Hansen receives distinguished alumni award from alma mater

Lance Hansen is honored on stage during the Purdue Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Engineering Technical Operations Senior Director Lance Hansen has been honored with the 2025 Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Award from the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University.

Hansen is an accomplished senior leader with a distinguished career spanning over four decades in both civilian and military roles. He was selected in recognition of his outstanding career achievements and exceptional contributions to the profession.

“This is quite an honor, and a humbling one at that,” Hansen said. “I was a graduate student at Purdue in the early years of this award, and sometimes wondered how folks made their way through the profession to such recognition. I learned later there are many, many ways to have impact. My journey is just another one of those ways. I am happy to be considered a worthy addition to this cohort of Purdue professionals.”

Hansen graduated from Purdue with his Master of Science and Engineering in 1996 and his Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering in 2002. Purdue provided Hansen the opportunity to focus on STEM and tie in important lessons in the humanities from his undergraduate at the United States Military Academy, which he attributes to molding his leadership style.

Hansen was presented the award during a ceremony at the university in West Lafayette, Indiana in April. He shared wisdom gleaned from his vast experience with current Purdue students, detailing his career story and offering guidance as they embark on their own engineering journeys.

“Engineering is a discipline that solves problems and creates foundations,” Hansen said. “There are a lot of problems to be solved and future foundations to establish. Some are physical, some are fiscal, some are philosophical, some are truly existential. The principles of engineering are not unlike the principles of logic or the principles of physics. Learn to leverage technical expertise with existential expertise of the humanities and physics. This is where originality and true discovery occurs. This is where the greatest impact on others will then manifest.”

Hansen joined the Pantex Engineering team in September 2024. As the Senior Director of Engineering Technical Operation, he leads a team focused on workforce assurance initiatives, spearheads business interface projects to improve internal communication within the division, and manages acquisition processes to increase operational efficiency.

This award showcases Pantex’s commitment to recruit and retain innovative leaders such as Hansen to the Nuclear Security Enterprise. Hansen says he is proud of the contributions he has made thus far, and encourages others to look to the future.

“Always keep learning and challenging yourself to think differently,” Hansen said. “Do what you love to do—be kind and thoughtful with others who love to do other things. They can be your greatest colleagues and advocates in the future.”