John Mark Hansen named Deputy Dean and Executive Director of Master’s Programs for the Division

John Mark Hansen, the Charles L. Hutchinson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science and the College, has agreed to serve as Deputy Dean and Executive Director of Master’s Programs in the Social Sciences. 

The MA programs, long an important component of the division’s pedagogy, are at a point of significant challenge and opportunity. The increased demand for these programs and their recent growth creates a need to assess the direction for the next chapter of post-baccalaureate education in the social science disciplines. In the coming years, Hansen will lead a strategic review and renewal of the division’s MA programs, working closely with faculty and program directors to articulate each program’s pedagogical mission, to evaluate operations and strategy, and to consolidate their position within the division. He will also serve as faculty director of the MAPSS program. 

As a former associate provost, dean, and department chair, Hansen brings a wealth of experience to this role. As a scholar, he is well-known for his research and teaching in the field of American politics. Among many awards and recognitions, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2003 and active in its governance.

Hansen was appointed to this role by Amanda Woodward, Dean of the Division of the Social Sciences and William S. Gray Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology.  The role is effective July 1, 2018, for a term of three years. Hansen succeeds Dain Borges, Associate Professor of History and the College, who served as faculty chair of MAPSS since 2014. Borge’s oversight of the program and his  mentorship of MA students during a period of significant growth in the program has been an essential to the division’s accomplishments.