Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining

Written by Chris Cannon

Two years into his second term as Dean of UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, James Olson brings decades of experience and a deep appreciation for both research and industry to his role on BRIMM’s board of directors. Though his professional background lies primarily in the forest sector, his position as Dean places him squarely in the engine room of UBC’s cross-disciplinary innovation, the space where BRIMM thrives.

Growing up in Kamloops BC, Olson first arrived at UBC as a student in 1986, earning degrees in physics and engineering physics, later returning to complete a PhD in chemical engineering. He spent several years in the private sector before rejoining UBC as a professor of mechanical engineering in 1999.

In the years since, Olson has held several leadership roles at the university, including research centre director, Associate Dean of Research, interim Dean, and now full Dean of Applied Science. In his current role, he’s helped expand UBC’s engineering, nursing, planning, and design programs, as well as grow the university’s commitment to diversity and outreach.

Both of his children graduated from UBC engineering programs, and his daughter is now pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. “I’ve been here a long time,” Olson laughs. “I know UBC from the perspective of a student, a professor and from the father of a student studying and conducting research here. I know how UBC works.”

That institutional knowledge has proven valuable to BRIMM. Though Olson’s early involvement was informal, he became more directly engaged with the institute once the board was formally created. Since then, he has taken on what he describes as a “support role,” helping BRIMM navigate university systems and secure the resources it needs.

“Do we have the right facilities? Is there funding? I try to help them navigate some of the complexities of the university — around hiring, IP policies, employment policies,” he says. “I don’t think it’s my role to be the driver of the vision, especially when there’s already such a strong and great vision for BRIMM. I’m play more of a support role.”

Olson credits BRIMM’s success to the clarity of that vision and the partnership that shaped it. “I think BRIMM is really a shining example of industry–academia partnership,” he says. “That’s due in part to John Steen and Peter Bradshaw. They work tremendously well together. They have a very strong vision and a very well-defined agenda to enact it.”

That vision, he says, is twofold: break down silos between disciplines, and build bridges between industry and the university. As someone who’s worked in both spaces, Olson sees that value firsthand — especially in a sector as capital- and expertise-intensive as mining.

“There’s never been a time when the need for critical minerals has been greater,” he adds. “And never a time when the importance of the sector has been more recognized — by society, by government, and even by the students in the mining programs here at UBC.”