Dr. Ron Hanson
Professor of Agribusiness, Department of Agricultural Economics
University of Nebraska

Area of Expertise
Dr. Ron Hanson serves as the Neal Harlan Professor of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska. Professor Hanson’s college teaching and student advising career has earned him over 26 university and national recognitions. He has been selected as the Outstanding College Ag Instructor for the Central U.S. Region and has received the John Deere Agribusiness Teaching Award of Excellence. Ron is the only University of Nebraska professor to have received the prestigious USDA Excellence in University Teaching Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture which is the highest national teaching honor granted to a college professor in the area of agricultural and food sciences. His highest career honor was earned by being named the Nebraska Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. He has counseled with Nebraska farm families for more than 30 years to help them resolve family conflicts in a more positive manner and to improve family relations through better communications. His recent efforts have been directed at creating a successful farm family business ownership succession plan when passing a farm from one generation (parents) to the next (their adult children). Professor Hanson is a widely traveled national speaker who shares with audiences the importance of family and personal relationships with other family members when farming and working together in a family owned business operation.

Academic Training

Honors and Awards
University of Nebraska Educator of the Year 2008
Academy of Distinguished Teachers University of Nebraska 2006
CASE Nebraska Professor of the Year Carnegie Foundation 2004
National USDA Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in Teaching 2003
NACTA Teaching Award of Excellence 2002
Senior Faculty Holling Award for Teaching Excellence 2002
University Parents’ Association Contributions to Students (17 recognitions) 2008