Al and Sandy Hansen Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Prevention

Sandy Hansen, ’67, and Alan Hansen, ’68, made estate plans in 2022 to establish an endowed chair in cancer research and prevention in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. They also made plans to establish an endowed oncology equipment fund at the college. “We want the college to become the best it can be – to give it the opportunity to hire the brightest minds in the profession and improve animal care through education,” Al said.

Sandy majored in home economics at OSU and then devoted her 30-year career to teaching home economics in Lake Oswego Public Schools. Al spent his career as an operations auditor, working for Nike for many years. Then an idea struck: tired of wiping down their hard-to-clean glass shower doors with a hardware store squeegee, Al thought, why not design my own? His elegant and ergonomic squeegee, Clerét, went on to win awards, break the million-dollar mark in its first year on the market and even earn a place in the Smithsonian’s permanent design collection. Al sold the company in 2021. Beyond cleaning windows with class, the Hansens’ lives have also revolved around outdoor adventures with their Labrador retrievers, whom they credit with keeping them healthy and active.

The Hansens have lost four of these beloved dogs to cancer, and through this process encountered wonderful OSU veterinarians, who they wanted to support through their giving.

 “The amount of joy a pet brings to a family is immeasurable,” Al said. “We’re hoping our gift will allow future pet owners to spend a little more time – whether it be another year, month or week – with their pets.”