Currently a professor and department chair of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Hansen is a tireless advocate for access and public higher education. He will begin in the role on Aug. 1.
Christopher Hansen has been named dean of Temple University’s College of Engineering. He will begin in the role on Aug. 1.
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Following a comprehensive national search, Christopher Hansen has been named dean of Temple University’s College of Engineering, the university announced Thursday. Currently a professor and department chair of mechanical and industrial engineering at the Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Hansen is a strong advocate for access and student success who brings a significant track record of scholarship and leadership to the position. He will begin in the role on Aug. 1.
As previously announced, Keya Sadeghipour, current dean of the College of Engineering, will return to the faculty for the start of the next academic year. Sadeghipour has served as dean of the college for 28 years.
At the Francis College of Engineering, Hansen oversees a department of approximately 950 undergraduate, 200 master’s and 50 doctoral students as well as more than 30 faculty and staff members. The department also has annual research expenditures of $6.7 million. Hansen played a key role in expanding the research and teaching impact of the department through strategic hiring of assistant professors and supporting faculty through the tenure and promotion processes.
“Throughout this highly competitive search process, it became clear that Chris Hansen was the ideal candidate for the role. While he is clearly a gifted researcher and strong leader, he also brings other intangibles to the position,” Temple President John Fry said. “Chris has a deep understanding of the important role occupied by urban, R1 public institutions like Temple, and that is especially important as we begin to implement our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose. I have no doubt that under Chris’ leadership, the College of Engineering will build upon its strong foundation and create an environment where all students are empowered to succeed. His extensive experience of working closely with external partners will also be greatly beneficial as we work to maximize our place-based impact and serve as a vital, trusted partner in the city.
“I also want to thank Dean Keya Sadeghipour for his outstanding service leading the College of Engineering. His impact and the way he positively influenced the college and its students, faculty, staff and alumni are profound, and I am deeply grateful,” Fry added.
While at the Francis College of Engineering, Hansen helped reimagine the undergraduate recruitment process for the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Under his leadership, Open House and Welcome Day recruiting events were restructured as student experience-centered events, where they included student panels and interest-based tours. Hansen also worked directly with faculty to modernize undergraduate curricula, transforming the mechanical engineering first-year experience and creating a community-building and professional skills course for incoming students, as well as an advanced technical communication course aligned with industry expectations.
These were just some of many ways in which Hansen has built a career on meeting students where they are. The opportunity to do that at an even higher level is part of what drew him to Temple.
“Honestly, when I visited Temple, it felt like coming home because it felt so familiar in terms of the students that the school serves and the dedication of the faculty and staff to an access-based mission,” Hansen said. “I, myself, am a product of public education and that is what I am committed to. I want to serve this student population, ensuring that our students have the resources they need to succeed and pursue their careers.
“Also, the beautiful thing about an urban environment like Temple is that there are so many partners that you can work with. That also excites me about this role,” Hansen added. “I am very grateful to President Fry and the entire search committee and am excited to be joining Temple at such a pivotal time in its history.”
Partnering with external entities to amplify research has been a hallmark of Hansen’s career. His research expertise focuses broadly on advanced manufacturing and translating fundamental innovations into real-world applications and impact. Throughout his career, his work helped build and create interdisciplinary programs and community connections that link research, workforce development and student success.
“Chris is the right person for this position at the right time,” said interim Provost David Boardman. “His experience and skill set dovetail squarely with the goals we have for the College of Engineering over the next decade.”
Hansen is a NASA Early Career Faculty award recipient and who secured over $13 million in external funding related to additive manufacturing and composites. Currently, he is the site director of the SHAP3D Center, an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center dedicated to 3D-printing research, where he leads collaborations across academia, industry and government to address precompetitive research topics.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in materials engineering from Iowa State University and a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.