About
Biography
Professor Olander was raised in Canton, Ohio and graduated from Malone University in 2013
with a double major in Philosophy and Political Science. In 2014, he enrolled in the Doctoral
Program at Loyola University Chicago’s Department of Political Science, where he earned his
Ph.D. in 2021. He taught at Roosevelt University during the Spring of 2022, and joined the
department at Valpo as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2022. His research focuses on
the role non-state actors play in war and peace processes, and he teaches courses in international
relations, comparative politics, and war and conflict studies.
Fellowships
Peace Scholar Fellow for the United States Institute of Peace, 2020-2021
Peer Reviewed Publications
“Supply Side Incentives for Mediation—Which Actors Mediate International Crises?” (with
Melin, Molly M). 2019. In Research Handbook on Mediating International Crises, ed. Jonathan
Wilkenfeld, Kyle Beardsley, David Quinn. Edward Elgar Publishing. 94-108
