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Neil Hansen is a Professor of Environmental Science in the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences at Brigham Young University. He earned his PhD in Soil Physics from the University of Minnesota in 1998, MS in Agronomy from Brigham Young University in 1994, and BS in Agronomy from Brigham Young University in 1992. His career includes serving as Professor at BYU since 2017, Associate Professor at BYU from 2013 to 2017, Associate Professor at Colorado State University from 2004 to 2013, and Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2004. Previously, he was Department Chair of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. In the field of Agricultural and Veterinary Science, Hansen's research addresses water use and conservation in agricultural, urban, and natural systems, including dryland and limited irrigation agroecosystems and land management strategies for water quality protection. He directs the Hansen Soil and Water Conservation Lab, which advances sustainable soil and water resource management at field scales in various croplands.
Hansen has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, including "Dryland Agriculture in North America" (2016), "Biochar and manure amendments impact soil nutrients and microbial enzymatic activities in a semi-arid irrigated maize cropping system" (2016), "Research achievements and adoption of no-till, dryland cropping in the semi-arid US Great Plains" (2012), and "Fate and transport of phosphorus in agricultural systems" (2002). His work appears in journals such as Agronomy Journal, Journal of Environmental Quality, and Soil Science Society of America Journal. Awards include the 2010 Outstanding Faculty Advisor from Colorado State University Agronomy Club, 2009 Shepardson Outstanding Teaching Award from CSU, and 2006 Syngenta Crop Protection Recognition Award from the American Society of Agronomy. Hansen is a member of the American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America since 1998, Board Member of the Agronomic Science Foundation since 2016, and former Committee/Council Chair of ASA (2013-2014). He advises the BYU Environmental Science Club and teaches courses on soil science, international agricultural development, and soils and water quality.
