James Olsen is a first year Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) student in the Global Politics and Society concentration at Georgetown University. He has an academic background in US-China relations and focuses on US foreign policy and national security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Prior to attending Georgetown University, James served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer forward deployed to Rota, Spain on USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80) leading sailors at sea against peer adversaries. He held leadership roles as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and Chief Engineer. He continues to serve as Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine Warfare Tactics Instructor in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

James graduated from George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs and is originally from Tualatin, Oregon. He has a limited working proficiency in Chinese and Spanish.