Olsen has a Bachelor of Arts (Education), a Bachelor of Science, a Master of .Education and a Master of Resource Science. He has been a lecturer in the School of Education and Community Studies, Division of Communication and Education, and a member of the Applied Ecology Research Group at the University of Canberra. His research interests include raptor biology, particularly raptor reproduction and ecology, and implications for conservation in natural and urban settings. Olsen has also published on disruptive students and the management of classrooms.