Carlson earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in Regional & Comparative Studies at Georgetown University"s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2009, focusing on Chinese Studies and Classics. He was a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University, where he completed his The Master of Philosophy in Archaeology in 2011 and his Doctorate.Phil. in 2015. His research, comparing the Roman and Qin-Han Empires, was supervised by Dame Jessica Rawson and R.R.R. Smith.
In 2015. Carlson has represented the United States at the 2011 World Championships in Bled, Slovenia, where he finished 5th in the men"s lightweight eight. The 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he finished 8th in the men"s coxed pair. And the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France, where he earned a bronze medal in the men"s lightweight eight.
Carlson also coxed the men"s sweep "great eight," composed of Joshua Dunkley-Smith, Olivier Siegelaar, Hamish Bond, Richard Schmidt, Henrik Rummel, Conlin McCabe, Francesco Fossi and Jacob Barsøe at the 2014 Head of the Charles Regatta, beating the United States but losing to the scullers" "great eight," led by the Sinković brothers, Valent and Martin.
Carlson coxed the Oxford University Lightweight Club Blue Boat to a victory over Cambridge at the 2011 Henley Boat Races, and coxed Isis in the 2010 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. He rowed bow seat in the Brasenose College Boat Club 1st VIII, The Childe of Hale, in 2010.
And coxed Brasenose to victory in a 2015 re-enactment of the first ever collegiate rowing race, contested between Brasenose College and Jesus College two hundred years earlier. Carlson previously coxed at Georgetown University, where he simultaneously coxed the varsity eight and rowed in the freshman squad while serving as heavyweight captain in 2009.
Carlson began his career as a coxswain and sculler in 2001 at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
His clubs are Oxford Brookes University Boat Club and New York Athletic Club. Carlson served as chief coach for Oriel College Boat Club, Oxford, in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014.
He won a bronze medal in the men"s lightweight eight at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France, and is best known as the author of the book Blazers (Thames & Hudson and Vendome Press, 2014). In 2013, Carlson won at Henley Royal Regatta (the Britannia Challenge Cup with Taurus Boat Club). Royal Canadian Henley Regatta (the Gifford Trophy and the Wright Challenge Cup with New York Athletic Club). And the Head of the Charles Regatta (the Governor"s Challenge Cup and the BNY Mellon Cup with Cambridge Boat Club).
Oriel finished Head of the River in Summer Eights in both seasons. Defending the Headship in 2012, and bumping Christ Church and Pembroke to recapture the Headship in 2014.
