Photo and logo courtesy of Jackson State Community College; designed by TTR
Jackson State Community College has appointed Dr. Peter Hanson as the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs following a nationwide search to fill the newly established role.
The role is part of a strategic initiative to reinforce and further develop community ties in the college’s service area in an effort to provide wider access to higher education. As part of this initiative, Hanson has been tasked with overseeing Jackson State’s Centers located throughout its West Tennessee service area and will work to further expand the Middle College by working closely with local school systems.
“Dr. Hanson has already proven to be essential to developing our connections across West Tennessee and improving the education of our students,” said Dr. Jennifer Lopes, the Vice President of Academic Affairs. “His experience as an educator and his dedication to creating new opportunities for students to succeed is invaluable to our team here at Jackson State. Student success has always been a top priority at JSCC, and I believe Dr. Hanson will be vital to the continued improvement of our students’ education and will support the college’s devotion to excellence.”
Hanson began his career in education in 1999 as an Instructor of Pre-Freshman Engineering at Penn State University. He then taught as a Chemistry professor at Wittenberg University, until he began serving as Chief Academic Officer and Dean at Chatfield College in 2017.
Throughout his nearly 25-year career, Hanson has been dedicated to the continual improvement of education and student success. He believes hands-on, personalized education is an essential part of student success. In all his positions as an educator, Hanson has prioritized supporting students in achieving their educational goals and connecting them to the resources they need to thrive in college and in their future career.
Hanson holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Doctoral Degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
During his time at Wittenberg University, Hanson served as the Chair on numerous committees including, the University Planning Commission, the Faculty Executive Board, the Educational Policies Committee, and the Assessment of Student Academic Achievement Committee. Hanson was named a Southwest Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Academic Leadership Fellow in 2015.
