Ryan R. Hansen

Ryan R. Hansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Kansas State University's College of Engineering. As the Wayne and Barbara Harms Keystone Research Scholar, he leads the Hansen Biointerface Lab, focusing on synthetic biofunctional materials for microbial biotechnology and sustainability.

• Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (University of Colorado Boulder, 2008), B.S. in Chemical Engineering (Colorado School of Mines, 2001)
• Professional Experience: Postdoctoral researcher at Colorado School of Mines; researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.

Research Interests center on designing biointerfaces, hydrogels, and polymer systems for microbial screening, sustainable agriculture, and bioelectrochemical protection. His work bridges chemical engineering, polymer science, and microbiology to advance food-energy-water system sustainability.

Scientific Awards include the NSF CAREER Award, K-State Alumni Award for Faculty Excellence, Carl R. Ice College Outstanding Assistant Professor Award, and Engineering Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Publications span 30+ journal articles and 5 patents, with recent trends in photodegradable hydrogels, microbial consortia, and electroactive bacteria coatings.