Northern Michigan University Professor Emeritus Robert Hanson was recently awarded the Founders’ Award from "Loss Prevention Magazine," which honors those professionals who have taken initiative and advanced the loss prevention industry.
"It’s a great honor. It was completely unexpected. I certainly never set out to achieve something like that,” Hanson said.
Hanson joined the NMU faculty in 1976 following eight years in the Army, serving with the Army Security Agency, Counterintelligence and Criminal Investigation. In the 1990s, Hanson noticed an increasing number of students being recruited into loss prevention roles, who, while highly competent, lacked the professional credentials required to advance their careers in that field.
As a result of this need, Hanson, with the help of the National Retail Federation, created the Retail Loss Prevention Management degree at NMU. The degree was designed to meet working professionals where they are to allow them to earn advanced credentials and to provide students the preparedness needed to succeed in a career in loss prevention.
Hanson, who recently retired from his position as department head of Criminal Justice at NMU, still serves on the NRF Loss Prevention Council and continues to engage in developing the future of the industry through continued work with students, facilitating internships and providing networking opportunities.