Richard Thomas Olsen

Member since: 2019

Proposed by: Perennial Garden Club, Zone VI

Seconded by: Green Spring Valley Garden Club, Zone VI

Richard T. Olsen, nominated by Zone VI, is the Director of the U.S. National Arboretum (USNA). He is a plant scientist and geneticist, an ardent environmentalist, and a recognized leader in creating and maintaining international public gardens. He received a B.S. in Horticulture Science from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Horticulture Science from North Carolina State University. In 1998, he was named alternate for the Martin McLaren Scholarship Fellow, GCA Institute of Horticulture, British Isles.

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Olsen joined the National Arboretum as a research geneticist focusing on the urban tree breeding program. Dr. Olsen's research in plant genetics focused on the development of superior landscape trees with pest and disease resistance, including studies on boxwood blight, hemlock woolly adelgid, and Dutch elm disease. His conservation efforts focused on developing suitable varieties of woody plants and trees adaptable to climate change. His research on Catalpa Chionanthus for urban forests will culminate with their much-anticipated release to the commercial market within the next several years.

In 2010, Dr. Olsen became the lead scientist for the USNA germplasm program. He served as both the acting Director of the Arboretum and the acting assistant director of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. As the scientific advisor to the U.S. State Department between 2012-2014, he selected 3,000 flowering dogwoods given to Japan to honor the 100th anniversary of their gift of flowering cherry trees to this country. In 2015, he was named Director of the National Arboretum.

He has served on various advisory positions, including the Science and Technology Advisory Committee of Casey Trees, the Morton Arboretum Center for Tree Science Steering Committee, J.C. Raulston Arboretum Board of Advisors and the as the USDA representative on the White House Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections.

Honorary Member since 2019.