Kristin Olson, Director
202 A Driscoll Center North
303.871.4504
kolson1@du.edu
Kristin was born in the land of spuds, also known as Idaho. At a young age, she realized a world existed beyond the potato fields. When the time came to leave home, she headed to New Hampshire to attend college.
At UNH she worked as an RA and found she really enjoyed working with college students. After completing a BA in Political Science from UNH, she decided to continue her work with students as a Hall Director at SNHU for several years. During this time, she met and married her baseball-crazed husband (Go Red Sox!), Mike.
She so enjoyed her work with college students that she decided to go back to college for another degree. While working on her MA at DU, Kristin worked as a Grad Residence Director in J-Mac for a year and then worked as a Grad Assistant in the CCS Office. Kristin graduated in June 2004 with a MA in Higher Education, and shortly afterwards was hired to work as our Assistant Director. After five years as the Assistant, Kristin was recently hired to serve as the Director in the office and is excited about her new role on campus.
She also has served as the advisor to Up 'Til Dawn -- a colligate fundraising group on campus that works with St. Judes Children's Research Hospital. In her spare time, she works to promote Campus Conversations: A Book of Questions for College Students. The book is designed for college students to think about how they would react to a variety of hypothetical situations. Published in May 2004, this book has been successfully used on campuses around the nation.
If you stop by Kristin's office, you'd be hard pressed not to see the true love of her life -- her family! Along with her partner Mike, Kristin has two young sons who certainly keep her busy when she isn't at DU. The Olson family enjoys hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains and loves biking around Denver!
Adam Brown, Assistant Director
201 Driscoll Center North
303.871.4851
adam.brown@du.edu
Adam is extremely grateful for his name. For the first three to four months Adam was alive, his parents could not decide upon a name, therefore was simply called Baby Brown.
Adam has moved around a bit, from the west coast to the east coast and a few places in-between, however, he feels a strong connection to Colorado and hopes to stay for a while.
He completed his undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in 2008 with a B.S. in Human Communications and a minor in Sociology. During his senior year at O.D.U. he was exposed to many different aspects of human and societal development. Through this experience, he developed an interest in different forms of community building and discovered the field of conflict resolution.
Adam started attending the University of Denver in the Fall of 2009 and to pursue a M.A. in Conflict Resolution with a focus in Higher Education and Community Development. After graduating in 2011, Adam decided to continue and follow his passions by pursing another M.A. in Higher Education with an emphasis in Diversity in Higher Learning.
If you stop by his office, you will most likely find chocolate (dark), lots of DU gear, and perhaps stress-relieving pickles! In his spare time Adam loves to travel, ride his motorcycle in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and go to standup comedy!
Andrea Thyrring, Graduate Assistant
214 Driscoll Center North
303.871.3584
andrea.thyrring@du.edu
Andrea was born in Fairbanks, Alaska and moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey at the age of 2. As soon as she could spell, Andrea quickly adopted her nickname, ‘Andy’ (much easier to write) and it has stuck ever since. Growing up, she enjoyed everything the Jersey shore (not the show!) had to offer – beaches, 4-wheeling, and building forts. In high school, Andy was a band geek and held the record for the lowest junior 2000m time on her crew team.
When it came time for her undergraduate degree, Andy stayed in-state and went to the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to pursue her degree in Health and Exercise Science. It was while at TCNJ that Andy was introduced to Student Affairs. She became a Community Advisor, or CA (known as an RA everywhere else). Andy spent two years living and working with residents as a CA, and even remained on campus during the summer months to work as a Summer Assistant for the students attending summer classes. Outside of ResLife, Andy got certified to teach Yoga and was hired as the Student Manager of the Travers-Wolfe Fitness Center (TWFC). She also wrote the weekly Health & Wellness column for the school newspaper.
During her Senior year, Andy became an Assistant Residence Director (ARD). Between her work within the residential community as a CA and ARD, as well as her involvement with student health at the TWFC, Andy quickly decided that Student Affairs was her passion. While her peers in the Health and Exercise Science department were applying to med school or to become a Physical Therapist, Andy was busy working with her Residence Director to figure out which Higher Education program was best for her. Andy found the University of Denver and quickly fell in love.
Andy was offered a Graduate Assistantship in the Office of Student Conduct, and moved to Denver in August of 2011 to begin her Masters degree. Andy hopes to continue to explore everything Colorado has to offer and train for a Tough Mudder competition in the coming spring. If you stop by her office, you’ll likely hear a combination of bad 80’s music and laughter – she is always up for a great conversation and getting to know someone new!
Kate Merkel, Graduate Assistant 
214 Driscoll Center North
303.871.4544
kathyrn.merkel@du.edu
Kate hails from a small town just 45 minutes west of St Louis. Like any other St Louis native, she is an enthusiastic Cardinals’ fan and Imo’s Pizza lover.
Leaving her small town roots, Kate graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana in May 2011 with a degree in Conflict Studies. At DePauw she was involved in the First-Year Experience, a program dedicated to supporting entering and transfer students throughout their first year at DePauw. Additionally, Kate was an active member of the university’s Greek system, serving as the Vice President of Program Development for Alpha Phi and Head Rho Gamma of the Panhellenic Council. In her final semester, she became involved in the newly introduced Restorative Justice Program, attending trainings and serving as a mediator.
If you stop by her office, you will probably hear country music or stories about her beloved dogs – Otis and Millie – and see pictures of her beautiful family and friends. Kate is pursuing her MA in Higher Education with a concentration in College Student Development. In her spare time Kate enjoys biking, snowboarding, hiking, wakeboarding, doing crafts, and watching NCIS.
