MARQUETTE, MI – Northern Michigan University has named a new president.
Chris Olsen, an academic and administrator who last served as provost for Indiana State University, was named president to the NMU on Thursday, Oct. 16. According to a news release, Olsen will begin the job Jan. 1 as Northern’s 19th president.
He’ll replace Gavin Leach, a long-time NMU vice president who took on an interim role earlier this year with the departure of former president Brock Tessman.
“I’m incredibly excited to have this opportunity to serve as NMU’s next president,” Olsen said in a statement. “I was very selective and intentional about where I applied because I wanted a university that would be a good fit professionally, has a mission that I believe in, and is a place where I can hopefully make a difference. Northern checked all of those boxes.”
Selecting a new president was on the agenda Thursday for NMU’s Board of Trustees.
In the news release, Board Vice Chairperson Missie Holmquist said Olsen emerged as the choice after rigorous interview and stakeholder engagement process and because of his extensive background in several areas of higher education leadership and management.
“Some of those areas key to Northern’s future direction include strategic planning, enrollment management, student success, distance education, external relationships and philanthropy,” she said. “… We are confident that his wide-ranging experience, along with his constant connection with students and collaboration with leaders across campus, the region, and the state, have prepared him well to lead Northern as its next president.”
Olsen has been Indiana State’s provost, as well as vice president for academic affairs since 2021. He was previously dean of its College of Arts and Sciences, and he chaired its department of history.
The NMU board’s selection of Olsen Thursday was unanimous.
NMU Board Chairman Steve Young thanked Northern’s presidential search advisory committee for leading the process to replace Tessman. In his statement, he called Olsen a “top-notch individual.”
While at Indiana State, according to NMU, Olsen worked on:
- The reorganization of academic affairs
- Guiding the university to its all-time-high student retention and graduate rate
- Achieving record Honors College enrollment
- Managing ISU’s largest and most diverse college as dean
Olsen earned his bachelor’s degree in history from North Dakota State University, his master’s in U.S. history from the University of Nebraska and his doctorate in the same discipline from the University of Florida.
A native of Fargo, N.D., Olsen’s wife Jennifer and three children will join him in Marquette and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“Jenn and I agreed it felt like home,” Olsen said in a statement. “Neither of us has ever wanted to live in a big city. Marquette has a lot to offer for its size, from businesses, services and activities to outdoor recreation and, of course, the most amazing Great Lake.
“We’re excited to become better acquainted with the city and surrounding Upper Peninsula after we make the move north this winter.”
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