Native New Zealander Olly Wilson, a senior, wants to emphasize the importance of a global Duke in his campaign for Young Trustee.
Wilson, a Robertson Scholar and an environmental sciences and policy major, is chair of the Council for Collaborative Action, which brings together a diverse group of student leaders to discuss campus culture issues. He is also former president of Blue Devils United, a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning undergraduate students and allies. He also is part of a student experience working group looking at West Union Building renovations. As an international student, Wilson said he would add a unique perspective to the Board of Trustees, which assesses Duke’s global ventures among other projects.
“Duke is going through the effects of the financial crisis and is trying a new strategy towards things like global involvement, and there’s a lot of potential to help the University there,” Wilson said.
In addition to pushing for a truly global Duke, Wilson hopes to contribute by fostering the growth of the existing interdisciplinary approach to education. He wants to back this vision for the University with appropriate infrastructure funding.
Wilson said he knows how and when to speak up in a professional setting, in part due to his internship as a summer business analyst at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
“I was by far the youngest person in the room and the least experienced, but I was expected to learn how to speak and contribute and those are qualities I’ll be able to translate directly to the Board of Trustees,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he is also passionate about leadership development among his peers, environmental issues and engaging with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Others have noted Wilson’s aptitude for not only communicating with others but mobilizing them.
Wilson is fair, inclusive and patient, said his major adviser Emily Klein, senior associate dean at the Nicholas School of the Environment and professor of geology and director of undergraduate studies in earth and ocean sciences.
“He’s the kind of person who really sees his mission in life as bringing people together,” Klein said. “His approach is to hear out others with different viewpoints, really try to understand them and bring about consensus.”
If elected Young Trustee, Wilson’s role will be as a student voice in the top-level discussions of the University.
“He is absolutely a student advocate,” said Jeanne Kirschner, associate director of the Robertson Scholars program. “Olly is deeply passionate about effecting change for all Duke students, and it’s very genuine and very authentic.”
Wilson will continue working with McKinsey & Company in San Francisco after graduation and hopes to become involved in environmental practice. Regardless of the outcome of the Young Trustee election, Wilson said he wants to stay involved with his alma mater.
“The experiences and people I have met here at Duke have been great, and I feel like it’s my duty to give back to that,” Wilson said. “I will be devoted to this University for the rest of my life.”
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