Kenneth R. Olson is a professor emeritus of soil science in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. He is an internationally known soil scientist who has published extensively on the great rivers of the world, environmental impact of warfare on soils, soil conservation, soil management, soil erosion, degradation, soil productivity, soil characterization and interpretation, and methodologies for measuring change over time in soil organic carbon.