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!
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!
Maggie Lea, Graduate Intern 
214 Driscoll Center South
303.871.4506
margaret.lea@du.edu
Maggie is a Denver native and could not wait to return to her homeland after a decade-long hiatus. She is currently pursuing a M.A. in Conflict Resolution at the Korbel School of International Studies here at DU. She has an enthusiastic interest in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is excited to be developing the pilot Restorative Justice program within Student Conduct.
Maggie received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Duke University in 2004, along with a minor in sociology and a certificate in business. After graduation, she moved to D.C. to cut her teeth in public relations at Fleishman Hillard, specifically working in the business-to-government and healthcare arenas. She then headed for the opposite coast to work as a paralegal and project manager for Phillips and Cohen LLP, a boutique plaintiffs’-side law firm in San Francisco that specializes exclusively in representing whistleblowers in False Claims Act cases. Committed to work in the public interest, she helped hold corporate fraud-feasors accountable and assist the government in recovering stolen taxpayer dollars. Her responsibilities included serving as a liaison to dozens of local government entities that, as plaintiffs, collectively represented the majority of claims at issue in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. While in San Francisco from 2006 to 2011, Maggie also worked as a peer-support volunteer to provide practical assistance and emotional support to individuals with terminal illnesses.
Maggie absolutely loves mountain biking and open water swimming. Although she misses swimming in the ocean, she is so happy to be back in land-locked Colorado where she doesn’t have to drive four hours to go skiing. She can often be seen around campus with her three-legged dog, Tripp.
