College of Humanities and Sciences

Jake Olesen, Ph.D., recently retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served as a special agent for over 22 years. During his career at the FBI, he chased computer hackers around the world and later specialized in digital forensics. Before joining the FBI, he was a cryptologic mathematician at the National Security Agency, and taught cybersecurity and network forensics at the Defense Cyber Crime Center. He holds a doctoral degree in mathematics from Purdue University,  a master's degree in data analytics from Western Governors University and a master's degree in telecommunications and networks from The George Washington University. He was previously an assistant professor of cybersecurity and digital forensics at Stevenson University.

Q&A with Jake Olesen

Where did you grow up? Can you tell us a little about your educational journey?

I was born in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, where I was a rather mediocre student. I finally hit my stride in college when I discovered the wonders of mathematics. After earning a Ph.D., I started working for the National Security Agency, and my government career took off.

When did you first fall in love with your field of study? What made you decide to work in academia?

I have always hoped to “give back” through academic work. I’ve had the great fortune of working with many amazing professors, scientists and investigators during my career. I hope to have a similar positive influence on the careers of others, and the Department of Forensic Science at VCU will provide the perfect opportunity for that.

Can you explain the focus of your research?

The field of digital forensics is relatively new, arguably just a few decades old. It is developing very quickly as the technologies used for data storage and transmission continuously evolve and break barriers. The field is ripe for machine learning integration and automation.

Can you talk a little about your teaching philosophy? What do you most like about teaching?

My favorite part of teaching is seeing students achieve their goals. Nothing feels better than seeing the growth that results from hard work and dedication. As with all the forensic sciences, the disciplines of digital forensics and incident response are best learned by doing. However, there is a theoretical background upon which these specialties rely, and I enjoy the challenge of merging the hands-on with the theory.

What attracted you to VCU? What are you most excited about in regards to VCU and Richmond?

I was assigned to the Richmond FBI Field Office in 2007 (coming from San Diego) and have loved living here from the very beginning. My wife and I started our family here! Shortly after arriving, I began attending various seminars and other meetings hosted at VCU and learned about some of the fantastic work being done on campus. VCU is an incredible school that is integral to the Richmond community.  I am honored to be a part of it.

Can you tell us either a quirky fact about yourself or some of your hobbies?

I love the game of hockey.  When I was young and high-speed, I was pretty fast! No one accuses me of that anymore, but I am still playing.