About
Steven D. Hanson is a Professor and former Chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University (MSU), where he also serves as Associate Provost and Dean of International Studies and Programs. He holds a Ph.D. and B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University. His research focuses on risk management, commodity options pricing, land value analysis, and agricultural finance. Dr. Hanson has held leadership roles including Department Chair (2003–2014), Assistant Dean for International Programs, and Associate Provost. He is a Fellow of the Food Systems Leadership Institute and former Chair of the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators.
His teaching spans graduate and undergraduate courses in financial economics and management. Research interests include pricing commodity options under time-varying volatility, capital gains taxation, and production-hedging strategies. He has authored influential works on agricultural insurance valuation, farm storage decisions, and international land transactions. His professional service includes leadership in aligning global scholarship on food systems, health, environment, and education through MSU’s International Studies and Programs.
