Robert Olin is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama. He joined UA after serving for 25 years on the faculty of Virginia Tech, including six years as chair of the mathematics
department. Under his leadership, the UA College of Arts and Sciences has added numerous buildings and programs, and has significantly increased its undergraduate enrollment and endowment. Through the College, he provided substantial financial support to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, and he has encouraged UA participation in AHF grants,
events and programs. He holds a B.A. in mathematics from Ottawa University in Kansas and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Indiana University.