• B.A., Biology, Dartmouth College, 1973
• M.A., Botany, University of North Carolina, 1975
• Ph.D., Agronomy, University of Nebraska, 1998

• Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Studies
• Sustainable Appalachian Communities
• Environmental Justice
• Ecological Design
• Aquaponics
• Ecological Household
• Issues in Contemporary Society: Collapse

Chair of the Board, Sustainable Berea (www.sustainableberea.org).

A 501c3 organization with approximately 300 members and projects including the Resilient Household, the Edible Yard, Berea Solar Tour, the Neighborhood Food Feasts – a citywide conversation regarding “How can Berea feed itself?” – and Transition Town Berea (www.transitionus.org).

Member of the Board, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Harlan County, KY.

Member of the Board, Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions, Yellowsprings, Ohio.

Commissioner, Berea City Planning Commission.

• Olson, R. 2011. "Transition Towns – Remarks at the 2011 Whippoorwill Reskilling Festival, Berea KY." Available at http://sustainableberea.org/2011/06/30/sb-chair-speaks-at-whippoorwill-reskilling-festival/.
• Olson, R. 2009. "Building resilience." Sustain (Spring/Summer): 6-11.
• Olson, R. 2007. Plan C for BC. "The Sustainable Campus 3(3):1-18." Available at http://www.berea.edu/sens/sustainablecampus/documents/Summer-07.pdf.
• Carter, H., C. Francis and R. Olson. 2006. "Design and Implementation of Regional Training Workshops for Sustainable Agriculture." Chapter 8 in C. Francis, G. Bird, and R. Poincelot (eds), Developing and Extending Sustainable Agriculture: A New Social Contract. Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY.
• Olson, R. 2005. "Restoring God's clear water." PRC Update 2(3):4
• Olson, R. 2004. "Balancing our ecological budget: Equity and the sustainable campus." Heartstone 5(1): 47-52.
• Cain, C., and R. Olson. 2003. "Spiritual greening: Melding Christianity, ecology, and sustainability in the college curriculum." Proceedings of the Greening the Campus V Conference, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, September 18-20, 2003. CD-ROM version.
• Oldham, C., and R. Olson. 2003. "Paying for the green dream: Fund-raising lessons from Berea College's Ecovillage." Proceedings of the Greening the Campus V Conference, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, September 18-20, 2003. CD-ROM version.
• Olson, R. 2003. "Designing the Berea College Ecovillage: Process and results." Proceedings of the Greening the Campus V Conference, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, September 18-20, 2003. CD-ROM version.
• Olson, R.K., M.M. Schoeneberger, and S.G. Aschmann. 2000. "An ecological foundation for temperate agroforestry." pp. 31-61. In: H.E. Garrett, W.J. Rietveld, and R.F. Fisher (eds). North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
• Olson RK, Olson AH (1999) "Farmland loss in America." pp. 15-51. In RK Olson, TA Lyson (eds) Under the Blade: The Conversion of Agricultural Landscapes. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
• Olson RK (1999) "A Landscape Perspective on Farmland Conversion." pp. 53-95. In RK Olson, TA Lyson (eds) Under the Blade: The Conversion of Agricultural Landscapes. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
• Olson RK, Olson AH, Lyson TA (1999) "A National Policy for Farmland Preservation." pp. 247-268. In RK Olson, TA Lyson (eds) Under the Blade: The Conversion of Agricultural Landscapes. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
• Olson, RK (1998) "Procedures for Evaluating Alternative Farming Systems: A Case Study for Eastern Nebraska. Extension and Education Materials for Sustainable Agriculture." Volume 8. Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 310 pp, (Ph.D. Dissertation).
• Olson RK (1995) "Diversity in agricultural landscapes." pp. 121-160. In RK Olson, CA Francis, S Kaffka (eds) Exploring the Role of Diversity in Sustainable Agriculture. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
• Olson RK, Francis CA (1995) "A hierarchical framework for evaluating diversity in agroecosystems." pp. 5-34. In RK Olson, CA Francis, S Kaffka (eds) Exploring the Role of Diversity in Sustainable Agriculture. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
• Olson RK (1992) "Integrating sustainable agriculture, ecology, and environmental policy." Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 2(3): 1-7.
• Olson RK (1992) "The future context of sustainable agriculture: Planning for uncertainty." Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 2(3): 9-20.
• Olson RK (1992) "Evaluating the role of created and natural wetlands in controlling nonpoint source pollution." Ecological Engineering 1(1/2):xi-xv
• Olson RK (1992) "Chapter 1 - Physiography and forest types." pp. 7-40. In RK Olson, D Binkley, M Böhm (eds) The Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution. Springer-Verlag, New York.
• Olson RK, Peterson DL, Böhm M (1992) "Chapter 13 - Summary, projections, and recommendations." pp. 501-521. In RK Olson, D Binkley, M Böhm (eds) The Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution. Springer-Verlag, New York.
• Olson RK (1991) "Conference on ecology, sustainable agriculture, and EPA." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 6(2):96, 104
• Olson RK, Reiners WA, Lovett GM (1985) "Trajectory analysis of forest canopy effects on chemical flux in throughfall." Biogeochemistry 1:361-373.
• Olson RK, Reiners WA (1983) "Nitrification in subalpine balsam fir soils: Tests for inhibitory factors." Soil Biology and Biochemistry 15:413-418.
• Olson RK, Reiners WA, Cronan CS, Lang GE (1981) "The chemistry and flux of throughfall and stemflow in subalpine balsam fir forests." Holarctic Ecology 4:291-300.