19th president of Northern Michigan University on Jan. 5, 2026.
He came to NMU after serving as Indiana State University's provost and vice president for Academic Affairs from 2021-25, and previously was ISU's dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of History.
Olsen brought to NMU an extensive and impressive background in several areas of higher education leadership and management, including strategic planning, enrollment management, student success, distance education, external relationships and philanthropy.
Among his career accomplishments at Indiana State, Olsen were 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.
A native of Fargo, N.D., 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.
Olsen and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of three adult children: Emma, Charlotte and Ross, and they have two senior dogs, a German Shepherd and a small Bichon Frise. He has a small collection of antique cars, a passion he shared with his father, and is an avid reader. He also enjoys golf, hiking and travel.
Learn more about President Olsen: The Historian Who Will Guide NMU
