Mount Mercy names new president: Todd Olson of Georgetown

CEDAR RAPIDS — Mount Mercy University has picked a new president: Todd Olson, current vice president for student affairs at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“Dr. Olson’s commitment to students and passion for the Sisters of Mercy’s critical concerns align perfectly with our Mercy values and long-standing tradition of compassionate service,” Charlie Rohde, chairman of the Mount Mercy board, said in a statement Thursday.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Olson join our community, and we appreciate his deep experience in higher education administration.”

Olson will start his tenure at the Cedar Rapids-based Catholic university July 21 — about one year after its last president started his short-lived tenure.

Robert “Bob” Beatty, who became Mount Mercy’s 10th president July 1, resigned after only two months on the job and as the campus was in the throes of starting an unprecedented academic year plagued by the pandemic and as it was cleaning up from the Aug. 10 derecho.

The campus has given few details about why Beatty resigned so abruptly.

Tim Laurent, the school’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, has been serving as its interim president while the campus undertook a national search for a permanent replacement.

At Georgetown, the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, Olson led 15 departments and 140 staffers. He’s been an adjunct faculty member over his 35-year higher education career, most recently teaching in the higher education administration program and School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown.

From Minnesota, Olson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris and a master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Kansas.

He earned a doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver, where he stayed to work and start the Pioneer Leadership Program, “a signature academic and residential learning program.”

Olson spent a decade as a member of the policy committee for the Patriot League athletic conference and helped create the Healey Family Student Center and Georgetown’s new residential facilities.

He's been active in campus planning efforts and in making alcohol, sexual assault and bias-reporting policy revisions.

He and his wife, Regina, have three children.

Speaking to Mount Mercy’s Catholic mission, Olson recently wrote a book chapter on dealing with controversial speakers and events in a Catholic context.

“I am enthused about the opportunity to provide leadership at this wonderful university,” Olson said in a statement. “Mount Mercy's deep commitment to students, vibrant academic programs, and Catholic and Mercy mission are all inspiring to me.

“I see tremendous strength and tremendous promise at Mount Mercy, and I look forward to working with everyone at the university to live out this mission in the years ahead.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com