Kris Olds is Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a Senior Fellow with NAFSA.

Kris’ current research focuses on the globalization of higher education and research. This research agenda relates to his longstanding research interests in the globalization of the services industries (including higher education, architecture, property), and their relationship to urban and regional change. He makes heavy use of digital outlets to engage, serve, and engender informed debate including via GlobalHigherEd (which is cross-listed on Inside Higher Ed), and Twitter @GlobalHigherEd.

Kris’ teaching focuses on related themes, but especially global cities, cities and development, global elites, global networks, and global economic geographies. He recently launched an online version of Geography 340 (World Regions in Global Context), and recently taught a graduate seminar titled Cities and Development. This new course is being directly and/or indirectly supported by UW-Madison's Division of Continuing Studies, College of Letters & Science, European Union Center for Excellence, Center for German and European Studies, Center for European Studies, Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia, and Center for Southeast Asian Studies.