Dr. Richard A. Hanson, president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, will present an April 12 Honors Council Lecture that reflects on the truths of working in higher education.
His presentation, “The Passionate Sense of Potential: Reflections on the Journey”, begins at 7 p.m. in Hagg-Sauer Hall 112. BSU’s Honor Council lectures are open to everyone free of charge.
During the lecture, President Hanson will examine the truths about the potential behind passion with in the education system including taking personal responsibility and leadership. He will share all that he has learned in his 44 years of experience in higher education in his final Honors Council Lecture before his retirement later this spring.
About President Hanson
Dr. Richard A. Hanson took office as president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in July 2010. Previously, he was interim president of North Dakota State University and president at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa. He will retire in June 2016 after six years in Bemidji and 44 years in higher education.
In addition, Hanson was dean of the college and vice president for academic affairs at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1995 to 2005. He also served North Dakota State University for 15 years as a professor, department chair, dean and associate vice president for academic affairs. Earlier, he was chair of the Department of Home Economics at California State University, Chico.
Hanson’s tenure in Bemidji has included leadership of BSU’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, Imagine Tomorrow, which is set to conclude in June after five years with an initial goal of $35 million for scholarships and academic investment. He also has placed renewed emphasis on international recruitment and education abroad, and championed BSU’s distinction as a north woods campus that offers residential students a transformative college experience.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and his master’s degree in child development and family relations, both from North Dakota State University, and a doctorate in applied behavioral science from the University of California-Davis.
About the Honors Council Lecture Series
The Honors Council Lecture Series is hosted by the Bemidji State University Honors Council. The council is the advisory group to the honors program composed of 12 faculty members representing each of the university’s colleges. Student representatives are also elected to the council by their cohorts for one-year terms.
Contacts
- Kari Caughey, BSU honors program; (218) 755-3984, kcaughey@bemidjistate.eduDr.
Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling nearly 5,000 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding.