Richard Olson

Richard Olson received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis, in 1967, an master's degree from University of California, Los Angeles, in 1968, and a PhD in 1974 from the University of Oregon, all in political science. From 1968-1969, he was a Fulbright graduate fellow in Colombia. Olson was part of a research team to the 1972 Managua, Nicaragua, earthquake and was subsequently involved in disaster response, research, and evaluation in more than 20 major events; including Guatemala 1976 (earthquake), Chile 1985 (earthquake), Mexico City 1985 (earthquake), Colombia 1985 (volcanic eruption and lahar), 1994 (earthquake and landslide), the Dominican Republic 1998 (Hurricane Georges), Honduras and Nicaragua 1998 (Hurricane Mitch), and El Salvador 1986 and 2001 (earthquakes).  

Olson has written, with co-authors, the following recent publications: Violent Conflict and Disaster Risk Reduction including Climate Change Adaptation, in "Handbook of Disaster Risk Reduction including Climate Change Adaptation" (Routledge 2017), Disasters as Crisis Triggers for Critical Junctures? The 1976 Guatemala Case in Latin American Politics and Societies (2013), Public Response to Disaster Response: Applying the ‘5C+A’ Framework to El Salvador 2001 and Peru 2007, International Studies Perspectives (2012),  Establishing Public Accountability, Speaking Truth to Power, and Inducing Political Will for Disaster Risk Reduction: ‘Ocho Rios+25 in Environmental Hazards (2011), and From Disaster Event to Political Crisis: A ‘5C+A’ Framework for Analysis in International Studies Perspectives (2010).