Travel award helps Chemistry graduate students, thanks to Dr. Willa O’Day Olsen and the late Patricia Crawford Brown

Dr. Willa O’Day Olsen, a proud alumna of the University of Southern California, began her academic journey at the university in 1954. Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Willa joined the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority where she met her dear friend, Patricia.

Patricia Crawford Brown, a senior in the sorority, was assigned as Willa’s “Big Sister.” Despite their difference in age, they quickly formed a closeknit friendship. Patricia, who majored in English, went on to enjoy a successful writing career, contributing significantly to both The New Yorker and Bon Appétit, with the latter benefiting from her leadership as it grew into the top publication of its kind. Lasting 60 years, until the time of her passing in May of 2024, her friendship with Dr. Olsen was one of the most cherished relationships in her life—so much so that she entrusted Dr. Olsen with the responsibility of dispersing a significant portion of her estate.

In honor of Patricia and the lifelong connections forged at USC, Dr. Willa O’Day Olsen has generously donated a gift of $50,000 to the Department of Chemistry. She selected this department due to her late husband’s “immense love” of the field. This award has been named “The Drs. Olsen (Carl J., Ph.D. Chem and Willa, M.D.) and Patricia Crawford Brown Travel Award.” Behind this gesture lies a story of deep friendship and gratitude, and so, Dr. Olsen has chosen to allocate the funds to students attending academic conferences who would not have had the opportunity to do so without financial support. The decision was made after consulting with her son and daughter-in-law, both chemists, who agreed that the funds this way would maximize their impact.

While there have been many changes at USC over the years, Dr. Olsen’s pride as an alum has remained a constant. “There’s really nowhere better you could go,” she remarks. When asked about her advice for future award recipients, she simply encourages them to make the most of this opportunity for professional networking and enhancing their chemistry research.