Paul Hanson became associate director of UNL's School of Natural Resources on Jan. 1.
SNR director John Carroll said broad thinking, proactive style and engaging interactions were characteristics he looked for when considering candidates for the associate director role.
"The associate director position in a large and complex organization like SNR is extremely important and contributes significantly to administration and management of the unit," Carroll said. "What we have with Paul is an individual who has carved out an impressive scientific career with a reputation for being very collegial. He is someone who gets things done."
Hanson is an associate professor affiliated with the geography/GIScience faculty and the geology and soils faculty. He joined the university in 2005 and succeeds Tala Awada, professor of plant ecophysiology, who stepped down from the associate director position in December 2013. Awada will continue serving as a faculty member.
As associate director, Hanson will be responsible for managing an array of administrative projects. Among those tasks will be overseeing the implementation of a strategic sustainability plan for the university's geography program.
"I am closely involved with two programs – geography and the Conservation and Survey Division – that have both been moving through transitional phases, but I believe they have the potential to be strong facets of the school," Hanson said. "I expect that I will learn an appreciable amount during my tenure, and believe most of these goals should be accomplished through collaboration and teamwork."
Hanson's research interests focus on the responses of rivers and dune systems to climate change. Since coming to UNL, Hanson has taught physical geography courses and has led natural resources field trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and Big Bend National Park in Texas.
"I especially like the balance between the research and teaching portions of my position," Hanson said. "I've developed a field course and have been involved in co-teaching classes where experiential learning is the focus and find these endeavors to be both rewarding and challenging. I am an avid traveler and enjoy seeing students experience new environments for the first time."
Looking to the future, Hanson said he's excited about the opportunity to help SNR grow and evolve.
"I'm very interested in assisting and collaborating with Dr. Carroll, our faculty, staff and students to move SNR forward."
— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources