From an article by Joy C. Davis (COM alumna)
UNCW Marketing & Communications

Dr. Richard K. Olsen, Jr., succeeded his former professor Frank Trimble as Department Chair on July 1.

"Rick is strongly suited to manage the department. He has always been a person on the front lines working with us," says Trimble, who will return to the role of full-time professor.

Olsen, who graduated from UNCW in 1987, earned his masters degree in speech communication from Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate in Communication Studies from Regent University.

Since returning to his alma mater as a faculty member in 1997, Olsen's outstanding instruction has been recognized with multiple honors, including the 2006 Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award. He has been awarded the Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI) Outstanding Faculty Award for his role as the lead professor and curriculum designer for the Camp Johnson Marine "Train the Trainers" program and the Senior Outreach Scholars program.

Recognizing the importance of local involvement, Olsen currently serves on the OLLI Board of Advisors and was a member of the UNCW Faculty Senate and Senate Steering Committee for six years. He has also donated his expertise as a conference planner for such prominent groups as the Southern States Communication Association and the Carolinas Communication Association, all of which have recognized Olsen's superb research with numerous awards.

Eager to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Trimble, Olsen says, "I am excited about being an advocate and ambassador for my department and with working with faculty on the broader curricular challenges we're facing."

"I want to work with our faculty to integrate active learning, technology and other changes where appropriate but also embrace and celebrate what is already working well."