Mr. Robert Hansen was born in on Earth Day, April 22, 1949, in Bayshore, New York.  He was the first in his family to attend college, and earned his Bachelor’s and then a Master's Degree in Geography from the University at Albany.  Mr. Hansen came to work for NOAA as a cartographer in Aeronautical Charting.  He then worked as a technical information specialist for the National Ocean Service, chief of the NOAA Map Library, constituent affairs specialist, NOAA Historian, and retired as the national outreach coordinator for Education.   

Scope and Content Note

Robert Hansen discusses his educational background in geography and cartography in college and how he had a keen interest in map design. This led him to join NOAA, where he worked for over thirty years. Hansen talks about his early career at NOAA, specifically his involvement in aeronautical charting. He mentions projects related to creating and maintaining aeronautical charts, which are crucial for aviation navigation and safety. Hansen also talks about his transition from aeronautical charting to broader geographical and cartographic endeavors within NOAA. He goes over his work on research and analysis projects related to weather patterns, climate dynamics, and natural disasters and how his skills in map design and data analysis were used in visualizing complex geographical information. Hansen goes on to recount the personal challenges he faced as a gay man during his career. However, he talks about how he found support within the NOAA community and drew inspiration from the passion and dedication of his colleagues.