Dr. Robert “Bob” Hansen, Emeritus Professor of Theatre and former Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences passed away on October 20, 2025. Hansen grew up in Minnesota to parents who modeled the virtue of hard work and extolled the value of education, even though their own education was limited. Hansen espoused these virtues throughout his life.
Hansen’s leadership abilities were apparent early in his academic career. In 1983, while still an untenured assistant professor, he was elected by senior colleagues to chair the Theatre Department at Bowling Green State University. Hansen served as its chair until 1986 when he joined the faculty at UNCG to serve as Professor and Director of the Theatre Division and Design program in the Department of Communication and Theatre. Two years later, Hansen was appointed Head of the Communication and Theatre Department.
The department was the largest in the College of Arts and Sciences with four disciplinary divisions (Theatre, Communication Studies, Broadcasting/Cinema, and Communication Disorders), 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and 40 faculty and staff. Even though Hansen’s administrative responsibilities greatly increased he continued to teach each semester, research, and work creatively in the Theatre’s production program. Eventually the large Communication and Theatre Department was reorganized into five separate departments with Hansen serving as the Department Head of Theatre. After twelve years as department head, Hansen returned to full-time teaching and research in the Theatre Department for three years before his leadership abilities were once again needed.
In 2003 Bob Hansen joined the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office to serve as Associate Dean, a role in which he thrived for 14 years. Some of Hansen’s responsibilities included curriculum and teaching, instructional technology, program reviews, Summer Session, Freshman Seminars, and the development and direction of the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies Program (BLS). The BLS was the College’s first online degree completion program and was designed to provide non-traditional students who had dropped out of college an opportunity to complete their degree online. The BLS program was very successful and has helped hundreds of North Carolinians complete their college degrees. During his time as Associate Dean, Hansen continued his dedication to teaching and regularly taught in the BLS program and became a strong advocate for online learning in the College. Hansen stepped down as Associate Dean in 2017 and returned to his home unit (now the School of Theatre in the College of Visual and Performing Arts) and entered the University’s phased retirement program.
Bob Hansen was much more than a skilled administrator and dedicated teacher/scholar. He was also a collector, historic preservationist, and jovial colleague. As a child, Hansen collected stamps, coins and fossils but once his passion turned to theatre he began collecting performing arts ephemera. In 2007 Hansen donated his extensive collection of nearly 10,000 theatre and performance arts items to the UNCG Library. This collection is known as the Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection.
In 2007 Hansen added historic preservation to his list of accomplishments. That year he purchased a dilapidated 18th century farmhouse in Bethania that he rehabilitated under covenants with Preservation North Carolina. The two year process of restoration was documented by filmmakers Deni and Will McIntyre in a 60 minute film, Saving the Hansen House, that has been broadcast on North Carolina Public Television and nationally on PBS stations. At one point Hansen served on the board of the Bethania Historical Association and contributed his time and resources to the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes in Bethania and beyond.
In the Dean’s Office, Hansen kept his Midwestern roots by keeping (in his words) “farmer’s hours” and was normally the first one in the Foust Building at 6am every day. He infused his hard work with lots of laughter. Dean Emeritus Timothy Johnston recalls “I worked closely with Bob Hansen for many years. He was a great colleague — smart, dedicated, imaginative, and very funny!” Hansen led the office in unique birthday songs which reflected each co-workers hobbies and background and used his humor and acting skills to keep the mood light when times were stressful. He was an excellent cook and hosted an annual post-holiday office lunch at home and often brought warm apple crisp to the office. Dr. Robert C. Hansen’s impact on the College of Arts & Sciences was as deep and rich as his laugh and he will be greatly missed.
Written by Lori Wright, Chief of Staff for the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office
