About Carola Oliva-Olson

With 30 years of experience, Carola Oliva-Olson, Ph.D., is a leading expert on multilingualism, diversity, equity, early childhood programming, and professional development. She received her master's degree in preschool primary education from Barry University and a doctorate in education with an emphasis on special education and applied linguistics. Before joining IREE, Oliva-Olson was SRI International's senior principal education researcher. She co-authored the personalized oral languages learning strategies and developed the dual language supports assessment. She was the principal investigator for the California Department of Education and California state superintendent of public instruction's early initiatives professional development grants. Recently, Oliva-Olson was appointed to the California governor's early childhood policy council, where she leads multilingual education efforts. Her work has been key to advancing equity and ensuring educators embrace children's diversity.