search articles:     from the issue of December 2, 2004         Hanson is Professor of Year  BY SANDI ALSWAGER, IANR NEWS SERVICE Ron Hanson sees teaching as an opportunity to make a difference in students' lives.     HANSON The UNL agribusiness professor savors the challenge of motivating students to reach beyond their capabilities and enjoys being involved in student campus activities. In short, his passion is teaching students and influencing their careers. Hanson has been named the 2004 Nebraska Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Hanson, the Neal E. Harlan professor of agribusiness, received the national award Nov. 18 in Washington, D.C. "Being the first faculty member in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to be recognized as Nebraska Professor of the Year is indeed an honor," Hanson said. "Traveling to Washington, D.C., to receive this award is a very special moment in my teaching career." Hanson, a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Economics since 1974, was selected from among nearly 400 top professors in the United States, including five nominees from Nebraska. There are winners this year in 46 states. "UNL is very proud of Ron Hanson's national recognition for teaching excellence," said UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman. "He illustrates the strong commitment our faculty make to our students." Hanson said he sets high expectations for himself and his students. He advises between 80 and 90 students each semester and has received 14 UNL Parents Association recognition awards, more than any other faculty member on campus. He credits an open door policy and continued involvement in student advising activities for his 30 years of success in the classroom. He said he now sees second-generation students whose parents told them to take one of his classes. "I am certainly indebted to my students both past and present," Hanson said. "I enjoy the classroom environment, the opportunity to interact with students and learn from them. I enjoy my class lecture periods and look forward to seeing my students each day in class. "When I retire, what I'll miss most is the students. Having played a small part in their undergraduate success and career accomplishments has been my personal reward from teaching." Hanson has had opportunities to move into administration or private business, but said he would miss students and the classroom too much. Hanson has received more than 20 college and university awards in addition to several national honors for teaching and student advising. He is the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources director of UNL's Agribusiness Program, a joint degree program offered jointly through that college and the College of Business Administration. He was awarded the Neal E. Harlan endowed professorship in 1988 for helping to develop the undergraduate agribusiness curriculum. He received the highest teaching honor given by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture in 2002 and was the first person from UNL to earn the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Award for Excellence in University and College Teaching in Agricultural and Food Sciences in 2003. Raised on an Illinois family farm, Hanson received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Western Illinois University in 1968. He received both master's and doctorate degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois in 1970 and 1972, respectively. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education established the Professors of the Year program in 1981 and works in cooperative with the Carnegie Foundation and various education associations in the award's administration. CASE is the largest international association of educational institutions, with nearly 2,900 colleges, universities and independent elementary and secondary schools. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a policy center in Palo Alto, Calif., is devoted to strengthening U.S. schools and colleges. GO TO: ISSUE OF DECEMBER 2 NEWS HEADLINES FOR DECEMBER 2 Hanson is Professor of Year Century Club offers networking, support for faculty Treves plays major role in growth of geosciences A Piece of University History 'Real Nebraska' movie contest begins online Scientist: New food law could cause confusion Symposium discusses: Are we rusting? 731917S33963X