Laura Katz Olson

Distinguished professor of political science at Lehigh University Laura Katz Olson (MPolSci’72; PhD’74) is the author of Ethically Challenged: Private Equity Storms Healthcare, published last year by John Hopkins University Press. Recipient of the 2022 North American Book Award and the 2023 Axiom Best Business Book Award, Ethically Challenged examines the private equity industry’s impact on our health-care system. With a focus on cost and quality of care, Laura investigates the industry’s tactics, including piling debt on investment targets and heavily charging enterprises with fees while collecting dividends for themselves. Laura has been a Social Security administration scholar, a Gerontological Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the Charles A. McCoy Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association.