From Iowa roots to global impact, Hanson reflects on a career dedicated to advancing international engagement and student success.

After 36 years of service to Michigan State University, including more than a decade as vice provost and dean for International Studies and Programs, Steven Hanson is retiring. Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko has recommended Titus Awokuse to serve as ISP's next vice provost and dean.

Hanson’s career at MSU began in 1988 when he was hired as an assistant professor in what was then called the Department of Agricultural Economics—now the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, or AFRE—in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

Finding his path toward higher education 

Raised in rural Iowa, Hanson’s decision to study agribusiness as an undergraduate at Iowa State University hardly came as a surprise. He had planned to get his bachelor’s degree and then return home to Eagle Grove, Iowa, to work with his dad in the construction business where they built swine confinement systems. 

“My dream and what I thought was my pathway was to work in his business, so I wanted an agriculture emphasis in my education,” says Hanson. 

His career trajectory changed because of the farming crisis of the 1980s. 

“That was a very hard time for me and our family. My father, along with many others, lost his business. At that point, I thought, I will take a different track now,” says Hanson, who began working on a Ph.D. in agricultural economics after a professor recruited him to do research during his undergraduate studies. 

“Watching farmers and agribusinesses lose everything made me switch what I wanted to focus on. I became more interested in risk management—helping farmers and agribusinesses better manage their risk to avoid these types of catastrophic events from happening,” Hanson says.  

Becoming globally minded in Michigan 

Hanson’s introduction to international engagement came quickly as he moved along the faculty tenure track. 

“The department I was in has an international program called the Food Security Group, arguably the flagship international program at MSU. At the time, there were well over 100 graduate students in the department and the majority of those were international students, largely due to a large group of faculty members working on food security issues in Africa and other parts of the world. 

So, when you have a department with so many graduate students from other countries, you can’t help but get pulled into international work. That’s how I started working globally,” Hanson explains. 

Hanson became department chair in 2003—soon after his promotion to full professor. 

“I said I wasn’t sure I was the right person, but I had a lot of encouragement from faculty colleagues to apply for the position,” Hanson recalls modestly. 

Calm and practical, Hanson is reserved. Quiet, but not silent. And if he commits to something, it’s because he cares. 

“I saw potential for the department to be ranked in the top five without moving away from or compromising our commitment to undergraduate success and to our outreach to stakeholders in Michigan and internationally,” says Hanson. “I cared about the department. One thing led to another. I applied and ended up getting the job.” 

“We set some goals in the department to become a destination for top faculty and students in our field, and that we’d be sought after by policy makers, businesses, and employers for the type of knowledge that we were producing and for the education we were delivering,” Hanson says. 

As chair, Hanson began to travel more internationally. First to East Africa and then to different parts of Latin America to do work for the World Bank related to the use of risk management instruments in developing markets. Much of Hanson’s travel then and since has been centered on building relationships and outreach to stakeholders. 

Dividing time 

For 11 years (2003-2014), Hanson served as department chair of AFRE. During this time, the department proved itself to be among the most globally engaged departments at the university. Prior to his annual review one year, Hanson gathered contract and grant metrics to show his dean where external funding was coming from. 

“That year, roughly 70% of the international grant awards that came into the university came through CANR, and close to 90% of those awards came into either AFRE or the Institute of International Agriculture, which our department was closely connected to. So, I said, ‘This is great for my department, but it’s not great for MSU. We need broader international research engagement across campus,’” Hanson recalls telling his college dean. 

ISP’s former associate provost and dean, Jeff Riedinger, noticed. 

“In the fall of 2009, I had the good sense and great foresight to appoint Steve Hanson to a three-year term as assistant dean of ISP and executive director of what was then-called MSU’s Global Food and Society Alliance initiative,” recalls Riedinger. “Steve was an indispensable partner and thought-leader in bringing a data-driven approach to ISP and MSU’s international engagement.” 

Hanson began dividing his time between AFRE and International Studies and Programs to help move MSU toward aligned and engaged scholarship, with a goal to develop global opportunities for faculty across the university. As a result of those collaborative efforts, in 2012, MSU received multiple multi-year funding awards from foundations, government agencies and private individuals totaling roughly $150 million.

Going all in on international 

After a second appointment as assistant dean followed by an interim dean appointment, Hanson was named associate provost and dean for International Studies and Programs at MSU in 2014. 

Hanson credits John Hannah’s vision as well as several other university presidents who believed in MSU’s unique and centralized approach to global work. 

“I never came in saying we need a new vision. Thanks to Hannah, we have a great vision. I thought there were some strategies that we could put into place that were going to help us move more effectively toward that vision,” Hanson says. “I had ideas about where we needed to go.” 

“That period as interim dean was key for me because I learned a ton and got to see the different pieces—how they were working and not working. From there, I was able to put together my own spin on Hannah’s vision and an implementation model to move us forward,” explains Hanson. 

The data-driven approach, he says, is to identify and link thematic research occurring within the different colleges and adapt that to the regional context in the areas of the world where MSU is working, something the university’s area and thematic studies centers and partnership platforms are uniquely positioned to do. From there, it’s about developing and strengthening global partnerships and collaborations that will magnify and create lasting impact.

Leaving a legacy of global Spartans 

Since Hanson first arrived in East Lansing, significant changes have occurred. And yet, some things remain. Hanson jokes his hairline is not one of them. 

Today, Hanson is looking through a different lens with a more global perspective in how universities use their resources. 

“My focus now is in the global engagement space and having people see themselves as part of something bigger,” says Hanson. 

His approach has led to the creation of several offices and strategic global initiatives, including the Alliance for African Partnership; Asia Hub; Global Youth Advancement Network; Office for Global Health, Safety and Security; Global DEI programs; and the emerging Spartan Global Learning Initiative. 

“We’ve taken what MSU’s international programs have been doing at the forefront for 60 years and, through these partnership platforms and other initiatives, we’re taking things to a new level. We’re institutionalizing some of our global relationships, creating international opportunities for larger clusters of faculty and students, and making it easier for Spartans to get engaged in global work and experiences.” 

As vice provost and dean, how Hanson engages with students may be different than when he was teaching classes and supervising graduate students; however, his commitment to student success has never wavered. One of the great privileges of working in International Studies and Programs, says Hanson, is directly engaging with international students and scholars. 

“Students are the lifeblood of the university. We must do everything we can to ensure their academic success while also fostering an environment that makes them feel welcome and supported,” Hanson says. “This means regularly listening to and providing resources adapted for the unique needs of international Spartans.” 

As a result of ongoing dialogue between the Office of International Students and Scholars; Student Life and Engagement; and the International Student Association, or ISA, a new ISA headquarters will open later this month in the International Center.

“Having ISA’s headquarters in the International Center among ISP offices reinforces the great importance of our international students and scholars. I am proud to see this initiative come to completion as I know it is a space that will help build community,” says Hanson.

Hanson cites the emerging Spartan Global Learning Initiative as another program he is excited about. The initiative explores many different paths toward global learning and aims to help every Spartan graduate as a global Spartan, having developed intercultural skills and global awareness. This holistic approach will pay dividends for MSU and for students, both domestic and international. 

“Steve possesses an innate understanding of the university’s values, mission and aspirations, says MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “This deep understanding has guided his actions and interactions over the years in ways that have added value to ISP and MSU and advanced all aspects of our international work—be it teaching, research or outreach and engagement.” 

Providing steady and successful leadership 

Humility ranks high on Hanson’s list of character and leadership traits. He counts himself lucky for the examples of leadership he’s found in each boss he’s had. As a leader himself, he encourages growth and fosters a sense of cohesion on his team. 

“Steve is a strong, ethical leader. He is a good listener and considers all ideas, opinions and voices in his decision making,” says Rob Glew, associate dean in International Studies and Programs and professor of international development studies, who has worked with Hanson for the last 13 years. 

“In his role as vice provost and dean for ISP, Steve’s portfolio of responsibilities has extended into and across the entire university,” says Jeitschko. “Steve’s thoughtful, collaborative and forward-thinking leadership has provided a calm and steady presence, paired with an energizing vision for MSU’s future.” 

Because of Hanson’s leadership, Michigan State’s international engagement thrives. MSU continues to boast the No. 1 ranked education abroad program among public universities, more than 340 partnership agreements in 80 countries and more than $75M a year in external funding for international work, among many other accomplishments. 

It was never Hanson’s intent to stray from his tenure-track position as a professor, nor did he anticipate where his career led him following his initial move to ISP; yet he’s done quite well following a certain mantra: “Surround yourself with smart and passionate people and help them be successful—because when they are successful, the institution is successful.” 

Hanson will continue working closely with ISP on special projects related to global engagement and return to disciplinary work as he transitions to full retirement at the end of 2026. 

“While my role is changing, I look forward to remaining an active part of the Global Spartan community and seeing all we will achieve together in the years ahead,” says Hanson. 

Friends and colleagues are welcome to share their photos, memories and messages of congratulations on Hanson’s Kudoboard.