Josephine (Jo) Olson learned the importance of paying it forward as a child. “I grew up in a family where service and donations were important,” Olson says. “My parents were generous donors despite not being wealthy.” 

Now that she is retired after more than 50 years of teaching at Pitt, Olson has committed more than $1 million to Pitt Business students. With this generous gift, the professor emeritus joins The Brackenridge Circle — established by Pitt in 2010 to recognize those remarkable individuals who have given planned gifts of $1 million or more over their lifetime toward the continued progress and success of the University. 

“I think it is important to do something to help others. Now that I am retiring, I hope to give of my time as well as my money,” Olson says. 

From the Classroom to the World 

Olson believes that business students need to understand and be sensitive to different cultures, languages, customs, laws, and regulations since most businesses are international or global. 

At the age of 20, she spent a summer working in Mexico. “I believe an international experience should be part of almost every student’s education. Even a week or two in another country can help a business student begin to gain a global perspective.” 

 The bulk of her giving supports the Josephine E. Olson Fund for International Studies, which supports undergraduate business students with their international studies on an annual basis. Many recipients have credited the scholarships with helping them have unparalleled experiences while abroad, equipping them with skills and knowledge that will guide their future careers.  

 Anita Rzewski (BSBA ’23) studied abroad in the summer of 2023. “The opportunity to discover and reflect on my leadership style in a place as beautiful as the Himalayas is an experience that I will forever be grateful for,” she says. “Thank you, Professor Olson, for your donation and the opportunity to live this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”  

An Incredible International Career

Olson joined the University in 1971 as the only woman on the full-time faculty. Now, nearly 30 percent faculty at Pitt Business are women. Over the course of her illustrious career, she taught graduate and undergraduate courses in managerial economics and international economics.  

Olson’s family inspired more than her desire to give back. Her interest in international studies stemmed from her family heritage and her multicultural upbringing in suburban New York.  

Olson says the most exciting part of her career was in the early 1990s when Katz had programs in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and even Russia. She had a Fulbright scholarship to teach in Hungary in 1991 and taught students from Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, and other countries; she keeps in touch with many of them today. More recently, Olson enjoyed taking students on short-term study trips to the Czech Republic, France and Latin America.  

“I especially loved watching the first-year students in Chile overcome their timidness and practice their Spanish in restaurants, in stores, and on the street. I hope that most of the students found these study tours to be a significant experience that gave them a greater global perspective.” 

Support Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

Are you feeling inspired to give? Contact Jodi Weisfield at jweisfield@katz.pitt.edu to discuss the ways that you can pay it forward to shape the future of Pitt Business.