Marci J. Hanson, Ph.D.
Marci J. Hanson, Ph.D.
Professor Hanson was actively engaged in teaching, research, and service related to young children and their families. She taught courses on family systems and services, learning and development, atypical infant development, and early childhood curriculum development and assessment. She directed the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education with the University of California, Berkeley, and codirected the early childhood special education graduate program at San Francisco State University.
Dr. Hanson received her doctorate in special education with a minor in developmental psychology from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining the faculty, she worked as a research scientist in the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. For many years, Dr. Hanson was actively involved in research and community service with a primary focus on the inclusion of young children with disabilities in early childhood settings. She also directed a number of federally funded personnel preparation and research grants in early childhood and two model demonstration early intervention programs focused on family involvement in early education. The graduate training programs and the early intervention programs reflected the wide diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area and the country.
Dr. Hanson has presented and consulted widely in the United States and internationally. She has contributed extensively to the peer-reviewed professional literature and has authored a number of books and chapters. She is the author, with Dr. Eleanor Lynch, of Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Working with Children and Their Families (4th ed.) (Brookes, 2011). As Professor Emerita, she continues to consult on statewide and national projects and mentors college students within her community.