Dorte Olesen was director of UNI-C, the Danish national cerntre for IT for research and education from 1989 to 2011. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the creation of the Danish NREN “Forskningsnettet” (later DeIC), and played a key role in the shaping of the Danish R&E e-infrastructure landscape, the creation of national computing services, experiments in online education support, and much more. Dorte Olesen engaged with the global R&E e-Infrastructrure community. She was a member of the NORDUnet Board of Directors 2001-2002, and served as president of TERENA, the European association of R&E networks, from 2003 to 2009, and as a member of the GÉANT Association Board of Directors during 2014-2017. In these capacities, Dorte Olesen helped shape European e-Infrastructure policy, a role she also served as a member of several EC policy groups, including the “EC HIgh Performance Computing and Networking Advisory Committee”, the “EC Expert Group on ICT in Education” (2001-2005), and the “EC High Level Expert Group on the Future of GÉANT” (2010-2011). Likewise Dorte was appointed to the “UN Panel on Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries” in 2014.
While supporting infrastructure for research and education, Dorte Olesen also found time to engage with general Internet development and support for general education. Dorte Olesen was an early influencer of the development of e-business in Denmark, and engaged strongly in the support of internet and online services for all elementary schools in Denmark. Dorte Olesen also found the time to servive a wide range of public interets as board member for Roskilde University, the Danish Pharmaceutical University, as well as commercial enterprises.
Before joining the world of NRENs, Dorte Olsesen graduated in Mathematics in 1973, received her PhD in 1975, and served as a professor of mathematics at University of Copenhagen, University of Roskilde, and a visiting professor at University of California at Berkeley. Dorte Olesen was eleced dean of schools of science at University of Copenhagen in 1986, as the first woman to serve as dean of science at a Danish university.
Dorte Olesen remains active and is today engaged in Zonta International working for the empowerment of women globally. She has recently been elected govenor of Zonta Internationals disctrict 13 for the period 2018-2020.
NORDUnet wishes Dorte Olesen a happy birthday.
