Kathryn C. Oleson

Kathryn C. Oleson is dean of the faculty at Reed College. Before becoming dean in July 2020, she was professor of psychology and inaugural director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (2014–2016) at Reed. Prior to coming to Reed in 1995, she was a National Institute of Mental Health postdoctoral fellow at The Ohio State University after finishing her PhD in social psychology at Princeton University. With Robert Arkin and Patrick Carroll, she coedited the Handbook of the Uncertain Self (Psychology Press, 2009). She is a teacher-scholar who conducts collaborative research with undergraduates. Much of her research has examined students’ reactions in challenging academic contexts, concentrating on self-doubt, achievement goals, academic procrastination, and behavioral strategies. Currently, her research primarily explores ways to create inclusive classroom dynamics in higher education, with a particular focus on productive discomfort.