Rolf Strom-Olsen obtained his BA cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. After a stint at CNN, he embarked upon graduate studies, first at McGill University (MA), and then at Northwestern University, where he completed a PhD in History.

A Fulbright scholar to Spain in 1998-99, and a Social Sciences Research Council fellow in 2000, he has published a variety of articles and reviews on European history. His main area of research is court ritual and state formation in the late medieval and early modern periods, concentrating on the Low Countries and Spain. He also has research interests in late-Roman and early medieval Iberian history. A classical music aficionado, he is also pursuing a master's degree in advanced composition at the Royal College of Music.

Rolf is a professor of intellectual history at the IE School of Arts and Humanities.