Distinguished Alumni Award

Richard F. Hansen, one of the nation's most esteemed healthcare architects, has helped shape the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the UI College of Public Health through his professional expertise and his private generosity.

As founder, partner, and director of the Hansen Lind Meyer healthcare architectural firm, Hansen oversaw the planning in the late-1960s of the UI Hospitals and Clinics' vast expansion. His plans clearly reflected the core values of the academic teaching hospital and paved the way for the patient-centered design now prevalent in healthcare architecture. Through the half-billion-dollar construction of the hospital campus, Hansen Lind Meyer developed a brand that cemented the UIHC's nationwide reputation as the gold standard in hospital design and function. Hansen Lind Meyer became one of the first firms honored by the American Society of Interior Designers for its cutting-edge work.

Highly sought-after for hospital projects across the country, Hansen expanded the Iowa City-based firm founded in 1963, taking it also to Chicago, Orlando, New York City, Washington, DC, and Denver, Colorado. Soon, Hansen Lind Meyer became the second-largest hospital design firm in the nation. Hansen has also designed other notable hospital projects, including the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York, and the University of Michigan Hospitals and Clinics in Ann Arbor. He has served as president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), president of the Iowa Architectural Board of Examiners, and on several AIA committees. In 1983, Hansen was elected as a fellow in the AIA, the organization's highest honor.

Although he graduated in 1955 from Iowa State University, Hansen has become one of the staunchest supporters of the UI College of Public Health. In the college's early and most critical years, he provided wise guidance. Such efforts continue today, as he offers his counsel as a leader of the "Building Today for a Healthy Tomorrow" campaign, which helps finance the college's impressive new building and support students, faculty, and programs. In addition, he served as an adjunct professor for the college and an advisor to UI healthcare leaders.

Hansen and his wife became the UI College of Public Health's first Founding Partners with a charitable gift to endow the Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship Series. The series attracts nationally recognized healthcare scholars for an annual award and presentation, enhancing the reputation and visibility of the college. It also creates opportunities for UI students, faculty, and healthcare workers to meet these scholars and be challenged by their ideas.

A volunteer and charitable giver, Hansen supports academic, athletic, and cultural activities around campus, including the UIHC, the UI College of Medicine, UI Athletics, the UI Museum of Art, and Hancher Auditorium. He also serves as a member of the UI Foundation's Iowa Endowment 2000 National Committee, encouraging non-alumni to invest in the university.

Richard F. Hansen has advanced the UI—and academic medicine—through the visionary talents and resources he dedicates to support educators, physicians, and students in their pursuit of excellence.

Hansen is a member of the UI Foundation's Presidents Club.