S. Sterling Munro Public Service Faculty Award
Recognizes a Faculty Member Who Encourages Community-Based Instruction
David Olson
Department: Political Science, 31 years at UW
Courses Taught: City Politics, State Government, Politics of Urban Reform
Achievements: Olson's experience researching and teaching in state and local government, city politics and public institutions, including the Port of Seattle and Metro, has helped him sponsor hundreds of individual student internships. Olson is credited with being the main force behind the success of the political science department's full-time Olympia internship program in which 15 to 20 top students work in the Washington State Legislature. Though officially retired this month, he will remain involved with the Olympia internship program and will serve as professor emeritus of labor studies at the Harry Bridges Labor Center, which he helped develop.
Quote: "Professor Olson has exemplified leadership in service learning, public service internships and community partnership projects through his teaching, the system and approach to service learning that he instituted, and the results of his dedication: generations of students who have gone on to become community leaders like me who are now bringing up the next generation of active citizens and social-change agents." -former student Bea Kelleigh, director, Early Care and Education Coalition; and partner, Cedar River Group
Degrees: B.A., Concordia College, 1963; M.A., University of Wisconsin, 1966; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1971