Todd Olson was named Mount Mercy University’s 11th president in 2021.
In his first three years, he has built partnerships with local hospitals and other colleges to strengthen student opportunities, and launched new academic and athletic programs. He is currently leading Mount Mercy’s work to pursue a strategic combination with St. Ambrose University in Davenport.
Prior to Mount Mercy, he served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Georgetown University for 18 years. Before that, he served for 16 years at the University of Denver, where he earned his Ph.D. in higher education. Todd is a native of Battle Lake, Minnesota, and has lived in five different states.
He has served as president of the national Jesuit student affairs association, and spent a decade on the policy committee for the Patriot League athletic conference. Todd has authored several articles and a book chapter, on topics ranging from student well-being to managing controversy on a Catholic campus.
He has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Minnesota Morris, and has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame at his high school in Minnesota. He serves on the boards for Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, and the Hawkeye Area Council of Scouting USA. Todd and his wife Regina are the parents of three adult children.