Kenneth Olsen

Kenneth Olsen is the George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology and Associate Chair of Climate and Facilities at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). He holds a PhD in plant evolutionary biology from WashU (2000) and a BA in biology from WashU (1991). His research focuses on the genetic basis of plant evolution, including crop domestication, weedy rice adaptation, and white clover genomics. He leads the Olsen Lab, which combines genomic approaches with ecological fieldwork to study rapid evolutionary change.

Key research themes include:

• Crop domestication genetics (e.g., cassava, rice, camelina)
• Weedy rice evolution and genomic divergence
• Climate-driven adaptation in plants like white clover
• Conservation genetics of endangered species (e.g., Hibiscus liliiflorus)

He has authored over 130 publications and developed educational outreach programs like the Clover Project, adopted by 300+ teachers. Awards include the NSF CAREER Award and WashU's Harrison D. Stalker Award. His work bridges evolutionary biology with applied agriculture and conservation.