Honorary Degrees

An honorary degree is awarded to a person deserving of honor by virtue of scholarly distinction, noteworthy public service or significant contributions to the state of Idaho. In the selection of candidates for honorary degrees, preference is given to those who are Idaho residents or University of Idaho graduates.

UnIversITy of IdaHo – MosCoW - Honorary doCToraTe Dennis Alvah Hanson grew up working in the family-owned engineering and manufacturing business, RAHCO, in Palouse, Washington and was mentored by many of the engineers who worked there. He graduated from Palouse High School in 1968 and attended Washington State University for three years. He was recently inducted into the 2021 class of the University of Idaho Academy of Engineers.

Hanson helped RACHO grow into a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialized construction equipment. He traveled extensively to provide technical support for the operation of RAHCO equipment on construction projects in the U.S., South America, and the Middle East.

Hanson was a member of the U.S. delegation to the U.S.S.R. for Design and Construction of Large Irrigation Canals to study the feasibility of reversing the flow of the Ob River in Siberia. This project was part of the Northern River Reversal program to divert northern flowing rivers to the southern agricultural areas across the country. The group traveled from Moscow to Pyatigorsk to Tashkent where they toured a site that had been excavated using detonations of three 15-kiloton nuclear devices.

In 1977, he launched his own entrepreneurial career, managing Dye Seed Ranch Inc. in Pomeroy, Washington for the Dye family before purchasing it in 1983. He designed, built, and improved much of the machinery used for the processing of the raw grass seed and the packaging of the clean seed.

In 2001, under the authority of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, Dye Seed entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dye Seed received three individual project letter agreements that supported collaboration with Initiatives for the Proliferation Prevention program of the DOE, the United States Industry Coalition, Inc. (USIC), and the cooperating new independent states of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Dye Seed became a member of USIC, and Hanson traveled to the FSU several times. Dye Seed tested microbial bugs in Montana and hosted numerous scientific groups to visit the United States from the FSU.

Dye Seed also provided Dennis Hanson with a reason to fly his own aircraft. He quickly earned his private pilot’s license and instrument rating during his first year at Dye Seed to facilitate his commute from Spokane to Pomeroy and went on to earn his Airplane Multiengine Land Airline Transport Pilot certificate with Commercial Privileges Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, RotorcraftHelicopter, and Instrument Helicopter ratings. He also holds a Mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings and a Certified Flight Instructor certificate. He has more than 15,000 flight hours and has had the opportunity to fly notable individuals such as Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Walter Cronkite, Shimon Peres, Benazir Bhutto, and Idaho Governor Butch Otter over the years.

Dennis Hanson

He acquired an ownership interest in Eagle Helicopters Inc., in 1985, a FAA Part 135 certificate holder in which he continues to be majority owner, chief pilot, and check airman. In 1985, he was instrumental in developing the “HeartFlite” EMS program for Sacred Heart Medical Center. Over the next 10 years, he designed and fabricated the medical interiors for both the helicopter and fixed wing aircraft. Hanson also served as a pilot himself for each aircraft.

In 1989, Hanson acquired a majority interest in Fasteners Inc., a business headquartered in Spokane that distributed industrial fasteners in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The company was later sold to a national company in 2015.

After his father’s passing in 2009, Dennis Hanson assumed the family leadership to oversee Hanson Industries Inc. and its continued development of real estate holdings and a platinum mine in Alaska.

His wife, Norma Jean, a 1977 graduate of the University of Idaho, is a third generation Vandal. They have three sons with Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho and a daughter with a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from MIT. He taught his wife and all four children to fly and they remain active in aviation as a family. Today, Dennis and Norma Jean fly a Daher TBM 940 airplane in pursuit of mountain biking, skiing, travel, and grandchildren, and have flown to Europe and Central America.

An honorary degree is awarded to a person deserving of honor by virtue of scholarly distinction, noteworthy public service or significant contributions to the state of Idaho. In the selection of candidates for honorary degrees, preference is given to those who are Idaho residents or University of Idaho graduates.

UnIversITy of IdaHo – MosCoW - Honorary doCToraTe

Rick Waitley Rick Waitley is president of Association Management Group located in Meridian. The firm handles association management, legislative lobbying and event planning for more than 40 agriculture groups in Idaho and the Northwest. Rick has been a registered lobbyist in Idaho since 1978. He grew up on a family farm in Meridian and was active in 4-H and FFA. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education. After teaching at Kuna High School, Rick worked for the National FFA before returning to Idaho to begin his lobbying career. In 1998, Rick received the Idaho Ag Summit Governor’s Award for Excellence in Agriculture – in “Educational Advocacy.” Waitley serves on numerous community and state boards and committees including the Meridian Cemetery District Board and United Heritage Insurance Company Board. He is the chair of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. Rick is married to his wife, Dorita, a retired kindergarten teacher of 35 years.